Guttersnipes
| Guttersnipes | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Grunge |
| Years active | 1989-present |
| Labels | Au-Go-Go, |
| Associated acts | Baboon Rebus |
| Members | Andrew Rice (Guitar, Vocals), Mark Hurst (Drums), Michael McManus (Bass), Paul Brockhoff (Guitar, Vocals) |
Guttersnipes are a four-piece guitar band from Melbourne, Australia, who formed in 1989.
Guttersnipes formed in Melbourne in 1989 and began writing music and playing shows at various inner city venues. The band wrote original songs that featured distorted and fast-paced melodies. Their sound initially showed some similarities to bands such as Squirrelbait, Hüsker Dü and Dinosaur Jr., while containing tinges of Australian punk and garage influences.
The band formed an allegiance with Melbourne-based Au Go Go Records in 1990, releasing their debut single "It's Over" on the label in early 1991. They then signed a multiple-record deal with the label, but only issued two more records on Au Go Go, "Blurred" in 1991 and "Face the Day" in 1996. The band also released quite a number of tracks on various compilations.
Guttersnipes played many live shows around Australia throughout the 1990s, mostly in the eastern states of Australia and Tasmania.
In the early 1990s, they formed a trio of bands with The Throwaways and Spiderbait that organised shows under the moniker "Tell 'em it's Healthy". This was an attempt on the part of these bands to bypass what they saw as a moribund music industry establishment, and combine crowds so that venues would see the combination as a worthwhile bill. The tactic proved successful, and the "Tell 'em it's Healthy" shows frequently outsold those of the more established headline acts of the time.
Throughout the 1990s, the Guttersnipes played with a range of U.S. and European bands touring Australia, including Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, The Lemonheads, Ween, Buffalo Tom, L7 and Bob Mould. They also played with many Australian acts, including Cosmic Psychos, The Beasts of Bourbon, the Hard-Ons, The Splatterheads, Magic Dirt, Regurgitator, Christbait, Green Beaver, Screamfeeder, You Am I, Something for Kate, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists and many others. They also played a number of festivals, including the Meredith Music Festival in 1991 and 1992.
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