Editing Powder Monkeys (section)

===1991-2002: Powder Monkeys===
Powder Monkeys were established in 1991 in Melbourne by [[Tim Hemensley]] on bass guitar and lead vocals (ex-Royal Flush, [[God (Australian band)|GOD]], [[Bored!]]), Adyn Hibberd on rhythm guitar and vocals (ex-[[the Philisteins]]), John Nolan on lead guitar (ex-Behind the Magnolia Curtain, Bored!), Timmy Jack Ray on drums and Jed Sayers on harmonica.<ref name="McFarlane"/> Australian musicologist, [[Ian McFarlane]], observed, "[their] hard-driving, seething, strung-out, incendiary blend of punk, high energy rock'n'roll and heavy metal came on like a cross between the Stooges (circa 1973), Motorhead (circa 1976), Rose Tattoo (circa 1978) and US hardcore heroes Black Flag (circa 1980)."<ref name="McFarlane"/> However people with in-depth knowledge of the Powder Monkeys know they were part of an unbroken line that began with bands like the MC5 and the Stooges, in cities like Chicago, Detroit and New York. It became known as 'punk' and arrived in Australia with the Saints and Radio Birdman. It was that first wave of punk, not the 'hardcore punk' (that came out of the USA after the Sex Pistols) that fans recognised as being in the marrow of the Powder Monkeys. They remain highly respected among punk musicians and fans worldwide.<ref name="Dr Phibes"/>

Powder Monkeys first performed in late 1991 at the Great Britain Hotel, [[Richmond, Victoria|Richmond]].<ref name="Emery"/> Hibberd left around June of the following year.<ref name="McFarlane"/> He was recorded on their first single, "Yin Yang", which was released in February 1993 on Dog Meat Records.<ref name="McFarlane"/> Hibberd's guitar work appears on a few tracks of the band's first album, ''Smashed on a Knee'', recorded in 1992; also one track he wrote and sang, "Ugly", was included. The album was released on Dog Meat in March 1994.<ref name="McFarlane"/> McFarlane opined, "Despite its uneven, rough-hewn quality, [the album] possessed enough moments of sheer excitement and blazing energy to catapult the band to the forefront of the independent scene."<ref name="McFarlane"/>

Powder Monkeys increased their live performances during 1994 and supported tours by [[Deniz Tek]] Group and by [[Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs]].<ref name="McFarlane"/> Jed Sayers left at the end of that year and the band continued as a three-piece.<ref name="McFarlane"/> They performed at the [[Big Day Out]] in Melbourne early in the following year.<ref name="McFarlane"/> Their next release, in February 1995, was a five-track EP ''Straight Until Morning'', which was recorded by the Hemensley, Nolan and Ray line-up for a [[Triple J]] live broadcast.<ref name="McFarlane"/>

In November 1995 they supported United States hardcore singer, [[Henry Rollins]], and then supported the re-formed Australian pre-punk rockers, [[Radio Birdman]], in January 1996.<ref name="McFarlane"/> Powder Monkeys released a single, "The Supernova That Never Quits" in December 1995, ahead of their second album, ''Time Wounds all Heels'' in February 1996.<ref name="McFarlane"/> It was produced by Chris Thompson, with McFarlane declaring, "[it] was almost the definitive example of the band's skilful, diamond-hard blues thrash."<ref name="McFarlane"/> ''[[Tharunka]]''{{'}}s reviewer noticed that the band members, "have all had Seattle-grunge bypass operations, allowing them to get on with some serious rock action" and that the album, "is powerful, basic and honest rock'n'roll, played with instinct and the amps turned up loud."<ref name="Tharunka"/>

Hemensley and Ray also performed and recorded with the [[Peter Wells (guitarist)|Peter Wells]] Band in 1996, which resulted in an album, ''Go Ahead Call the Cops'', produced by the band and released in October that year on Dog Meat and [[Shock Records]].<ref name="McFarlane PW"/><ref name="Holmsgren PW"/> There was interest from the US music industry's [[American Recordings (record label)|American Recordings]] in a local release of ''Time Wounds All Heels'' and a tour, but nothing resulted.<ref name="McFarlane"/> Powder Monkeys spent most of 1997 in hiatus and re-emerged in August 1997 with a single, "Get the Girl Straight" (400 copies, red vinyl), on the Death Valley label.<ref name="McFarlane"/>

Most of 1998 was spent touring. A live album, ''Blood Sweat & Beers'', was recorded at a gig at [[Esplanade Hotel (Melbourne)|The Espy]], Melbourne in April. It was released early in 1999 on Safety Pin Records (Spain) and on CD via Butcher's Hook Records (United Kingdom).<ref name="McFarlane"/> They supported a gig by Swedish [[garage rock]]ers, [[the Hellacopters]] in October in Melbourne.<ref name="McFarlane"/> They followed with a European tour from March 1999 for three months.<ref name="McFarlane"/> While on tour they recorded two tracks, "Two Tub Man" and "Destination X", both released as [[split album|split 7-inch singles]] with the other tracks by the Hellacopters.<ref name="McFarlane"/>

Powder Monkeys also recorded a new studio album, ''Lost City Blues'' which was released in 2000, with Swedish producer, [[Fred Estby]] on their White Jazz label. The album has never seen an Australian release. An EP was also recorded in Spain, ''Talk Softly & Carry a Big Shtick'', which was released on Punch Records.<ref name="McFarlane"/> 

Timmy Jack Ray departed the group shortly after and was replaced by Todd McNear on drums (ex-[[Seminal Rats]]). John Nolan had a near-fatal heart attack in 2001,<ref name="Donovan"/> the result of his [[heroin]] use, and was left with slightly impaired motor skills. He later reflected on his addiction, "It never affected playing live or touring but I do remember a few times during the recording when I would have to wait until my dealer rocked up at the studio in the morning for me to pretty much 'get going' and stop feeling like total crap and start playing."<ref name="Scott"/> Nolan spent several months recovering, and the group reconvened in 2002, recording a song for the ''[[Dirty Deeds (2002 film)|Dirty Deeds]]'' soundtrack as well as a cover of legendary [[Detroit]] band [[The Dogs (US punk band)|The Dogs]]' "Black Tea". They played their first gig in over a year at the Tote, supporting punk legends [[The Dictators]], and shortly after supporting [[Dead Moon]]. These were to be the last Powder Monkeys gigs.

After a lengthy addiction to heroin, Tim Hemensley died from an overdose on 21 July 2003, aged 31.<ref name="Donovan"/> It was a devastating blow to the Melbourne rock scene, which had been severely depleted in previous years with the deaths of Guy Lucas ([[the Philisteins]], Freeloaders), [[Michael Weber|Mick Weber]] (Seminal Rats), and Sean Greenway (GOD, Freeloaders, [[The Yes-Men]]).

The final recordings by Powder Monkeys were compiled on a CD, ''Outta Control Rock'n'Roll'', released posthumously on the Dropkick label in 2005. It included three new songs recorded live at Greenway's wake in 2001, as well as studio recordings of cover versions including [[the Stooges]]' "Cock in My Pocket", a staple of their live sets. The group were reformed in July 2013 by Nolan and Ray using guest vocalists in tribute to Hemensley on the tenth anniversary of his death.<ref name="Emery"/>

Nolan died in December 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cashmere |first1=Paul |title=John Nolan of Powder Monkeys and Bored! Has Passed Away |url=https://www.noise11.com/news/john-nolan-of-powder-monkeys-has-passed-away-20211213 |access-date=13 December 2021 |work=Noise11 |date=13 December 2021}}</ref>