Gregory Stephen Perkins (born 28 December 1964), better known by his stage name Tex Perkins, is an Australian singer-songwriter who fronted the Australian rock band The Cruel Sea, but has also performed with the Beasts of Bourbon, Thug, James Baker Experience, The Butcher Shop, Salamander Jim, and Tex, Don and Charlie. He has also released many solo records. In 1997, a portrait of Tex Perkins by artist Bill Leak won the Packing Room award at the Archibald Prize.
Perkins started his musical career in Brisbane cowpunk outfit Tex Deadly and the Dum-Dums, before moving to Sydney in 1982, garnering considerable attention in the Sydney independent music scene and also touring Melbourne, before the departure of guitarist Mark Halstead ended the band.
He later formed Salamander Jim with Kim Salmon from The Scientists and Richard Ploog from The Church. Due to touring commitments for Ploog & Salmon, Perkins formed a different line up with Stu Spasm, Lachlan McLeod and Martin Bland. In 1985 this line-up recorded and released their only record, an EP titled Lorne Greene Shares His Precious Fluids on Red Eye Records.
Perkins and Peter Read formed Thug in Sydney in 1987 when Read's flatmate had a fascination for collecting and amassing electronic equipment. After using some of the gear on initial recordings in Read's home studio, Perkins was eager to take it to the stage. Thug's live sets would last twenty to twenty-five minutes, featuring dancers and theatrics. Thug released two studio albums Mechanical Ape / Proud Idiots Parade in 1987 and Electric Woolly Mammoth in 1988.
1983–present: Beasts of Bourbon
Beasts of Bourbon formed in Sydney in 1983. The original lineup comprised Perkins, Spencer P. Jones, James Baker, Kim Salmon and Boris Sudjovic. The band's first album, The Axeman's Jazz, was an underground success, but the group continued to be just a side project until 1988 when it reformed to record Sour Mash, followed by 1990's Black Milk and 1991's The Low Road. In 1993, the group toured extensively to support the double album From the Belly of the Beasts, then disbanded temporarily. It reformed to record Gone in 1997, which received lukewarm reviews, but produced a somewhat successful single, "Saturated".
In 2003, the group reformed again to record a live album, Low Life, released on Spooky Records. In December 2006 it was announced that Albert Productions had signed an exclusive worldwide recording deal with the band and on 23 April 2007, released a new album Little Animals. In August 2013 the band celebrated its 30th anniversary.
After toying with different band members, The Cruel Sea came into fruition in 1987 as Ken Gormley on bass, Jim Elliot on drums, Danny Rumour on guitars and James Cruikshank on keyboards and guitars. They took their name from a recording by the 1960s surf instrumental group, The Ventures. In 1989 Perkins (their then-lighting technician) started joining them onstage. This sparked an interest from Red Eye Records, and the band was signed and released a 1989 album Down Below. It received an ARIA Award nomination in 1993 following the release of a second album, This Is Not the Way Home in 1991.
The group's third album, The Honeymoon Is Over, released in 1993, and its title song, won five ARIA Music Awards of 1994. The Cruel Sea followed with a high-profile world tour. 1995 saw the release of the hugely successful Three Legged Dog album, which won the group another ARIA award. In 1998, The Cruel Sea released Over Easy in 1997 and Where There's Smoke in 2001.
1992–2017: Tex, Don and Charlie
Tex, Don and Charlie is an Australian supergroup formed by Tex Perkins, Don Walker from Cold Chisel and guitarist Charlie Owen. Their first album Sad But True was released in 1993. They released a live album in 1995, Monday Morning Coming Down.... In March 2005, Tex, Don and Charlie released their second studio album All is Forgiven and a third, You Don't Know Lonely in 2017.
The Dark Horses band arose from the writing, recording and touring for the Dark Horses album (Slick/Grudge, 1592612). Members were initially Charlie Owen, Joel Silbersher, Murray Paterson and Jim Elliott. Later members include Richard Needham, Gus Agars, James Cruikshank and Steve Hadley.
Sweet Nothing (Slick/Grudge, 0384961) credited to Tex Perkins' Dark Horses, was released in 2003 followed by Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses (Dark Horse Records/Inertia DHR001) in 2011. Everyone's Alone (Dark Horse Records/Inertia DHR002) was released in 2012 and Tunnel at the End of the Light (Dark Horse Records/Inertia DHR003) in 2015.
On 10 June 2011, Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses released a new, self-titled album which peaked at number 73. Everyone's Alone was released in 2012 followed by Tunnel at the End of the Light in July 2015 and peaked at number 52.
2021–present: Tex Perkins and the Fat Rubber Band
On 5 November 2021, Tex Perkins and his new band released the album Tex Perkins and the Fat Rubber Band. A track from this album, "Out There", was used in Warwick Thornton's 2021/2 vampire TV series, Firebite.
Tex Perkins – Vocals / Guitars / Keyboard / Bouzouki
Matt Walker – Guitars / Vocals / Piano / Harmonica