The Yes-Men were a high energy rock band from Melbourne Australia formed by in 1995. Musically the band played a powerful Australian style of rock’n’roll, very close to the pulse of Radio Birdman and Sonic's Rendezvous Band but with a harder edge and more full-on production. Sean Greenway died unexpectedly in January 2001 and with his passing The Yes-Men ceased to exist.
Background
Greenway was pretty much a mainstay of the burgeoning Melbourne underground rock scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He started his career as a teenager in Foot and Mouth and then formed God with whom he had much success. God was a rock 'n' roll band from Melbourne, together from 1986 to 1989 and comprising Joel Silbersher, Tim Hemensley, Sean Greenway and Matthew Whittle. All members were 15-16 at the time of the band's formation. Prior to God's formation, Hemensley had been a member of Royal Flush, Greenway and Whittle were members of Foot and Mouth, and Silbersher had his own radio show on 3RRR. The debut 7" single My Pal by God from 1987 is their best known track. It got very favourable reviews and sold in the thousands. It became an independent classic and cover versions have been recorded by several bands, including Magic Dirt, The Hollowmen, Bored!, A Death In The Family and Bum. Following God, Greenway formed the Freeloaders with ex-members of the peripatetic The Philisteins. This lineup of the Freeloaders released a couple of singles through Dog Meat Records before Greenway left in 1995 and began a new project he would eventually call The Yes-Men.
History
Greenway wrote most of the first Yes-Men songs and began recording these songs prior to even having a band to perform them. He recruited Sydney based musician Stewart Leadfinger Cunningham as lead guitarist and began rehearsing and arranging the songs with him during visits to Sydney and when Cunningham was in Melbourne. The first recording sessions for The Yes-Men involved Greenway and long time friend Matthew Whittle laying down bass, guitar and drum tracks at Birdland Studios in Prahran whilst Cunningham would lay down his parts when he was in Melbourne. These earlier recordings would eventually surface on the 2005 posthumous self-titled album 'The Yes-Men'. Eventually Mark Hurst was recruited as permanent drummer and Tas Blizzard became the band's first genuine bass player. The addition of these two seasoned musicians solidified the band into a genuine and powerful live band for the first time. This line up recorded the bulk of the Prosody album in fits and spurts through 1997 and 1998 at Birdland studios. Due to the other commitments of the band's members and the fact that Cunningham was based in Sydney the band played live sporadically but managed three trips to Sydney/NSW and regular spots with the Powder Monkeys. The Yes-Men supported The Hellacopters at The Tote Hotel in 1999 with singer Nicke Royale becoming a big fan of The Yes-Men's music. This support led to The Yes-Men's first album Prosody being released in Europe through The Hellacopters White Jazz record label. It is probably fair to say that The Yes-Men are more widely known and loved among European rock fans than in their home country because of this European release and The Hellacopters support. In late 1998 Jay Curley replaced Tas Blizzard on bass and the final tracks were recorded. The album, titled Prosody was finally finished after almost 4 years of lead up work and sporadic recording. Greenway agreed to have Melbourne record label Stolen Records release the album in Australia on vinyl and CD. White Jazz Records in Sweden would release the album in Europe with the band slated to support the Hellacopters on a Euro tour down the track. The album Prosody was and still is critically acclaimed but fate would step in to thwart the band moving further forward in two ways. The White Jazz label got into legal difficulties and failed to fully support and promote the album. Then on 21 January 2001, the band's leader and founder Sean Greenway died from an accidental heroin dose. It was mocking destiny. Shortly before, the band had begun to collect their first international appreciation thanks to an album, "Prosody" that showed their great skills in writing rough and soulful songs and then it was all over. A memorial gig was organised for 4 February at the Tote Hotel in Melbourne and the following bands played...The Mystaken, Joel Silbersher and Charlie Owen, The Onyas, The Seminal Rats, The Powder Monkeys, Rocket Science, The Casanovas and The Yes Men with Simon Faulkner of The Splatterheads doin the vocals and Matthew Whittle on guitar. The proceeds of the memorial gig were used to finish off some leftover recordings and eventually a second posthumous album of material was released in 2005 as El Peligro Ha Comenzado on vinyl through Bang! Records and as a self-titled CD album through Butcher's Hook Records. In 2013 Bang! Records re-issued the now very sought after Prosody album.
Personnel
Sean Greenway - Vocals/Guitar Stewart ‘Leadfinger’ Cunningham - Guitar/Backing Vocals Mark Hurst - Drums Tasman Blizzard - Bass Guitar Jay Curley - Bass Guitar Matthew Whittle - Drums/Bass
Discography
Prosody, Album 1999 Stolen Records, White Jazz Records
The Yes-Men, Album 2005 Bang! Records, Butcher's Hook Records
Songs originally written and recorded by The Yes-Men have been covered by Swedish band The Hellacopters who included a version of Acid Reign as part of the digital only version of their last album Head off in 2008. Australian band Leadfinger recorded Swept Back in 2008 and Leaving was included on their 2011 album, We Make the Music.
