Sacred Cowboys are an Australian post-punk and rock band formed by mainstay Garry Gray, as a lead singer-songwriter, and Mark Ferrie in 1982. The line-up has changed as the group splintered and reformed several times, being active from 1982 to 1985, 1987 to 1991, 1994 to 1997 and 2006 to 2008. The August 2006 line-up was Gray with Stephan Fidock on drums; Penny Ikinger on guitar; Spencer P. Jones on guitar; Nick Rischbieth on bass guitar; and Ash Wednesday on keyboards. Past members include: Johnny Crash (aka Janis Friedenfelds) on drums and Mark Ferrie on bass guitar, who were both ex-Models; Terry Doolan on guitar; Andrew Picouleau on bass guitar; and Ian Forrest on keyboards.

The group have issued seven albums: Sacred Cowboys (1984), We Love You ... Of Course We Do (1985), Trouble from Providence (August 1988), Things to Come (July 1996), Cold Harvest (January 2007), 1982–85: Nailed to the Cross (February 2008) and In the Manifesto (March 2026). Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described them as "one of the most confrontational live outfits" with their music as "mixed post-punk moodiness and country raunch over a mutant swamp-blues backbeat".

History

Sacred Cowboys formed in early 1982 in Melbourne with Terry Doolan on guitar (ex-Fizztops), Janis Friedenfelds (aka Johnny Crash) on drums, Mark Ferrie on guitar (both ex-Models), Ian Forrest on keyboards (ex-True Wheels), Garry Gray on lead vocals (ex-The Reals, The Negatives) and Andrew Picouleau on bass guitar (ex-Metronomes, Popgun Men, X-Ray-Z). and released their album In the Manifesto in 2026.

Members

  • Garry Gray – vocals (1982–1985, 1987–1991, 1994–1997, 2006–2008, 2025-present)
  • Terry Doolan – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards (1982–1985, 1987–1991, 1994–1997)
  • Mark Ferrie – guitars, backing vocals (1982–1985, 1987–1991, 1994–1997, 2008), bass (1994–1997, 2008, 2025-present)
  • Ian Forrest – keyboards (1982–1983, 1990–1991)
  • Andrew Picouleau – bass (1982–1984) (deceased)
  • Janis Friedenfelds (aka Johnny Crash) – drums (1982–1985) (deceased)
  • Chris Whelan – keyboards (1983)
  • Nick Rischbieth – bass (1984–1985, 1987–1991, 1994–1997, 2006–2008)
  • Stephan Fidock – drums (1987–1991, 1994–1997, 2006–2008) (deceased)
  • Ash Wednesday – keyboards (1987, 2006)
  • Penny Ikinger – guitars, backing vocals (1994–1997, 2006–2008)
  • Spencer P. Jones – guitars, backing vocals (1992–1995, 2006–2008) (deceased)
  • Timothy Deane;– guitars, backing vocals (2025-present)
  • Anthony Paine;– bass, backing vocals (2025-present)
  • Damian FitzGerald;– drums, backing vocals (2025-present)

Discography

Albums

  • Sacred Cowboys – (1984)
  • We Love You...Of Course We Do – (1985)
  • Trouble from Providence – (August 1988)
  • Things to Come – (July 1996)
  • Cold Harvest – (January 2007)
  • 1982–85: Nailed to the Cross – (February 2008)
  • In the Manifesto – (March 2026)

Extended plays

  • Sacred Cowboys – (1983)
  • Black City – (1994)

Singles

  • "Nothing Grows in Texas" – (1982)
  • "Bangkok" – (1983)
  • "Twisted Nerve" – (1983)
  • "Trouble from Providence" – (1988)
  • "Hell Sucks" – (1990)
  • "Black City" – (1994)
  • "Drop By Drop" – (1997)

References

;General

  • Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.

;Specific

  • archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  • Garry Gray interview at i94bar
  • More recollections at i94bar