Until now the legacy of Sydney punk band the Psycho Surgeons has been based around a 1978 single and fading memories and photographs of their blazing and unpredictable live shows. But two recently and previously undocumented, late 1976 rehearsal recording discovered by guitarist Mark Taylor are about to be released for the first time.The short-lived band were active from 1976-78, before splitting and forming into the Lipstick Killers but their impact was considerable and wild shows with Radio Birdman at the Oxford Funhouse became stuff of legend. The infamous 1978 single came splattered with real cows blood song and contained “Horizontal Action” which became an Australian punk classic. The record was reissued by influential garage rock label Crypt.Ahead of the new record, to be be released on legacy label Blank Records, we asked Mark Taylor some questions.Noisey: It was a rehearsal recording and probably not meant to be released but the legacy and interest of the band is still strong. What are your thoughts on the two songs?
Mark Taylor: I like the songs. They have lots of energy. Overall they represent the exact sound I remember achieving at our rehearsals. Obviously our plan was to improve musically over time, but it turns out that the best versions of garage and punk songs are usually the first ones!What do you remember of the recording?
It was recorded at 114 Rothschild Avenue, Rosebery, Sydney, the address of my parents' warehouse that we were allowed to use on weekends. The tape would have been one of the Psycho Surgeons first rehearsals, which we used to do every weekend starting at the end of 1976. Previous to that time that we had rehearsed as the Pricks or The Frozen Stiffs with Ron Peno singing and Charlie Georgees on lead guitar. Our new singer Paul Gearside only ever attended the first few Psycho Surgeons rehearsals, because he was very busy at the time with his commercial art career. The tape was certainly not meant to be released.Are the two songs “ Crush On You” and “Falling Apart” good indicators of the young yearnings of the band at the time?
We were rabid Stooges fans in 1976. We applied that high energy ideal to our own original songs, but without any of the technique or polish of the Stooges. We knew it was very rough, but assumed that practice would eventually get us to a level where we could match or exceed the power of The Stooges. That didn't happen! We had very little experience or ability and tried to make up for it with pure power and energy. By the time we gained any confidence in our playing, the whole idea of a Stooges-only influenced band had been done better by other bands, and we were ready to move towards a sound with a wider variety of influences, including '60s garage. That's when we disbanded and reformed as the Lipstick Killers.The Lipstick Killers continued to use “Crush On You” (there is a recording of the band playing it live in Adelaide) . Did it change much from the Psycho Surgeons version?
No, I think it's pretty much the same intensity level. When drummer Dave Taylor left and was replaced by Michael Charles, we dropped most of the Psycho Surgeons songs from our set, and replaced them with new material.The “Horizontal Action” record was infamously released with real cow's blood on the cover. Will there be any animal vital fluids on the new record?
No, the worldwide nanny state forbids the sale of anything too real in 2015. It comes decorated with a simulated impression of pasteurized mock blood printed with biodegradable soy based inks. Even that comes with a parental advisory warning.
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Mark Taylor: I like the songs. They have lots of energy. Overall they represent the exact sound I remember achieving at our rehearsals. Obviously our plan was to improve musically over time, but it turns out that the best versions of garage and punk songs are usually the first ones!What do you remember of the recording?
It was recorded at 114 Rothschild Avenue, Rosebery, Sydney, the address of my parents' warehouse that we were allowed to use on weekends. The tape would have been one of the Psycho Surgeons first rehearsals, which we used to do every weekend starting at the end of 1976. Previous to that time that we had rehearsed as the Pricks or The Frozen Stiffs with Ron Peno singing and Charlie Georgees on lead guitar. Our new singer Paul Gearside only ever attended the first few Psycho Surgeons rehearsals, because he was very busy at the time with his commercial art career. The tape was certainly not meant to be released.Are the two songs “ Crush On You” and “Falling Apart” good indicators of the young yearnings of the band at the time?
We were rabid Stooges fans in 1976. We applied that high energy ideal to our own original songs, but without any of the technique or polish of the Stooges. We knew it was very rough, but assumed that practice would eventually get us to a level where we could match or exceed the power of The Stooges. That didn't happen! We had very little experience or ability and tried to make up for it with pure power and energy. By the time we gained any confidence in our playing, the whole idea of a Stooges-only influenced band had been done better by other bands, and we were ready to move towards a sound with a wider variety of influences, including '60s garage. That's when we disbanded and reformed as the Lipstick Killers.The Lipstick Killers continued to use “Crush On You” (there is a recording of the band playing it live in Adelaide) . Did it change much from the Psycho Surgeons version?
No, I think it's pretty much the same intensity level. When drummer Dave Taylor left and was replaced by Michael Charles, we dropped most of the Psycho Surgeons songs from our set, and replaced them with new material.The “Horizontal Action” record was infamously released with real cow's blood on the cover. Will there be any animal vital fluids on the new record?
No, the worldwide nanny state forbids the sale of anything too real in 2015. It comes decorated with a simulated impression of pasteurized mock blood printed with biodegradable soy based inks. Even that comes with a parental advisory warning.
“Crush On You/Falling Apart” will be available February 27 on Blank.