grumpy neighbour

Glendon Blazely and Ray Bassett first met in their teens in Burnie, Tasmania, enjoying a brief musical correspondence before separately heading off into the big wide world. 20 years later they met up again in Melbourne and within months grumpy neighbour became a reality.
With a kit bag of songs and new ones coming apace, the duo embarked on a project that would realise their debut album, ‘sheep manure $2 a bag, bullshit for free’ in 2006. Still a duo, they called on their mates to help out with the recording and a chance opportunity led to Drew Gallus chipping in with pedal steel, dobro and mandolin.
By the time of their appearance at the 2008 Cygnet Folk Festival grumpy neighbour were a full 6 piece band. It was their 5th interstate tour and people were starting to take notice. The press and the punters were beginning to understand why classifying grumpy neighbour’s music is like herding cats. Country folks say it’s not country enough, folky folks say its not folk enough and some folks just get a little tired and change the subject. Why would a crooner, a punk and a good ol’ boy want play music
together anyway?
The death of grumpy bass player, Jen Sparkes, at the end of the Cygnet tour changed everything. The second grumpy neighbour album ‘boy sitting on a bag of potatoes’ was not yet fully realised so the band took the long way back, playing little, and then only as a duo or trio, and working in the studio. In doing so they ensured that the album retained Jen’s contribution. It wasn’t a case of just finding another bass player.
That would have to wait.
In 2009 grumpy neighbour set about re-engaging with the public, touring Tasmania and Northern NSW in support of the album and then recording their third act of grumpy at Pix Records in Queensland.
‘Judas Ute’ will be released in 2011.
The band can be seen playing regularly in the goldfields region of
Victoria, when not on tour.