Return of TISM

June 14, 2022 5:51 PM

Nineteen years after their last live appearance, the satirical Melbourne band TISM have announced their comeback.
posted by Fiasco da Gama (13 comments total)

So they did miss the stop sign?

(Awesome - TISM is a guilty pleasure)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 6:36 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]

OM actual G, every couple years I forget "who made that song about being on the drug that killed River Phoenix". Then look it up, and get both misty and possibly kinda relieved that they've been dormant for lo these many years.
Having skimmed the article, though, is there any new music or just live action?
posted by Cold Lurkey at 7:25 PM on June 14, 2022 [3 favorites]

Huh, I'd thought that at least one of them (Jon St. Peenis?) had died or something.

Somehow, a decade and a half ago, I discovered the song "Everyone Else Has Had More Sex than Me" due to its very good music video, and it happened that I internet-knew an Australian guy who was a big fan of theirs, and in fact appears in the music video for "Thunderbirds Are Coming Out" (partially because one of the band members — Ron Hitler-Barassi? — was his history teacher at one point).

They somehow managed to largely thread the needle of "surprisingly catchy songwriting with novelty lyrics, without the novelty lyrics wearing out their welcome" (well, with some exceptions — they definitely have a handful of songs that we'll categorize as "they didn't age very well" or "they're from a different generation" or maybe "Australia is just comfortable with a different amount of racism than I am used to"), and as a direct result of listening extensively to their discography, I have a whole bunch of very weirdly specific familiarity with very small, specific bits of Australian (and Melbourne) culture.

"Whatareya" probably has their best music video, though.
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:42 PM on June 14, 2022 [3 favorites]

ah, whoops, it was Tokin' Blackman who died
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:52 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]

My college roommate had a mixed CD he’d brought back from a year in Australia. I can still hear the dulcet tones of TISM: I’m on the drug / I’m on the drug / I’m on the drug that killed River Phoenix. But my favorite from that CD was Tlot Tlot, to the point that I sought out their album and single, which were hard to find in the US in the late 90’s. Bring back Tlot Tlot!
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:57 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]

I think you will have noticed, being from the Guardian, that it was right after the demise of the last Liberal cabinet that we re-emerged, and that’s because we noticed there was a gap in the market for grotesque clowns. They’re out; we’re in.

We actually tried to get Angus Taylor – we offered him the job of playing triangle – but it was a little bit intellectual for him.

That, and he offered them his mum's number.
posted by flabdablet at 12:58 AM on June 15, 2022 [3 favorites]

Yeah well it's a bit late. Where were they when Australia needed a Eurovision act? That was a legendary opportunity missed. I signed the petition and everything.
posted by other barry at 1:05 AM on June 15, 2022

I saw them live at a Big Day Out once. Loved 'em. Always loved 'em. Hope I get to see them again and they're just as awesome.
posted by h00py at 1:06 AM on June 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

Those less familiar with their oeuvre, which is definitely a thing that they have as well as being something you can't make without breaking legs, might not realise that every TISM gig is a comeback gig.
posted by flabdablet at 1:51 AM on June 15, 2022 [5 favorites]

(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River on traditional Greek instruments.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 4:45 AM on June 15, 2022 [7 favorites]

I'm one of a handful of devoted American TISM fans and I am hoping that there's an audio or video recording of this released, because there's no way in hell TISM is coming to the US any time soon, if ever.

Wonder who's gonna be playing guitar, since Tokin' Blackman died in 2004. Is Leak Van Vlalen coming back?
posted by SansPoint at 11:31 AM on June 15, 2022

in those nineteen years, even more people ended up having more sex than them.
posted by i used to be someone else at 1:25 PM on June 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

"Whatareya" probably has their best music video, though.

Link for those as yet unfamiliar.
posted by flabdablet at 5:38 AM on June 16, 2022 [2 favorites]