The Lizard Train | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Dumb Earth, The Hired Guns |
| Origin | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1985–2010 |
| Labels | Greasy Pop, Shagpile/Shock, Pop Gun, Rubber, Hour of Need/Sony, Laughing Outlaw |
| Past members | Shane Bloffwitch David Creese Phil Drew Chris Willard Mark Ford Adam Kyle Spellicy Glendon Blazely Kiernan Box Phil Kakulas Simon Whithear |
The Lizard Train were an Australian rock band from Adelaide which formed in early 1985. They released five albums, Slippery (September 1987), The Ride (1990), Get Yer Wah Wahs Out (1992), Couch (1993) and Everything Moves (1995). Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, contrasted their early work as "a melange of screaming guitars did battle over a rumbling rhythm section. Yet, beneath the distorted riffs and lyrical angst, the band boasted a melodic and harmonic sensibility usually disregarded in such aggressive music" with later work "brimming with powerful, dark songs and inspired musicianship".
Chris Willard and David Creese went on to form the Dumb Earth in 1993 then relocated the new band to Melbourne which issued an album, Walk the Earth in June 1997. Music journalist, Andy Turner, described their sound as a "brain-melting amalgamation of avant-garde jazz and slide guitar". In 1996 a side-project, The Hired Guns, was formed to play late 1960s and early 1970s psychedelic country rock. Founders of all three groups were David Creese on drums, chimes and vocals; and Chris Willard on lead vocals, lead guitar, and bass guitar. The Dumb Earth's second album, Blessings in Disguise, appeared in 2001. The Hired Guns debut album, Between Here & the Night, was issued the following year. In November 2002 Willard left The Dumb Earth, by mid-2005 the group had disbanded and Creese pursued a solo career. Willard continued with The Hired Guns until it disbanded in late 2010.