Grunge Loses Bass Player

R.I.P Robbie "Rocket" Watts.

From The Age this week...

A GUITARIST in a Melbourne band that influenced grunge rockers, including Nirvana and Pearl Jam, has died. Robbie "Rocket" Watts from the Cosmic Psychos died suddenly on Saturday night after a gig in Bendigo. The band was not commercially successful but its churning high-octane rock has been cited as an influence by better-known bands, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, L7 and
Spiderbait.

UK band the Prodigy based Fuel My Fire on the Cosmic Psychos' Lost Cause. Neil Rogers, who hosts The Australian Mood on radio station Triple R, managed the band in its early days. "People here have just taken them for granted. They've never been fully recognised for the influence they've had," he said. "Without them a lot of the whole grunge (movement) wouldn't have happened."

Watts, 47, joined the band in 1990. His first album with the group, Blokes You Can Trust, was produced by Butch Vig, fresh from completing Nirvana's Nevermind.

The band began about 1982 as a foursome. In recent years, it was a trio made up of Watts, long-time vocalist Ross Knight and drummer Dean Muller.

Band spokesman Chris Oldfield said Watts' impact could be measured in the many messages received from around the world since his death.

"It's sad you don't realise how influential someone is until they're dead," he said. The father of four was a strong banjo player and busked outside football games, Oldfield said.

Cosmic Psychos Edited From their Agency Website:

The Cosmic Psychos hail from Melbourne and started around 1982 with Bill Walsh, Ross Knight, original guitarist Peter Jones and a vocalist. Previously, Bill Walsh was playing with Peter Jones in a band called ‘Spring Plains’. The line up was Steven Morrow on vocals, Bill Walsh on drums, Peter Jones on guitar, Neal Turton on bass.

Eventually Ross joined, they kicked the vocalist out in 85’ and went on as a three piece and changed the name to the Cosmic Psychos. They soon released a 5 track EP titled ‘Down On The Farm’. This was initially released on Mr Spaceman records. After that came their first full-length album of 12 tracks, being a self-titled album in 1987. Various singles were also released around this time including ‘Lead me Astray/ No Money’.

Robbie Watts replaced Peter Jones. The guitarist changed, but the three-chord barrage of in your face rock was still intact.

With a new guitarist in the band, they released ‘Blokes You Can Trust’. This was recorded in America and produced by then unknown producer Butch “Nevermind” Vig. The sound of the band was starting to get heavier and even tighter.

Early music influences include Radio Birdman, The Saints, Sex Pistols, Slade, Gary Glitter, early Kiss and early AC/DC (Bon Scott era).

Robbie, who joined the band in 1990, has a couple of kids. Being a great self taught guitarist, who seems very much influenced by Hendrix with his soaring feedback and wha-wha solos. Bill being the eldest of the bunch (around 40), only recently settled down with his girl friend. The song ‘Super Vixen’ was written about her as Bill realised that women were the ones ultimately in charge. He also works at local Melbourne radio station PBS.

And they’re no slouches to free beer. A philosophy of drink all the beer before you play, otherwise some other bastard will drink it while you’re up there playing on stage. Most of the time they seem to get out of paying for bar tabs by smiling a lot and tipping the bar staff!

They are good mates with Mudhoney, and even toured with Pearl Jam. They were booed for their 40-minute set when they played in Sydney, so it was no surprise that they bared their arses at the crowd of 37,000.

Where did the dropping the pants come from? They did a shitty gig at some pub in Germany and as a bit of fun, dropped their daks. The idea came from Ross watching Rage (Australian Music Program) one night, and this heavy metal band were holding hands and bowing. It’s taking the piss out of stadium rock acts. After they started doing it, L7 also dropped their dacks on BBC TV, afterwards stating that the Psychos showed them how to do it.