Hoodoo Gurus: Hoodoo Gurus occupy a singular place in Australian – and international – rock’n’roll history. Formed in Sydney in 1981 by members of seminal ’70s Australian punk bands The Victims and Fun Things, the Gurus fused garage rock grit with pop smarts, sharp songwriting and an unrepentant love of classic rock’n’roll. Their sound – drawing on ’60s and ’70s influences but unmistakably their own – helped place them at the forefront of the global alternative, garage-rock and power-pop movement of the mid-1980s.
The band quickly found success at home and abroad, forging close ties with contemporaries such as The Bangles, Redd Kross and The Fleshtones, and becoming heroes of the pre-grunge era. Their debut album Stoneage Romeos topped the US College/Alternative chart, with follow-up releases including Mars Needs Guitars!, Blow Your Cool and Magnum Cum Louder also reaching the Billboard 200 while producing enduring hits such as “What’s My Scene”, “Like Wow – Wipeout!” and “Come Anytime”.
Across four decades, Hoodoo Gurus have amassed 10 ARIA Top 20 albums, nine Top 40 singles and multiple platinum certifications, while remaining one of Australia’s most formidable live bands. Their influence can be heard in generations of artists from You Am I and Spiderbait to Violent Soho, and they continue to be name-checked by international peers.
Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007, the Gurus remain vital and revered elder statesmen of Australian rock. With sold-out tours, a catalogue of radio staples and a legacy that spans continents and generations, Hoodoo Gurus are one of Australia’s most enduring and beloved musical acts.