State
Victoria, Australia
Started in Year
1985
Video 1
Description
Skippy the Butcher were formed in Melbourne, Australia by Robin Schmidt (Bass) and Rick Hastewell (Lead Bass) after the collapse of their previous band Polar 1500 in early 1985. Joining them were Peter Shaw (ex Crushed Buzzards on Drums) and Frank Lombado on Saxophone. The line up was competed by the addition of Andy Giffiths (fresh from Gothic Farmyard) on Vocals.
The group was originally named Ivory Coast after the Savage Republic single.
The band would be described as “Alternative industrial pop”. They gigged through 1985 and in 1986 recorded the Album “How can I stop the leak if you won’t stop pealing off my band-aids” under the name of Ivory Coast, to some acclaim. They quickly changed their name but soon after Griff left the band to pursue his literary career in 1986, yes, he is the man who wrote “The Day My Bum Went Psycho”.
Rick moved to Vocals (still playing Lead Bass), Pete moved to Guitar and Rick Ferrara joined on Drums. They returned to the studio and recorded some new material as well as over dubbing a couple of tracks from “How can I stop the leak if you won’t stop pealing off my band-aids” with Hastewell’s vocals and released the vinyl EP “Snakeskin Overcoat”.
The bands sound was evolving into something more funky and they were more and move influenced by hip hop. With Frank eschewing Sax in favour of scratching Turntables and picking up Vocals they recorded the “Trust Me” Album in 1987.
Robin left soon after to pursue his solo inspirations and with that, Pete and Rick Ferrara also decided to call it a day.
Hastewell (Rick Creator) and Lombado (Frank) shortened the name to STB and were soon joined by Martin McKenna (Mass T Kator) , Steve Adams (Methuselah Young) and Justin Stewart (Jus B Fresh).
Creating Australia’s first gigging hip hop group. They played through 1987 and 1988 supporting Run DMC on their ’88 Australian tour. In October they recorded the “Full Blown Rap” Album but by December it was all over for the last Skippy the Butcher.
Video 2
Links
Influences;
Savage Republic, Gang of Four, Marcel Proust, Killing Joke, Public Enemy, Throbbing Gristle, Aldous Huxley, The Birthday Party, INXS, Jah Wobble, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Location
Website
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