A cult band on the Australian scene, led by charismatic frontman Kim Salmon (vocals, guitar), The Scientists formed in 1978 in Perth. Influenced by The Stooges, MC5, garage rock and power rock, the band made a name for itself with a local hit, "Frantic Romantic", before radicalizing its musical line with punk, garage and blues-oriented albums, The Scientists (1981), You Get What You Deserve! (1985), Weird Love (1986) and The Human Jukebox (1987). Based in Sydney, then London, The Scientists forged their reputation on the live scene, building up a devoted following over the decades, despite a few breaks and changes of musicians. Among them, bassist Boris Sujdovic also followed Kim Salmon into Beasts of Bourbon with drummer James Baker and guitarist Tony Thewlis, then became leader of The Dubrovniks in the late 1980s, with guitarist Roddy Ray'da. After several break-ups and reformations, Kim Salmon reformed the band with original members in the early 2000s, continuing with tours and new recordings such as the album Negativity (2021). Drummer Leanne Chock (née Cowie), who had been with the band since 1985 and returned in 2006, died in her sixtieth year on March 20, 2025.
