The legendary Hoodoo Gurus. By any measure, one of Australia’s greatest, best loved, most enduring rock bands of all time.
“What’s My Scene”, “I Want You Back”, “Miss Freelove ‘69”, “Like Wow – Wipeout!”, “1,000 Miles Away”, “Bittersweet”, “My Girl”, “Come Anytime”, “I’m Crackin’ Up” , ”Answered Prayers” – tracks that represent the unmistakeable sound of the irrepressible Hoodoo Gurus; but those are just a sample from their canon of instantly identifiable songs that have helped provide a soundtrack to Australian and international fans right through the 80’s to today.
The Hoodoo Gurus formed in Sydney on January 1, 1981 to play their first “show”. Founding members Dave Faulkner and Brad Shepherd have been joined along the way by Rick Grossman (’89) and Nik Rieth (’19).
The band’s debut Stoneage Romeos, full of garage punk songs and pop references, was named Australian Debut Album of the Year and was released in America where it stayed at number 1 in the Alternative/ College charts for 7 weeks, becoming one of the most played albums for the year on the college network.
Mars Needs Guitars, the band’s second album, topped the charts and went gold within three weeks and platinum shortly afterwards. Blow Your Cool, released in 1986, was a massive pop hit propelled by the band’s highest charting single ‘What’s My Scene”. Album 4, Magnum Cum Louder, reached Number One on the American College and Alternative charts. Followed by albums Kinky, Crank, Blue Cave, Mach Schau and Purity of Essence the band continued to tour regularly through Europe, North America, Australia and Brazil.
To celebrate 30 years of Gurudom, they put together the Dig It Up national tour, featuring a line up of some 24 artists that had been part of the band’s creative life including The Sonics, Redd Krosss, The Fleshtones, Died Pretty and the 5,6,7,8’s among others. The shows sold out in all of the capital cities.
2021 was a very special year for the Gurus - 40 years since they first played on that rooftop in Surry Hills on New Years Eve, 1981. They celebrated with a new album and a number of huge events during the year. To start off, they joined Jimmy Barnes and others on the national Red Hot Summer tour from March to October.
Through the span of their international triumphs with sold out tours, 9 gold and platinum records and accolades including being inducted into the Australian Music Hall of Fame, the Gurus have remained one of the most popular and successful musical acts Australia has ever produced.
