The Screaming Tribesmen was a band formed in Brisbane by Mick Medew, John Hartley & Murray Shepherd. They took the Australian independent scene by storm with a series of singles on Citadel Records. Their earliest hit "Igloo" was penned by Medew and Died Pretty frontman Ron Peno.
After relocation to Sydney, and a number of line-up changes the band settled on its most successful lineup of Medew, ex-Radio Birdman & The Hitmen guitarist Chris Masuak, bass player Bob Wackley & drummer Warwick Fraser (ex-Feather & Hoi Polloi) who replaced Michael Charles after the recording of the "Date With A Vampyre" EP.
The "Vampyre" EP reigned at the top of the Australian independent charts for over 40 weeks, while the band toured constantly in support. The follow up "Top of the Town" EP released on the boutique Rattlesnake Records label saw a change in direction for the band as it morphed into the sound of their first full length release "Bones and Flowers".
The band toured the US on the strength of the album and at home they enjoyed a run of Australian Alternative #1 hits as well as gaining Stateside attention with regular airplay on the US College Radio circuit. Their 1988 single "I've Got a Feeling" featured heavily on US MTV's 120 Minutes, hitting #1 on the KROQ charts in LA and #7 on Billboard's modern rock chart.
The ScreamingTribesmen have been planning their conquest of America for a long time now, but it appears that they are finally on the doorstep, and for lead singer Mick Medew it's about time.
The ScreamingTribesmen are getting plenty of opportunity to show off their brand of excessiveness on their first foray into the United States.
For a while, both Wolfgang and the ScreamingTribesmen were dribbling along simultaneously, and in May 1983 the Tribesmen recorded their second Citadel single "A Stand Alone"/"Move A Little Closer"; the first song being an old 31st number.
It's an odd pairing, but Mick, who seems to be very quiet and introspective for a guy who screams out songs about dating vampyres (on two occasions), cutting up his girlfriend and dancing in her blood, and other similarly macabre pasttimes, says the audiences have been really receptive.
The ScreamingTribesmen reformed to play at some of these gigs, and the timing coincided well with the "Igloo" single hitting the indie charts.
On the strength of the single, the ScreamingTribesmen were pulling good enough money to afford to fly Murray down for gigs, but practices were a problem.
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