Australian Artists

4: The Saints

''Apart from the Bee Gees, nothing had ever come out of Brisbane and they were foreign anyway'' - Chris Bailey, The Saints.

The Saints were a punk band from Brisbane, Australia that formed in 1974.The Saints were Australia's first punk rock band but they were also one of the first punk bands EVER.

According to Bob Geldof  "Rock music in the seventies was changed by three bands: the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and The Saints".

The main line up consisted of:

Chris Bailey, vocals

Ed Kuepper, Guitar

Kym Bradshaw, bass

Ivory Hay, drums

They used fast tempos, raucous vocals and  that "buzz saw" guitar that became a punk rock signature. They happened to be doing the same sort of thing the Ramones were doing but on another side of the planet. (Neither group could hear each other at that point)

That's one of the amazing things about punk music as the scene was happening all over the world at around the same time. The Saints were one of the first and most influential of the punk genre. They seem to be the weird misfits that most people forget about though.

The Saints released their single (I'm) Stranded in 1976 before more famous acts. They predated UK acts like Sex Pistols The Damned, The Buzzcocks and the Clash. The song become a very important part of Australian music. (I'm) Stranded was also the name of the album they made. They completed it in a total of two days and they actually transferred their songs (I'm) Stranded and No Time from the vinyl as the group couldn't afford the master tape! The record was basically recorded live. Sounds Magazine declared (I'm) Stranded  the "Single of this and every week"

The Saints were determined to be original calling the progressive rock of the 70s ''dreadful'' and the fact that artists would seem to disown their old songs ''piss weak.''

Apparently Ed Kuepper said that they actually played faster and faster as they were nervous in front of audiences. Can't blame them though as Brisbane was super conservative and has a  strict government at the time. The police would often break up their gigs, and arrests were frequent. They'd also get beat up sometimes as responses could be negative. The early reviews were so abysmal they use them in their own publicity. They actually formed their own Fatal Records label when no other labels would sign them.

Renowned UK critic Jon Savage called their song This Perfect Day as the most ferocious single to ever grace the UK Top 4.

As addressed before the Saints were  far beyond and ahead of the UK punk scene but by the time they actually got over there the world had caught up and the punk 'image' had changed. The Saints never really heard what punk was until producers came along. They were just a bunch of ordinary guys playing songs. They didn't have an 'image' they mostly wore normal clothes like jeans and a t-shirt.  Chris the lead singer usually sang with a cigarette in hand and had a signature snarl. That was the DIY attitude of early punk music. Just look at their album cover:

The house the album cover featured was just an abandoned house. The band actually had their own house on Petrie Terrace which was eventually dubbed Club 76. Across the road was police quarters which is pretty funny actually.

''The absolute last thing The Saints were going to do was anything that might be in fashion''

Back to the punk image... by the time  Saints arrived in the UK the punk 'look' was safety pins, leather jackets etc. The UK music scene was also pretty... well xenophobic.

The UK scene was ALSO pretty fashion conscious. The Saints had long hair and were no longer considered hip or had that hard punk edge anymore. That was okay with them though. They kept their long shaggy hair, and they never considered themselves to be punks anyway. They were more interested in developing their sound beyond their brash origins. They were looking to broaden their horizons not fit a fashion, no matter how revolutionary.

The single Know Your Product failed but has earned quite a status now. One of their most famous songs now. It mashes horns and punk. It was an obvious slap to the face to the British punk scene who manufactured and dressed the 'revolution'.

So yes, the Saints came and made a bold statement then faded away but they shouldn't be forgotten. Their legacy lives on and they made some f**king good music!

I also think it is important to mention that apparently during their tour of Australia in 1976 Ed Kuepper the guitarist was using a public address system as his guitar amp, destroying the ear drums of all that stood in its path.