Grong Grong: Spectral Rattles

From the sublime to the ridiculous and ramshackle, Adelaide’s Grong Grong cut a swath through the City of Churches with their unique brand of combustible punk rock. Reunited after 25 years, founding members Charlie Tolnay and Michael Farkas tell TREVOR BLOCK why they’re back for more.

At the time Grong Grong were a performing unit, back in ’83-’84, most eyes and ears were focused firmly on Melbourne and Sydney. Despite the excellent work being done to promote local Adelaide acts by Harry Butler and his DNA fanzine and Doug Thomas and his Greasy Pop Records label, many people overlooked the contribution being made by the City of Churches. Aside from Mr Coopers’ excellent beer, and big name acts such as the Angels and Cold Chisel, this was the town that also gave us the Exploding White Mice, Mad Turks From Istanbul, The Spikes, July the 14th, Bloodloss … and Grong Grong.

They were a beast of a band in many ways and were utterly unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. Personnel: Dave Taskas on bass, skinny as a stick with a plastic voodoo skull dangling from his tuning pegs. Up the back was George Klestinis, who looked like a 4/4 rockabilly cat but played a loping, skipping beat of the band's own invention. Stage right was Charlie Tolnay, hunched and sweating over a Fender Jaguar, with the air of a moonlighting bikie about him and always with a cigarette in his gob. And up front, Charlie’s step-brother Michael Farkas aka Grong. His usual look was a black op-shop suit and ski mask or vinyl fetish hood, topped off with either a Stetson or a top hat. The suit was often accessorised with slabs of steak gaffer taped to the lapels. He also wielded a battered sax at irregular intervals.

This is what you were faced with before they'd even played a note. Grong Grong may not have been virtuosos, but they could certainly play, and a recent creeping tendency to remember them as mere noisemongers completely misses the point. They had a sound that was completely their own. It was defined by that aforementioned lolloping beat, Charlie’s unique brittle guitar sound and the holy roaring horror of that voice that was laid over the top of it all. Live, there was a gut level impact to them that was unforgettable.

Their own songs were called things like ‘Japanese Train Driver’, ‘Club Grotesque’, ‘Louie The Fly’, ‘Hunka Chunka’ and ‘Meat Axe’, and they were always happy to throw in a few well-chosen covers as well: The Stooges' ‘Loose’, ‘Lookin' At You’ by the MC5, ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ by The Meteors and, famously, an extended jam on Flipper's ‘Sex Bomb’. My favorite quote about them is from Byron Coley in Forced Exposure magazine: “…all kindsa spectral rattles just float in the air, while all sortsa shit-hronk throbs underneath.”

It all came to a crashing halt, however, late in 1984 after they’d supported PiL at Thebarton Town Hall in their native Adelaide. A drug overdose put Michael in a coma, with Charlie asked to consider turning off his life support at one stage. He eventually made a miraculous recovery, albeit with some lasting damage.

“On the night of the Dead Kennedys support, as soon as we were finished, [singer] Jello Biafra came back stage, while we were still packing up, and said, "I loved you guys, you’re the best band I've seen since a band in Texas called the Butthole Surfers.”

With the exception of playing a few numbers when Michael gatecrashed King Snake Roost (Charlie’s new band’s) Big Black support at Adelaide Uni back in July 1988, they have only played one gig since then, at a bushfire charity show earlier this year. But 25 years after Michael’s tragic accident, the band are back on the road again for a wide-ranging tour in support of a reissue CD/DVD package To Hell’n’Back. Nathan Dale (Michael’s old mate from HACK) is now on bass, but otherwise it’s pretty much the real deal.

While Charlie and Michael are bunkered down, busy with tour preparations, they managed to find the time to answer some questions via email.

What's your fondest memory of the original band? And what’s the weirdest show you ever played?
Michael: The Dead Kennedys support was the best, obviously. Weirdest was a Hoodoo Gurus support at the Trade Union, the first time we went to Sydney.

The story of how you ended up on [Jello Biafra’s label] Alternative Tentacles has gotten garbled/forgotten over the years. Can you give us the definitive tale? Charlie: On the night of the Dead Kennedys support, as soon as we were finished, [singer] Jello Biafra came back stage, while we were still packing up, and said, "I loved you guys, you’re the best band I've seen since a band in Texas called the Butthole Surfers. Would you like to put an album out with us?", and so on. By the way, that was the first record deal we were ever offered.

Adelaide had a lot going on back then. Did you ever feel part of a "scene"?
C: There never was a "scene" per-se, but just a lot of likeminded people, inner-city underground alternative people that banded together at gigs, much the same as anywhere: Melbourne, Sydney, Seattle, New York etc.

Michael, do you remember having your sax stuffed with meat at the Crystal Ballroom? Sorry about that.
M: No, I just remember meat being pitched outwards at the PiL support.

Charlie, did anyone ever approach you about making a "Tolnay" guitar pedal? Because someone should have.
C: No, they didn’t. Generally speaking I don't really use "exotic" effects, only what 10 million other guitarists use (ie. distortion, delay, reverb and pitchshifter). One exception was my Electro-Harmonix micro synth, the kind that Helios Creed made famous with his brand of sonic assault. It was used on the Schadenfreude album by the 'Goat [Lubricated Goat]. Since then Mr [Stu] Spasm took my effect to America and I haven't seen it since!

The last time I saw you was supporting Big Black at Adelaide Uni. What's the impetus for this reunion? Just the reissue?
M: The stars and planets were in the right position, it’s an absolutely positively spontaneous reunion.

Are you happy with the way the reissue CD is coming together? What's going to be on it?
C: Yes, pretty happy. And you should know what’s on it by now.

Are you happy with the way the band is remembered? People still seem very fond of you.
C: Very happy, the legend is still growing. Time shall not diminish them, the mark of a true classic.

Are you looking forward to exposing a new generation to the Grong Grong sound?
M: Yes.

What do you think you would have sounded like if you had formed today?
C: Similar.

What can we expect from these shows?
C: Grong Grong – from the sublime to the ridiculous and ramshackle.

Anything else people need to know?
C: Bring money so that the band can record at least one more album (at least!) before one of us gets mowed down by life itself, you know, OD'd on life itself.

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To Hell’n’Back is out on Memorandum Recordings/Fuse Music on October 17. Tour dates here.