Formed in Sydney in 1983, Australian alternative blues punk band Beasts of Bourbon has been led from the outset by charismatic singer Tex Perkins, and has enjoyed a chequered career of break-ups, frequent line-up changes and reunions. Author of cult albums with a sound as incendiary as it is deliberately dirty and rough, the band has also included Spencer P. Jones (guitar), Kim Salmon from The Scientists (guitar), Boris Sudjovic (bass) and James Baker, from The Victims and Hoodoo Gurus (drums). After the debut album The Axeman's Jazz, recorded in a single day and released in 1984, followed Sour Mash (1988), Black Milk (1990) and The Low Road (1991), which enriched the punk and blues palette with psychedelic and experimental reflections, without losing any of the urgency of the beginnings. After several reformations, Beasts of Bourbon recorded Gone (1996) and Low Life (1997), then Little Animals (1997), before returning as The Beasts for Still Here (2019) and Ultimo (2024). Active from 1983 until 2024, James Baker died on May 5, 2025 at the age of 71.
