King Snake Roost

{{Short description|Australian noise rock band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}}

{{Mcn|date=June 2025}}{{Infobox musical artist | name = King Snake Roost | image = Roost.jpg | caption = | background = group_or_band | origin = [[Adelaide, South Australia|Adelaide]], [[Australia]] | genre = [[Grunge]], [[noise rock]] | years_active = 1985–1990 | label = [[Aberrant Records|Aberrant]] [[Amphetamine Reptile Records|Amphetamine Reptile]] [[Satellite Records|Satellite]] [[Megadisc]] [[Normal Records|Normal]] | website = | past_members = Charles Tolnay Peter Hill David Quinn Bill Bostle Michael Raymond Craig Rossi Gene Rivet Trigger}}

'''King Snake Roost''' (also known as KSR) were an Australian [[noise rock]] band. King Snake Roost formed in 1985 in [[Adelaide]] and in 1987 the band moved to [[Sydney]]. The band broke up in 1990 after a two-month tour of the US. In Australia and the USA the band played with some of the most influential noise rock bands of the 1980s, including [[Sonic Youth]], [[Big Black]], [[Mudhoney]], [[Helmet (band)|Helmet]], [[Babes in Toyland (band)|Babes In Toyland]], [[Lubricated Goat]], [[feedtime]] and [[The Mark of Cain (band)|The Mark of Cain]]. KSR played at some prestigious 1980s US venues, including, [[CBGB]] and [[Maxwell's]].

The band released its second album in 1989, titled ''Things That Play Themselves''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=King Snake Roost Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio &... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/king-snake-roost-mn0000092999 |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref>

== Lineup == ===1985-1986=== *[[Charlie Tolnay]], guitar **was also a founding member of the seminal Adelaide post punk band [[Grong Grong (band)|Grong Grong]] **for a brief time he was in blues-punk band [[Bloodloss]] with [[Guy Maddison]] of [[Mudhoney]] and he recorded with [[Lubricated Goat]] **during 1989 he recorded the [[Tumor Circus]] album with members of [[Steel Pole Bathtub]] and [[Jello Biafra]] of the [[Dead Kennedys]] **also played on both [[Bushpig (band)|Bushpig]] records with [[Steve Turner (guitarist)|Steve Turner]] and [[Mark Arm]] of [[Mudhoney]] *Trigger (Steve Tregilgas), vocals. *Michael Raymond, bass. *George Klestines, drums, formerly of [[Grong Grong]] and Perdition.

===1986-1987=== *[[Charlie Tolnay]], guitar *Peter Hill, vocals & feed harp, also a member of [[Bushpig (band)|Bushpig]] *Bill Bostle, drums, was also a member of Half. *Michael Raymond, bass. **It was this line up that recorded the first KSR release ''From Barbarism to Christian Manhood''. For a brief time after Michael Raymond left bass duties were handled by 'Uncle Egon' (the band's name for the pre-recorded bass parts played back off tape), most notably for the [[Adelaide University Union]] show with [[Big Black]]. Dave Taskas of [[Grong Grong (band)|Grong Grong]] also played bass at a small number of shows in [[Melbourne]].

===1987-1989=== *Charlie Tolnay, guitar. *Peter Hill, vocals, guitar, feed harp. *Bill Bostle, drums. *David Quinn, bass, also a member of Deathless, and previously of Madroom. **This lineup was responsible for all subsequent King Snake Roost recordings, and the US tour.

===1989-1990=== *[[Charlie Tolnay]], guitar *Peter Hill, vocals *Gene Rivet, bass *Craig Rossi, drums, who also played in [[Box Of Fish]]. **This version of the band was short-lived.

===Guests=== *Lachlan McLeod, a member of [[Salamander Jim]] and Thug, amongst others. *Dave Boyne, member of legendary 1960s garage band [[Missing Links (Australian Band)|The Missing Links]]. *Adrian Symes, aka 'Sax Adrian', who played with many bands during the 1980s. *Tom Sturm, of [[feedtime]]. *Michael Farkas, singer from [[Grong Grong (band)|Grong Grong]].

== Discography == ;Studio albums *''[[From Barbarism to Christian Manhood]]'' (1987, Aberrant) *''[[Things That Play Themselves]]'' (1988, Aberrant) *''[[Ground Into the Dirt]]'' (1990, [[Amphetamine Reptile Records|Amphetamine Reptile]])

;Singles *''Raw Cuts'' (1987, [[Satellite Records|Satellite]]) *''Top End Killer/A Storm Brewin''' (1988, Aberrant) *''Buffalo Bob/More Than Love'' (split single with [[feedtime]]) (1988, Aberrant) *''School's Out/Nutbush City Limits'' (split single with [[Bloodloss]]) (1989, Crack)

;Appears on *''[[Hard to Believe: Kiss Covers Compilation]]'' (1989, [[Waterfront Records|Waterfront]]) *''Dope-Guns-'n-Fucking in the Streets: Volume 3'' (1989, Amphetamine Reptile) *''Dope-Guns-'n-Fucking in the Streets: Volumes 1–3'' (1990, Amphetamine Reptile) *''Dope Guns & F*cking Up Your Video Deck: Volume One'' (1990, Amphetamine Reptile)

== References == {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Amphetamine Reptile Records artists]] [[Category:Grunge musical groups]] [[Category:Australian noise rock groups]] [[Category:Musical groups from Adelaide]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1985]] [[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1990]] [[Category:Australian alternative rock groups]] [[Category:1985 establishments in Australia]]