The Wombats

Alternative/Progressive Rock was good to the Southeast in the early to mid-eighties and influenced many a young man with a hankering for something NEW AND LOUD. WOMBATS was created in a steaming hot room over an asian laundry in Augusta Georgia during the summer of 1988. A bond was forged by four college students committed to nothing more than creating something that, most of all, satisfied their need to explore new avenues in a way that doesn’t take things so serious. Firmly planting tongue-in-cheek and turning up the amps to ’11’ set the stage for a LET IT FLY attitude that was fun to play if not physically threatening at times. Lead Singer Thom Kelley fronts the band like a punk rodeo cowboy, simultaneously experiencing and commanding energy to the point of feeling anything can happen at any moment. Barry Wren’s signature guitar style offers hook-able riffs, yet with an obvious demand for originality which has in-turn heavily influenced an alike-minded philosophy from bassist Jason Shepard. And then there is "the FE". John Phelan delivers an energy and style on drums that COMMAND you to take notice of this band. Heavily inspired by Fred LeBlanc (of Cowboy Mouth and Dash Rip Rock fame), Phelan drives the needle well into the red, where it should be, and relishes in feeling the wheels of the train start to spark and threaten derailment altogether. The guys have played several key-cities in the Southeast with hi-light shows with Dash at Georgia Theater.