The Powder Monkeys  played their first gigs in early 1992, at downbeat dive bars like the legendary Great Britain Hotel and the Richmond Club and the Barwon Club in the ghost town of Geelong. By the end of that year, fresh from blowing the likes of IZZY STRADLIN& THE JUJU HOUNDS, Kim Salmon and the Surrealisits and other such like-minded has-beens off their cushy  perches, the Powder Monkeys took to the open road, leaving audiences in Adelaide, Sydney and Canberra with jaws agape and ear-drums abuzz. 1993: with the debut single YIN YANG {Dogmeat} and several compilations L.P appearences under their belts, the Monkeys commence a free Thursday night residency at Melbournes sticky -carpet kingdom " Prince of Wales Hotel" solidifying their already strong live rep. and swelling the ranks of fans and true believers on a weekly basis.By the close of the residency { the initial 4 week engagement being extended to 10 weeks due to popular demand} hysteria levels had risen to such a  point that the Powder Monkeys break the piano-bars house attendance record:600 beer-drenched punters converted to the high-energy rock'n'roll  creed one sweaty  summer-nite! And the gigs kept coming - support spots to the Deniz Tek Group, p; Babes in Toyland and The Young Gods, and incessant touring across the width and breadth of the dusty outback that kept the Powder Monekys on the road for the next two years. Despite their relentless live schedule , the band found time to head into the studio  with old buddy and fellow rock-a-holic MIKE MARACONDA, rhythm guitarist of the  RAUNCH HANDS and the badly missed DEVIL DOGS and the man responsible for production duties on such audiophonic classics as "Destroy Oh Boy" by the  New  Bomb Turks and "Big Beef Bonanza"  by the Devil Dogs. The result was "SMASHED ON A KNEE", released  by Dogmeat in 1994."....one of the best debut albums in any rock'n'roll record collection" said Shane"rock'n'roll bank robber" Williams in L.A's   FLIPSIDE.  ".....diamond hard blues -thrash" said Mark Demetrios in 'Rolling  Stone', adding " ....if punk is dead, alot of its spirit lives on in  the Powder Monkeys ". Still,despite these critical plaudits, the consensus among Powder Monkeys fans was that the album failed somewhat to capture the ferocity of the  Monkeys live shows, a situation the band would attempt to rectify with their  next  two  releases: the "STRAIGHT UNTIL MORNING E.P {released 1995} and in 1996 "THE SUPERNOVA THAT NEVER QUITS" 3 track e.p {both on Dogmeat}. It was with the release of the bands second full-length  L.P  TIME WOUNDS ALL HEELS {1996]  however, that the Powder Monkeys finially succeeded in harnessing their live intensity and transforming it to record. The results were staggering : Dogmeat label manager Dave Laing, who  knows a great record when he sees it, proclaimed"... the most intense high -energy record to ever some out of Australia!!". Melbourne's FatalVisions magazine took time out from veiwing the latest  Hong Kong kung fu  splatter flick to gasp "......the hardest and heaviest album of all time.... an instant classic",  The band continued to gig, tearing up  stages at the Big Day Out and the Meredith Music Festivall; touring Australia with DEAD MOON, DENIZ TEK,and the COSMIC PSYCHOS and to  cap it all off, an utterley barnstorming, trail-blazing support spot for  RADIO BIRDMAN and WAYNE KRAMER at the Palace in Melbourne, during which they sent the audience so wild, a mini riot ensued, causing the venues stage curtains to be ripped down by the front row of Monkey maniacs!!!!! A deal was signed with Rick Rubins AMERICAN RECORDS, and at this point it seemed that nothing could stand in the way of the  Powder Monkeys quest for world domination. Sadly tho' it was not to be. After 18 months of silence, the band discovered that the signed deal was off, due to the lame-ass,2-faced, double dealing of Mr Johan Kugellerg, under-assistant west coast promo man extroadinaire. Tragedy struck again when Jenny Davidson, P.M's mixer and "manager"  took off for abroad with the contents of the Monkeys bank account {and band savings for the previous 2 years} in her  purse. The Powder Monkeys - left stone cold broke, stabbed in the bacck and wearied by their incessant work- load, had no choice but to take a well earned break, and retreat to lick their wounds, survey the damage- done and restock their arsenal.

                                               1998 - and the Powder Monkeys were back with a bang! The release of the  "GET THE GIRL STRAIGHT" 45 on Death Valley records proved the Powder Monkeys hadn't lost their ability to produce memorable, anthemic high energy Rock classics and their continuing stream of gigs showed the band in absolute peak form - older , wiser and driven by an undimmed sense of edge and energy, the band has only strengthened with time. A live gig recorded in April at St Kilda's ESPLANADE HOTEL, mixed by the Monkey's  JOHN NOLAN and TIM HEMENESLEY,will make up the forthcoming live "BLOOD,SWEAT&BEERS", to be released by Spains SAFETY PIN RECORDS {on 12" vinyl} and London's BUTCHERS HOOK {onC.D} in early '99. Here is the Powder Monkeys in full-possesion of their live powers- blasting their way thru  early rave-ups like ATOMIC  RESOLUTION and YIN-YANG, ol' faves by the Stooges {Cock in My Pocket} and the Velvets {Guess I'm Fallin' in Love} solid, power-chord ass-kickers off "Time Wounds All Heels' including live favorites STRAIGHT UNTIL MORNING and TURNS TO HATE and 2 new gems from the current set BEAST WITH TWO BACKS & HOUSE RULES- this is the Powder Monkeys as you've always  wanted to hear 'em on record : Loud, Proud and as "in-your-face" as they come. Listen and weep!!! As the 90's end , the Powder Monkeys continue to gig -wherever the need arises for the real-deal to assert its rightful place, the  Powder Monkeys are there ready to fight the good fight , for truth justice and the  right to be wild in a world of  fakers, phonys, sleaze-mongers and pretentious jerks. They'll be in Europe sometime in'99. So check em out at a town near you  if you know whats good for ya!! And with that said and done, I rest my case.
                                                                  -MOHAMMED YELSNEMEH,
                                                                  music editor "Saudi Examiner"