The Living end

The Living End is an Australian punkabilly band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals) and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in the late 1990s after the release of their double A-side single, Second Solution / Prisoner of Society.

They have released five studio albums and one singles compilation in Australia; two of which have reached the #1 spot on the Australian Album Chart. They have also gained notable success in the United States and Europe. The band are annually adding to their collection of Jack Awards, consistently winning awards for Best Drummer, Best Male Performer, Best Live TV Appearance and Best Band, among others.

History

Beginnings

The Living End was formed in 1994 by Chris Cheney and Scott Owen, who met through their older sisters while attending Wheelers Hill Secondary College in Melbourne. Cheney was a big fan of rockabilly group Stray Cats, and convinced Owen to learn the standup bass which the Stray Cats used regularly. He was taught by Maddie 0'Reiden, a classical upright bass tutor. The pair formed a cover band, Runaway Boys, named after a song from the Stray Cats' debut album.The band played in Melbourne's rockabilly music scene. While Cheney and Owen persevered, the band went through several drummers while still in school.

However, by 1994 Chris and Scott were writing their own material and they decided to change their name to The Living End, a reference to the film Rock Around the Clock. The group went through a procession of drummers, including Alex Sarris, before settling on Joe Piripitzi. Sarris played for several months, but was unable to remain in the band, due to irreconsilible creative differences with frontman Cheney. However, Cheney considered Joe an ideal drummer due to his charismatic appearance.

The Living End got their first big break in 1995 when, after sending a t-shirt and a demo tape to Billie Joe Armstrong, they landed a support slot in Green Day's upcoming Australian tour. After the tour, the group went into the studio to record their debut EP Hellbound which received moderate support from community radio stations.

In November 1995, the band went back into the studio to record their second EP It's For Your Own Good which they released several months later. This recording yielded their first major radio airplay with the song "From Here On In", which was placed on high rotation on the youth radio network Triple J. Shortly after the release of the second EP, drummer Joe Piripitzi was fired as his lifestyle choices were said to be holding back the band, being replaced with Travis Demsey. Demsey was soon playing with the band at major festivals such as Pushover and the Falls Festival, and was considered to drum very much in the style of Keith Moon.

After a year touring Australia, The Living End again headed into the studio to record something new to sell at their live shows. The result was the Second Solution / Prisoner of Society double A-side single.