Scary Mother

For the 2017 film, see Scary Mother (film).

Scary Mother
OriginSydney, New South Wales, Australia
GenresRock
Years active1990 (1990)–1995 (1995)
Labels
Past members
  • Dario Bortolin
  • Anthony Brown
  • Tim Burcham
  • Andrew Gillespie
  • Toby Messiter
  • Dorian West

Scary Mother (also styled as Scarymother) were an Australian rock band. They were formed in 1990. Anthony Brown on lead guitar, Tim Burcham on drums, Andrew Gillespie on lead vocals and Toby (Tobias) Messiter (ex-Wildland) on keyboards. They released a self-titled three-track extended play in August 1992 via Mushroom Records' distributor MDS.

Scary Mother supported Faith No More in April and May 1993. The Australian group's first single, "Lord of the Flies", was issued to coincide with the tour and was produced by Matt Wallace (Faith No More). It was co-written by Brown, Burcham and Gillespie.[1] They followed with their sole studio album, Tai Laeo (Thai for 'already gone') in May 1994.[2] It was produced by Rick Will for ATI/Mushroom Records/Festival Records.[2]

Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described how, "[they] played a brooding, melodic brand of rock fleshed out by sweeping, atmospheric keyboard flourishes and barely restrained passion. Frontman Andrew Gillespie's vocals were likened variously to Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and The Cult's Ian Astbury, which was a good indication of [their] musical gambit."[2] Brown, Gillespie and Messiter formed progressive rockers, Floating Me, in 2009, with Lucius Borich from Cog and Jon Stockman of Karnivool.[3]

  1. ^ "'Lord of the Flies' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 12 August 2018. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  2. ^ a b c McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Scary Mother'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2016. Note: McFarlane gives drummer as Tim Buchanan not Burcham
  3. ^ Donnelly, Justin (4 November 2011). "Review >> Floating Me – Floating Me". The Metal Forge. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.