The Vines formed in Sydney, Australia, in 1994 when co-founders Craig Nicholls (vocals/guitar) and Patrick Matthews (bass) met while working together at a local McDonald’s.
Bonded by a shared obsession with Nirvana, they began writing music that blended ’90s grunge with the melodic pop sensibilities of 1960s garage rock and The Beatles. Craig pinched the band’s name from his father’s outfit – a rockabilly, Elvis-loving covers band called The Vynes.
Their debut album – Highly Evolved (2002) – was a massive international success, going platinum in Australia and crashing the top charts in both the US and UK. It featured their signature anthem Get Free, the melodic track Outtathaway!, and the psychedelic Autumn Shade.
The band became a cultural phenomenon due to Nicholls’ erratic, unpredictable stage presence.
He frequently smashed instruments, screamed himself hoarse, and destroyed sets – most notably during a legendary performance on The Late Show with David Letterman in August 2002.
The extreme pressure of sudden fame and constant touring quickly took a toll on the band.
During a promotional tour for their second album, Winning Days (2004), the band reached a breaking point after a physical altercation between Nicholls and Matthews on stage in Boston.
Following a chaotic show at Sydney’s Annandale Hotel, after which Nicholls was arrested and charged with assault and malicious damage, he was officially diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in late 2004.
The diagnosis provided context for his unpredictable behaviour, hypersensitivity to noise, and struggles with intense media scrutiny.
The band took a hiatus from touring, and original bassist Patrick Matthews permanently departed the group.
Nicholls, rhythm guitarist Ryan Griffiths, and drummer Hamish Rosser kept the band going for several years with a replacement bassist. However, the underlying tensions never truly disappeared.
In late 2011, during the promotional cycle for their fifth album Future Primitive, long-term friction boiled over again. Nicholls abruptly dismissed both Rosser and Griffiths.
Despite the lineup issues and their disappearance from the global spotlight, Nicholls kept the band alive, retaining a deeply loyal cult following and releasing seven studio albums.
Craig Nicholls
Vocals, guitar Patrick Matthews
Bass, vocals Ryan Griffiths
Guitar, vocals Hamish Rosser
Drums Brad Heald
Bass, vocals David Olliffe
Drums
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During a promotional tour for their second album, Winning Days (2004), the band reached a breaking point after a physical altercation between Nicholls and Matthews on stage in Boston.
