The Poor (Australian band)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia |
| Founder | Anthony "Skenie" Skene, Julian "RV" Grynglas, Matt Whitby |
| Headquarters | Gold Coast , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
The Poor are a hard rock group originating from Australia, initially established in 1986 under the name The Poor Boys in Darwin, Northern Territory. The original lineup featured Julian "RV" Grynglas on guitar, Anthony "Skenie" Skene handling vocals and rhythm guitar, and Matt Whitby on bass. Their first full-length album, Who Cares (1994, Sony), reached a peak position of No. 3 on the ARIA Charts. The album's lead track, "More Wine Waiter Please," climbed to No. 30 on the US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and secured a spot within Australia's top ten hits. After disbanding in 2000, The Poor reassembled in 2008 and subsequently released two albums: Round 1 (2009) and Round 2 (2010), both distributed through Riot Entertainment.
History
Originating as The Poor Boys in 1986 in Darwin, Northern Territory, the band initially included Mark Davis on drums, Chris Risdale on guitar, Anthony "Skenie" Skene as vocalist and rhythm guitarist, along with bassist Matt Whitby. Risdale and Skene formed their musical partnership during high school and began performing cover songs locally. Following several lineup adjustments—most notably the addition of Julian Grynglas—the group shifted their emphasis toward creating original compositions.
In 1991, the band moved to Sydney and embarked on a US tour supporting fellow Australian hard rockers The Angels. By 1992, James Young had taken over drumming duties from Davis, and they released their debut EP titled Rude, Crude & Tattooed, which was produced by members of The Angels. After extensive national touring and issuing a second EP called Underfed, produced by Brent Eccles, they supported American bands Alice in Chains and Suicidal Tendencies during their Australian tour dates.
To prevent confusion with a United States band, the group shortened their name to The Poor in March 1994. Their single "More Wine Waiter Please" achieved No. 30 on the US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and reached No. 10 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. Their debut album Who Cares, produced by Paul Northfield, saw an international release throughout 1994 and attained No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The band conducted extensive tours across the United States supporting Scorpions, as well as performing in Europe and Japan.
In early 1996, The Poor served as opening act for AC/DC's international tour and later supported renowned acts such as Kiss and Van Halen. Drummer Gavin Hansen replaced James Young in 1997. A follow-up single titled "Simple Livin'" was released in 1998; however, the band dissolved by 2000. Members went on to work on other projects including Lump and Blackseed. Skene joined Lump before eventually reuniting with The Poor.
The Poor reunited in April 2008 for an Australian tour alongside W.A.S.P. and issued Round 1 in October 2009 through Riot!. This release combined previously unreleased older tracks with new material. Since relocating to the Gold Coast in 2009, they appeared at the Big Day Out festival in January 2010. Their subsequent album Round 2, released in October 2010, garnered favorable reviews praising its return to classic hard rock roots.
Prior to the global pandemic in early 2020, The Poor toured performing AC/DC's iconic Back in Black album for its 40th anniversary alongside original songs including a new track titled "Payback's a Bitch."
In late 2022, The Poor announced their fourth studio album High Price Deed, which was released on 2 February 2023. The album was preceded by singles "Payback's a Bitch," "Cry Out," "Let Me Go," and "Take the World," featuring a re-recorded version of their early track "Love Shot" from their debut EP.
Founding bassist Matt Whitby left the band mid-2025, making Skene the only remaining original member; he was succeeded by Stewart Williams, formerly of Lump.
Band members
- Current lineup
- Anthony "Skenie" Skene – lead vocals, guitar (1986–2000, 2008–present)
- Daniel Cox – guitar (2019–present)
- Stewart Williams – bass guitar (2025–present)
- Gavin Hansen – drums (1997–2000, 2008–present)
- Past members
- Mark Davis – drums (1986–1992)
- Chris Ridsdale – guitar (1986–1988)
- Matt Whitby – bass guitar (1986–2000, 2008–2025)
- Warren Reid – guitar (1988–1989)
- Julian 'RV' Grynglas – guitar (1989–2000, 2008–2018)
- James Young – drums (1992–1997)
- Timeline
Studio albums
| Album title | Release details | Highest chart position (AUS) |
|---|---|---|
| Who Cares |
|
3 |
| Round 1 |
|
— |
| Round 2 |
|
— |
| High Price Deed |
|
— |
Compilation albums
- Round 1 & 2 (2011) – features all tracks from both Round 1 and Round 2 albums
Extended plays (EPs)
| EP title | Release information | Peak chart ranking |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Rude, Crude & Tattooed (as the Poor Boys) |
|
66 |
| Underfed (as the Poor Boys) |
|
— |
Singles
| Single title | Release year | Peak chart position (AUS) | From album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "More Wine Waiter Please" | 1994 | 10 | Who Cares |
| "Poison" | 48 | ||
| "Man of War" | — | ||
| "Simple Livin'" | 1998 | — | Template:Non-album single |
| "Payback's a Bitch" | 2022 | — | High Price Deed |
| "Cry Out" | — | ||
| "Let Me Go" | — | ||
| "Take the World" | — | ||
| "Lover" | 2023 | — |