Mungabeans

The Mungabeans were a Brisbane, Australia indie rock band. They formed in 1984, broke up in 1992. The band comprised guitarist/singer-songwriter Paul Grogan, bass player/vocalist Guy Mansfield and drummer/producer, Lord Mike McCann. Evan Clarry, now a feature filmmaker, was rhythm guitarist and occasional vocalist from 1984 to 1987.

The Mungabeans – or The ‘Beans, as their fans called them – were known for an eclectic repertoire and bizarre stage show, which was at various times comedy, high art or menace, depending on the audience’s perception. The band moved to Sydney in 1986, after becoming the only performers to be banned from Brisbane’s then alternative radio station, Four Triple Z.

History, name

The ‘Beans began as an impromptu fill-in at Jabbo’s Jazz and Blues Club (situated in what is now a Roma Street carpark) in 1983, when regular Saturday night act, The Headstones, took breaks. A series of drummers joined childhood friends Grogan and Mansfield on stage, until Jabbo’s regular Mike McCann was permanently recruited. Clarry, who was Mansfield’s classmate at Church of England Grammar School, joined from the first official gig.

The Headstones' leader, Chris Flynn, suggested the act name themselves after things called “mungabeans” (sic) that he had seen at a health food shop. Bean sprouts were uncommon in early 1980s Brisbane; no-one recognised the error in the name, nor the association with hippies, so posters were printed with the erroneous name which duly stuck.

The ‘Beans performed regularly at Brisbane’s leading “underground” (mostly inner city) venues throughout 1985 and ’86, progressing from support to headline act largely on the strength of a bizarre stage show and repertoire. As a film student, guitarist Evan Clarry had access to elaborate cinematic props, which embellished the simulated sex and violence characterising Beans’ gigs. And, while the theatre was often tongue-in-cheek, perceptions of subversiveness in a conservative and heavily policed Brisbane at the time led to undercover police often infiltrating Mungabeans’ gigs.

The band’s early repertoire was dominated by covers of kitsch glam and Australian rock songs of the early 1970s, largely to irritate elements of the self-conscious underground music set who reviled the material. Over time, Grogan’s compositions replaced the covers, as the band became more ambitious.

Interest in Sydney led to the band moving there in 1986 (as had The Headstones, Screaming Tribesmen, Ups & Downs and others).

Like many Australian independent acts of the 1980s, The Mungabeans gained more popularity overseas than in their own backyard. In their case Germany and England took to the band. But the band never toured outside Australia and, as the Grunge scene of the early 1990s took hold, along with a disco revival and the influx of pub gaming, the band split in 1992.

High points of recognition in Australia were multiple appearances on Rage and regular airplay in 1988 of The Beans' song Too Late (to Turn Back Now) from their debut EP, A Much Sweeter Gag.

Legacy

The 'Beans were considered instrumental in introducing a less self-conscious culture among the so-called Brisbane "underground". In a 1986 article published in RAM (Rock Australia Magazine), the band was cited as influential on a wave of Brisbane performers who succeeded nationally and internationally as independent and mainstream music markets merged in the late 1980s. The 'Beans paved the way for bands such as Who’s Gerald and the Melniks, who did not take themselves too seriously. Grogan and Mansfield, as skilled musicians with experience in working covers bands, also helped The 'Beans and others transcend a cultural divide between the professionalism of suburban covers bands and the primitive three-chord approach typical of "indie" acts. This contributed to a mark-up in musical skill among original bands emerging in Brisbane from the early 1990s on.

The 'Beans' records sales were highest in Europe.

Grogan and McCann formed World Dog in 1994, recording a CD produced by Skyhooks songwriter Greg Macainsh.

McCann and Grogan now develop music for Asian markets through their production company, GroMic, while Clarry is a director with two Australia feature films to his name, Blurred and Under the Radar. Mansfield is a TV producer, recently completing a documentary about ambulance drivers for SBS.

Discography

LPs

• A Much Sweeter Gag (Au Go Go) 1988

Singles

• Expensive Taste (Sundown) 1986 (Produced by Mike McCann and written by Paul Grogan)

Compilation Tracks

• "Too Late To Turn Back Now" on Urban Sounds 1994
• "It’s Gone" on Brisbane Overboard 1996

References

External links

• Evan Clarry at the Internet Movie Database