Brad Shepherd
Encyclopedia
Brad Shepherd is an 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...

n rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

ian. Shepherd is a 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...

ist, singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 and harmonica player
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...

; he has performed with several bands, especially the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...

. Best known Guru's single, is their 1987 hit "What's My Scene?
What's My Scene?
"What's My Scene" is an Australian Top 3 single performed by iconic rock group Hoodoo Gurus and was written by their singer-songwriter Dave Faulkner. It was included on Gurus' third album Blow Your Cool! released by Elektra Records. The B-side, "Heart of Darkness" was also written by Faulkner...

" written by bandmate Dave Faulkner
Dave Faulkner (musician)
Dave Faulkner is an Australian rock musician who also performed as Dave Flick. Faulkner is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist; he has performed with several bands, but is best known as a member of Hoodoo Gurus...

.

Early career

Shepherd was born in Sydney but his parents relocated to Brisbane when he was six years old and describes himself as "a frustrated drummer": his parents had bought a drum kit but after moving on to guitar he left the kit for his younger brother Murray Shepherd. Shepherd attended Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...

 in the mid-1970s. His first band was Brisbane punk rock
Brisbane punk rock
The Brisbane punk rock scene between 1975 and 1984 is generally regarded as producing “some of the most anarchistic bands of the Australian punk rock era”...

 act, The Aliens, which formed in 1978 with Shepherd as their lead guitarist/singer, John Hartley on bass and Murray Shepherd on drums. With the addition of second guitarist, Graeme Beavis, The Aliens eventually became The Fun Things
Fun Things
The Fun Things were a high energy punk band that was formed during the heyday period of punk rock. Known for their admiration of Radio Birdman, they also have been documented as being "modeled on almost exclusively on the Radio Birdman / Stooges / Sex Pistols mould." The band released one highly...

 by 1979 and released a self-titled 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...

, The Fun Things (1980).

In mid 1980 Shepherd joined The 31st, which at that stage consisted of Mick Medew
Mick Medew
Robert Michael "Mick" Medew is an Australian singer-songwriter who fronted Screaming Tribesmen, which formed in Brisbane in 1981. Medew has written or co-written a number of independent hits, "Igloo", "Date with a Vampyre" and "I Got a Feeling", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot...

, Tony Robertson, Chris Welsh and Ron Peno (Died Pretty
Died Pretty
Died Pretty, sometimes The Died Pretty, were an Australian alternative rock band founded by mainstays, Ron Peno as lead singer and Brett Myers as lead guitarist and backing vocalist, in Sydney in 1983 – briefly as Final Solution. Their music started from a base of early electric Bob Dylan with...

). In September 1980 Peno and Shepherd travelled to Sydney, where Shepherd was invited to join The Hitmen
The Hitmen
Hitmen are an Australian Hard rock band. The group went through a large number of lineup changes in its short late 1970s and early 1980s run, then regrouped under a new name, Hitmen DTK, between 1989 and 1992. They reformed in 2007 and continue to play....

, replacing Tony Vidale. At that time they included Johnny Kannis (lead vocals), Mark Kingsmill (drums, backing vocals), Warwick Gilbert (bass, backing vocals) and Chris Masuak (guitar, backing vocals). Upon joining, Shepherd re-recorded his guitar parts for their debut self-titled album, The Hitmen (1981) in one day, and then toured the east coast of Australia to promote it. The band changed record labels (switching from WEA
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

 to RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...

), with fellow 31st member Tony Robertson replacing Gilbert, and entered studios to record their second album, It is What it is! (1982), with Shepherd also writing the band's 1982 single, "Bwana Devil".

As a side project, Shepherd had joined former Hitmen member and fellow flatmate, Clyde Bramley (bass guitar), in bubble gum pop group Super K to record a single "Go Go" / "Recurring Nightmare" (1982) (co-written by Shepherd). Hassles with The Hitmen producers and Masuak led Shepherd to quit, he followed Bramley into Hoodoo Gurus.

Hoodoo Gurus

In 1981, Faulkner had founded Le Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...

 in Sydney with James Baker
James Baker (musician)
James Baker is a rock musician from Perth, Western Australia. He has drummed with, and was instrumental in the founding of several influential Australian bands including The Scientists, Le Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, and The Dubrovniks.-Early days:Baker has named Ronnie Bond of The Troggs as...

, Roddy Radalj
Roddy Radalj
Roddy Radalj is a rock musician and singer-songwriter who grew up in Perth, Western Australia...

 and Kimble Rendall
Kimble Rendall
Kimble Rendall is an Australian director, musician and writer mostly known for his Second unit direction of Matrix Reloaded , Matrix Revolutions , I, Robot , Casanova and Ghost Rider...

 but after their first single, "Leilani
Leilani (song)
"Leilani" was the first single by iconic Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus when they were called Le Hoodoo Gurus and was released on Phantom Records in October 1982. It had been written by all four Gurus: James Baker, Dave Faulkner, Roddy Radalj and Kimble Rendall. Rendall left shortly before its...

" (1982), Rendall and Radalj both left being replaced by Bramley and Shepherd. As Hoodoo Gurus, with Shepherd on lead guitar, backing vocals (sometimes lead vocals) and harmonica the band released eight studio albums starting with Stoneage Romeos
Stoneage Romeos
Stoneage Romeos was iconic Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' first album and saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live performances. The album name is from a Three Stooges short film...

(1984).

Shepherd was briefly involved with James Baker's side project Beasts of Bourbon
Beasts of Bourbon
Beasts of Bourbon was an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1983, with a line-up that has changed as the band splintered and reformed several times - Beginnings :...

, and recorded their four-track CD, From the Belly of the Beasts (1984) live at the Trade Union Club, Sydney. Shepherd's tenure with Beasts ended after Baker was sacked from the Gurus in 1984. Baker's replacement was fellow The Hitmen drummer Mark Kingsmill who joined in time for Hoodoo Gurus first US tour starting in late 1984. Bramley left in 1988 to be replaced by Richard Grossman
Richard Grossman (musician)
Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame...

 (ex-Divinyls
Divinyls
Divinyls were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying...

, Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....

).

Hoodoo Gurus' best performed single written by Shepherd was "You Open My Eyes
You Open My Eyes
"You Open My Eyes" is a single by iconic Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus which reached #43 on the ARIA Singles Charts. It was released on BMG in February, 1994; and was written by Brad Shepherd. This was the first Hoodoo Gurus single that was not written or co-written by Dave Faulkner. The B...

" (1994) which reached #43 on the ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...

 Singles Charts. Hoodoo Gurus line-up was unchanged from 1988 until they disbanded in 1998, they reformed in 2003 with same members: Faulkner, Shepherd, Kingsmill and Grossman.

In 1999, following Gurus break-up, Shepherd recorded "Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...

" for The Replacements tribute album, I'm In Love... With That Song (Antfarm Records). He also produced Shutterspeed
Shutterspeed
Shutterspeed was an independent rock band from Australia, led by frontman Andrew Petersen, which has released two albums and several singles and EPs. The band enjoyed some radio airplay, especially the 'Good Little Monkey' single, but it was their live performances with established their reputation...

's debut EP, Up Go The Shutters (1999) and co-produced their second EP, Well Ain't That Something A Good Thing's Comin' (November, 1999) on Laughing Outlaw Records.

The Monarchs

Shepherd then went onto to form a new band, The Monarchs (initially known as The Honkies), together with Andy Kelly on bass (Glide), Greg Hitchcock on guitar (The Neptunes, The Kryptonics, New Christs, The Verys, Challenger 7, You Am I
You Am I
You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter Tim Rogers. They were the first Australian band to have three albums successively debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts, and are renowned for their live performances.-History:Tim Rogers formed the first...

, The Dearhunters
The Dearhunters
The Dearhunters were an indie and alternative country band from Sydney, Australia.-History:In 1998, Greg Hitchcock, Tim Oxley, Jodi Phillis and Raphael Whittingham, who were successful artists solo or in various other acts, formed The Dearhunters in a pub in Sydney. They first performed several...

) and his brother Murray Shepherd (Harpoon, The Fun Things, Screaming Tribesmen
Screaming Tribesmen
The Screaming Tribesmen was a band formed in Brisbane by Mick Medew, John Hartley & Murray Shepherd. After their I Don't Wanna Know EP and a string of successful singles, including "A Stand Alone" and their first hit, "Igloo" which was penned by Medew and Died Pretty frontman Ron Peno, the band...

) on drums. The Monarchs played with The Meanies
The Meanies
The Meanies are an indie Australian punk rock band, formed in 1989. The current band members include Link Meanie , Ringo Meanie and Wally Meanie . The Meanies had a hiatus in the mid-late 1990s, but began performing again in 1998...

, Even
Even (band)
Even are an Australian indie rock three-piece fronted by singer/songwriter/guitarist Ashley Naylor, with Matthew Cotter on drums and Wally Kempton on bass and backing vocals...

, You Am I
You Am I
You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter Tim Rogers. They were the first Australian band to have three albums successively debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts, and are renowned for their live performances.-History:Tim Rogers formed the first...

, Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...

 and The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters were a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson , Dregen , Kenny Håkansson and Robert Eriksson . Andersson had been the drummer for death metal band Entombed and Dregen was taking a break from his full-time band Backyard Babies...

. In August, 2000 they released their first single, "2001" b/w "This Is All I Can Do" (Ivy League Records
Ivy League Records
For other uses of the term Ivy League see Ivy League Ivy League Records is a record label based in Sydney, Australia.Associated with the music management company Winterman & Goldstein and Ivy League Music publishing, Ivy League is the creation of Cameron Emerson-Elliot , Peter Lusty and James Roden...

) which was followed by their debut album, Make Yer Own Fun, in October, 2001 (Shock Records
Shock Records
Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...

).

From 1990 onwards, fellow Hoodoo Gurus member Grossman has been involved in a side project, Ghostwriters
Ghostwriters
-Singles:* "Someone's Singing New York New York" Virgin Records * "Runaway Bay" Virgin Records* "World Is Almost At Peace" Virgin Records* "Second Skin" Mercury Records* "Impossible Shame" Mercury Records...

, with Rob Hirst
Rob Hirst
-External links:*******...

 from Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...

. Shepherd played with Ghostwriters on their albums Ghostwriters (1991) and Fibromoon (1999). The Kelly Gang was a 2004 project Grossman formed with Jack Nolan to record Looking for the Sun (July, 2004); Shepherd performed as a session musician.

Persian Rugs

In September 2001, the four ex-Gurus (Faulkner, Grossman, Kingsmill & Shepherd) performed as The Moops (later called Persian Rugs). At Homebake
Homebake
Homebake is an annual Australian rock festival, featuring an all-Australian lineup . The festival was first held on 4 January 1996 at Belongil Fields in Byron Bay, on the far north coast of New South Wales...

 2001, (December 8) both Hoodoo Gurus and Persian Rugs performed separate sets. Just after Persian Rugs recorded a five-track EP Mr. Tripper (June, 2002) Grossman left the band, with Shepherd then recommending bassist Kendall James as his replacement (ex Thurston Howlers, Crusaders). With the addition of James the Persian Rugs recorded their debut album Turkish Delight, which was released in August, 2003.

Hoodoo Gurus reformed

Persian Rugs provided the track "Be My Guru" for the Hoodoo Gurus' tribute album Stoneage Cameos (2005) (see Stoneage Romeos
Stoneage Romeos
Stoneage Romeos was iconic Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' first album and saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live performances. The album name is from a Three Stooges short film...

) but by that time Hoodoo Gurus had already reformed. They had released their come-back album, Mach Schau
Mach Schau (Hoodoo Gurus album)
Mach Schau is iconic Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' eighth studio album. It was recorded eight years after their last studio album, Blue Cave, and released six years after the band had officially split in January 1998....

(2004), then undertook a national tour followed by an international tour. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...

.

In August 2009 it was revealed that Shepherd had been battling cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 and was recovering from recent surgery. It was his second brush with the disease, having had a melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...

 removed five years ago.

Discography

  • The Fun Things (1978–1980)
    • The Fun Things (EP) - Independent (1980) re-release (2000)

  • The 31st (1980–1981)
no recorded output known

  • The Hitmen
    The Hitmen
    Hitmen are an Australian Hard rock band. The group went through a large number of lineup changes in its short late 1970s and early 1980s run, then regrouped under a new name, Hitmen DTK, between 1989 and 1992. They reformed in 2007 and continue to play....

    (1981–1982)
    • The Hitmen - WEA
      Warner Bros. Records
      Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

       (1981)
    • "Everybody Knows (I Didn't Like Love)" b/w "Dancin' Time" - RCA
      RCA Records
      RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...

       (7" Single) (1982)
    • "Bwana Devil" b/w "Didn't Wanna Love You" - WEA (7" Single) (1982)
    • It Is What It Is! - RCA (1982)

  • Super K (1982)
    • "Go Go" b/w "Recurring Nightmare" - Green (7" Single) (1982) Citadel Records re-release (1985)

  • Hoodoo Gurus
    Hoodoo Gurus
    Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...

    (1981–1998) (2003–present)


  • Beasts of Bourbon
    Beasts of Bourbon
    Beasts of Bourbon was an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1983, with a line-up that has changed as the band splintered and reformed several times - Beginnings :...

    • From the Belly of the Beasts - WEA
      Warner Bros. Records
      Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

       (1984)

  • The Monarchs (1998–1999)
    • "2001" b/w "This Is All I Can Do" - Ivy League Records
      Ivy League Records
      For other uses of the term Ivy League see Ivy League Ivy League Records is a record label based in Sydney, Australia.Associated with the music management company Winterman & Goldstein and Ivy League Music publishing, Ivy League is the creation of Cameron Emerson-Elliot , Peter Lusty and James Roden...

       (2000)
    • Make Yer Own Fun - Shock Records
      Shock Records
      Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...

       (2001)

  • Persian Rugs (2001–2004)
    • Mr Tripper - SOS/Shock
      Shock Records
      Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...

       (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...

      ) (2002)
    • Turkish Delight - Shock (2003)
    • "Be My Guru" (recorded 2004) on Stoneage Cameos (2005) see Stoneage Romeos
      Stoneage Romeos
      Stoneage Romeos was iconic Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' first album and saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live performances. The album name is from a Three Stooges short film...


External links

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