Venom P. Stinger
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 in Melbourne, Australia |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Studio albums, live albums |
Venom P. Stinger was an Australian noise rock ensemble originating in Melbourne in 1985. The founding members included Dugald Mackenzie on lead vocals, Alan Secher-Jensen handling bass duties, Mick Turner on guitar, and Jim White playing drums. Their discography encompasses three studio albums: Meet My Friend Venom (1987), What's Yours Is Mine (1990), and Tear Bucketer (1996). The group initially dissolved in 1988, reunited in 1990, and ultimately concluded their activities in 1996.
Following Venom P. Stinger, Turner and White went on to establish the post-rock outfit Dirty Three alongside violinist Warren Ellis in 1992. Dugald Mackenzie succumbed to cancer in October 2004, while Alan Secher-Jensen passed away in May 2019.
History
Formed in Melbourne during 1985, Venom P. Stinger brought together Dugald Mackenzie (previously of Sick Things and Brainshack), Alan Secher-Jensen (formerly with Brainshack and Beachnuts), Mick Turner (ex-Sick Things, Fungus Brains, The Moodists), and Jim White (formerly with People with Chairs Up Their Noses and Feral Dinosaurs). Turner identified key influences such as the Birthday Party, Flipper, Dead Kennedys, and the Saints.
Their first album, Meet My Friend Venom, was released in January 1987 through No Master's Voice and was distinguished by its uncompromising avant-garde rock approach that eschewed commercial appeal. The band issued the single "Walking About" in June 1988 before their initial breakup.
In 1990, the band reassembled with Secher-Jensen, Turner, and White joined by new lead vocalist Nick Palmer. After releasing their sophomore album, What's Yours Is Mine, in October 1990 on Aberrant Records, they embarked on a tour across the United States. Post-departure from the band, Dugald Mackenzie moved to Adelaide and died of cancer in October 2004. His songwriting was noted for its raw emotional power and punk sensibility.
Venom P. Stinger later issued a live recording titled Live (in Davis) in 1992, followed by their third studio album Tear Bucketer in 1996 before disbanding once more that same year. Their musical style fused intense rawness with intricate rhythms and atypical song forms, impacting both American bands associated with Amphetamine Reptile Records and Australian groups such as Melbourne’s Eddy Current Suppression Ring.
During intervals away from Venom P. Stinger, Turner and White founded the post-rock trio Dirty Three with Warren Ellis towards the end of 1992. In 2013, Drag City, an American independent label, reissued their early works compiled as Venom P. Stinger 1986–1991. Alan Secher-Jensen died in May 2019.
Members
- Dugald Mackenzie – lead vocals (1985–89; deceased 2004)
- Alan Secher-Jensen – bass guitar (1985–89, 1991–92, 1993–96; deceased 2019)
- Mick Turner – lead guitar (1985–89, 1991–92, 1993–96)
- Jim White – drums (1985–89, 1991–92, 1993–96)
- Nick Palmer – lead vocals (1991–92, 1993–96)
Studio albums
- Meet My Friend Venom (January 1987) – No Masters Voice
- What's Yours Is Mine (October 1990) – Aberrant Records
- Tearbucketer (1996; US import only) – Siltbreeze
Live albums
- Live (recorded in Davis) (1992) – Anopheles