Group
Laughing Clowns
- From
- Australia
- Active
- 1979–1984
- Rating
- ★ 4
- Releases
- 13
- post-punk
- art punk
About
Laughing Clowns, sometimes written as The Laughing Clowns, were a post-punk band formed in Sydney in 1979. In five years, the band released three LPs, three EPs, and various singles and compilations. Laughing Clowns' sound is free jazz, bluegrass and krautrock influenced. The band formed to accommodate Ed Kuepper's growing interest in expanding brass-driven elements he had brought to The Saints' third album, Prehistoric Sounds, and by adopting flattened fifth notes in a rock and roll setting while using a modern jazz styled band line-up.
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Along with The Birthday Party, The Go-Betweens, The Moodists and The Triffids, the Laughing Clowns also spent extended periods in Europe during the early 1980s, and gained an international cult status. All four aforementioned groups have cited Laughing Clowns as an influence at some point in their respective careers.
Members
-
Ed Kuepper banjo, guitar, lead vocals
-
Jeffrey Wegener membranophone, percussion
-
Louise Elliot flute, saxophone
-
Bob Farrel saxophone
-
Ben Wallace-Crabbe bass guitar
-
Dan Wallace-Crabbe piano
-
Peter Doyle trumpet
-
Les Millar bass guitar
-
John Weinzierl bass guitar
-
Chris Abrahams piano
-
Peter Milton Walsh bass guitar
-
Paul Smith bass guitar
Discography
Albums
Links
Social
Reference
Tags
- alternative
- australia
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- f682d8a4-a412-4652-9f7e-ffe7cd853cd5
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 11 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.