SCREAMING
JETS BIO'S
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April 2001
"Looking back, it's hard to believe that the Jets have been together for 12
years. But I guess now we will be able to take stock of all that we've done,
all our achievements and failures, both professional and personal, because
when you're constantly touring and stuff, it sometimes gets fucking impossible
to keep track of everything." So says Dave Gleeson, frontman for The Screaming
Jets when asked about the extended hiatus the band were about to impose on
themselves. So let's cast our minds back, and see if we can't help the boys
piece together at least some of the last decade. Formed in 1989 from the ashes
of a few well known local bands, The Screaming Jets had a plan to break out
of Newcastle and take their brand of Rock 'n' Roll to the world and elsewhere.
They worked their arses off around the Hunter Valley for long enough to know
they had something different, something alive and raw that the Australian
music industry, nay, the world industry was lacking - guts, honour and a work
ethic second to none. After winning the JJJ national battle of the bands at
the end of '89, the focus of attention was turned to the Jets, and they have
not stopped touring, both nationally and internationally since. The names
of the acts that The Screaming Jets have toured and played with, read like
a who's who of music in the last twenty years. From playing on bills such
as the Rock-am Ring in Germany alongside Faith No More, Robert Plant, INXS
(who incidentally asked Dave to perform a rendition of the INXS classic Don't
Change with them at said concert) and The Black Crowes. To remembering their
first live performance in LA at the legendary RIP magazine party at the Hollywood
Palladium alongside such acts as Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Spinal Tap. Right
up to the present day, where their latest exploits have been the national
support for KISS, and a support slot with Alice Cooper. Five gold and platinum
albums, three gold and platinum singles, 2000 plus live concerts and a hoarde
of loyal Jets fans both here and abroad, are some of the accolades that The
Screaming Jets have attained for themselves over the years, but by far the
most prized by the band is that people know they are the Real Deal. Hard working,
hard partying, committed guys who do this thing called ROCK for one reason,
and one reason alone. They love it. "Without it," says Gleeson, "I don't think
any of us would have developed to the stage we have musically or as people….
for better or for worse." He adds after short contemplation. "We have too
much respect for the band and for each other to let 'it' kill us or to have
us kill 'it'. We have gone harder and faster than you could believe and we
need to get out for a while in order to evaluate ourselves and our band, in
order to take our crusade to the next level", guitarist Grant Walmsley said.
The Jets personnel has not always been stable, but for the three founding
members - Grant Walmsley, Paul Woseen and Dave Gleeson, and for these three
it has not only been the constant touring, but the day to day running of a
band that has brought them to a point where they need to sit back, relax and
re-join the human race. The new members that have come into the fray along
the way, have each re-invigorated the band in some way, and each persona that
comes along is infected with the Jets' extreme work ethic. Dave Gleeson says,
"The decision to take The Screaming Jets off the road was a difficult decision
for all of the members to make. However we all agree that to take a year or
two off and be able to stand back and take a look at where we are going, will
quite possibly be the best thing that's ever happened to the group." The Screaming
Jets' motto was taken from The West Side Story, and to those who are believers,
it will always ring true… "When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way, from
your first cigarette to your last dyin' day. "Maybe when we are gone for a
while, Australian music fans will wake up and realize that bands such as Limp
Bizkit, KORN and Prodigy are not and never were gonna be the biggest thing
Australia has ever seen, then the time will be right for the true prophets
of Oz rock to return, til then, you's can choke on Fred Durst's Soggy Sao
for all we care!"
1989
Australian rock band the Screaming Jets originally comprised Dave Gleeson (vocals),
Grant Walmsley (guitar), Paul Woseen (bass), Brad Heaney (drums) and Richard
Lara (guitar). Their caustic, brutal rock and extravagant stage show brought
early attention, which increased with the release of their debut album, All
For One. After supporting Thunder on UK dates through 1992 a second collection
followed, the similarly bombastic Tear Of Thought. Support spots with the Quireboys
and their own headlining club dates ensued. Their popularity in Europe was climaxed
by an appearance at the Rock Am Ring Festival in Germany in front of 50,000
rock fans. They returned home to Australia but in early 1994 lost the services
of both Heaney and Lara, replaced by Craig Rosevear and Jimi Hocking, respectively.
They continued to play around 300 shows a year on their domestic circuit, and
enjoyed a surprise national chart success with a rare ballad, 'Helping Hand',
in 1994. As a consequence both the group's first two albums were eventually
certified platinum in Australia. They embarked on sessions for a third album
in 1995, accompanied by producer Robbie Adams, whose track record included engineering
two U2 studio albums.
2000
Now
boarding. . .The Screaming Jets' next studio adventure: SCAM All you frequent
flyers will know that The Jets have a dozen top 40 singles, five albums (including
a first-decade anthology) that have gone platinum or gold, multiple ARIA nominations,
countless sold-out tours and a constantly expanding fan base that brings new
meaning to the term loyalty. Now there's a word, loyalty. Gleeson, Walmsley
and Woseen have remained faithful to each other and the group cause since
launching The Jets with victory in the Triple J National Battle of the Bands
more than a decade ago. They have stuck together through enough record-company,
management and industry hogwash to suck the life out of any young idealistic
rock band. But true to their Novocastrian (that's what Newcastle people call
themselves) heritage, The Jets keep rising to the challenge and beyond - this
time with a 14-part sonic chapter called SCAM. "Scams are the deadly enemy
of reality. And 'reality' has always been the supreme 'scam' used by society
to subdue the lust for freedom in its citizens." Australia's most credible
and incredible rock band, The Screaming Jets, have released another long player
with substance. Belying its title, SCAM is a real album. It's not just a couple
of singles padded out by pretend tracks. Listen to it and you'll realise there's
no bullshit about the music. There is a strength in the numbers - something
about the songcraft that smacks of experience and smokes with exuberance.
The Jets acknowledge that the times they still are a'changing. They reflect
this in their songwriting without compromising their sense of solidarity.
While The Jets have never been slaves to fashion, rock'n'roll is back in vogue
and nobody wears it better than founding band members Dave Gleeson (vocals),
Grant Walmsley (guitar) and Paul Woseen (bass). Just ask the friendly staff
at Brisbane airport!" Subterfuge does not feature in The Jets' arsenal - propaganda
maybe. That's probably why they say it like it is on Scam. After 15 years
in a biz with one of the world's highest burn-out rates, The Jets reckon it's
time to blow a few whistles (and we're not just talking about those exposed
on the album sleeve). "The music industry thrives on scams, greed, back-patting
and back-handing, so The Jets thought the title was more than apt," Walmsley
explains. "We've seen more than our fair share of sharks but we believe you
get there if you stay in a pack." Responding to recent reams of publicity,
the ever-gregarious Gleeson adds: "The term 'band' is used rather loosely
these days, but this band means virtually everything to us. We still all hang
out together, we work together and we play together. You need to remain a
tight unit or this bloody industry will milk you for everything you're worth
then drop you like a bag of shit if you run dry. It's always been us against
them. That's an attitude you're brought up with in Newie. That, and learning
how to start singalongs. Everybody now . . . 'If you're happy and you know
it . . . " " The band recorded the bulk of the album at Melbourne's Sing Sing
Studios over several week-long blocks with Australian rock statesman Ross
Wilson (Main man of Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock and producer of Skyhooks' first
four albums). His copilot was engineer, and producer in his own right, Kalju
Tonuma (28 Days, The Mavis's, Deadstar, ). Then, almost as if on impulse,
the band moved into Mangrove Recording Studios, the new farmland studio owned
by INXS bassist Gary Beers on the NSW Central Coast. The Jets touched base
again with distinguished British exile Steve James, who produced earlier Jets'
albums All For One (1991), Tear Of Thought (1992) and World Gone Crazy (1997).
Three tracks were cranked out with James (Sex Pistols, Thin Lizzy, Teletubbies)
during the weekend session. They were mixed by Dave Nicolas (Sting, Elton
John, Rod Stewart). One of those songs, the next single, Higher With You,
was written and recorded just two weeks prior to the delivery date. "We felt
we needed a few more tracks so it was great to get Steve in to finish the
album," Walmsley says. "I really think that extra session rounded out the
record. "Recording with Steve, to us, is like going to Mum's for a roast dinner.
That kind of familiarity breeds content." As with past Jets' efforts (World
Gone Crazy and the self-titled 'Gorilla' album), most of Scam was mixed in
New York by Kevin "Caveman" Shirley (silverchair, Aerosmith, Black Crowes).
While some partnerships were revisited, others were started. Scam is the first
album from The Jets since linking with the Universal Records label Grudge
(Grinspoon, The Cruel Sea, Skunkhour). A new millennium commercial survey
listed "Better" (The Jets' breakthrough smash hit) as the most popular Australian
song (and fourth top amidst international company) on domestic airwaves during
the 1990s. But you are only as good as your last single. Many music industry
pundits were genuinely excited to be serviced with Scam's lead single, "Shine
Over Me" (with Individuality and I Need Your Love having already been aired
via Hits & Pieces). Radio networks added the "sunny yet overcast song" almost
immediately across-the-board and it was sitting pretty in a national retailer's
top 10 as The Jets (who also include gun guitarist Ismet Osmanovic and new
drummer Col Hatchman) prepared for their much-anticipated Scam tour. Among
other album tracks vying for single contention are the self-explanatory Protest
Song, retro feel-good number Don't Be Sorry, experimental epoch Realise, the
emotionally grounding Overexcited, and the poignant Fred Hollows tribute Thinking
About You. Then there's songs such as Maggots and No Way Out busting a gut
to take the crowd-chanting live mantle of Jets classic FRC. "Right now, the
band is the best it's ever been," Gleeson enthuses.
I-MUSIC
SHOWCASE
I remember the first time I saw The Screaming Jets like it happened yesterday.
Actually, it was 1991 and I'd arrived in Sydney after a whole day on a 747,
interrupted by only a stop-over in Singapore where I got to stretch my two legs
and a cockroach did the same with his six as he walked across the bar and right
up to the beer I was cradling. Nice. When I finally made it to a Sydney hotel
room, I threw a travelling bag and considered the far distant memory known as
sleep. A nightmare glance in the mirror confirmed I was doing a fair impression
of a bit-part extra in The Night Of The Living Dead, but when the phone rang
unexpectedly, instinctively I answered "yes" to the voice that asked me if,
although I must be "a little tired", I would like to go - like, now - to see
The Screaming Jets play at a college ball. As I stumbled into the college grounds,
I was greeted by a scene straight out of Bedlam. An attractive courtyard lawn
was ankle-deep in bottles and beer cans. Pairs of human legs, presumably still
attached to their owners, stuck out from beneath shrubs and tent flaps. Those
too far gone to fall over held each other up. And in the corner a stage was
suddenly invaded by the band I had flown God knows how many thousand miles to
watch. I've seen more bands than I care to count, many more than I could possibly
remember. But that night I saw something I'll never forget. Simply one of the
best live acts I'd ever witnessed. The band were stunning. Dave Gleeson was
awesome. I watched much of the set open mouthed, which meant I dribbled a lot
of my beer, but as I pushed my way forward I was utterly convinced. Surely international
megastardom was just around the corner, throwing up under a hedge, even? Almost,
but not quite. "I don't want to be just an Australian band. I think that's what's
made bands like Midnight Oil, INXS and maybe Hoodoo Gurus, have had some sucess
outside of Australia. They all flogged their guts out for 12 years. That's all
I can put it down to. You just keep slogging it out, getting in peoples faces.
If you rest, you get fat and old " Dave Gleeson, The Screaming Jets So you thought
you'd heard the last of The Screaming Jets? Reckon their frontman Dave Gleeson
had run out of steam? Figured it was safe to turn on the radio and hear the
same-old, lame-old, tame-old song and dance? Sorry my friend, but it's time
to think again. After almost two years since the release of their last album.
The Screaming Jets are back. New, improved and hungrier than ever. There's the
fourth album you hold in your hands, a new guy in the line-up, and a sense of
something altogether more exciting. This time The Screaming Jets have got it
right. Since their second album Tear Of Thought was released in 1992, The Screaming
Jets have played in well over 20 countries all around the world, a massive tour
from which they returned with a new sense of purpose and an even more lethal
approach. It's an approach that's designed to run and run as Gleeson explains:
"The Screaming Jets is the last band I'll ever be in. We might as well make
a go of it. I don't want to be just some dude in the Australian Music Industry
in years to come. When the Screaming Jets get as bad as that I'll go and do
something-else...." But "something else" isn't even on the horizon because in
1995 the band are even better placed than ever to make a name for themselves
on a global scale. They came close to it before but this time they know what
to expect. "You get all these big notions" reflects Gleeson. "Like when we did
real well in Australia with our first album we thought, "Unreal, people are
gonna go berserk, we're gotta be huge.'' But of course success doesn't translate
Depends, of course, on how you measure success. The Screaming Jets did indeed
go around the world and people did go berserk. It happened twice, first with
their 1991 All For One debut - a fine souvenir of the band's hard rock power
welded to the genre's rarest commodity: proper songs - and again in 1993 with
it's broader and more mature successor Tear Of Thought. Both albums are now
certified Platinum in Australia, but for The Screaming Jets that isn't enough.
They are always conscious of the need to up the pace and take things to the
next level. "The Stones and AC/DC, and probably Aerosmith are the three biggest
bands I've ever been into", says Gleeson. "They've all got the same story -
they've all fucked up and done shithouse things and they've been scorned in
the public eye - but mainly they never give in - they just keep doing it". All
those acts have been able to keep doing it because each stands on a foundation
of an unimpeachable live reputation. Just like The Screaming Jets. These days
Gleeson is consciously toning down his notorious on stage rants and pouring
even more emotion into the words he sings "Actually", he dead pans, his eyes
twinkling, "on stage, I'm much funnier than I used to be. I think I've let go
of the spitting evil venom thing and I just tell people what I think I find
funny. I think that's a better way. I start off' with lines like,. "Call me
strange, right, but..." Call me strange, right. but.. how come The Screaming
Jets are the best band in Australia right now, and the rest of the world ain't
caught on yet? Ah, but they will when they hear the new album... (Taken from
web-site I-music Showcase)
Home
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My Say
