SKUNKHOUR Share 5 Fave Career Highlights Ahead Of ‘Up To Our Necks In It (For 30 Years)’ Tour

Three decades deep and still bringing the funk — Skunkhour are celebrating 30 years of Up To Our Necks In It with a national tour that’s got fans diving headfirst into nostalgia. From self-producing their debut in ’93 to tearing up European stages, supporting INXS, and shutting down festivals, these Aussie legends have lived it loud, raw, and real.

Before they hit the road again this month, the band looked back on some of the moments that defined their journey — five career highlights that shaped Skunkhour’s unmistakable groove, energy, and staying power.

1993:
The release for our first album. It was the beginning of it all. It was self-funded and self-produced. We had a definite concept of how we wanted it to sound. We were influenced by 70’s funk and hiphop. Bands like Sly and The Family Stone, The Meters, Gil Scott Herron, and hip-hop groups like Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and Beastie Boys. It was tracked and mixed in 11 days. Very proud of this album. It was our purest.

1993:
We supported INXS (when Michael Hutchence was still with us) over in Fremantle, WA. We did 3 nights with them at Metropolis nightclub. We played like our lives depended on it. We all stood side of stage and watched INXS deliver every night. It was an unforgettable experience. And all lovely guys. Particularly Michael. He was an excellent human being. Funny, engaging and one of the best frontmen to have ever graced the stage.

1994:
Livid Festival in Brisbane. One of the first festivals that we played at. It was Saturday and the sun was going down. We started tearing into our set and giving it hell as per usual. We started off with a smaller size crowd and then we noticed punters heading over to the main stage to see the headliners and stopping to check us out. All of a sudden we seemed to be playing to hundreds of people. We got an amazing reception considering we had only just released the first album, and I do think quite a few people had never heard of us.

1995:
Our first UK/Europe tour. We were signed to Acid Jazz Records over in the U.K. and toured with Mother Earth, who were our label mates. We set off from Lancaster Gate in London’s West End in a double-decker tour bus and headed to Dover to cross the Channel. We drove through France, Belgium, and on to Dortmund, Germany, where we played our first show in Europe. That was the first of many. Bus life was hysterical. One of the best times of my life.

1995:
Byron Bay Arts Festival. The precursor to Splendour In The Grass. We were now festival stalwarts. We arrived on a humid Byron afternoon. There was plenty to check out. Ran into quite a few other fellow road dogs. The boys from Powderfinger and Caligula. Had a laugh and a drink. Before we knew it it was time to hit the stage. We headlined that night and played to a reported 12,000 punters. It was absolutely massive. The cops tried to shut us down due to noise complaints. They quickly decided against it due to a booing crowd. Ha ha. I’ll never forget it.