By bringing together two very different influences, almost like adding oil to water, The Cruel Sea created a style of rock which extended Australian rock & roll culture and, at the same time, made them one of the most successful Australian groups of the '90s. The instrumentals-only Cruel Sea played its first gigs in 1988, setting up behind the pool table at a hotel in Sydney. Operating the lighting at some of those performances was moonlighting Beasts Of Bourbon singer Tex Perkins. It wasn't until a party a few months later that the Cruel Sea and Perkins were formally introduced. Already an Australian music legend for his rock & roll swagger, the Cruel Sea couldn't have wished for anyone more qualified or interesting than Perkins. Their first union was only a casual one. An initial 12"EP was expanded into the full-length debut Cruel Sea album, called Down Below. More comfortable with the bringing together of their two halves, clean instrumentals, and rough-edged rock vocals, with the second album This Is Not The Way Home, the band expanded their musical influences. A tour with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds through Europe helped the band work its style into place. With Perkins able to devote himself to being a permanent member of the Cruel Sea in 1993. The result of that concerted effort was the album, The Honeymoon Is Over It reached number four nationally and was awarded with four ARIA Awards.