EXPERIENCE DOG CULTURE
The Band
Fiddle/Vocals: Jamie Corfield
Mandolin/Vocals: Don Jarmey
Guitar/Vocals: Michael (Mac) Carscadden
Bass/Vocals: Sean Forrester
Drums/Vocals: Stephen Pitkin
Sound Engineer: Heath Storrie
Mastering: Matthew Gray
Photography 1994: Michelle Blackwell
One of the ways you knew things were pumping at the Bludgers Club at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville, Australia, was by the amount of cracker dust that was raised in the air by dancers in front of the stage. While no official records were kept, we reckon we raised the most cracker dust per event and in total than any band at the time or since. Our record was preserved by the fact that they paved the area in front of the stage shortly after the band finished playing together at JCU. We encourage you to kick up your own cracker dust in whatever form that it takes and enjoy and dance to the Dog Culture tunes now available on a range of streaming platforms such as iTunes and Spotify.
ABOUT DOG CULTURE
How They Got Here
It was the early 1990’s. Queensland was just emerging from the conservative Joh Bjelkepeterson era and there was a sense of our own ‘Glasnost’. North Queensland, however, is perhaps more conservative than the rest of Queensland (something that still holds today). This was reflected in Townsville’s music scene, which was dominated by cover bands on the live music circuit and franchised commercial radio stations hosted by the likes of Steve Price. An underbelly of alternative original music was present, but mainly in the folk and country scenes.
The emergence of the US West Coast grunge in the form of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day and Soundgarden, the re-emergence of high tempo British folk in the form of the Levellers and the beginning of Triple J radio airing in Townsville spurred a transformation in the local music scene. No longer content to listen to commercial radio or listen to and play every pop hit from Khe San to Sweet Home Alabama, plunk bands (literally) of musicians came together to play alternative original music. James Cook University, the Townsville Folk Club and venues like the Mud Hut provided the breeding grounds for these bands to thrive -among them was Dog Culture.
Other venues, such as James Cook Tavern and the Shamrock Hotel soon joined the party and so, original alternative music took on a life of its own. We are happy to share our contribution.
