They started when asked to contribute a cover of a '60s Australian garage punk song to Melbourne radio station 3CR's "Wild About You" - a book and cd paying tribute to that scene. The Gruntled chose to do The Missing Links' "Drivin' Me Insane" and this recorded noise was made by Nick, Ricarda, Matt Gleeson on drums and some nameless, faceless hired help. You can read the book and more about the project here: http://www.3cr.org.au/way/
They then drafted in Richard on guitar and John on the drums and this is the lineup which gruntles on to this day and which you'll hear on the other tunes, if you bother to listen.
WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE GRUNTLED:
"Kickarse" - Josh, Sideshow Alley curator
"One bit sounded so evil I had to hide behind a pillar" - A guy in a hat
"The Gruntled’s 'Driving Me Insane' is a wonderful mess of a song with walls of blasting guitars, a snarling vocal and bagpipes!" - Marvin, Free Albums Galore
"What IS that thing you play?" - About 45,728 people. For the record, it is an HURDY GURDY.
"a psychedelic sound bomb ... a swirling vortex of acid noise" - Buffy Tufnell, Mess & Noise
"Fucken Gruntled were a mindblowing psych drone freak out. I can't believe it was all improvised." - Frankie Teardrop, ditto