Embryonic forming: Winter 1987
Final implosion: Winter 1989
...like all urban legends of epic proportion, STONE PUPPETS somehow managed to ease in tune via their former musical adventures with Dusk Furrow, friendship and a passion to create new sounds of white noise.
The original line-up lasted for about two rehearsals and featured (all ex-Dusk Furrow members) Robert (vocals),Martin(guitar),Sabina(bass)and Paul on drums. For some reason Paul just sort of dropped out of the band without giving a reason or even saying politely goodbye. Dauntless the remaining members decided to stick it out, continue a strict regiment of rehearsals, writing material and eat pizza without a drummer. A few potential people for that vacant position were tried out or blackmailed to fit behind the drum kit but to no avail. They even tried a drum machine at some stage...that's how frustrated we were...but we sacked it over muscial programming differences!
While soul searching for a competent drummer, Sabina's high school kid cousin, Chris (still underage!), appeared at rehearsals as a spectator, soon joined as a permanent member on doom laden keyboards, switching to guitar to beef up the sound. Chris was classical piano trained since a very early age and picked up six-string antics in no time like a seasoned professional. About the same time, after months of frustration, Sabina also dragged along a co-woker by the name of Brenden from the office who claimed he was in the short lived local Sydney punk outfit King Pest and liked to hit loud and violently the drums. This qualified him more than enough as he was also able to hold a scooner beer glass and they all mutually bonded like glue.
Events progressed, you write songs and hassle people for your fist gig. We received our break from Sydney locals TOYS WENT BERSERK without too much grovelling. TWB guitarist Andy was a former Dusk Furrow member and being good friends with the rest of the band (as well as going to almost all their gigs) it stood to reason that we also had to play with one of our favourite bands! Damn, yeah...
Stone Puppets continued to play shows and the odd private party function anywhere with anyone --- as long as they were not right wing/conservative. They were not really a political band but by no means ignorant about politics. Stone Puppets played more benefits than actual paid gigs - always in a good cause. They did not have a manager or booking agent - they were strictly of the D.I.Y. ethic. If you fuck up anything you might as well do it by yourself.
In April 1989 Stone Puppets entered a recording studio in view to release a self-financed single on their own label. They did not really bother to shop around or do some serious ass kissing in the music business. The session went really well. Previously they had cut some rough and tough demo on a 4-track which reflected their live sound but was of poor quality.
The recorded session was passed on to Robert's pal Helge Schreiber (Hardcore Punk historian and Plastic Bomb fanzine writer) in Germany who had a part-time job in a record shop (Fire Engine in Essen) and played the raving tunes to one of the owners who also ran a label called Gift Of Life that specialised in American Punk re-releases like the Wipers and other like-minded stuff. Gift Of Life offered to do a 7inch ep. Stone Puppets at first contemplated saying flat out "NO!" but after a couple of phone calls they agreed. They actually hoped it would be their overseas pressing and still release it indepently locally in Australia by themselves.
The release date took its time locally and with Gift Of Life. The band in the meantime wrote more material wanting to record again enough material for an album. They continued to play gigs and even were courted by some other record labels with some bullshit slime like "...you guys are gonna be the next big thing..." --- we told them to fuck off! Some European booking agent approached the band also to do support shows for Bad Religion during their "No Control" tour of Europe. That never happened.
In Sydney however they were gaining a small and dedicated following and being booked for more gigs. However, within the band trouble was brewing. Some members complained, others did not care --- Chris was the first to threaten to leave because he was aiming for something higher. Stone Puppets was not set up for rockstardom. Althought they did not label themselves strictly as Punk, they had their roots and spirit deep embedded within it. We were never going to be the fucking Rolling Stones.
Stone Puppets went out with a bang playing their last show (a benefit) in July of 1989 to a cheering audience...only announcing on the night that it was their farewell gig. It was not really planned - just decided on the spur of the moment. We did not part as enemies. Chris did eventually achieve some sort of fame with Melbourne's Mantissa and Sabina has worked on and off with bands over years like the Vanilla Chainsaws, Harpoon and recently Rollcage. Brenden went on to play for a couple of years in Downtime who released a fine bunch of punk recordings. We lost contact with Martin who, when last seen, was a happy family man. Robert dabbled in a band after the Stone Puppets' demise but nothing ever became seriously of it.
The Stone Puppets ep (called "In Search Of The Meaning Of It All")was released after the split. We can thank Gift Of Life that they went ahead anyway with the release on limited edition yellow vinyl and a beautifully crafted cover. The local release never took shape...the album tracks were never recorded...that is maybe the only regret as some great songs were lost. They also managed to get on a German OX-fanzine sampler 7inch and the legendary "Network Of Friends II" sampler. Thanks (where credit is due) to our pal Helge Scheiber!!!
There is not going to be a re-union to see us on a stage getting all sentimental about the good ole days of yore but you can once in a while track down the record in Ebay, going quite cheaply considering it is an obscure collector's item. There are however plans to re-release the complete studio session and rehearsal tracks some time in 2007.
