Wet Taxis
one of the most popular bands in Australia's indie scene" Matt Buchanan 2002
C'Mon - Wet Taxis
(Original by The Atlantics)
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Louis at the Brittania Hotel - 1979. Photo courtesy Michael Waite.
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Photo of Louis Tillett by Robyn Stacey
Louis Rohan Tillett was born in 1959 and grew up in Sydney. In 1977 his first band, The Wet Taxis, began as a group "based around experiments with 'industrial noise'". In 1980 they issued a cassette, Taxidermy, on the Terse Tapes label – owned by fellow Sydney band, Severed Heads. For the album Tillett provided synthesiser (micromoog) and The Wet Taxis line up was Garry Bradbury on drum machine, Simon Knuckey on guitar, and his brother Tim Knuckey on bass guitar. In October that year Terse Tapes released an extended play, Terse Sample, by Various Artists with tracks by Wet Taxis and label mates: Mindless Delta Children, Agent Orange and Rhoborhythmaticons.
By 1981, with Tillett on piano and lead vocals,[4] the group were moving into a "tougher 1960s-influenced direction". In 1982 Bradbury left to join Severed Heads and was replaced by Nick Fisher on drums. Peter Watt also joined on rhythm guitar but was replaced in the next year by Penny Ikinger. In February 1984 The Wet Taxis first toured Melbourne, they were hailed as sporting an American garage-style psychedelic sound, they covered bands such as MC5, Moving Sidewalks and Unrelated Segments. In Melbourne they supported Kids in the Kitchen at one gig and Chris Bailey at another. They followed with a live broadcast from the Prince of Wales Hotel, St.Kilda, on 3PBS FM radio.
The group signed with the Hot Records label and recorded a single, "C'mon", which was a cover version of The Atlantics 1967 track, "Come On". It was produced by David Connor and Kent Steedman, and was released in May 1984. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, noted it provided "an authentic 1960s garage/R&B sound". Late that year they issued an album, From the Archives, and by February 1985 went into hiatus. In July 1986 Pollyanna Sutton of The Canberra Times described the album as "a mix of studio and live recordings over three years". In 2002 the band, alongside Laughing Clowns, The Lighthouse Keepers and Gondwanaland Project, were described by The Sydney Morning Herald's Matt Buchanan as one "of the most popular bands in the Australia's indie scene" in an article reminiscing about Hot Records.
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In January 1986 Tillett, Fisher and Ikinger revived The Wet Taxis with Rod Howard on bass guitar, Jason Kain on lead guitar (ex-Relatives), and Bronstantine Karlarka on keyboards. By May they were joined by a brass section of Dianne Spence on saxophone, Kathy Wemyss on trumpet (both ex-Laughing Clowns), and Gladys Reed on trombone. Reed had backed No Dance on Carnival of Souls. In July Tillett described his three newest members to Sutton, "there are so many hot female musicians in Sydney and none seem to be getting a go. It is not just a gimmick". The Wet Taxis supported a tour by Nico and undertook other tours. They issued a single, "Sailor's Dream" in May 1987, which was produced by Rob Younger (of Radio Birdman, New Christs) at Paradise Studios for Citadel Records. The band broke up by mid-year.
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Frosty Boy. Lucy Child Photo 1979.
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Sailor's Dream.
Written by Louis Tillett.
Wet Taxis. (Single from Stage 3 of Wet Taxis)
Vertical Divider
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Described by The Sydney Morning Herald's Matt Buchanan as one
"of the most popular bands in Australia's indie scene"
in an article reminiscing about Hot Records.
"of the most popular bands in Australia's indie scene"
in an article reminiscing about Hot Records.
L to R: Simon Knuckey, Tim Knuckey, Louis Tillett, Nick Fisher, Penny Ikinger.
Wet Taxis in Action...Far Right the Legendary Dr Bronstantine Karlaka in full flight!
Photo by Adrienne Grierson. Her house. She reported on posting this photo...Louis wore this all the time!
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Louis Tillett in Wet Taxis
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Cultural Significance
Research and Walking Tours by Frank Cotterell and Ian Hartley with special thanks to Peter Cox of the Powerhouse Museum. CREDITS • Produced by Hugh Liney and Ashley Russell for GTI Media. Written and presented by Hugh Liney. Design by Brian Crouch, Millmaine Entertainment. Original Poster Artwork excerpted from Plastered: The Poster Art of Australian Popular Music by Murray Walding with Nick Vukovic. Podcast and audio by Michael Thompson. Thanks to Dr Rock, Mojo Records, Peter Simpson, Brad Shepherd, Terry Darmody, Bruce Griffiths, Chris Ruhle and Peter Bowden.
The Vault
Find more Wet Taxis Photos, Ephemera and Links to
Contemporary Articles
in The Vault.
Louis Tillett Photo by Lucy Child
Wet Taxis
Counter from 22 July 2018
