The Cruel Sea
Before Tex Perkins wandered in, the Cruel Sea were a moody instrumental band playing twangy surf and dub-tinged grooves in Sydney's inner-city pubs.
His laconic drawl turned them into one of the 90s' biggest Australian acts. The Honeymoon Is Over, with its swampy, reverb-soaked title track and 'Black Stick', swept the 1994 ARIA Awards, and Three Legged Dog added the sly, swaggering 'Better Get a Lawyer'.
Keyboardist James Cruickshank died in 2015, and a 2023 reunion led to Straight Into the Sun in 2025.
If you like The Cruel Sea you should check out: Beasts of Bourbon, Dirty Three, Hoodoo Gurus, Nick Cave, Grinderman, Crime & The City Solution, Rowland S. Howard, The Gun Club, The Scientists, Radio Birdman
