The Screaming Jets

by Ed. Nimmervoll
Before silverchair came along The Screaming Jets were the most popular band to emerge from the Australian industrial town, Newcastle. More than silverchair, The Jets' music is a product of that town. When the original band members were growing up in Newcastle they faced a future of either working in the steelworks and associated industries or not working at all. In a town like that the locals live hard, drink hard and want their rock hard. The Screaming Jets gave them what they wanted.
Singer Dave Gleeson and guitarist Grant Walmsley formed their first band in high school. In January 1989 the two friends gathered another bunch of Newcastle lads to form the hard driving hard rocking Screaming Jets, bringing with them their little party trick where Walmsley hung upside down with his legs around the singer's neck without interrupting his solo. Between songs singer Gleeson confronted the audience with his bad mouth, politically incorrect views, and spur of the moment outbursts. Self declared young Rolling Stones fans they were also carrying on the Australian rock traditions established by bands like AC/DC, the Angels and Rose Tattoo. By May 1980 the Jets had been signed to Roo Art, the internationally focused Australian label created by Inxs manager Chris Murphy. Following an introductory EP, the band released its debut album All For One in April 1991 and scored an Australian top 10 hit with "Better." While their music kept winning them friends Dave Gleeson's mouth kept getting them into trouble. At the end of 1991 the band embarked on a lengthy tour of the USA and Europe.
Since the release of their second album Tear Of Thought in October 1992, The Screaming Jets have played in well over 20 countries all around the world, sacked members, lost members, scored an Australian hit with their version of Birthday Party's "Shivers," changed management and endured having their Roo Art record contract passed from distributor to distributor. Through it all, the Screaming Jets have continued to record and perform, Dave Gleeson has learned to focus his attitude in his lyrics and he and Walmsley have established themselves as a classic rock and roll singer/guitarist partnership, ala Jagger/Richards, Tyler/Perry.