The New Christs — Divine Rites

Who played when

Members

Brent Williams

Guitar

Dave Kettley

Guitar

Jim Dickson

Bass

Paul Larsen

Drums

Rob Younger

Vocals

Former members

Al Creed
Guitar
Bill Gibson
Guitar
Bruce "Cub" Callaway
Guitar
Charlie Owen
Guitar
Chris "Klondike" Masuak
Guitar
Christian Houllemare
Bass
Clyde Bramley
Bass
Don McGlone
Drums
Greg Hitchcock
Guitar
John Hoey
Keyboards
Ken Doyle
Drums
Kent Steedman
Guitar
Louis Burdett
Drums
Mark Kingsmill
Drums
Mark Wilkinson
Guitar
Nick Fisher
Drums
Nik Rieth
Drums
Peter Kelly
Drums
Richard Jakimyszyn
Guitar
Stevie Plunder
Guitar
Stu Wilson
Drums
Tony Harper
Guitar
Tony Robertson
Bass

Sydney · formed in 1984

Tough, uncompromising rock’n’roll

Rob Younger built The New Christs as a restless, hard-hitting continuation of the Australian underground — a band repeatedly broken apart and rebuilt around the same intensity.

The first ignition · 1984

The band began when Rob Younger , vocalist with Radio Birdman and New Race , was offered the support spot on Iggy Pop’s Australian tour. Players from the Celibate Rifles, Lime Spiders and Hoodoo Gurus joined him. The acclaimed Like a Curse and Born Out of Time singles followed on Citadel Records before that line-up split.

The definitive attack · 1986—1989

Younger rebuilt the group with Barracudas bassist Jim Dickson, guitarist Charlie Owen and drummer Louis Burdett, soon replaced by Nick Fisher. The brutal run of Black Hole , Dropping Like Flies , Headin’ South and Another Sin fed into Divine Rites and the band’s first European tour.

Distemper and dissolution · 1989

The debut album Distemper , released through Citadel offshoot Blue Mosque, brought glowing reviews, national Australian radio play and a four-month European tour. Internal friction ended the line-up after one final Australian run supporting the Ramones.

Rebuilt for the nineties · 1992—1997

Three years later Younger and Christian Houllemare formed the nucleus of a new incarnation. Pedestal , Woe Betide and the decade-spanning Born Out of Time compilation led to Lower Yourself in 1997 and another European tour.

Live archive · Heidelberg 1997

Lower Yourself

by The New Christs
Heidelberg · 22 May 1997

Dedication: In memory of Mark & Christian
Video: Filmed by German TV show “Underground Live” · Video clip by Didier Divinerites

Watch on YouTube

Made for rock’n’roll

Discography

15 Records

The 7-inch story

Singles & double 7-inch

8 original releases, now integrated into this discography.

1981 · 7"

Waiting World / Face a New God

Green LRS-076 · Pink Flamingo PFS001

1984 · 7"

Like a Curse / Sun God

Citadel BTS1218 · Sonics

1985 · 7"

Born Out of Time / No Next Time

Citadel CIT017 · Sonics SON10

1987 · 7"

Black Hole / Addiction

Citadel CIT031

1987 · Double 7"

Dropping Like Flies

Citadel CITEP905

1988 · 7"

Headin’ South / I Saw God

Citadel CIT039

1989 · 7"

Another Sin / The Burning of Rome

Citadel CIT046

1989 · 7"

I Swear [live] / The Black Hole [live]

Romilar-D Rock and Roll News no. 10

The long-form records

Albums, EPs & compilations

1987 12"

Detritus

Detritus: editions, credits, track lists and archive connections.

Open the record

1988 Album

Divine Rites

Divine Rites: editions, credits, track lists and archive connections.

Tracks

Like a curse (Younger) 3:17
Sun god (Younger) 3:08
Born out of time (Younger) 5:03
No next time (Younger, Georgees) 2:15
The black hole (Dickson, Younger) 4:49
Addiction (Younger) 3:26
Dropping like flies (Dickson, Younger) 5:12
Dead girl (Dickson, Atkinson, Younger) 3:35
I swear (Younger) 3:09
You’ll never catch my wave (Dickson, Younger) 2:23
I saw god (Dickson, Younger) 4:11
Headin’ South (Younger) 4:07

Open the record

1989 Album

Distemper

Distemper: editions, credits, track lists and archive connections.

Tracks

No Way on earth (Younger) 4:42
There’s no time (Younger) 3:32
Another sin (Dickson, Fischer, Owen,Younger) 3:33
The march (Owen, Younger) 5:28
The Burning of Rome (Younger) 5:14
Afterburn (Owen, Younger) 4:47
Circus of sour (Owen, Younger) 3:56
Coming apart (Younger) 2:55
Bed of nails (Dickson, Younger) 6:26
Love’s underground (Dickson, Fischer, Owen,Younger) 3:14
Disconnected (Dickson, Younger) 6:26
Headin’ South (Younger) 4:09

Open the record

1995 Album

Pedestal

Pedestal: editions, credits, track lists and archive connections.

Tracks

Pedestal
The way you suck me down
She comes in colors
The Seeker

Open the record

1996 Album

Born out of time

Born out of time: editions, credits, track lists and archive connections.

Tracks

Circus of Sour (from Distemper , 1989)
No next time (B-Side of “ Born Out of Time ”, 1984)
Sun God (B-Side of “ Like A Curse ”, 1984)
Coming apart (from Distemper , 1989)
Born out of time (A-Side of a 7" Single , 1984)
No way on earth (from Distemper , 1989)
I Swear (from the “ Dropping like flies ” double 7", 1987)
Love’s underground (from Distemper , 1989)
Burning of Rome (from Distemper , 1989)
Like a curse (A-Side of a 7" Single , 1984)
Afterburn (from Distemper , 1989)
Another sin (from Distemper , 1989)

Open the record

1996 Album

Woe Betide

Woe Betide: editions, credits, track lists and archive connections.

Tracks

In state (Kelly/Younger)
No love again today (Houllemare/Younger)
These rags (Harper/Houllemare/Younger)
Only a hole (Harper/Younger)
The half that’s left (Younger)
Corporate son (Younger)
Woe betide (Harper/Kelly/Younger)

Open the record

1997 Album

Lower Yourself

Lower Yourself: editions, credits, track lists and archive connections.

Tracks

We have landed (Wilkinson/Younger)
When (Houllemare/Younger)
Lower Yourself (Younger)
Jenny (Wilkinson/Younger)
From On High (Harper/Houllemare/Younger)
Fuzz expo (Younger)
Asphalt (Younger)
Truly anaware (Wilkinson/Younger)
Annalise (Houllemare/Younger)
Party time (Younger)
Big City (Younger)
I come cheap (Kelly/Younger)

Open the record

Verified research · 15 September 2026

Catalogue update

4 new entries

The catalogue is extended with three studio albums issued after the original Divine Rites period and a 2025 Rob Younger-curated anthology. The New Christs also toured in 2025.

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