‘I’m just a fucking farmer,’ says Ross Knight, his appearance and demeanour supporting his statement. Yet he delivers his self-assessment with a grin, just as those in his orbit take his description in jest. Though Knight has indeed worked his family’s country property all his life, it comprises only part of his story.
A world away from his rural existence, Knight is anything but ‘just a farmer’; on stages around the world, he is a star. As the beer-swilling, bare-chested frontman for Australian rockers Cosmic Psychos, his ferocious energy and larrikin persona have earned a place in music history. His laidback attitude and legendary sense of humour manifested in the band’s punk-styled anthems, resonated with devoted fans, and influenced the grunge movement.
Taking its title from the group’s 1991 album, Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust pieces together the components of Knight’s tale, his fortunes mirroring those of the outfit he joined in 1984. Of course, the bass player and lead vocalist is not the only member of the band co-founded by Peter Jones and Bill Walsh – but he is the only one remaining from that line-up two decades later. Their narratives, of a man who defies categorisation and music that disregards expectations, are intimately, eternally, and entertainingly intertwined.
Consequently, the charismatic Knight remains at the forefront of the Matt Weston’s documentary, the gregarious guiding force through the group’s pub scene beginnings, its early European tours, the titular record that proved an inspiration to the likes of Pearl Jam and L7, and their fates as the youthful pursuit became one of middle-aged men. Bandmates past and present, including Robbie Watts and Dean Muller, provide their thoughts through to-camera conversations and archival footage, just as Cosmic Psychos’ high-profile aficionados – Butch Vig and Eddie Vedder among them – add their input; however, despite a spirited attempt from current guitarist John ‘Mad Macka’ McKeering, Knight always retains focus.
In his first full-length effort after directing music videos for Beasts of Bourbon, Gyroscope, Six Ft Hick and more, Weston appropriates the verve and vigour of his unlikely leading man, with suitably disorganised but dynamic results. The film flits from anecdotes to interviews to animated interludes as it chronicles the then and now of the band’s story, its chronology loosely adhered to. The mood constantly champions irreverence over intelligence, in unassuming and anarchic fashion. Seriousness is scarcely sighted, in a feature that tries – and succeeds – in evoking an air of fun.
And yet, just like Knight – a family man, father, friend, and competitive weightlifter as well as a farmer and rocker – Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust isn’t just what it seems. In its amusing exploration of a man and a band that endured by embodying all that others eschewed, the film deceives with its perception, offering illuminating insights into Australian masculine culture as well as the impact of local music upon the international scene.
Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5
Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust
Director: Matt Weston
Australia, 2013, 91 mins
Release date: 8 August
Distributor: Umbrella
Rated: MA
Melbourne International Film Festival
25 July – 12 August
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