US-based supergroup The Monkeywrench featuring members of Mudhoney, U-Men, Gas Huffer, Big Boys, Poison 13 & Lubricated Goat, are set to make their Australian debut next month. “I’ve never been to Australia, and we’re pretty excited about it,” says guitarist and prolific visual artist, Tim Kerr, calling from his home in Austin Texas. “It’s really cool that Martin (Bland, of Aussie rock band Lubricated Goat) will get to come back and play in his home town too.”
The Monkeywrench was founded in 1991 when members of the classic Seattle band Mudhoney, Mark Arm and Steve Turner approached Kerr after a gig in Austin. “I first met Mike and Steve when they played in Texas with Mudhoney. They were fans of a band I was in called Poison 13,” he recalls. “I guess that band left a big impression on the Seattle scene even though we (Poison 13) were not getting much attention at home. We were way too bluesy for the punk rock crowd and we were too loud for the blues crowd,” he laughs.
“Anyway they find out I had a bunch of songs that hadn’t been recorded so they got Sub Pop (Records) to fly me up to Seattle to record with them, and those songs became the very first Monkeywrench record (Clean As A Broke-dick Dog, 1992). Honestly that album ended being what the third Poison 13 record should have been.
“But that was that was going to be that,” Kerr continued. “We were only going to play a few shows and make that one record. Fast forward 10 years later, and by then I had done a bunch of stuff, and Martin, Mark, Steve, and Tom (Price, from the U-Men & Gas Huffer) were all doing other stuff, but we decided to get back together again. That’s when we played with Pearl Jam at Wembley, and did a bunch of crazy shows and another record.”
Together Monkeywrench released two more LPs, Electric Children in 2005, and 2008’s Gabriel’s Horn. “We never toured Gabriel’s Horn, we never really played it live, so we can’t wait to play it at these shows, and play a healthy dose of the other two records.”
However, with rumours of a permanent reunion unlikely in the foreseeable future, this could be the only time we will to see these legendary players on the one stage together as The Monkeywrench, but Kerr prefers not to rule anything out. “I always say, never say never,” he smiles.
“Although, we never really thought of ourselves as a band band, you know? We were just a bunch of friends that got together, we all really liked each other, and it just gelled. Besides everyone is in working bands. Mudhoney is still going, and Tom and Mark are in a really great band called The Tom Price Desert Classic – but we just played together the other night in Tacoma Washington and that show went really well. We were all smiling really big, hugging each other, and having a lot of fun – so who knows what will happen.”
Catch The Monkeywrench at River Rocks Festival on November 19 at the Barwon Club, and to coincide with their national tour, Kerr will be appearing at a meet ’n’ greet for a his pop-up exhibition at Outré Gallery, Melbourne. From more than a ten years, Kerr’s paintings and murals have been shown around the world including a highly successful solo exhibit at the Rosa Parks museum in Montgomery, Alabama. “I’m bringing 16 or 18 pieces, pieces that hopefully will resinate with Australians, with you guys.”
Written by Natalie Rogers
When & Where: River Rocks @ Barwon Club, Geelong – November 19