Formed Perth, Australia, 1980; disbanded 1989.

Led by David McComb (vocals/guitar/piano), Perth band The Triffids were completed by his brother Robert (violin/guitar/keyboards/vocals), Martin Casey (bass/vocals), Phil Kakulas (keyboards; replaced by Jill Birt, keyboards/vocals) and Alsy McDonald (drums/vocals).

A major influence on the group's sound was their geographical location. Isolated on the west coast of Australia, Perth backs on to a huge, empty desert that infused The Triffids' early work with a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. Treeless Plain (1983) and Raining Pleasure (1984) were their first LPs, but it was their third album which brought them to the attention of record buyers. Born Sandy Devotional (1986) was an achingly beautiful, languid record, filled with McComb's epic sprawling songs and majestic raw vocals, along with the intimate slide guitar of new member 'Evil' Graham Lee. Highlights included the monumental "Wide Open Road" and the midtempo ballad "Stolen Property".

Mere months after the release of this atmospheric masterpiece they came up with In The Pines (1986), which was recorded in a wool-shearing shed in the outback - and frankly sounded like it. Calenture (1987), with new guitarist Adam Peters, was a haunting, heart-rending return to form. Gil Norton's production emphasized McComb's vocals and songwriting, especially on the lamenting "A Trick Of The Light" and on the mournful "Jerdacuttup Man", for which McComb assumed the spirit of a skeleton found at an archeological dig.

Calenture may have been a classic, but its failure to trouble the charts prompted The Triffids to seek out Morrissey producer Stephen Street, who worked with them on 1989's The Black Swan. The production was certainly bright and sparkling, but an overabundance of gloss was applied to some fundamental cracks in the songwriting. The singles were poppy, particularly "Goodbye Little Boy", but the best songs were the country-tinged ballads evoking the Australian outback, specifically the gorgeous "Too Hot To Move, Too Hot To Sleep" and "New Year's Greetings".

By the end of 1989, The Triffids were bored by their lack of commercial success, and they disbanded, leaving behind a live recording, Stockholm, which was finally issued in 1990. McComb eventually embarked on a solo career, and his excellent 1994 album Love Of Will contained all The Triffids' best elements, from the expansive and majestic ballads to the country-rock meetings. Live with backing band The Red Ponies, he is more rock than on record, while his garage-rock roots were emphasized on some Velvet Underground covers.

Mike Martin

Taken from the Rough Guide to Rock. © Rough Guides Ltd.