Painters and Dockers

Painters and Dockers formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1982 with five members, Vladimir Juric on guitars and backing vocals, Andy Marron on drums, Phil Nelson on bass guitar, Chris O'Connor on guitars and backing vocals, and mainstay Paul Stewart on lead vocals and trumpet.[1] One of the earliest gigs for the unnamed group was at a pub rock venue in Port Melbourne frequented by members of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union so they chose Painters and Dockers for the event and retained the name thereafter.[1][7] In their earlier years, they were the headline act at the Port Melbourne Community Festival, and in a government initiative called Rockin' the Rails, where they played songs from the back of a train, as it stopped at various Melbourne stations, including Ringwood, Camberwell and Flinders Street. Painters and Dockers first recording, "Mohawk Baby", appeared on independent label, Au Go Go records' compilation album, Asleep at the Wheel early in 1984.[1] Soon after, Marron was replaced by Colin Buckler on drums, and they released their debut album, Love Planet, which was produced by veteran hard rocker, Lobby Loyde and released on Big Time Records in 1984 and contained the tracks, "Basia!", also released as a single in March 1985, and "The Boy Who Lost His Jocks on Flinders Street Station". Joining after the album's release were Mick Morris on tenor saxophone and Dave Pace on trumpet / backing vocals, and with Stewart the horn section was called the Brassholes.[1] Music historian, Ian McFarlane, describes their sound as "adding an earthy R&B edge to the band's raucous, punk-infused power pop".[1]

A four-track EP, Kill Kill Kill was released in 1985 containing cover versions of "Kill Kill Kill" originally by The Sacred Cows on "The Groovy Guru" episode of US comedy TV series, Get Smart; Australian group Supernaut's "I Like it Both Ways"; The Ramones' "Do You Remember Rock'n'Roll Radio?" and The Saints' "Know Your Product".[1] Their first single, "Basia!", released in March 1985 on Big Time Records, was a paean to Basia Bonkowski—lyrics include "B she's so beautiful, A articulate too, S sensual, I international, Ay Ay" and "She's sitting there with her multi-coloured hair / She's sitting there with that multi-cultured stare"—who was presenter of SBS' music television show, Rock Around the World from 1982 to late 1984.[8] A live album, Bucket, released in October 1986 on the band's own label Dock Records (distributed by Shock Records) and Big Time Records, featured one of their live pub rock performances.[1]

The band's second studio album, Kiss My Art, was released in August 1988 on White Label Records (a subsidiary of Mushroom Records) and peaked at No. 23 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums charts in September 1988.[3] The album spawned four singles, "Nude School", "Die Yuppie Die", "Love on Your Breath" (video clip featured cabaret performer Peaches La Creme and directed by Salik Silverstein) and "Safe Sex", and the first two achieved top 50 chart success.[4][5] and were accompanied with video clips directed by ex Hunters & Collectors Geoff Crosby.[9] The album was again produced by Lobby Loyde,[2] except for "Nude School" which was produced by Francois Taviaux aka Franswah.

Their next album, Touch One, Touch All, was released in December 1989 spawning the related singles, "Dirty Filthy Rock'n'Roll" in November, and "Eat Shit Die" in May 1990.[1] Neither album nor singles peaked into the top 50.[5] Morris left in 1989 and Darren Garth had replaced Juric on guitar by early 1990; the band undertook a Canadian tour promoting the album.[1][2] In December 1991 they released the mini-album, Hickory Dickory Dock with its track "Merry Christmas, Carol" and the single, "New World Order".[1] Nervous '90s appeared in June 1992 and contained six studio tracks and three live tracks recorded with the Salvation Army Brass Band.[1] During 1992 they became involved in Performers Releasing Information about Clean Syringes (PRICS), which included running workshops and gigs on safe sex and drug use.[1] In 1993, Garth left and Colin Badger joined on guitar and backing vocals, Painters and Dockers undertook the Australia-wide Return to the Love Planet tour and released a pro gay CD-EP, I Know Better Queens than That in December which comprised four tracks, including an acoustic version of "I Know Better Queens than That" and two tracks taken from the live album Bucket.[1] An EP, Hickory Dickory Dock, and the album The Things that Matter followed in 1994. A mini-album, Advance Australia Where?, was released in August 1998 with the single "You're Going Home In The Back Of A Divi Van".[1] By that stage, original members, Nelson and O'Connor had left, mainstay Stewart now with Badger and Buckler were joined by Paul Calvert on bass guitar, Sonja Parkinson on trombone and backing vocals, and Jenny Pineapple on saxophone and backing vocals.[1] This line-up appeared at Mushroom 25 Live concert in November to celebrate the record label's anniversary, their track "Divi Van" appeared on the related VHS release, Mushroom 25 Live: The Concert of the Century.[1]

The Painters and Dockers released seven albums between 1984 and 1994, which featured a selection of sarcastic and amusing singles, such as "Die Yuppie Die" from 1988's Kiss My Art and pro-queer and anti-monarchy "I Know Better Queens Than That" from 1994's The Things That Matter. Their greatest chart success was achieved with 1985's "Nude School" which received air play on a number of commercial radio stations and which was marked by its controversial lyrics and video clip. At one time, The Painters and Dockers even co-owned a vinyl record pressing plant.

Paul Stewart's brother Tony Stewart was a sound recordist in the Balibo Five, a group of five journalists, killed in 1975 in East Timor. Painters and Dockers members, Buckler and Stewart, went on to form the Dili Allstars in early 1990s with East Timorese musicians. The Dili Allstars, together with various artists, released Liberdade: Viva East Timor in 1999.[1] In 2009 Stewart featured on the ABC Compass religious program following a liver transplant with the episode featuring Painters And Dockers songs Nude School and Die Yuppie Die. Stewart is actively involved in fundraising for the Alma Nuns, a Timorese-based Catholic order who care for disabled children and orphans.[10]

On 20 November 2009, early members, Paul Stewart, Chris O'Connor, Colin Buckler, Vladimir Juric, David Pace and Mick Morris, with Michael Badger (not an original member) reformed for a one-off show at the Prince Bandroom in St Kilda, Melbourne, where the band was inducted into Music Victoria's Hall of Fame.

In 2011 former members of the band performed under the moniker Painters and Dockers trio – composed of Paulie Stewart, Colin Badger and David Pace – more details are available on their Facebook page.

On 19 February 2012 Painters And Dockers members Paulie Stewart, Colin Badger and Michael Badger got together with several other musicians in a band called The Transplants to perform a special show for ORGAN DONATION week. Most members of the act had had life saving liver transplants. They were joined at the gig, held at the Oakleigh Caravan Club, by controversial 'Human Headline' Derryn Hinch who sung along on the Dockers song 'You're Going Home In The Back Of A Divi Van'.

On 20 February 2012, the reunion line-up, without Chris O'Connor, played a gig for the ABC show, Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight at the Oakleigh RSL in Melbourne. The show was recorded live for broadcast on 22 February 2012.

On 4 March 2012, the Dockers played a benefit gig at the Melbourne Arts Centre 'SpiegelSeason', for the Jesuit Social Services Just Music Album Launch. The Dockers trio worked on a new track "Lets Give It A Go" with young African duo The Flybz.

On 22 June 2014, they were part of the music line-up, playing a blistering post match set, at the Reclink Community Cup.[11] Following this the band were asked to play at Punkfest Brisbane 2014 and at the Meredith Music Festival.

The band were back in the news on 9 October 2014 when Violent Soho frontman James Tidswell was not allowed to board a plane because he was wearing a Painters and Dockers black T-shirt, printed with the name of the band's 1990 single 'Eat, Sh--, Die'. When he was told he could not get on the Virgin flight, Tidswell told Fairfax Media he was shocked when he was told new terrorism laws meant he could not wear the shirt on the plane. But a Virgin Australia spokesman said the T-shirt was simply deemed offensive, not a threat.

In 2017, Painters And Dockers undertook their 30th Anniversary KISS MY ART tour, taking in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Geelong and Melbourne.

In August 2018, The Painters And Dockers hosted the ABC national television show RAGE. In 2019, Painters And Dockers replaced Cosmic Psychos at Geelong's River Rocks Festival.

In 2020, and in one of their last activities before the COVID virus hit, The Painters And Dockers released a new live album, after supporting The Sunnyboys on national tour. The 2020 line up includes Mick Morris sax, Sonja Parkinson trombone, Michael Badger guitar, Colin Badger guitar, Dave Pace trumpet, Jenny Pineapple sax, Dahl Murphy drums, Richard Bradbeer bass and Paulie Stewart vocals.

Painters and Dockers members:[1][2]

• Painters and Dockers discography @ Australian Rock Database by Magnus Holmgren
• Painters and Dockers discography @ Discogs
• Painters and Dockers discography @ MusicBrainz
• Painter and Dockers discography @ Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR)
• Painters and Dockers Facebook page