Man Bites God
Encyclopedia
Man Bites God is a three-piece band from Melbourne
, Australia
; founded in 2000 by James Hazelden (guitar
/vocals
) and Chris Tomkins (drums
/vocals
) after the demise of Hazelden's previous band, The Drowning Hitlers. Mark Woodward (bass guitar
/recorder
/vocals
) was soon recruited and the group were spotted playing in an unassuming Fitzroy
bar (Mayfields) by Dan Brodie
who insisted the band support him at St Kilda
's Esplanade Hotel
(the 'Espy').
The band has a catalogue of six releases: Happy Songs (EP, 2002), Ultrasounds (EP, 2002), Man Bites God (LP, 2003), Boob Job for Sweetie Pie (EP
, 2005) The Popular Alternative (LP, 2005) and Peppermint Superfrog (LP, 2007); and is notorious for twisted, dark and often blasphemous sense of humour. Consequently, religious groups have been known to deface or tear down posters advertising the band's performances.
Man Bites God tours regularly throughout Australia
and performed at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. They are also played regularly on the Dr. Demento show in the USA.
Their latest album Peppermint Superfrog was released on 2 June 2007 through MGM Distribution
.
Man Bites God were the house band for Channel 31's live Saturday night variety show Darren & Brose
. They also appeared regularly on Channel 31's Dream On.
, the newly re-elected conservative
Prime Minister
. As a result, Man Bites God was named in a government report into innovative campaign methods. The report was prepared by Dr Sarah Miskin and entitled Campaigning in the 2004 Federal Election: Innovations and Traditions http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/2004-05/05rn30.htm.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; founded in 2000 by James Hazelden (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
/vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) and Chris Tomkins (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
/vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) after the demise of Hazelden's previous band, The Drowning Hitlers. Mark Woodward (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
/recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
/vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) was soon recruited and the group were spotted playing in an unassuming Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
bar (Mayfields) by Dan Brodie
Dan Brodie
Dan Brodie is an ARIA Award nominated singer/songwriter from Melbourne, Australia.His debut EP, I'm Floatin' Mama was independently released in 1998; followed by his debut album, Big Black Guitar. Backed by The Broken Arrows , Brodie signed to EMI who re-released his debut album...
who insisted the band support him at St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
's Esplanade Hotel
Esplanade Hotel
The Esplanade Hotel, built 1878, is an iconic public house in St Kilda, a beachside suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It is situated on St Kilda Beach, at 11 Upper Esplanade, overlooking Port Phillip Bay on a rise opposite the St Kilda Pier, and is a significant landmark of St Kilda...
(the 'Espy').
The band has a catalogue of six releases: Happy Songs (EP, 2002), Ultrasounds (EP, 2002), Man Bites God (LP, 2003), Boob Job for Sweetie Pie (EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, 2005) The Popular Alternative (LP, 2005) and Peppermint Superfrog (LP, 2007); and is notorious for twisted, dark and often blasphemous sense of humour. Consequently, religious groups have been known to deface or tear down posters advertising the band's performances.
Man Bites God tours regularly throughout Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and performed at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. They are also played regularly on the Dr. Demento show in the USA.
Their latest album Peppermint Superfrog was released on 2 June 2007 through MGM Distribution
MGM Distribution
MGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
.
Discography
- Happy Songs (EP, 2002)
- Ultrasounds (EP, 2002)
- Man Bites God (2003)
- Boobjob for Sweetie Pie (EP, 2005)
- The Popular Alternative (2005)
- Peppermint Superfrog (2007)
Music videos
Man Bites God generally produce their own music videos as their drummer, Chris Tomkins is a professional director/editor. However some of the more recent clips have been created by long-time fan and friend of the band, Sarah Phillips. Phillips is a graduate of RMIT Animation School and member of the cult Melbourne animation guerillas, Animation Club.- Improvise - Shot on location at the Comics Lounge, Melbourne. This video features a huge cast of Melbourne comedians performing ridiculous vaudeville style acts as the band desperately try to maintain some semblance of dignity whilst singing about extreme contraceptive measures. Features the band's former manager, Rachel Barnes, as the girl at the romantic dinner.
- Annoying Song - A surrealistic hypnotic hodge-podge of old video and super-8 footage from the band's family collections. It also features some timelapse footage shot when the band drove from Melbourne to Adelaide using a webcam mounted to the front of the van taking one shot every second for the duration of the 8-hour journey. The video was nominated for Best Independent Clip in the 2005 Belowground III Music Video Awards.
- "Bride of the Dragon" (James Hazelden) - The ballad featuring Deborah ConwayDeborah ConwayDeborah Ann Conway, is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actor. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their surprise top 5 hit "Man Overboard"....
is supported with a slow-moving presentation of illustrations drawn by Sydney artist, Rhiannon McGuinness. Available on YouTube - Cubby House - This dark, macabre clip was shot in one night with the entire budget spent on a collection of bizarre costumes and lollies for the children. This clip was lit by Sydney-based lighting designer, Allan Hirons.
- Rock n' Roll Lifestyle - Created by Sarah Phillips using drawings of manga Man Bites God band members from their 2004 Adelaide Fringe Festival show poster for "Rock n' Roll High School".
Television
Man Bites God performed the theme tune (composed by Hazelden) for the Comedy Channel's "The Adventures of Terrence and Spider" Professional Bouncers".Man Bites God were the house band for Channel 31's live Saturday night variety show Darren & Brose
Darren & Brose
Darren & Brose are Darren Chau and Brose Avard, two Australian based comedy writers and performers who first met whilst studying media at Latrobe University. Chau had previously been working with the comedy ensemble Chop-Socky, whilst Avard had been producing and broadcasting on several Melbourne...
. They also appeared regularly on Channel 31's Dream On.
Politics
Angered by the outcome of the 2004 Australian Federal Election, members of the band created a Macromedia Flash application entitled Man Bites God's Anger Management http://www.manbitesgod.com/games/anger_management/ which allowed visitors to the band's website to blow up John HowardJohn Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, the newly re-elected conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
. As a result, Man Bites God was named in a government report into innovative campaign methods. The report was prepared by Dr Sarah Miskin and entitled Campaigning in the 2004 Federal Election: Innovations and Traditions http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/2004-05/05rn30.htm.
Related artists
- Rob McComb from the TriffidsThe TriffidsThe Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
was guest guitarist on various songs on Ultrasounds. - Bob Franklin performed dialogue on "Pathetique" from Man Bites God.
- Deborah ConwayDeborah ConwayDeborah Ann Conway, is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actor. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their surprise top 5 hit "Man Overboard"....
performed the vocals on "Bride of the Dragon" from The Popular Alternative. - James BlackJames BlackJames Black was the creator of the original Bowie knife designed by Jim Bowie.-Early life:James Black was born in Hackensack, New Jersey on 1 May 1800. James' mother died when he was very young and he had difficulty getting along with his stepmother. Black ran away from home to Philadelphia,...
from Mondo RockMondo RockMondo Rock is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia, most prominent in the early 1980s. The band was formed in late 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Ross Wilson.-Early years: 1976–1979:...
and RockwizRocKwizRocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...
played electric sitar on "Girlfriend" from Peppermint Superfrog. - Rev. Dr. Tim HarrisTim HarrisTim Harris may refer to:* Tim Harris , British football manager* Tim Harris , South African Member of Parliament* Tim Harris , U.S...
performed the sermon on "Sleazy" from Ultrasounds.