|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
[ Other Post-Punk Bands In Sydney ] |
||||||
|
||||||
|
Scapa Flow / JMM Personell :
A tight 3 piece, originally influenced by The Jam, who mutated quickly into a furious (in more ways than one) post-punk-prog-metal (??) outfit. Intricate bass and guitar lines, hooked together by terrific drumming, were played with intensity and volume and overlayed with surprising two part harmonies. If sometimes, possibly, too tricky for their own good, at least they were an antidote to the three chord thrash. They released 2 singles that I know of ('Endless Sleep' and 'At Home and Abroad') which I still play with affection and a tapping of the toe. Mark is an ex-actor, ex-model and GM of
the Oxford Art factory,
Michael is an architect and I don't know what happened to
John.
|
||||||
|
Tactics Personell (original line
up) :
One of the first bands who disregarded the mostly reactionary ways of Australian Punk and focussed instead on song writing. On some nights they could tear down a venue with searing, charged, edgy performances but on others could seem under-rehearsed and all mismatched angles and high frequencies. Dave's throat-constricted voice could take some getting used to as well but was more effective than most other singers of the time. And he had something to say as well - a nice surprise. They continued on for a few years as part of the Doublethink/Green stable but slowly dissipated. I thought that Dave had vanished
totally but he's still writing and recording with
one or two ex-Tacticians and a veritable raft of others. He seems to have picked
up an afro beat along the way but, other than that, his songs are still strong
and committed.
|
||||||
|
The Thought Criminals Personell (original lineup)
:
Although it seemed like they were playing at being punk rockers because of a fairly light and humorous outlook, The Thought Criminals were always energetic, danceable and clever. The music was fairly simple and fast but played with panache and gusto - I can remember many afternoons and evenings watching the band with great enjoyment and an invisible pogo in my frame. Although they were a more straight ahead rock band than others on this page, their attitudes were always inclusive and wide ranging. Triple bills with Voigt and Tactics were commonplace. Roger Grierson formed the somewhat
important Doublethink and Green labels - independants one and all. He was head of Festival/Mushroom Records
until March 2004 but is now retired (bastard). Stephen Philip went onto muted stardom in
heavy pop with DoReMi.
|
||||||
|
Seems Twice Personell :
Like the bastard sons of early Wire and The Ramones, Seems Twice played incredibly short, fast and loud. Hardly ever more than a minute long, their songs define a most useful kind of minimalism : an intro (sometimes), a verse, a chorus and, occasionally, an instrumental section with very little repetition. Live, it was blink and you'd miss them and we never wanted to do that. John Douglas went onto early
80s jazz/punk combo 'Kill The King'.
|
||||||
|
SPK Personell :
My memories of SPK are limited and dim with age. Firstly
there's the few live concerts I saw where noise and amputations seemed to share
the same space. Secondly, there's the friendly times that Nihil came over to our
house to hang around and chat amongst like minded people. Lastly, there's the
tale of recording the vocals for the first single at Axent studios where each
line was done separately - we were completely flummoxed. Their
single-minded attitude held them in good stead as they found fame amongst the UK
Industrial scene.
|
||||||
|
Pel Mel / The Limp Personell :
Pel Mel came down from Newcastle (one of Sydney's steel producing neighbours) and caused quite a stir. You could tell they liked the early stuff of The Cure and Wire, exemplified by 'No Word From China', the only song to be featured on Countdown that had people in it I actually knew! Poppy without being smarmy, highly energetic when they put their minds to it and quite musicianly as well, they showed that you could be experimental without being noisy. Easily the most 'successful' of the bands playing in the inner city during this time, they slowly evolved to become a more funk influenced, hard working troop whose music started to suffer even as they tried harder and harder to break the bigger time. Although that sounds a bit disparaging, it should be noted that they were the only band amongst us who had even a smidgin of a chance at greater popularity and they did at least try. There were two big houses at either end of Commonwealth Street, near Central Station, where most of Pel Mel, Wild West and associated friends lived in each other's pockets. If you didn't actually live there then you went there all the time anyway. Influenced by the 'little bands' idea from Melbourne, small bands would be formed on any evening after a few unsteady jams in cluttered rooms. Probably the most long-lasting of these was The Limp which contained a goodly portion of Pel Mel (in slightly different roles) and who, therefore, created music in a similar vein but who also had their own lingering charm and success. Although I've lost touch with
almost
all of these people, the central bunch have all retired from music as far
as I know.
|
||||||
|
The Tame O'Mearas Personell :
In many ways, The Tame O'Mearas were the definitive post-punk band : a do it yourself attitude with almost non-musicians learning instruments and making sounds and switching roles seemingly at random - do it now and then go on to something else. Overall, they sounded light and airy with small percussion and chiming guitar tones anchored by fluid bass. They sounded closest amongst us all to English bands like The Raincoats but, ofcourse, they were really like no-one else. Nothing released officially but songs like 'Sweat and Babble' and 'Curl Curl' are favourite cassette icons. Lindsay (in just about everything listed
here) now lives in Madrid, Drosma is in country comfort at Albury
and Jill's a lawyer in Sydney. Angie died tragically with another of our
friends, David Ayres, aboard the Marchioness on the Thames - I still miss
them both.
|
||||||
|
The Systematics / Ya Ya Choral / Scattered Order / Prod & M-Squared Personell :
Ya Ya Choral
The Systematics were the first real 'electronic' band I ever saw live, the two-synth chords and bass and melodies were launched over punchy, pocky rhythm box beats and sawed in half by rock-ist guitar. Patrick truely found the spot of his life on stage where he cavorted stupidly and with real joy and elan. Michael stood resolutely staring about, a guitarist to the end, whilst Fiona concentrated on her fingers but smiled beautifically every so often : they were simply infectious. A couple of EPs were released and then they imploded with a night of hi-jinks and melody at the Trade Union Club where the highlight remains Patrick's impersonation of a 'Release The Bats' era Nick Cave. Ya Ya Choral continued on with the electronics but with a tidier, more pop based influence. Fiona sang more and Michael's guitar sound was hardly as abrasive as his previous namesake. In the early stages, they were backed by a 'choir' of friends who tried their hardest but never sounded more than clamorous. Later on, they continued without Patrick, playing a more strident rock and pop sound in the great western Sydney sprawl until, eventually, they became ground down. Have a look at Michael Tee's almost comprehensive YYC site for more. Scattered Order were, I think, originally Patrick, Michael Tee and the speedy Mitch Jones. This band mutated noisily, brashly and harshly amongst a group of friends and foes who all had something to do with the fabulous M-Squared label and recording studio. Most of the bands I enjoyed and played alongside of (and most of the bands mentioned here) recorded in this little Surry Hills terrace. Michael Tee has another page with a more close-in and personal reflection of this whole thing. I lost contact with all of these
people for many years but finally caught up with Patrick again who is currently
trying to re-invent his musicality and is still playing occassionally in The Loop Orchestra. Michael and Fiona are also planning to do more music
after settling in their considerable family whilst Mitch and Dru from Scattered Order
are still playing intermittently and recording intensely, as usual, but now in
the less sunny climes of the UK.
|
||||||
|
The Makers of the Dead Travel Fast Personell :
I saw these people around the place but never really got to know them very well at all. One of the first bands released through the M-Squared label (alongside of The Systematics and Scattered order), for me, their fame rests almost entirely with their first single 'Tael of a Saeghors' which, without a doubt, is one of the best songs I've ever heard : Floating, watery sounds made by synths and bubble-makers lead into a lilting, gorgous two chord progression in 3/4 time and psuedo pirate verse ('ay, capn', et al) followed by a late-night busker sax melody that takes the place of the chorus. I've never heard anything remotely like it before or since. Live, the magic was only sporadic
but their brand of art-music was still strong and original. Shane
Fahey still seems very active in the wunnerfull world of music...
|
||||||
|
The N-Lets & 2 Tapes Personell :
Amongst the group of people who knew them, the N-Lets were the epitome of how creative Wollongong, a city still best known for it's steel and pollution production, could be. A love of European free jazz (especially those people, like Han Benninck, who didn't take themselves too seriously) drew them together and a bigger love for rock skewed them towards higher volumes and an almost industrial sound. Wilful experimentation led them to the other, micro extreme including the use of a miked-up tabletop as the whole canvas for the recording of orchestrated scratchings, touches and droppings. Sporadic live performances were always interesting and visceral but they never really fitted in with any of the streams of music being played by other bands of the time. This difference, combined with a dedicated insularity, ensured them a lingering cult status. Tim Vandenberg also created the 2 Tapes label, dedicated (mostly) to the dissemination of 'real' live recordings. At every performance he attended, a small but high quality cassette player would be used to record as much music as possible, in the most ambient fashion as possible. Tim stood in the middle of the crowd, where the action was, small microphones near the lapel, trying to document what is was like to actually be there. Without his extensive archive of these recordings (and his inability to allow any cassette tape to be thrown out), a veritable swag of great material would have been lost forever. Tim and Paul are still in the Gong, as intimate as ever with the possibilities of live sound.
|
||||||
|
The Slugfuckers / Rhythmx Chymx Personell :
Iconoclastic, intellectual and
anarchic, The Slugfuckers took the true intent of punk and carried it to
a logical extreme. With shouted vocals, almost rudimentary playing, volume
on ten and many obligatory messy interludes they enthralled, engaged and
repelled in equal parts during any of their performances. Their recordings
were slightly tidier, although still racket-full, and allowed the philosophies
to shine through. John
Laidler can now be found in the Okapi Guitars...
|
||||||
|
Sekret Sekret Personell :
With chiming guitars, a steady, fluid backbeat and real Rock insouciance, Sekret Sekret were Australia's answer to the Paisley Underground of the USA. It was definitely David and Danny's show but the combination of pinpoint riffs and chords and the lazy, love-filled delivery of the vocals were always the outstanding things about the band. I suppose we liked them so much because their rock-star attitudes were in total opposition to the egalitarian group styles of everyone else. They should have been absolutely huge but, in the grand tradition, drugs and so on contributed to their downfall. Danny and James, eventually,
went onto bigger and better things in the swamp-ridden The Cruel Sea.
|
||||||
|
No-V-Bleet / (Swell Guys) Personell :
The Swell Guys travelled down from
Brisbane in 1981, losing their drummer on the way and quickly morphed into the
edgier No-V-Bleet. Full of interesting, chiming guitar work, fluid, melodic
bass lines, and gorgeous chord changes they were reminiscent of Television,
Talking Heads and XTC but with a fairly laid back Queensland charm thrown in
for good measure. I'll admit that, at the time, their shy and sometimes
slightly hostile stage presence and their real musicians technique had an
adverse impact on any enjoyment I could get from them. But listening to the
live recordings now, the only thing that doesn't excite me is the lack of
fully detailed drum box patterns on some of the tracks. Another newly
rediscovered gem, really. |
||||||
|
Via Veneto Personell :
Funk rhythms were always a problem for a bunch of white suburban boys and girls like us. Via Veneto did better than most although you could only vaguely relate it back to James Brown or, even more pertinently, The Pop Group. Their sound was often wrapped in darkness and was almost Goth-like in parts but the attempts at 'The One' kept it lively and listenable. Their sole recorded song - Empty - is almost perfect with it's rollicking bass and drums, syncopated synth bleets and monotone vocals. I believe that all have left
music except Philip, who continues in electronic glory...
|
||||||
|
Hope Is A New Coat Personell
:
Mutating
over many years and lineups but never really gelling properly, Hope could
still always be relied upon for a visceral and powerfull performance. This was
mainly due to Kathy's incredible, deep rock voice (weirdly under-recognised by
all), Rod's hard guitar sound (tamed and trimmed a bit since Voigt/465) and
the always dependable drumming of Dave Weston. Eventually this devolved to a
stripped down three piece headed by Rod but ennui settled in and they petered
out entirely. Another great lost band.
|
||||||
|
Swami Binton I never actually
heard Swami Binton as they played mainly, if not exclusively, in Newcastle but
their name was often mentioned and the faces were familiar... Here's a brief outline
by Mark Davies:
|
||||||
|
The Goat That Went Om Personell
:
Even more considerably lo-fi than The Tame O'Mearas, the lack of playing 'chops' didn't hold back this threesome from creating some weirdly interesting tunes. The sole studio recording by them that I have - 'The Pirate Song' - is just wonderfull : snappy drums and a loping bass line augmented by a circular keyboard pattern and topped off by Suzy's crystal clear voice. A tiny gem. Suzy
now lives in wilderness Tasmanian and can be found with the Kazakstan
Kowgirls and Craig is
a military historian, currently living in the
Canberra and Sydney.
|
||||||
|
Fish Shop, Baby Personell
:
Some
delicious, happy pop and mild, melodic experimentation from a group that never
played live as far as I know. Just three tiny tracks exist - 'Nervous Boys'
displays Craig's 'interest in skiffle' and Helens high, folk-like voice - pure
magic all round. 'Twenty Miles from Home' skitters along on a weirdly
untimely rhythm box but is saved by a lovely melody, Helen's beautiful voice
again and a tuneful choir of friends. 'Beam Me Up Scottie' is the lesser of
the three but has an aura of 50s space music combined with indie rock.
Apparently another member was added after these sessions who tried to make
them over into yet another Detroit influenced garage band. It would never
work.
|
||||||
|
You Peghead You Personell :
Considerably left-field even
when compared to most of the 'avant' groups of the time, their sound consisted
almost solely of intricate drum patterns, sparse keyboard chords and repetitive,
yelped or droned vocals. There was hardly any melody to speak of but Rae
was such a magnet on stage that it barely mattered. They only played a
couple of times before they morphed into Brrr Cold but were mesmeric at every performance.
|
||||||
|
Brrr Cold Personell :
Lindsay and Rae's experimentations in
You Peghead You were continued in Brrr Cold but augmented, initially, by
Antoni
and Isobel's clash of jazz and rock ideals. After they left (don't know why), Tony Milner's
crisp angular guitar and Ian Cumming's strong, complicated bass lines made for
a much tougher outfit.
Influenced by free improv and jazz (there's probably some direct Laughing
Clowns impact) and continuing Lindsay's obsession with tricky time signatures,
they really sound like the inheritors of Voigt/465's 'difficult' mantle.
Rehearsals in a stiflingly hot, completely carpeted room were never a bunch of
roses and the fractious nature of the relationships didn't help either. So
live performances were rare and always fraught with the possibility of things
falling apart. They managed to record 2 excellent songs in a studio and then,
unfortunately, dissolved. |
||||||
|
Kill The King Personell :
|
||||||
|
Moral Fibro Personell :
A lighter, jazzier feel infected
bands as the 80s continued, propped along by UK trend setters like EbtG, Weekend
and the Postcard bands. This was taken up perfectly by Moral Fibro who played unusual
chord structures shifting underneath loungey melodies. Perfectly topped
by Moira's style and sub Julie London delivery and Patrick's cooler, smoother
voice, they lasted only a short
distance before fraying.
|
||||||
|
Chopped Up Personell :
|
||||||
|
Mr Knott Personell :
Mr Knott was a studio 'band'
initiated by Gordon in 1984 to record a couple of extended pieces incorporating
tape samples a-la 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts'. Two songs exist : 'Talking
To A Sleeping Man' has rollicking dual bass lines, massed taped horn flourishes,
speach samples and atmospheric vocals. 'Another Way of Walking' has swirling
electronics, atmospheric, punchy bass lines and Lindsay singing his heart
out. Some of the 'classiest' material to come out of this whole scene and
definitely not 'Gordon Goes To Hollywood'.
|
||||||
|
Maestros and Dipsos Personell :
Dual female vocals weren't heard
much outside of folk circles and so the sound of Debbie and Ashley's close
harmonies was bound to be memorable. However, the band were always a little
tentative, seemingly a bit uncomfortable with themselves and each other,
especially on stage. Their strong point will always be the direct, confessional
lyrics which made a marvellous change from the bluster that other bands
produced. In songs like Inertia and the gorgeous Backslide, simple guitar
and drums, strong bass, floating melodies and emotional text combine perfectly.
|
||||||
|
Famous Personell :
Although
starting later than most of the other bands above, their members included many
people already mentioned plus the next wave of fan-musicians from Newcastle.
They were, like everyone at this time, obviously influenced by The Smiths but
added more self-depreciating humour and a tougher drum sound. Great songs
abounded including 'Weatbix in the Beatbox' with it's pounding C&W rhythm
and the rock anthem / soul survival of 'The Train Song'. They continued in one
form or another throughout the 80's until dissipating under the weight of
years.
|
||||||
|
Surely that's all of them? Well, how about : Severed
Heads?
To name but a few... |
||||||
|
This site has been visited |
||||||
