Bloodloss
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1982 in Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Martin Bland, Renestair E.J., Jim Selene, Sharron Weatherill |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums |
Bloodloss was an Australian band blending post-punk and grunge, established in 1982. The founding members comprised Martin Bland on drums, Renestair E.J. handling guitar and saxophone, Jim Selene on bass, and Sharron Weatherill providing vocals and guitar. Over their career, they produced five albums: Human Skin Suit (1988), The Truth Is Marching In (1990), In-a-Gadda-Da-Change (1993), Live My Way (1996), and Misty (1996).
History
Originating in Sydney towards the end of 1982, Bloodloss emerged as a post-punk and grunge outfit featuring Martin Bland (formerly of Chaos and Head On) on drums, Renestair E.J. on guitar and saxophone, Jim Selene playing bass, and Sharron Weatherill on vocals and guitar. Bland and Renestair E.J. had previously played together in the Adelaide-based band Head On, which was recognized for its Detroit-inspired punk sound. After cycling through several temporary drummers, Bland became a permanent member of Bloodloss. Their music was characterized by an intense fusion described as "loud blues/Vegas/punk craziness." By late 1983, Stuart Gray (also known as Stu Spasm) joined the group as guitarist and vocalist, prompting a rebranding to Zulu Rattle. The band contributed the track "Terror Train" to the 1984 compilation Strawberry Hills. In March 1984, Bland and Gray departed to establish Salamander Jim alongside Tex Perkins, which led to the dissolution of Zulu Rattle.
In 1985, Bland returned to Adelaide and reunited with Selene in Primevils, a group that also included Dave Mason and Su Severin. Primevils released the single "I Saw My Name" in November 1986. That same year, Bland and Gray founded the noise rock band Lubricated Goat in Sydney. Prior to Primevils issuing their only album Chicken Factory under Greasy Pop Records in 1987, Renestair E.J. had joined their ranks.
By 1986, Renestair E.J. and Weatherhill revived Bloodloss in Adelaide with Charlie Tolnay (formerly of Grong Grong) on lead guitar, Andrew Stosch on drums, and Chris Wiley on bass. They put out a self-titled cassette that year. Bland rejoined as a second drummer in 1987; the group then released Human Skin Suit in June 1988, an album noted for its "jazzy brand of pre-grunge noise." Subsequently, Tolnay dedicated his efforts to King Snake Roost; Weatherhill exited the band while Bland transitioned to lead vocals and guitar.
With this lineup, they issued the single "Smell Machine" in March 1989 before Wiley departed and Selene returned on bass. Their following album, The Truth Is Marching In, appeared in 1990 prior to their breakup in 1991. Afterward, Bland and Renestair E.J. resumed collaboration with Lubricated Goat in Sydney.
Later relocating to Seattle, Bloodloss was reactivated in 1993 with Mark Arm (guitar/vocals) from grunge band Mudhoney and fellow Australian expatriate Guy Maddison (bass/vocals). The band released Live My Way through Warner/Reprise in March 1996; the album combined delta blues elements with raw intensity. Critics commended it for delivering "amped-up, brutally trashy fun," emphasizing the strong leadership of Bland and Renestair.
Towards the end of 1996, they followed up with Misty, issued by Au-go-go Records featuring recordings from 1993–94 that reflected jazz and blues influences. Bloodloss disbanded again in 1997; subsequently, Maddison joined Arm's Mudhoney.
Members
- Jeremy Bender – drums (1982)
- Duncan Coleman – drums (1982)
- John Gazzola – drums (1982)
- Yvette Ralph – drums (1982)
- Renestair E.J. (born Eric Reynolds) – guitar, saxophone (1982–84, 1986–91, 1993–97)
- Jim Selene – bass guitar (1982–84, 1988–91)
- Sharron Weatherill – lead vocals (1982–84, 1986–88)
- Martin Bland – drums (1982–84, 1987–88, 1993–97), guitar and vocals (1988–91)
- Andre Poublon – drums (1983)
- Stuart Gray (aka Stu Spasm) – guitar, vocals (1983–84)
- Andrew Foley (aka Andrew Stosch) – drums (1986–89)
- Chris Wiley – bass guitar (1986–88)
- David Creese – drums (1991)
- Rick Bishop – bass guitar (1992)
- Mark Arm – guitar, vocals (1993–97)
- Guy Maddison – bass guitar, vocals (1993–97)
Albums
- Bloodloss (1986) – Released by Greasy Pop Records
- Human Skin Suit (June 1988) – Issued through Greasy Pop Records
- The Truth Is Marching In (1990) – Distributed by Aberrant Records
- In-a-Gadda-Da-Change (1993) – Published under Sympathy for the Record Industry
- Ten Solid Rockin' Inches of Rock Solid Rock 10" (1994) – Available via Sympathy for the Record Industry
- Live My Way (March 1996) – Warner/Reprise release
- Misty (1996) – Released by Au-go-go Records
- The Truth Is Marching In 1983–1991 (2× CD compilation, 2010) – Issued by Memorandum Recordings