5: Metallica – Ride the Lightning
The band that blew all the wussy youth-targeted commerical pop rubbish that people are bombarded with from a young age out the window. I was 9-10 years old and I knew I had a passion for music but I just didn’t have a favourite band yet, all I knew was that I hated everything that was being given to me. I turned on an episode of Beavis and Butthead, and they played For Whom the Bell Tolls. I had finally found what I’d been looking for!
4: Misfits – Earth AD
The band that forged my narrow-minded 13-year-old view of “if it’s not thrash metal I don’t give a fuck” into a lifetime love for punk music. Still fast, loud and dirty like heavy metal, but instead much shorter, catchier, wild and to the point. I don’t think a Clowns tour has ever been complete without some Glenn Danzig in the car at some point or another.
3: Turbonegro – Ass Cobra
The band that managed to once again take the things I loved at a young age (which was fierce punk rock and heavy metal), but blend them with a more rock’n’roll urgency and put on top of that wacky, if not, at times, bizarre lyrics with funny accents. Like something I’d never heard before and still as addictive today as it was with the first listen.
2: Hard-Ons – Yummy
I never realised Australia had much of a punk rock history until I discovered this band. A total game changer. This band/album is perfect, and just like Clowns, it’s a conglomeration of a whole heap of styles of playing and genres which all fall somewhere under the broad spectrum of ‘punk music’. Not to mention that the Hard-Ons guys are some of the nicest and inspiring bunch of people we’ve ever had the pleasure of touring with.
1: Frenzal Rhomb – Sans Souci
Hard to pick the best Frenzal Rhomb album, but this one is a big winner in my eyes. Nothing needs to be overly said about why this band and album deserve number one spot as I’m sure the fact that we are a four piece punk band from Australia is obvious enough reason to know why we rate these dudes so highly, and once again, extremely nice fellas to tour with.
CLOWNS play with The Bennies at Lulu White, St Kilda this Friday, tickets $10+bf through eventbrite.com.au
