Steel City Sound

David Rossall (1946-2012)

2012-01-08T22:13:00.000+11:00

Steel City Sound received the sad news this week that Davd Rossall from Rev. Black and the Rockin' Vicars had passed away from lung cancer on 4 January, 2012. He was 65.

Peter Sheehan informs SCS that Dave smoked two packets a day even in the Vicars days, whilst former Rev. Black keyboardist Neil Williamson says he smoked right up until his death. Perhaps it may be relevant that David's 90-year-old mother, Alice, passed away only a few weeks ago, on the 12th December, 2010.

David arrived in Wollongong from the UK on a mission. Possessed of great ambitions and an irrepressible personality, he had a great singing voice and had been a very young guitarist in the Blackpool band Bruce And The Spiders, before George Rossall migrated with his family to Australia.

David no doubt took many of his influences from his father, who had great plans for the talented David. Both of them were masters of the art of spin. In 1967, an Illawarra Mercury headline announced "FROM ENGLAND--Rev Black & The Rockin Vickers" together with a large picture of David and four of Wollongong's most well-known musicians. The article went on to describe how David had brought this band from England to Australia after failing to have chart success over there.

Furthermore, he had written a great song called 'Tears & Kisses' which they were going to record, and he was sure it was going to be a big hit. There had been a recording band in Northern England called Reverend Black & The Rocking Vicars, but David was never a member. 'Tears & Kisses', as it happens, was originally written by an American named Stanley J Gelber and recorded by two previous acts before Rossall laid claim to it's creation. Nevertheless, the group was seen by Festival Records as a potential success, and four singles followed, albeit with limited success.

Meanwhile, George and David continued to supply fanciful stories to the press about The Vicars, including that they had been signed up for a big American tour. Williamson told me the first he knew of the tour was when he strolled down to the newsagent and saw the headline on the front page of The Mercury.

After The Vicars failed to achiev success David persisted by turning the band into a four-part harmony act called Tin Pan Alley, under which name they recorded a professional single for Columbia records in 1969. Chart success still eluded them, and David appears, after all his efforts, to have become somewhat embittered and disillusioned.

He had the talent, but somehow he had never quite made it, while lesser talents had been better promoted. On stage, he was a most dynamic performer, presenting a fantastic stage show, and he had many, many female admirers. He was well known for being followed around by his faithful German shepherd dog, Lady, and he was distraught when she died.

In later years, when approached by old muso friends or journalists wishing to discuss the hectic years of the Rockin' Vicars, David was reported to have snapped on occasions, making it quite clear that he never wanted to talk about those days again. This is unfortunate, because there were many questions left unanswered concerning the life of this uniquely talented man.

Rossall is survived by his wife Eunice, children Heath and Sara and grandchildren Jhidyn and Sam.

Go here for more information on Rev. Black and the Rockin' Vicars, including audio downloads.

Written by Ged Fitzsimmons.

Street Press (1999)

2011-11-22T20:35:00.001+11:00

I've always enjoyed writing about music. When I was a teenager I tried putting together my own metal 'zine. I interviewed a band, ripped into another's live show and drew a comic to go along with it all. It was hand-written. It never ventured outside my bedroom.

In the mid-nineties I applied - and was surprisingly successful - in getting a gig on the Tertangala, the University of Wollongong's student paper. This was a little controversial as I wasn't a uni student. Nonetheless, I was grateful for the opportunity and throughout the next four or five years built up my skills and made many friends, some of which I still maintain contact with.

During this time IMM, Zonk, Bulb and Pulse all came and went. I'm not sure what forces were at work but leading into the year 2000 my time at the Tert was coming to an end. It might've been the Howard Government's Voluntary Student Unionism which saw funds cut to zero, or maybe it was the Young Liberals getting a foothold on the SRC. Whatever the impetus, I thought I'd try my hand at being an editor of a street press - despite not being university educated.

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. And as my idea was bigger than my resources, I had to get creative. I had no computer so relied on the Tert's equipment after hours. I had a few contacts and so was able to rustle together some interesting subjects to interview. I pilfered the Tert's unused review items, and badgered my mates into writing some articles.

At home I was living on struggle street to the point where I only had incoming calls on my phone. Living close to a public phone situated at a train station, I'd time my outgoing calls according to the train timetable to ensure quiet and call the record labels, book publishers, advertisers, printers and interviewees from there, never letting on that they were doing business with some upstart with zero financial backing.

Finally, I filled any blank spaces with professional ads scanned from the likes of Drum Media. I figured the advertisers wouldn't mind getting some free space, and made the publication look authentic. Smoke n' mirrors has long been a phrase I've stood by.

I was, and remain, a minimalist when it comes to design. Choosing a simple name I then laid-out the magazine in a simple, but effective cut n' paste style, using typewriter font.

All things considered I am quite proud of my achievements, despite not getting past issue #1. The content was varied, focusing on music and politics, with a healthy look at art, literature, lifestyle and even sport. Thumlock appeared on the cover (though a printing error saw their name left off), there was a Feldeen and Phial feature, I interviewed Dropkick Murphy's, there was an expose on the steel strapping plant proposed for Haywards Bay, Ben Langford wrote about the republic referendum which was a hot topic at the time, Al Turner looked into the tattoo and piercing culture, I covered the anniversary edition of classic Australian film Stone, Mez Breeze dissected multimedia art, Manuel Sharrad of Infusion interviewed Pound System, I reviewed a Machine Translations & Vvovo show and I even interviewed surfer Ralph Riddell despite not knowing my goofy from my regular stance.

I used the first issue to push for some financial support from various organisations, but alas, it wasn't to be. I was soon offered a position with major music retail chain, Sanity. Being a young man with hungry mouths to feed I abandoned the idea of Street Press and took the easy route. Unfortunately, it turned out to be an expensive lesson, with the retailer dumping me at first opportunity. Not because I was failing in my performance, but rather because I raised a few too many issues the Union may have been interested in. Within six months, I'd been shafted.

But I got my own back. A few years later I was working at Telstra Directories and whenever someone called to be put through to their local Sanity store, I'd instead provide the number of Brett Blundy - Sanity's CEO who gave the direction to fire me and who foolishly still had his private number listed. It was a small victory. A greater victory was to come by finding financial stability and contentment without their shitty job.

Twelve years later and I have acquired a rewarding full-time job outside the music and media industries, a fully functional computer, and a phone with outgoing services.

Download the one and only issue of Street Press in fabulous pdf format.

Stiffler (2000-2006)

2011-11-02T22:23:00.003+11:00

Stiffler circa 2006

By Rob Carr & Warren Wheeler
It is the year 2000, two years after the film American Pie transformed (or perhaps reinvented) the teen-comedy film genre with sexually-charged American jocks trying to score with band geeks.

Named after one of the most popular characters from the film, Stiffler's sound reached out to the all-ages audience and was popular locally because of the bands’ pop-punk appeal.

Describing your band as porn punk-pop "with a sprinkle of today's modern style emo rock" may never have attracted the respect of critics, but it did manage to target the appropriate audience.

Stiffler invited comparisons to the likes of hugely successful punk-pop crossover acts such as Blink-182 and Good Charlotte. The all-male line-up gained a sizeable following in the youth centre scene and at the Oxford Tavern.

The band held legendary parties on a seemingly weekly basis at Stiffler HQ on Auburn Street – they even had their own corner “reserved” at the end of the bar at the Oxford. It was a rare week that you didn’t see at least half of the band elbowed over the bar with a jug of ‘Doom’ - a Welsh recipe that mixed vodka, house wine, and energy drink.

The members of Stiffler partied, and partied well. But several of the band’s members are also remembered for their generosity to the music scene.

Brothers Stu and Chris Dobell (drums and vocals respectively) were always willing to spot a jug of Doom for anyone who shared their corner at the Oxford. They were also good patrons and supporters of all facets of the music scene.

Through the Dobell brothers’ clothing company Venom Extreme, Stu and Chris sponsored numerous youth bands comps organised at Thirroul Skate Park, Thirroul Neighborhood Centre and Bulli PCYC, as well the Illawarra Regional Youth Services band comp. They were active members of and participants in the Wollongong Music Round Table (WMRT) Inc. and designed and printed WMRT shirts, banners and other materials.

It was in 2000, when Chris and Stu were recovering from the break-up of their former band Elroy, that the Dobell’s set out to establish a new musical partnership. The pair first approached Rod Riley (former guitarist/vocalist for The Jeff Brown Trio) who politely declined their offer.

The Dobell's were overheard ruminating on Riley's rejection at their local watering hole by former Countersunk vocalist/guitarist Anthony Kaslow who nominated himself for a position in the line-up. In the following weeks further pressure was put on Riley and, for a case of beer, he relented and joined the band also.

The Dobell's also recruited former Plunger band-mate Dave Hilzinger (Feldeen, Waik) for a spell, but he left before the band hit the studio in early 2001 to record the The Red Star Sessions demo.

With Paul "Creeper" Ditton on board, the five-piece secured some international supports alongside Mach Pelican and The Groovie Ghoulies, as well as national acts such as The Pictures, Something with Numbers and Kisschasey.

Stiffler caught the attention of Solo Productions in Sydney who funded the band to the tune of about $30,000, getting them significant airplay nationally and in Canada.

With consistently sizeable crowds at the Oxford Tavern as well as the Palm Court Hotel, the band was invited to join the Arrive Alive Festival '04 along with Magic Dirt, Butterfingers and The Hot Lies.

The band broke up “officially” in mid-2006 when Chris and Stu Dobell decided to move their business to Canada. But the story doesn’t end there.

Anthony Kalsow says that the band’s last gig in Wollongong was at the Oxford Tavern in July 06. He added: ‘Ditton and myself [then] met up with the lads in Canada [in] December ‘06 for one last tour. We played 3 shows in British Columbia around Victoria, and snuck in a whirlwind tour to Seattle and New York’.

According to Chris Dobell, Stiffler was most active in the music scene in 2005, a time when ‘there were so many different styles and so many bands up and coming’. This diversity is what, Dobell says, made the Wollongong music scene so unique. He stated that the most prominent music styles in the Wollongong music scene were ‘punk, rock, stoner fuzz, metal … man, it had it all.’

Dobell outlined that the most active bands or acts around this time, and which were doing the most in terms of touring and producing music, included BugGirl and Porcelain. These bands ‘were prob[ably] touring the most … then were some other bands doing more Sydney shows [as well]’.

Dobell states that there were a couple of elements that were central to the music scene, including the Oxford Tavern, which he described as ‘the hub for local tunes’.

When asked if Wollongong was comparable to places like Seattle as an active music scene, Dobell says that ‘we [didn't really have] anything new but if you were going anywhere from a Wednesday to Sunday night it was the "Occy" for live music and to see your mates’.

These days Dave Hilzinger can be seen handling vocals in Earth Mechanics, whilst Kaslow and Ditton's new outfit Crash Tragic have gone on to record independent music and currently have interest from Sony BMG.

In 2010 Stu returned home briefly before moving to Hobart where he remains to this day.

Discography:
2002: Red Star Studios demo (download)
2003: Studio 1 demo (download)
2005: Falling From The Black Wings of Romance EP (download)

Thanks to Creeper for getting this thing kickin' and Anto for putting the nails in the coffin.

Steel City Sound Presents The Occy: A Doco Nov. 13, 2011 (The Patch)

2011-10-14T19:24:00.001+11:00

Steel City Sound is proud to present a FREE screening of Nathan Burling's 'The Occy - A Doco' along with local tunes from those closely associated with the Occy's past: Leadfinger, Money Killed Johnny, A Cat Named Kesey and ~~DVA~~ Swinging Beef & The Daptoids, on Sunday, Novemeber 13 2011 at The Patch (Cabbage Tree Hotel, Fairy Meadow).

Wollongong’s Oxford Tavern was a live music venue for over 30 years. Arguably, its heyday was in the nineties under the music co-ordination of local musician Steven Robinson. Throughout the nineties it became the hub of local original music as well as meeting place of likeminded artists, activists and students. It was Wollongong’s little slice of bohemia. However, in the mid naughties, there were rumours the Oxford was to be bought and that it would no longer continue as a venue for live music. Many in the music community were concerned this would be the end of the live music scene. Former Nabilone vocalist and guitarist Nathan Burling was one of them.

In 2006, as part of the Master of Journalism course Burling was enrolled in at UOW, he decided to interview stakeholders in the Oxford Tavern: bookers, bands, punters and staff were all interviewed and asked about the potential demise of our beloved Oxford.

In 2007, the sale went through. The Belmorgan Group bought the Oxford and the new owners claimed nothing would change in regards to live music. However, it did change.

“The Occy” is the story of the end of a venue and the rise of a new music scene.

Festival of Rock, Wollongong Showground (29 March, 1970)

2011-10-03T15:55:00.000+11:00

Wollongong's 'first' pop festival was fraught with obstacles

On Australia Day weekend in 1970 Ourimbah hosted the 'Pilgrimage for Pop' - Australia's first rock festival. An estimated 8,000 people (some reports put the number closer to 10,000) witnessed the likes of Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Tamam Shud, Jeff St John & Copperwine, Doug Parkinson's In Focus, and the debut performance of Stevie Wright's Rachette.

Quick to capitalise on this success, promoter and Oliver's venue operator Brian Neville proposed Wollongong's first rock festival. Only a stone's throw from Sydney, and close to the beach Stuart Park seemed like the promoter's dream venue - unfortunately local Council saw differently.

City health surveyor and opponent to the festival Mr A. King pointed to the high attendance numbers of Ourimbah to base his objections to the proposal. As such the original application was rejected on grounds that the festival would "be objectionable" to people camping in the area, potential noise complaints, parking problems, police concerns and that the park would be needed for a weekend cricket match.

Neville rejected King's concerns, stating that unlike the 2-day festival in Ourimbah, he was proposing a one-day festival starting after lunch and finishing before midnight, with an expected 2000 attendees - the majority of which would be local residents. Neville said he was unaware of any cricketing fixture for the Easter weekend, and believed the festival would attract "a smaller crowd than would attend North Wollongong Beach on any warm weekend of summer" negating King's parking concerns.

Ald. K. Dean however supported the idea, stating that as Easter was a peak tourist period "the city should attract people to the district instead of turning them away."

Not to be deterred, Neville contacted the Wollongong Showground secretary. Though there were plans to use the Showground for a rugby league fixture on Easter Sunday, the former ice-skating rink pavilion was available. Neville's plans however would need to be revised, as permission was given only for an evening festival - so as not to clash with the football.

Neville enticed Tamam Shud to the headlining position, with Leo De Castro, Turkish Green Electric Band, The Cleeves and Freshwater also scheduled to perform on the evening.

The competing festival attracted close to 1500 people

In the lead-up to the festival though, Neville started to predict numbers in the vicinity of 5000. The Festival Gods however were not acting favourably. On the eve of the festival Oliver's would close for the second time in six months following ongoing parking concerns. Meanwhile Capitol Hall in Corrimal was hosting it's own Easter festival with headliner Johnny Farnham sharing the stage with Masters Apprentices, Jeff St John & Copperwine, Flying Circus, Autumn and Gunther Cain.

As if that wasn't enough, plummeting temperatures kept the punters at bay. At a reported 15 degrees, youngsters wrapped themselves in blankets and coats "as they listened to the earsplitting cacophony".

Furthermore, as Gong Beat reported Leo de Castro failed to show whilst technical problems forced Freshwater to cancel their performance.

An estimated 2000 attended the Festival of Rock, while a further 1500 ventured the elements out at Capitol Hall.

Resources:
http://www.milesago.com/festivals/ourimbah.htm
'Stuart Park pop festival turned down', Illawarra Mercury 04/03/70
'Festival organiser seeks showground', Illawarra Mercury 06/03/70
'Pop festival ruling today', Illawarra Mercury 10/03/70
'Easter pop to go on', Illawarra Mercury, 11/03/70
'Our big rock-in Sunday', Illawarra Mercury 26/03/70

'Chilly notes hit pop festival', Illawarra Mercury 30/03/70
Gong Beat, Illawarra Mercury 03/04/70

Svegies Vegie's (1983-1989)

2011-09-22T22:12:00.002+10:00

Svegies Vegie's at a WINTV Telethon

Ahhh... the much maligned 1980's: a decade where video killed the radio star and we wanted our money for nothing (and our chicks for free). Greed was good, fluorescent hot-pants were tight, and keyboards were made to look like guitars. In the post-punk and post-disco era MTV had stamped its' mark on the industry, dictating local radio playlists from afar with synth-heavy, sacchrine-loaded pop performed by blokes easily mistaken for chicks.

Despite all it's colour and flamboyance however, the eighties were a relatively miserable time for our region. Starting with the Kemira strike in '82, the region suffered crippling unemployment, having generational impacts that are still being felt today.

Wollongong's counter-culture had its' origins in this period, with the establishment of Wollongong Out of Workers Union, and the appropriation of the Ironworkers Club as a punk venue.

But for every counter-cultural movement there is a group whose prime objective on a Saturday night is to dance. It is in this environment that local party-band Svegies Vegie's was conceived.

Corrimal Surf Club circa 1984

Staving off unemployment, three of the original four members of Svegies Vegie's were employees of WIN 4 Television and cut their teeth playing covers at office parties. John Firth (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Dave Henderson (drums), and Grant Osborne (bass) brought in the only non-WIN TV staff member Stewart Alexander on lead guitar to fill out the line-up.

However, it wasn't until two more WIN personalities joined in early-1984 (sports reporter Mark Chester - vocals, and Frank 'Lips' Marcy - horns/percussion) that the band started to take itself more seriously, albeit only slightly.

Managed by fellow WIN colleague and namesake Igor Svegovic this band of good-timers were described as "innovative cabaret-rock" covering crowd-pleasers from Ramones, Kenny Rogers and Elvis Presley, to the 'Love Boat Theme'.

Taking musical cues from high-profile Australian acts of the time (Mental As Anything, INXS, GANGgajang), Svegies Vegie's began composing their own songs and soon found themselves regularly booked at clubs and pubs across the region (Kiama Leagues, Corrimal Leagues, The Grand). Coniston Hotel (now Gilmore's) became the band's 'local' given its' proximity to WIN studios. "Our first official gig was at Coniston Hotel on March 4 [1984]. Now we get more work than we can handle," Chester was quoted at the time.

Svegies & Friends

"The first actual gig," says Henderson "was in a carport in Keiraville with too many band members to mention. [But] I have a recording of that official gig at the Conno on cassette tape. It's piss-funny."

Chester confirmed the bands' crowd-pleasing approach by stating: "although we play songs we like, when we choose a song it is always aimed at pleasing an audience."

The collective members' networking proved fruitful as their first demo 'Well Adjusted Friends' found it's way onto 2WL courtesy of presenter Paul Cashmere, whilst the band opened Cousins nitespot - a venue owned by Steelers star Michael Bolt.

In October 1985 the band recorded their most mature effort 'Lonely Trail' for release as a single. Despite the band's reputation as a party-band 'Lonely Trail' drew more from the likes of Hunters & Collectors and The Go-Betweens in terms of its' introspective and contemplative mood.

Recorded at Paradise Studios in Woolloomooloo by Roger Greirson (The Johnnys manager) the single was backed by 'Just Tell Me Lies' - a bouncy track more in keeping with their image.

'Lonely Trail' was again picked up by local radio, whilst the video scored national airplay on Sounds and was later featured on the Steel Town Sounds video.

In 1989 musical differences split the band apart with Osborn, Henderson and Marcy going on to form The Length, followed by The Hodads, whilst Alexander and Firth formed The Impossibles.

Throughout their career though, the band picked up some great support slots alongside Sandy and the Sunsetz, Hunters and Collectors and Flotsam and Jestam.

Putting their musical differences behind them though, the band reformed for one night only in 2006 at Beaches, Thirroul - an event captured on video in the documentary All Over the Shop Again.

Discography:
1984: 'Well Adjusted Friends' & 'Summer Fun' demo's (download)
1985: 'Lonely Trail' b/w 'Just Tell Me Lies' (download)

Sources:
'Party gig blossoms for Vegies' (Illawarra Mercury)
'Svegies shape up for launch' (Illawarra Mercury)
'The transformation of Mark Chester' (Illawarra Mercury)

*Thanks goes out to Frank 'Lips' Marcy and Dave Henderson for their help and input.

Tiny Tim, Warrawong Shopping Centre (11 March, 1970)

2011-09-22T21:56:00.000+10:00

Early 1970, and Tiny Tim - widely known for his unusual falsetto voice and ukulele prowress - had a 10-night engagement at Sydney's Chevron Hotel. In between shows, however he was scheduled to appear at the Warrawong Shopping Centre for two afternoon performances.

Speaking to the Illawarra Mercury before the scheduled appearance the centre's public relations officer Bill McCallum stated that his visit would "be all milk and honey" adding that a bathroom would be reserved for the entertainer and a "love diet of honey, fruit and peanut butter" would be available for him between shows.

With more than 4000 people expected to show up, this was to be four-year old Diane Hardy's big moment. Diane, daughter of caretaker Jim Hardy, was to present a sheath of flowers to Tiny Tim after his performance.

Alas, none of it was to be.

Tiny Tim failed to show, stating medical reasons for his non-appearance.

Though Tiny Tim would return to Australia in 1980 to recording the Wonderful World of Romance (limited to a pressing of 200), it wouldn't be until 1982 that he made his way back down Mt Ousley, performing at the Cabbage Tree Hotel, Fairy Meadow.

Resources:
'Tim won't miss his love diet', Illawarra Mercury 11 March, 1970
tinytim.org
Tiny Tim (Wikipedia entry)

The Beach Boys, Capitol Hall (28 April 1970)

2011-09-21T23:23:00.002+10:00

The sixties were a musically productive time for the Wollongong region. Local bands such as The Marksmen, The Executives, The Wanderers, Earl's Court and more played in the various venues, community halls and bars dotted throughout the city and its' suburbs. Acts from Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne would often call through on a Friday or Saturday night, and if you were lucky enough to be a teenager during that period you may have seen the likes of The Easybeats, The Twilights and The Loved Ones in their prime.

But in 1970, Wollongong got it's first taste of international pop culture as The Beach Boys played two shows on the same date at Capitol Hall, Corrimal.

Run by newly-weds Zondrae and Wayne King, Capitol Hall was situated where Northern Bowl now stands. It's history is one that I hope to detail in more depth in the not-too-distant future, but for now you can read how the Illawarra Mercury reported the Beach Boys visit.

Download:

'Music group set own standard', Illawarra Mercury 30 April, 1970 (.jpg)

Blurred Vision (1999-2000)

2011-07-09T21:37:00.002+10:00

L-R: Jezz, Gary, Kai Purhonen, Richard Moulton

Epitomising the urgency of UK punk, Blurred Vision existed for barely 12 months before tragedy drew the band to a grinding halt.

First formed by former TBK, Tank o’ Piss and Rukus guitarist Azzie, bassist Kai Purhonen, drummer Jezz and vocalist Gary in early 1999, the band played hard n' fast punk, influenced by the likes of The Business, Cock Sparrer, Cockney Rejects and The Exploited.

After playing a few local shows with Frontside, Zero Tolerance, Naval Graveyard, and Psychotic Numbskulls, Azzie left to focus again on Rukus, and was replaced by Richard Moulton (Psychotic Numbskulls, Burning Bridges).

Momentum was building, and the band hit the road for a tour to Adelaide playing the Adelaide Arts Festival, stopping over at Melbourne’s Arthouse, before returning to Canberra’s Punk in the Park, Sydney’s Iron Duke and then home to support Dropkick Murphy’s at Wollongong Youth Centre in November. Not too scrappy for a band only a few months old.

The band was doing well and Moulton, Purhonen and Gary began sharing a house in West Wollongong.

The year 2000 saw Blurred Vision record a 7-track EP, and though they contributed a couple of these tracks to various compilations, the EP never saw the light of day as the band split around September that year. Following the split, Moulton moved out of the flat with his remaining flatmates evicted soon after.

Moulton, Purhonen, Gary, Jezz

Purhonen moved into a flat in Seaview Rd, Coniston with a number of other members of the local punk scene. Liam Tully-Salter, an itinerant 17 year-old originally from WA fell in with the group and began hanging out at the flat. Tully-Salter however began to overstay his welcome at the flat and twice broke a window to get inside and two of his flat mates, Jason Farrell and Daniel Ezold made a pact to get rid of him.

On the night of November 15, a group including Tully-Salter, Purhonen, Farrell and Ezold attended The Oxford Tavern after consuming a cocktail of alcohol and LSD. After leaving the Oxford, the group then headed towards South Beach before proceeding towards Port Kembla.

In the early hours of November 16, 2000 Tully-Salter was killed on the banks of Tom Thumb Lagoon. Here Tully-Salter’s body lay undetected until a witness came forward a couple of days later. Ezold and Farrell was arrested and charged with Tully-Salter’s murder soon after. On 21 November Kai Purhonen was also arrested and charged.

Liam Tully-Salter

Despite Blurred Vision having already split up, The Illawarra Mercury’s Court Reporter Jenny Dennis jumped on Purhonen’s punk connections.

Though the media beat-up disturbed some of Purhonen’s former bandmates, Gary took the opportunity to feed the paper misinformation. Seven days after Tully-Salter’s death, Blurred Vision vocalist Gary spoke to Mercury reporter Cydonee Mardon and displaying delusions of grandeur, stated that Blurred Vision was one of the country’s biggest punk bands having released four albums, and that plans were underway for a US and European tour at the time of the incident. Not surprisingly, all of the former Blurred Vision members would later fall-out with Gary.

On September 11, 2001 the charges against Purhonen were dropped due to lack of evidence. On 20 February 2002 Ezold was handed a 16-year sentence for his role in Tully-Salter’s murder. Farrell was named as the prime offender and on 2 May 2002 was sentenced to 18 years.

Purhonen left the area, travelling to the UK before returning home in 2002. In July 2003 following an altercation with his father in Tomerong, Purhonen was arrested and the murder charge against him was re-enlivened. Though cleared of assault he was granted bail for the murder charge.

In January 2004 however, Purhonen got himself into an altercation at The Oxford following jeers and taunts from punters labelling him a killer. Purhonen was again taken into custody and held until the murder trial commenced.

In May 2004 a Supreme Court jury took only half an hour to reach a ‘not guilty’ verdict for Purhonen’s role in Tully-Salter’s murder. Despite this verdict, Purhonen was to languish in prison for another month before being released on bail for the Oxford assault charges.

Illawarra Mercury, 30/10/04

On 18 October 2004, eleven days before he was scheduled to return to court to face the Oxford assault charges, Purhonen took his own life in an apparent suicide pact with a 15 year old girl he’d met only weeks before.

In a Mercury feature article it was reported that Purhonen’s death was no surprise to those close to him, though no less devastating. His state of mind was precarious following witnessing Tully-Salter’s death and his treatment in prison. His close friend Corinne Smith is reported as saying “He’d seen a lot of things in jail but he’d never tell me about them. He just said he didn’t want to go back.”

The whereabouts of Gary is currently unknown. Richard Moulton continues to play with the Psychotic Numbskulls, whilst Jezz relocated to Melbourne and is currently behind the kit for Bastard Squad.

Discography:

2000 - Unreleased EP (download)

2000 – The New Breed Pay Tribute to Bastard Squad compilation (‘Defective’ & ‘Tell It Like It Is’) (Noise Pollution)

2000 - Time To Pay Up compilation (‘Spoon Feed’ & ‘Tell It Like It Is’) (Snapshot Records)

Resources:

Who’s Liam? Illawarra Mercury (20 November 2000)

Three men in court over Liam slaying mystery Illawarra Mercury (21 November 2000)

Third man, 19, charged with murder Illawarra Mercury (21 November 2000))

Punk rocker charged with Liam’s murder Illawarra Mercury (22 November 2000)

Tragedy followed drifter Illawarra Mercury (23 November 2000)

Death shocks punk band Illawarra Mercury (23 November 2000)

Teenagers plead not guilty to Liam murder Illawarra Mercury (7 July 2001)

Punk rocker cleared over murder Illawarra Mercury (13 September 2001)

Accused killer was ‘off his face’ Illawarra Mercury (20 February 2002)

Jury shown video of bashing confession Illawarra Mercury (23 February 2002)

Punk rocker charged with teen murder Illawarra Mercury (12 July 2003)

Trio formed pact to ‘get rid of teen’ Illawarra Mercury (4 May 2004)

Witness assault charges Illawarra Mercury (27 May 2004)

How the system failed Kai Illawarra Mercury (30 October 2004)

The tragedy of Kai Purhonen Illawarra Mercury (feature: 30 October 2004)

Supreme Court of New South Wales decisions:

R v Ezold [2002] NSWSC129 (20 February 2002)

R v Farrell [2002] NSWSC375 (2 May 2002)

Extra thanks to Richard Moulton and Maris Depers for their help and support on this piece.

If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide contact beyondblue 1300 22 46 36, lifeline 13 11 14 or Salvo Care Line 1300 36 36 22.

Belinda Deane (1965-2001)

2011-06-22T22:54:00.003+10:00

2011 marks the tenth anniversary of Belinda ‘Binni’ Deane’s passing – a local musician who took her own life following bouts of depression and a debilitating illness. A year after Binni’s death friends rallied and organised the first HOPE concert – a suicide prevention fundraiser and a celebration of Binni’s life. This tradition continues in 2011, but for the first time the event is being moved to The Patch following the closure of Binni's Oxford stomping ground in 2010.

In 2008 Binni’s sister Bronwyn completed a research paper on suicide and the creative arts, using her younger sisters’ story as the background. This paper provides a lot of insight not only into Binni’s life but also the scene she was involved in.

With Bronwyn’s kind permission below is an adapted and updated version of that paper. A link to the original version in pdf format is posted at the end of this article.

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TEN YEARS OF HOPE: A suicide prevention fundraiser

Image courtesy of Tom Dion

“On occasions like this, it’s normal to observe a minute’s silence,” said The Unheard front man, Pat Brownlee. “But we don’t think Belinda would enjoy that.” He threw back his head and yelled into his microphone, “So we’re gonna make a minute’s noise!”

Band members struck their instruments with all the violence they could muster. The audience joined in the cacophony. The place raged for a full minute. Belinda would have approved.

It was July 2002, the first anniversary of Belinda Deane’s suicide, and the first HOPE Concert held at Wollongong’s Oxford Tavern. The concert became an annual event at the pub, however with it’s closure in late 2010 the event has now been moved to Oxford crowd’s surrogate home, The Patch. Belinda’s former band members and loved ones use it to promote suicide prevention.

“At the first concert, we lined up bands that she had been a member of, or liked to dance to,” said Pete Conran (FUgG, The Surprise Arm, Radio Shack 5), Belinda’s partner and one of the organisers of the event. The other organisers are members of Babymachine, Rebecca Mayhew and Jacqui Besgrove. Rebecca played in all‐girl punk bands with Belinda in the 1980s. Most years the concert involved four bands, however that has grown over the years with the 2011 line-up boasting fifteen acts, including a reformed FUgG.

The Unheard

Musical style ranges across psychedelic sixties thrash to feminist punk to folk rock. But there is one mandatory criterion: high-energy output. It’s not the sort of place one might expect to go for consciousness raising about suicide prevention and community support programs. In 2008 Rebecca Mayhew explained what motivates the musicians who organise and participate in the concert. “It’s about a community of musicians marking a passing,” she said. “It’s a reunion of old friends.”

A mere three years later and Pete Conran sees it as something more than that. “More and more people are using it as a memorial to friends or co-workers they've known who have committed suicide over the years. What started as a memorial to one person has slowly grown to address a real problem in today’s society.”

On a personal level Pete Conran sees the concert as an attempt at atonement and a way to raise people’s awareness about the way they treat each other. “I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through, and I'm still going through,” he said.

Image courtesy of Tom Dion

In his promotional mail‐out for the 2005 HOPE Concert, Pete Conran described the pain of loss through suicide. “It still feels like it's a dream,” he wrote. “I opened the garage door to find that Belinda had hanged herself. I reached up, gently stroked her on the cheek and said ‘Oh Binni, what have you done?’ Four years on and there's still a weird dream‐like state over everything. I look around and notice things that I don’t really want to. I see a lot of people who treat others as if there are no consequences to their actions at all. All they're after is what's good for them, regardless of the damage it causes.”

Since it began, the HOPE Concert has raised almost over $15,000 for Centacare, Lifeline and The West Street Centre in Wollongong, to support the work they do in preventing suicide and helping those left behind. Funds raised include the band members’ donated fees and takings from memorabilia sold on the night.

Traditionally the audience includes a mixture of Belinda’s friends, others who have experienced loss through suicide and people who just come along for a dance. At the first concert in 2002, 72 year old Elizabeth Flanagan got up for a dance. She was there with her sons Chris and Colin who had played in the band Man Bites Dog with Belinda in the 80s.

Belinda’s sister Jen Gambrill said, “The people involved in the HOPE Concert all help in their own way to do something to prevent suicide, because they know the pain of losing someone. They truly are inspirational and are all heroes to me.”

At an Unheard rehearsal

Belinda left school in 1980 when she was 16. Wollongong’s economy was in recession. Global restructuring of heavy industry was having an impact on a region that for more than a century had been defined by mining and steel. Young people faced very high rates of unemployment, estimated to be around 40 per cent. There were few opportunities for the young. For those that rode the red rattler up the escarpment to Sydney each day, it was an act of desperation not a lifestyle choice.

In 1980, Wollongong was a masculine society, still steeped in traditionalist blue collar values. Career options for girls who left school early were clear cut: they could be shop assistants, nurses or mothers. In an interview with social researcher Emma Mayhew in 1994, Belinda said that when she left school she was advised to stay out of male‐dominated fields because she would be put down for being the only woman.

But Wollongong’s industrial identity also created a strong sense of community, and spawned an unusual level of social activism focused on the problems of the working poor and the unemployed. Nick Southall, a founding member of the Wollongong Out of Workers’ (WOW) Union, and now an historian documented WOW’s activities from 1983 to the early 90s.

In his report The WOW Factor, Nick wrote that the organisation drew its membership from “a wide variety of ‘outlaw’ cultures ‐ punks, petty criminals and drug addicts,” and that this may have contributed to its high public profile. With the help of trade unions, WOW set up office in an empty house opposite the dole office in Market Street, and ran a food co‐op and welfare rights centre, and produced a newspaper, posters and films. Redback Graphix had its genesis there.

For young people like Belinda, WOW and its social milieu offered a colourful, engaging refuge from the monotony of life on the dole. Nick recalls: “Those were the best of times and the worst. Belinda took part in many of the Wollongong Out of Workers' Union activities, including protest actions, campaigns, our soup kitchen, concerts, meetings and helping in our welfare rights office.”

Belinda’s boyfriend at the time was Chris Flanagan. He recalls the prevailing attitudes to the young punks and their music: “Most venues around town supported cover bands. They really showed no interest in the original alternative bands; bands that were heavily influenced by the new wave of alternative music coming out of England and America at the time. One local promoter called it circus music.”

Dissatisfied with the lack of opportunities for live performance, Trevor Barham set about disturbing the status quo. He was the lead singer for local band Visitor. He established a musicians’ and technicians’ co‐operative, called the Acme Co‐op. The Co‐op lined up regular gigs at the Ironworkers Club on Crown Street. Acme boasted 70 members at its height and during its short lifespan cultivated a large local following for bands like Visitor, Sunday Painters, Nik Nok Nar, Young Home Buyers and The Rezistors.

The Unheard live

The university was another locus of youthful rebellion, lead by entertainments officer, Frank Brunetti. Belinda’s brother‐in‐law, Bud Aitkin, remembers his student days: “Frank brought big names like XTC, Jimmy and the Boys and Flowers to Wollongong. Thursday nights at the Uni Bar were very heady. It was a popular haunt for Belinda and her friends.”

Local historian Erik Eklund recalls: “There was a 'Wollongong scene' in that period. It was very healthy through the efforts of many people. Talented and diverse people were able to come together because there was a culture of forming bands and venues in which to play and practice: the Oxford, the Ironworkers, the Uni, the Co‐op, and so on.”

Belinda was an enthusiastic member of the Acme Co‐op. She headed up an energetic group of fans that prepared promotional posters for gigs and pasted them around town. Bill posting was still considered seriously deviant. Like London’s Bromley Contingent, this colourful group of fans became as much a part of Co‐op gigs as the musicians themselves, and even produced a few musicians and artists from its own ranks. To these young fans, dress and hairstyle were the materials for magnificent statements of style and personality. They turned cheap into chic and made op shops fashionable.

Much of this frenetic activity happened at the Community Youth Support Scheme (CYSS) centre in Burelli Street. The CYSS provided a place for young unemployed people to socialise and learn new skills. There was an emphasis on inclusiveness and relevance to the interests of youth. Training was provided by professional furniture builders, jewellery makers, printmakers and musicians.

HOPE 2003

Wollongong community worker, Sharon Callaghan was working at the CYSS at the time. “CYSS started in the mid 70s I think. Part of the early agenda was to redefine what meaningful work was and give a voice to those who were marginalised,” she explained. “The recession of the early 80s boosted our role to give a voice to those who were unemployed. The CYSS and independent arts scenes merged at times and intersected in a variety of ways, as there were a lot of talented people looking for a way to express political and social issues. CYSS believed in non‐traditional ways of learning and sharing information that were supportive of creativity.”

Wollongong offered fertile ground for punk culture. Rebecca Mayhew, guitarist and vocalist with Babymachine, thinks it had a lot to do with the way people viewed themselves. “Wollongong doesn’t have self‐confidence, doesn’t take itself too seriously,” she explained.

The punk scene had a powerful magnetism for Belinda and her young friends. Punks wanted to be different, but also to belong. As Belinda told Emma Mayhew, “There weren’t that many people around that were into it. If I were the only punk in Wollongong, I wouldn’t have been a punk for very long.”

“Belinda’s friends were very different from what Wollongong people were used to,” explains her sister, Leone Deane. “They were ‘out there’. But they were also a close‐knit community.” Belinda said the alternative lifestyle appealed to her because it was different from the conventional approach of “go to college, get a job and have a family.”

Ironworkers poster

Belinda was determined to be a musician, despite the fact that she had no formal musical education. All of her friends were in bands. At the age of 17, in 1981, she started out playing keyboard in a grungy garage in Coniston with Paul Hausmeister (The Unheard, Tumbleweed, Monstrous Blues), Shaun Pyrah and Erik Eklund. They would come together a decade later with The Unheard. In 1982, she bought her first bass and started playing in Sus‐Spenders with Rebecca Mayhew and Chris Flanagan.

Rebecca Mayhew believes punk music had an appeal for the women of her generation, precisely because of its emphasis on creativity over virtuosity. Punk opened up a broader range of roles for women than the macho rock and roll that went before it. But belinda was inspired by women bass players like Tina Weymouth from Talking Heads, Suzie Quatro and Kerrie Erwin from Sunday Painters. In 1991 she joined The Unheard. Former partner and sound technician, Tim Van den Berg says that she matured as a musician and “was thrilled to be playing music with such high calibre musicians.”

Former Unheard member Erik Eklund remembers practising in Belinda’s garage in West Wollongong: “It often started or finished with a pot of herbal tea. It is not quite the rock ‘n’ roll image, but Belinda and Pat Brownlee were very earnest and focused on the music and listened to lots of 60s music to help create an original sound.” Pat Lyons remembers his audition for the band: “I first saw The Unheard in the early 90s and they were louder and more stylish than anything I'd seen or heard. Belinda was cool and funny and smart, and a great bass player. She knew a lot about music and Wollongong. Her flat smelt of bidis, herbal tea and dog.”

Binni with Pete Conran

Belinda, Tim Van den Berg and Pat Brownlee turned the derelict garage at Belinda’s place into a practice space, much to the disgust of neighbours. After losing two members the band experienced a lull, during which Belinda explored her music writing skills. It was also during that period that she suffered the sudden onset of rheumatoid arthritis in the joints of her hands, hips and feet. She was 28 years old.

The disease progressed rapidly, and by the time the band was again ready to perform, she had been forced to give up playing bass. Pat Brownlee remembers with sadness the crushing impact this had on her. “It was an awkward moment, like she was left out. But of course, Belinda couldn’t play because of the arthritis.”

It is perhaps ironic that the gig at the first HOPE Concert held in Belinda’s memory in 2002, gave the band an incentive to reform after a significant break. Belinda went back to education, and completed a science degree at the University of Wollongong in 2000. Throughout her studies, constant pain and the side‐effects of painkillers sapped her energy and love of life. Her mobility was increasingly impaired and she was beset by bouts of depression. Six months after finishing her degree, at the age of 36, she took her own life. Her degree was conferred posthumously.

The HOPE Concert has been running now for ten years. Pete Conran says he will continue to hold them as long as he is able. Rebecca Mayhew says it has become a Wollongong tradition and that is what will keep it going. Pete says the focus is on hope and celebration of life. His optimism is infectious.

The next concert will be held at the The Patch on 2July, 2011. The line up include: Swinging Beef & The Daptoids, Bulldoze All Bowlos, Money Killed Johnny, Smasheddybash, The Merchants, George Eliott, Mind at Large, The Nice Folk, Babymachine, Obscura Hail, Disco is Dead, Ye Luddites, Topnovil, Hy-test, FUgG.

Downloads:

Seven Years of Hope: A suicide prevention fundraiser by Bronwyn Deane (.pdf)

Thanks to Pete Conran, Bronwyn Deane, Tom Dion and Steve O'Brien for their help on this piece.

If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide contact beyondblue 1300 22 46 36, Lifeline 131114 or Salvo Care Line 1300 36 36 22.

Rev. Black and The Rockin' Vicars (1967-1969)

2011-05-17T19:58:00.003+10:00

Who would've thought that Motorhead's Lemmy would have a Wollongong connection? Granted, it is a tenuous connection, but it's a connection nonetheless.

The story starts in Blackpool, UK in 1963 where a Merseybeat group by the name of Bruce & The Spiders played locally, supporting the likes of The Hollies at the local town hall, strip clubs, fire station... the usual places.

Also playing around the area was a band called The Reverend Black and the Rocking Vicars. It is likely the two bands played together on more than one occasion.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a band called Donnie & The Drifters were making a scene in Wollongong. Made up of Donnie Madden (vocals), John Neervordt (lead guitar), Sid Brassington (rhythm guitar), Derrick Brassington (drums) and Klasue Boch (bass), this band made it into the studio to record a demo of Cliff Richards' 'Move It' as well as a tune called 'Jeopardy', though the recording was never officially released.

In '64, Boch was replaced by Bill Munt (formerly of The Impalas), and the band changed their name to The Finks. In '65 The Finks progressed through to the finals of Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds.

Then in '66 Neervordt was replaced by Tony Kappen (The Seekers, The Living Dead), and Derrick Brassington was replaced by Dieter Glaser (The Sunseekers, The Four Moods).

Laurie Hellyer

Like most local bands of the time, The Finks played regular shows at the Pioneer Hall, Zondrae's, and later on, Wonderland.

In late '66 Munt was replaced by Laurie Hellyer (The Method) and the band entered the studio with local engineer Ossie Byrne in Tarrawanna.

By this time, Bruce & The Spiders vocalist Dave Rossall had migrated to Australia and landed in Wollongong. Back in Blackpool, a spritely young Ian Willis had joined The Reverend Black & The Rocking Vicars. The band would later shorten their name to The Rockin' Vickers, and Willis would change his to Lemmy Kilmister.

Upon arrival in Wollongong Rossall ventured down to Zondrae's and was soon introduced to The Finks. After joining the band he soon convinced the others to change the band name to Rev. Black & The Rockin' Vicars. Clearly plagiarism was far more easily achieved in a world pre-internet.

Rossall's father, George, took over as band manager and soon the Vicars were in Studio 301 (Sydney) recording their first single 'Tears & Kisses' b/w 'What'cha Gonna Do About It' - the latter a cover previously performed by Doris Troy, The Hollies and Cilla Black.

Original ZOT release

The single was released on ZOT in 1967, and credited as Rev Black & The Rockin' Vickers. Later that year Festival subsidiary Leedon re-released the single switching the A & B sides.

Despite being solely credited to Rossall, local music historian Ged Fitszimmons claims 'Tears & Kisses' was initially composed by one Stanley J Gelber for Frankie Randall. Fitszimmons alleges that in 1964, the original Reverend Black & The Rocking Vicars played on a UK beat music show along with a band called Peter & The Headlines, who performed their one and only single, a cover version of Frankie Randall's 'Tears & Kisses'. It is likely that Rossall had either seen this performance and/or got a copy of the single.

Stealing another bands' name and plagiarising anothers' song weren't the only games of deception Rossall played. In an interview with Go Set he also falsely credited himself as being part of the original Rockin' Vicars in the UK.

At Windang Hotel

Both Brassington and Kappen left the band in '67. Hellyer changed to lead guitar, and the band recruited John Bellamy (bass) and Neil Willaimson (organ, previously of The Move in the UK) from Sydney-based Sebastian Hardie Blues Group.

In January '68 however, Hellyer also opted out, making room for Kappen to return after an 8-month absence. Then, in February - just as the band were preparing to re-enter the studio - Bellamy also left the band citing artistic differences. Quickly, the Vicars recruited Wagga-native Greg Hill (aka Greg Gibbons) from Gus & The Nomads.

Emerging from Festival's studios in Pyrmont with 'Down to the Last 500' b/w 'Sugar Train', The Vicars were picked up by Ivan Dayman's label Sunshine Records. Dayman also took over the Vicars' management, and under his leadership the band toured extensively across the country.

Rev. Black poster for My Place

Later that year The Vicars entered Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, and though were a crowd and peer favourite, the title was given to The Wanderers - a band "better suited to club work" according to Go-Set Magazine.

Refusing to be defeated, The Vicars scored themselves a residency at Windang Hotel four nights a week, which brought amazing crowds. They also supported The Beach Boys at Wonderland and had Johnny Farnham support them at the same venue.

Meanwhile 'Down to the Last 500' entered the Brisbane charts, peaking at number 30, and, according to Hellyer, reached number 13 in the Darwin charts.

The band later recorded 'Such a Lovely Day' b/w 'Sorrowful Stoney', again released on Sunshine, but failing to chart. This single was credited as R. Black and the Rockin' V's.

In 1969 the band recorded 'Walkin' & Talkin' b/w 'How Does It Feel', but this single failed to chart also.

This lack of sucess would sound the deathknell for the Vicars, and the band parted ways in 1969, though not before Hellyer - who had been playing with The Cast - had rejoined, bringing fellow Cast member Stuart Bedford with him on lead guitar.

The band played their final shows at Wonderland.

The majority of the band would go on to form Tin Pan Alley together with Coopers Phil & Wayne from The Cast.

Discography:
1967 - 'Tears & Kisses' (download) b/w 'Whatcha Gonna Do 'Bout It?'
1967 - 'Whatcha Gonna Do 'Bout It? ' b/w 'Tears & Kisses'
1968 - 'Down to the Last 500' b/w 'Sugartrain' (download)
1968 - 'Such a Lovely Day' b/w 'Sorrowful Stoney'
1969 - 'Walkin' & Talkin'' (download) b/w 'How Does It Feel?'

Resources:

Stacey, T., 'Rev Black & The Rockin' Vicars - The Australian Band 1966-1969

Where Did They Get That Song?: What'cha Gonna Do About It?, poparchives.com.au

Where Did They Get That Song?: 'Down to the Last 500', poparchives.com.au

Vicers (sic) seek US contract, Illawarra Mercury (10 September 1968)

Hell's bells! What next?, Illawarra Mercury (20 June, 1967)

[Uncredited Go-Set article]

A great deal of thanks goes to Dieter Glaser for his patience and persistence with this piece. Thanks also to Ged Fitzsimmons, and Terry Stacey's page whose attention to detail is second to none.

Azaria Dingo And The Seventh Day Adventists (1980)

2011-04-22T15:18:00.011+10:00

L-R: Connell, Wade, Rob Inskip, Ring c.1983

History, they say, is written by the winners. James Morrison, Richard Tognetti, Anthony Warlow and Rob Younger are just a few musicians from the Wollongong area who went on to establish national and international reputations.

Tumbleweed and the New Christs have carried Wollongong’s name far beyond the city borders. Norman Gunston transcended his “What’s On In Wollongong?” beginnings by jamming with Frank Zappa. As a great Wollongong anthem has proclaimed - “The ages wait for us to share our wit and wisdom with the world” [1].

Who will write history now that Charlie Sheen has claimed the copyright on winning? In an era when Rebecca Black can have over 100 million views on YouTube [2], maybe it is better to be a loser. It is time to honour those unsung heroes of the local scene who started at the bottom and stayed there. As teenagers, they dreamed that one day they could be stars. Now the years have passed, they can celebrate that some of them still have their hair and teeth intact. Gary Butler (with some help from Iain Connell) brings us the story of Azaria Dingo and the Seventh Day Adventists.

Date: 1980

Gary Butler c. 1982

Place: Barrack Heights (a suburb so insignificant in the history of music that even people from Wollongong need to be told that it’s in between Shellharbour and Warilla).

Personnel: Harry Hall: vocals; Gary Butler: guitar; ~~Shane Dew~~: guitar; Iain Connell: bass guitar; Kevin Ring: drums

Azaria Dingo and the Seventh Day Adventists were a post punk band, formed in 1980 and may be considered as a meeting of Jimmy & The Boys and Spinal Tap in Joe’s Garage. The band didn’t actually include anyone called Joe, so they usually practised in Kevin Ring’s garage, having already annoyed Harry and Gary’s neighbours enough in previous bands. The members had played together in various permutations throughout their high school years, and having graduated to the wonderful world of dole bludging they were ready to take on the world. Transcending their humble origins as a garage band, they were finally kicked out by Kevin’s long-suffering parents, and moved rehearsals to Warilla Scout Hall. Successfully making the transition from a garage band to a Scout Hall band, they knew that they were on their way.

Named after what was at the time a current events story, Azaria Dingo and the Seventh Day Adventists set out to combine the theatricality of “shock rock” (inspired by Alice Cooper and Jimmy and the Boys) with a punk aesthetic (inspired by the Sex Pistols and Radio Birdman) and a nonchalant attitude (inspired by alcohol). Their style was marked by an intriguing mix of drunkenness and semi-competence. Harry had his head shaved, and wore a studded dog collar. Gary had no plectrum and no shoes, and he strummed hard enough to draw blood at most rehearsals. They continued to play some songs from the repertoire of their previous garage bands ('All Along the Watchtower,' 'Hey Joe'), worked on more adventurous covers (from Duffo’s immortal classic 'Give Me Back Me Brain' to a punk version of the Archies’ 'Sugar Sugar'), and composed several original songs. Their original material included 'Gifts of Light' (about a heroin overdose), 'No Recollection'(about a post-lobotomy mass murderer) and 'Insults at 20 Paces' (no one has the slightest idea what that one was about, which is why it was one of the band’s most successful lyrical efforts):

INSULTS AT TWENTY PACES
You make me crazy
Like snap dried fruit
You say I'm lazy
But at least I root
You give me license
With your long legs
Your breath is incense
Your mind is dregs

CHORUS:
It's not really apple
It's too hard to take
I'd buy you a melon
While I ate a flake.

You hold the gooseneck
I bring the soap
You go to gay bars
I bring the rope
If you were a cumquat
And I was a sloth
I'd give you a melon
While I ate a moth

CHORUS
INSTRUMENTAL
CHORUS [3]

As may be apparent from the downloadable tracks (the first time Azaria Dingo songs have ever been made available to the public), there were still some rough edges to the arrangements. Inevitably tensions began to arise. Kevin, Iain and ~~Shane~~ thought that rehearsal could help the band become “tighter”, and the rough edges could be smoothed out enough for them to perform respectably. Harry and Gary were inspired by the story of Alice Cooper being signed by Frank Zappa on the basis of the audience leaving, and wanted to make the rough edges even rougher – with a little effort, they believed that Azaria Dingo and the Seventh Day Adventists could have been the worst band in the Illawarra (if not the world). The debate proved impossible to resolve, and the band split without ever performing in public.

L-R: Connell, Wade, Inskip, Ring c. 2009

AFTERMATH
Once the group folded, Iain, Kevin and Al recruited another guitarist ex-schoolmate John Wade and formed a new band - called Free Beer Inside because Iain “thought it would look good on a poster outside a pub, as in: tonight, Free Beer Inside, a crowd-puller in my cynical estimation”. Predictably enough, Free Beer Inside disbanded before they were able to perform in a pub. Ironically, Gary and Harry’s acoustic duo project (officially titled Harry Butler, but unofficially dubbed Dog Collar and the Bitches by an anonymous punter) were paid in beer for the few times they performed.

In 2009, Harry, Iain, ~~Shane~~, Gary and John reunited for a few drinks. Kevin wasn’t there (although he had been at a previous reunion which Gary missed). Gary and ~~Shane~~ hadn’t spoken for decades, although both still lived in Barrack Heights – a five minute walk from the original scene of the crime (and each other). Realising that next year would be their 30th anniversary, it was obviously the perfect time to plan a reunion tour. It would have been too easy when they all lived in the same suburb, but now that Harry was based in W.A., Iain was about to move to Scotland and no one knew whether Kevin would be interested, it finally seemed ridiculous enough to be worth pursuing. Plans were made to launch the band with a simultaneous debut performance and 30 year reunion tour.

The idea was that Gary and ~~Shane~~ would get together to work on arrangements and make demo recordings, emailing copies to Harry and Iain for them to re-learn the songs. The basic arrangements would be worked out over the internet, and gigs would be booked for Wollongong, Sydney and Melbourne. Iain and Harry would fly in, Kevin would be invited, the band would rehearse for a few days, they would perform and the crowd would go wild.

L-R: Hall, ~~Dew~~, Butler, Wade c. 2009

Predictably enough, the old disputes met 21st century technology. Gary joined several ridiculous Facebook groups [4]. ~~Shane~~ objected to the frequent notifications. Gary ridiculed his objections. ~~Shane~~ objected to the ridicule. Gary ridiculed the objections to the ridicule of the objections to the ridiculous groups. A few Facebook messages later, ~~Shane~~ had “unfriended” him, and the reunion tour was abandoned to the sound of Gary screaming “Help – a baby took my dingo!”

DISCOGRAPHY
Azaria Dingo and the Seventh Day Adventists were so successful at adhering to the punk values of not “selling out” that they never performed in public, and never entered a recording studio. Despite knowing each other since the 1970s, there are no photographs showing the band together (even without their instruments). Harry remembers the band’s name appearing in a newspaper, although no one has been able to locate the paper.

The only people from outside the band who ever heard them play were random strangers who (usually after sniffing glue, taking a whole box of car sick tablets, or drinking a couple of bottles of cough medicine) would ask if they could stay and listen. If they are out of rehab, it would be interesting to hear their recollections (but from a distance, most of them were a bit odd).

At this stage, the recorded evidence of Azaria Dingo’s existence is restricted to a single badly recorded cassette, Live in Kevin Ring’s Garage. The songs offered for free download are taken from this cassette. Iain claims to be in the possession of “an old cassette tape of us rehearsing in Ringy's garage, although that's in amongst a pile of stuff back in Australia.” According to Harry, "Somewhere in a pile of cassettes in the walk-in cupboard another Dingo howls to be open”. At this stage, both cassettes remain to be uncovered and may remain forever part of the secret mythology of the legend that was Azaria Dingo and the Seventh Day Adventists.

Discography:

Live in Kevin's Garage* (download)

Live in Ringy's Garage

untitled rehearsal tape

*includes bonus track - an 1984 recording of Gary Buter playing 'Gifts of Light' solo.

Resources:

[1] Wollongong the Brave, Aunty Jack Sings Wollongong

[2] 112,397,813 at 1:40, 21 April 2001. Probably more now

[3] Insults at 20 Paces Lyrics © Iain Connell 1980

[4] Including, but not limited to My Sister Said If I Get One Million Fans She Will Name Her Baby Megatron, I Hate When Your Riding Your Bike And A Giraffe Punches You, I Hate When I'm Driving And A Whale Eats My Face Off!, Legend Has It That We Must Sacrifice Justin Bieber To Appease The Volcano, If 15 Million People Join This Group I Will Cure Cancer

Postcript:

Azaria Dingo have finally followed in the fine tradition of McCartneyincluding a photo of copulating beetles on the cover of RAM, and the members ofPink Floyd indulging in a custody battle over an inflatable pig which was apparentlyresolved by the addition of testicles (to the pig).

Without ever playing a gig, we have now apparently reached the stage ofattacking each other in public and threatening legal action. I have an overactive imagination, but even I couldn’t make this stuff up.

Three months after the appearance of this story, a Rhythm Guitarist WhoShall Remain Nameless (because he hasn’t given permission for it to bepublished), demanded that his place in history be erased- “as I never gave permission for it too be put on display!!!!!” [sic].

The threat of legal action was mentionedinitially, although it was subsequently clarified that “a lawyer was anexample!!” (it is not clear what a lawyer was an example of, and I am not goingto risk any lawyer jokes, just in case I need one).

For the record: Iain’s contributions to thearticle did not defame the rhythm guitarist who shall remain nameless, andSteel City Sound President Warren Wheeler has no responsibility for the “Bullshit!!” which I wrote. Iainis the copyright holder of the offending picture, but I will risk violating hismoral rights because (a) I don’t believe that he can afford to hire GeoffreyRobertson and set up a tribunal, and (b) he has a sense of humour. In the absence ofcorroborating evidence, I can only say that this is how I remembered the band,and anyone who wishes to publish an alternate version is free to do so(although I reserve the right to laugh and point).

I will concede that in writing this article, I only sought the approval ofIain and Harry. I didn’t have contact details for Kevin, and doubted whetherhe’d care. I was intending to ask the Rhythm Guitarist Who Shall RemainNameless when my Facebook page received 50,000 “likes” (or 100,000 exclamationmarks, whichever was first). However, given that apparently the RhythmGuitarist Who Shall Remain Nameless has “no respectfor gary (von crap) [sic] and dont [sic] want to be affilated [sic] with him ! [sic]and it is a load of Bullshit!!”, it seemed unnecessary to consult with him onthis postscript. The reader should assume that he disapproves.

In case anyone else was confused by the photos, it should be emphasised thatJohn Wade and Robert Inskip were never members of the “socalled band!!”, although they were in attendance at the reunions andJohn was a member of Free Beer Inside. I hadn’t considered the possibility ofremoving anyone from the photos until I read this email, because so many of theband bios I have read include photos which include friends and family of theband members.

Rather than involving the lawyers, I propose that we settle this matter withinsults at 20 paces. Or maybe we can set up competing Facebook pages, andwhoever gets the most “likes” gets to re-edit the article?

Ever get the feeling you would’ve been cheated if we ever played a gig?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gong Beat (1969-present)

2011-03-19T13:53:00.000+11:00

Much like Zondrae King's Zeen column which ran in The South Coast Times in the mid-sixties, The Illawarra Mercury's Gong Beat also focused on the local live scene. The column has gone through numerous changes throughout the years, including a shortening of it's name to Beat, and expanding to an 8-page lift-out featuring a comprehensive gig guide, CD reviews, local and visiting artist features, and articles on the local scene generally.

Below are the columns in their early incarnation in jpg format. I'll continue adding scans as I find them.

Columnist: Sharyn Kennedy
06 June 1969 (jpg)
Elizabeth Reed, The Cleves, The Flying Circus, Rev. Black & The Rockin' Vicars, Respect, Oliver's, Wonderland

13 June 1969 (jpg)
Masters Apprentices, The Flying Circus, The Cleves, Tamam Shud

20 June 1969 (jpg)
Tin Pan Alley, Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds

27 June 1969 (jpg)
Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, Tin Pan Alley, Earl's Court, Fantasy, Dave Miller Set

04 July 1969 (jpg)
Earl's Court, Oliver's, The Executives

11 July 1969 (jpg)
The Executives, Apple Candy Dance, Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds

Columnist: Janine Myler
02 January 1970 (jpg)
Oliver's, Turkish Green Electric Blues Band, Jeff St John, Tin Pan Alley

09 January 1970 (jpg)
Turkish Green Electric Blues Band, King Fox, Tamam Shud

16 January 1970 (jpg)
A Fluid Journey, Jeff St John & Copperwine, Hokum Jugg, The Executives

23 January 1970 (jpg)
Jeff St John, The Executives, Tamam Shud, Plastic Tears, Autumn, Easybeats

30 January 1970 (jpg)
Dave Miller Set, Jeff St John, Plastic Tears, Ourimbah Pop Festival

06 February 1970 (jpg)
The Executives, Hokum Jugg, Flake, Turkish Green Electric Blues Band, New Maple Lace, Jeff St John

13 February 1970 (jpg)
Tamam Shud, The Nightwalkers, Rosewood Park, Turkish Green, The Affair

20 February 1970 (jpg)
Tin Pan Alley, Plastic Tears, Tamam Shud, The Affair, Hokum Jugg

27 February 1970 (jpg)
Protest dance at Capitol Hall, The Birth, The La De Da's, Turkish Green, Piggy Bank

06 March 1970 (jpg)
Festival of Rock, Elm Tree, Lotus, Hokum Jugg

20 March 1970 (jpg)
Oliver's, Mecca, Savage Rose, Whistler's Rose, Scoop

03 April 1970 (jpg)
The La De Da's, Festival of Rock, Hokum Jugg

10 April 1970 (jpg)
The La De Da's, Fantasy, Clique, Jeff St John

17 April 1970 (jpg)
Paul Mason, Fantasy, Prussian Blue, Mandala, The Prestons, Caeser's

24 April 1970 (jpg)
The Beach Boys, Paul Mason, Autumn, Heart n' Soul

01 May 1970 (jpg)
Jeff St John & Copperwine, Tully, King Biscuit, The Beach Boys

08 May 1970 (jpg)
Moratorium Concert, La-De-Da's, RJ Taylor, Earl's Court

22 May 1970 (jpg)
Heart n' Soul, Earl's Court, The Premiers, The Concept, Capitol Hall, The Complex

29 May 1970 (jpg)
National radio ban, Floppy Poppy Disco, Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, Poridien,

Dawn Patrol (1989-1992)/Shifter/Riffter (1992-2002)/The Dead Set (2002-2007)

2011-02-06T19:31:00.003+11:00

On the eve of Shifter's first peformance in 14 years, vocalist Karl Weber penned this history for Steel City Sound, looking back at what they achieved throughout their career and what it all meant.

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Shifter L-R: Karl Weber, Jamie Cleaves, David Kettley, Steve Krkovski

First forming under the name of Dawn Patrol in 1989, Shifter's beginnings were no different from most other bands: a bunch of pissed off 14 year-olds, making a noise in each others' garages and lounge-rooms. Our aspirations were as basic as our sound: playing good gigs in pubs in Wollongong and potentially Sydney, writing original material, playing support to our heroes and releasing our own music. We took our inspiration from surfing and dirty rock’n’roll (the band name came from a Rip Curl wetsuit and a song by Northern Beaches band The Hellmenn).

Our band was made up of three Corrimal High schoolmates Dave Kettley (guitar), Steve Krkovski (drums), and me - Karl Weber (vocals). Bulli High student Jamie Cleaves joined on bass when we realised we needed something to fill that frequency. I knew Jamie from local student theatre productions and I knew he was keen as he was at that time playing bass in a northern suburbs based metal band, Odium.

Shifting gears as Dawn Patrol

For a short period in the early days we also had a second guitarist – Michael Reay – who was by far the most experienced of us as he played bass in Corrimal High band The Phoenix. We started out practicing in The Phoenix's jam room until Mick quit. We then moved to my parent’s garage.

Our early gigs consisted of playing fundraisers and presentation nights for Sandon Point board-riders and Sandon Point Surf Club. These early shows were lessons in endurance as organisers insisted on three one-hour sets of cover songs, with the encores consisting of crowd favourites. Other types of gigs we played at this time were High School dances, birthday parties and shows we organised ourselves at venues like Thirroul Skating Rink.

Dawn Patrol, Noise Up North rehearsal 17/06/93

Dawn Patrol existed primarily as a party band. We played a bunch of covers by bands like AC/DC, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, The Angels, The Doors and The Hoodoo Gurus. In 1990 we saw the Proton Energy Pills at Thirroul and began to talk about writing our own material. Over the next couple of years we got into pubs and saw bands like The Unheard, Man Bites Dog, Tumbleweed and Zambian Goat Herders, which only reinforced the need to write our own songs. During the transition period between covers and originals, we would sometimes do surf club fundraisers at Bulli Pub under the name The Lovebuttons. Steve Palmer (Bile/Tripe and The Solid Gold Bastards) played second guitar in this covers line-up.

An important step for us was deciding to play in the 1991 Bulli Show Battle of the Bands. We finished in second place and we were talent-spotted by youth worker and former Proton Energy Pill and Zambian Goat Herder Dave Curley. Curley was inspired to take us under his wing, and organised some shows, as well as fed us a bunch of records to listen to by bands like the Stooges, the MC5, The Celibate Rifles and The Hitmen. One of the first shows he lined up for us was ‘Noise up North’, an all ages gig at Thirroul Leagues Club. This gig featured a line up of under-age northern suburbs rock’n’roll bands whose members went on to form Wollongong bands like Evol, The Merkins, Monstrous Blues and Bung.

After a French techno band had a minor hit under the moniker of Dawn Patrol, we changed our name to Shifter. In 1993 we were invited to submit a song to the Wollongong Youth Centre Socketwood compilation. We recorded the track ‘Lost It’ which was an acidic ditty dedicated to fashion. We also recorded a three-song demo around this point at the School of Audio Engineering in Surry Hills. The engineer was a family friend who was learning his craft and the tapes were lost to the ravages of time and no budget. It was never sold or released but a number of dubbed copies were handed out to friends. The three tracks we recorded were ‘Angels Love’, ‘Sick City’ and ‘Rainshower’.

We re-entered the ‘studio’ in 1994 and put together the four-track Clank Clank demo tape. This was recorded in the back room at Wollongong Youth Centre under the watchful ears of Brent Williams (Zambian Goat Herders/The New Christs). Whilst we only planned to sell these tapes at shows and in local outlets like Redback Records, a number were sent out to small labels, pubs, zines and promoters. The demo had a surprisingly positive reaction, picked up good reviews and helped us crack into the tight Sydney scene after the punk label No Deal Records agreed to give us a go. This gig led to more shows within the burgeoning DIY punk scene of the 1990’s and helped us develop connections with out of town bands and promoters. Whilst we were not really a straight punk band, we weren’t really a straight rock’n’roll band either, so we appreciated finding a foothold with new audiences open to our fast and furious sound.

A bunch of live shows plus some decent support slots were followed by the release of the Red Tide Rider 7" in 1996. The 4 track 7” was recorded by Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios (in the old wool stores in Ultimo) and pressed by Corduroy Records in Melbourne. This release was a special time for us as a band as we proudly paid for and put out our own vinyl record, cutting and gluing covers that were printed by a mate’s local printing business – Print Media. We also had the privilege of getting Ben Brown from the Hellmenn to design the cover art which created a satisfying connection to our origins.

We recorded at the Youth Centre again in 1997 for the No Dress Regulations comp. Our track ‘Goon’ was one of many recorded by Brent Williams and marked one of the heavier tracks our band put to tape. As time went on it became one of the bands more popular live tracks and documented the trials and tribulations associated with limited funds being channelled into cheap wine.

The Dead Set

Unfortunately 1997 also saw the departure of our original drummer Steve Krkovski. Increased work commitments and the reality of not really making any money playing music forced his hand, but the parting was amicable which made it a bit easier for all of us. We asked another Corrimal local, Tom Risorto, who we had known for years. He had been playing drums in local bands Ecological Toilet, Forehead and Dragster. Thankfully he said 'yes' and we sort of started again, using some of our old material and writing a bunch of new stuff.

In 1998 we began work on our second EP. It took us a couple of years to pull it together and we travelled up to Lismore to record with our old sound mixer Michelle Dilevski. She was studying to become a sound engineer at Southern Cross Uni and offered us ‘free’ recording time by doing the graveyard shift of 10pm – 6am. These ‘bed’ tracks were then taken to Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios who did some mixing and we released a self titled EP on local label High Beam Music in 2002. Unfortunately for us, soon after we put out our release, a new band in Queensland licensed the name ‘Shifter’ and threatened us with legal action if we did not change our name. This meant our EP now had an ‘illegal’ title so we changed our name to Riffter in time for the second pressing. This name lasted maybe one gig before we hated it so much that we adopted our fourth name, The Dead Set.

Weber performing in The Dead Set

As soon as we put our EP out we started to focus on recording a full length album. We had a bunch of songs and we convinced Rob Younger (Radio Birdman/The New Christs) to produce the record. He became a master at putting the wind up us and we learnt a lot from his approach to recording. Whilst this seemed to be a really positive step, elsewhere we were on the bad luck streak from hell. As soon as we started recording we faced major troubles and tragedies like my father being killed in a farming accident, members of the band going through serious personal problems, medical conditions leaving members unable to play until they had serious treatment and recuperation time, and the financial issues associated with inactivity. No gigs – no money – no recording. When we actually made it into the studio, our recordings were ‘accidently’ taped over and the final tracking and mixes took a lot of time and energy to finalise. Thankfully with a lot of assistance from master mixer Brent Williams, it was finally completed and we released the Bitter Swill album in 2006 to positive reviews. Ultimately though, the grind of the experience had a profound influence on the band taking an extended hiatus in 2007/2008.

Kettley in The Dead Set

We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have been able to do what we did. Whilst it may not have been much compared to some bands, compared to others we were really lucky. During the twenty years we played in the band, we played in Wollongong venues like Hals Tavern, The Oxford, The North Gong, The Patch, The Ukranian Club, Bulli Pub, The Post Office Tavern, Chequers Nitespot, Sunami, Wollongong Uni, Corrimal Leagues Club, Thirroul Leagues Club, The Rex Hotel, Corrimal Pub, Berry Pub, Kiama Inn (Torys), Bomaderry RSL, Sussex Inlet RSL, Woonona Bowling Club, Headlands Hotel, Thirroul Skating Rink and Corrimal / Coledale / Thirroul / Helensburgh-Stanwell Park / Sandon Point / Austinmer and Bellambi surf clubs. In nearly two decades of band time we played gigs in three states and one territory, released our music locally and internationally (before myspace!), got some radio airplay, played some excellent gigs with local, national and international bands, got songs on surf movies, raised money for numerous causes and stayed friends through all the shitty times. Upon reflection, it is nice to think we achieved everything we wanted do, and everything else that happened we see as being a bonus.

Some of the bands we played alonsgide: Fugazi, No Use For a Name, No Fun At All, Millencolin, Radio Birdman, The Hellmenn, The Celibate Rifles, The Hard Ons, You Am I, Screamfeeder, Tumbleweed, Zambian Goat Herders, The Unheard, Evol, FUgG, Hy-Test and plenty more.

David Kettley now plays in Super Mojo alongside Steve Krkovski, as well as The New Christs.

Both Karl Weber and Jamie Cleaves spent time in The Pink Fits and LOG and both are currently performing in The Blackwood Chimers. Cleaves also plays in Bulldoze All Bowlos.

Tom Risorto is now a fulltime graphic designer.

On February 5, 2011 the original line-up of Shifter reformed for a one-off show at Hy-Fest, and reissued the Red Tide Rider on limited-run CDR to commemorate the event.

drift by us in our former selves shifter

THE DEAD SET | Myspace Video

Shifter/Riffter Discography:

1993: 'Lost It' - Socketwood compilation (download)

1994: Clank Clank demo

1996: Red Tide Rider 7" (Plaidos Records)

1997: 'Goon' - No Dress Regulations compilation (download)

2002: Shifter EP (High Beam Music) (download)

2003: Riffter EP (High Beam Music) (see 'Shifter' EP)

2004: 'Road to Demise' - High Beam Music... Vol. 1 compilation (download)

2005: 'Scrambled Eggs' - Fist Full of Rock n' Roll compilation

2011: Red Tide Rider CDR reissue (download)

The Dead Set Discography:

2006: Bitter Swill (independent)

Resources:

The Dead Set myspace

A History of Wollongong Bands 1960-2004

Erle Montaigue (1949-2011)

2011-01-29T16:08:00.001+11:00

It is with sadness this week that Steel City Sound learnt of the passing of Erle Montaigue. Previously known as Erle Dalby, Montaigue fronted Earl's Court in the mid-to-late sixties and went on to become a sought-after theatre vocalist, before settling in the UK.

Raised in Corrimal, Montaigue's interest in music came from his father who was a self-taught musician. Watching his schoolmates perform in The Images, Montaigue soon muscled his way into the group and, under the suggestion of good friend and local venue operator Zondrae King, changed the band's name to Earl's Court - a popular hang-out in the UK for Aussie ex-pats.

Leaving school at an early age, Montaigue took up an apprenticeship as a Telephone Technician. It was also around this time that Montaigue met and married Cheryl Hidasi - a local vocalist who had provided Earl's Court with back-up vocals on the odd occasion. Erle and Cherl had two children together before going their separate ways.

Dalby circa-1971

The band recorded 'Can't Wait For September' b/w 'Let Me Be Yours Tomorrow' however by the time the single was released in late 1970, Montaigue and the remaining Earl's Court members had split. To overcome this problem manager Dal Myles set Montaigue up with fledgling Sydney band Pyramid, and the single was released as 'Pyramid with Erl Dalby'.

Montaigue went on to appear in Jesus Christ Superstar, Man of Sorrow, and contributed vocals to Nuclear, before relocating to the UK where he continued to pursue a theatrical career.

Montaigue returned to Australia in the late 70's following the death of his father when he met and married his second wife, Sandra. Moving back to the UK, Montaigue became immersed in martial arts - in particular Tai Chi and Ba Gua, where he became an internationally renowned instructor, having produced numerous books and DVD's on the subjects.

Montaigue continued his passion for music with his family band, Moontagu.

Montaigue passed away on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 from a heart-attack.

Though I personally never met Montaigue, he was a supporter of Steel City Sound, freely engaging in the process of putting his band's history together and providing the audio for free download. I am ever-so thankful that we were able to publish the Earl's Court history before he passed away, and in doing so preserving his work for future generations.

You can read Steel City Sound's piece on Earl's Court here, check out Moontagu here, and read a more detailed autobiography here.

(Partial) Discography:
1970   Pyramid & Erl Dalby - 'Can't Wait For September' b/w 'Let me Be Yours Until Tomorrow' 7" (download)
1970   'Man of Sorrow' Soundtrack
1971   Pyramid - 'Fisherman' b/w 'Celebrate'
1971   Erl Dalby - 'Send Susanna Home' b/w 'Teach Me How To Fly' (download)
1972   Erl Dalby - 'Candy' b/w 'Pasadena'
1972 'Nuclear' Soundtrack
1972   'Jesus Christ Superstar' Soundtrack
1979 Erle Montaigue - 'We Were Life' b/w 'Daylight'
2006 Erle Montaigue - 40 Years (download CD1) (download (CD2)
2006 Moontagu - Written In Stone (download)
2010   Erle Montaigue - Streets of Home (download sampler)
Unreleased   Moontagu - Feel the Fire (download demo's)

The Kiama Girls' Choir - Kiama

2011-01-22T22:09:00.000+11:00

Wollongong isn't all about rock n' roll, y'know. No sir'ee, Bob. When we're not out rockin' n' raisin' hell we like to sit back in our comfy chair with a ice-cold glass of homemade lemonade and listen to our favourite local choirs. And there have been few better choirs from our region than Kiama Girls' Choir.

Founded in 1970 by music teacher Dina Patton the Kiama Girls' Choir was ably assisted by Erwin Smith - a local playwright who fancied himself a conductor. Meanwhile Christine Patton and Elizabeth Creagan provided piano accompaniments and Gaye Robinson, a typist with a solicitor's fim in Wollongong, sang soprano. Greg Patton - Dina's hubby - drove the girls to their gigs.

The choir achieved great success prior to releasing this album (though the release date is unknown, and it would've been 1972 or later according to the liner notes), having twice gained first place in the City of Wollongong Eisteddfod. The choir also performed two recitals in Wollongong, appeared on WIN 4, sang in stores at Christmas time as well as the Kiama Pavillion.

Kiama was recorded live at Wollongong Baptist Church and released by The Gems of Joy - a locally-based missionary-styled music group - on their eponymous label.

Thanks goes to Mr Snookles at Third Island blog where this little curioso was stumbled upon.

Discography:

Kiama (download)

Man Bites Dog (1987-1994)

2011-01-15T00:28:00.000+11:00

In the early stages of Steel City Sound I contacted Rob Laurie - former bassist of Man Bites Dog - and invited him to provide me with a sketch of the band's history: who, what, where, when, and why. Most people I approach with this invitation readily accept it and Rob was no different. Of course, just like most people I approach, I then had to nag Rob until he finally gave in and provided me with the much needed detail. However, Rob went above and beyond and provided me with such a detailed 'sketch', that little could be done to improve upon it.

Thus, I now present to you the history of Man Bites Dog, as told by Rob Laurie, with minimal editing.

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Man Bites Dog

"The phrase 'Man bites dog' describes a phenomenon in journalism in which an unusual, infrequent event is more likely to be reported as news than an ordinary, everyday occurrence (such as 'Dog bites man')." - Wikipedia

It's also a card game, a revolting Belgian schlock movie and at least two other bands exist with that name.

The first band I was in was the briefly existing garage/punk/RnB band The Fluffs which featured Dave Curley, Gordon Johns, Ed and Tom Dion and Michael Wilson. The Fluffs infamously drove to Melbourne with The Unheard in a modified Dion's bus (though similarities to the Partridge Family end abruptly there). I played drums until I/they bled.

I then found myself, as it were, in a performance-art group called Swamp Art with Bill O'Donovan, Don Francis and Michael Wilson. Swamp Art devised these weird little shows/events and performed at the Uni, The Plant Room Cafe, Trade Union Club and also in Canberra as a support act for Man Bites Dog. "Thrash Jazz and Atomic Theatre" was how the show was advertised.

Man Bites Dog featured Greg Campbell (guitar/vocals), Chris Flanagan (drums), Belinda Deane (bass) and a brass section consisting of Stephen Fitzpatrick (trombone/keys/vocals), and Mark Holder-Keeping (saxophone/vocals). Initially the band also included Francine Feld (trumpet) and Rob Maxwell-Jones (baritone saxophone).

Mark Holder-Keeping & Steve Fitzpatrick

By the time of the Canberra gig Col Flanagan (deceased), Chris' brother, had assumed the position of bassist but only as a temporary fill-in after Belinda Deane (deceased) had left to join The Sus-Stains (and later The Unheard).

I can't remember how it was presumed I could do the job because up to then I had never played the bass guitar and didn't own any gear. I was however a big fan of the music and having grown up on a diet of weird British prog n' pop, easily managed to dance to their odd time signatures and sing a long to the tunes.

Rob Laurie & Chris Flanagan

Anyway, I accepted a dilapidated Framus hollow body, short-necked bass and a faltering bass amp with a Wasp 4 x 12 cabinet was supplied. I set out to learn the bass patterns by rote for a couple of dozen mostly original songs and a few bent covers. My first gig with Man Bites Dog took place by the duck pond at UoW in 1987.

Local gigs were mostly at The Oxford, the North Gong, the Uni-Bar, The Iron-Workers Club, and the Coniston Hotel before it got done over. There were free gigs around town for Wollongong Out-of-Workers and a picketline at the building site of Warrawong Hoyts.

"Thrash Jazz" was a quite succinct description. It was always a problem to describe what the band sounded like to potential bookers looking for another Cold Chisel-a-like.

Arguably what gave the band its unique sound, also made it very hard to categorise and therefore promote. There weren't too many bands around with a brass section for a start.

The songs were choppy and often extremely fast. The tunes were memorable often laced with interesting (we thought), rhythmic ideas. The often dark, wry lyrics referred to the local area: the steelworks, local TV personalities, the Mercury, pubs, shopping centres, catholic education, dropping trips, death, mattresses and surf culture. Plus the usual stuff of angst ridden young men.

Greg Campbell @ The Oxford

The music of Man Bites Dog was twisted and angular but there was also lounge-jazz, cheesey-pop, New Orleans hymns, funk, punk, disco, ska, latin and feedback wigouts thrown in. We developed stylistic chops and sought to show them all off, usually within the one song.

In retrospect it's probable that we came across as tasteless bloody minded smart-arses. We all wore gaudy op-shop shirts, bad pants and had a less than punctual attitude to virtually any situation including rehearsals and gigs. Our local audience however vigorously danced. There were moments of delicacy but bombast in 5/8 was more fun.

Early local gigs utilized an experimental home-built PA system that looked real nice; green baize covered cubes, heavy as fuck. Dubbed 'The Hindenberg' (sorry Tim!) it wasn't a massive success as a PA. It broke down often but at least never exploded. Oh the humanity!

We started getting gigs in Sydney; we played with bands from the then just foaled Troy Horse stable, such as Beathaven. The usual B-level circuit; The Journo's Club, Evil Star, Coogee Bay Hotel (how they hated us there!) The Lansdowne with Peguins on Safari, and of course The Sando, Pismo Bar at the Petersham Hotel... or was it the Compressed Redneck in Leichardt? There were great gigs and some absolute stinkers. Either way there was always the drive back to Wollongong in the back of the van. Clunk-clunk-clunk-Kogarah….

We recorded four tracks for an EP at Rob Spegonia's studio in Corrimal with money that Fitz got selling a car that he somehow managed to win. Two tracks were also recorded live by Tim Vandenberg in the Masonic Hall in Smith St.

The lead song 'Life' was played a bit on Triple J and we felt the slightly warm fuzzies of potential progress. But as there was no label interested in releasing or promoting it, no management to get us on tours. 'Life', a song alluding to terminal ennui with its neat 7/8 European oompah folk-dance mid-section, was destined for neither Hitsville or even Cultsville. It died in the proverbial arse.

Live at The Journo's Club

Our most famous support slot was for Dinosaur Jnr. There were also supports for Painters and Dockers, Headless Chickens at the Kardoma Café in the Cross, Nick Barker (& the Complete Bastards), a gig in Parramatta where we were given The Wombat Switch i.e. our sound totally sucked, theirs was miraculously perfect. Meh!

We employed a regular mixer Paul Raymond (deceased) who helped iron our sound out a little but for most gigs we were at the mercy of someone else's PA and mixing person who usually had to be paid, oh, and the lighting guy and the guy on the door and the poster run, and…rah rah!

For a little while we found a kind of mentor with Michael Levis at Troy Horse. He set up some fun gigs at the Journo's Club and recorded half a dozen tracks that never got released. One of our songs was used in a short animated film (A Rat in the Building) and a documentary about Sydney taxi drivers. But the Sydney push ran out of steam and we retired to occasional local gigs back in the Gong and eventually moved apart and it all stopped.

One of the final ignominies was having finally weaseled our way in to a prestigious Sydney recording studio to record a track for a compilation of Sydney bands, only to be informed that not only was the song not funky enough to be included on the CD but that it was "the worst fuckin' song" producer Simon Polinski "had ever fuckin' heard". We thought it was a cracker. Sadly we didn't even get a copy of the tape.

Rehearsals at the Masonic Hall

The final 18 months of the band included sax player Melinda Wishart to beef the horns up. The last public gig was with The Surprise Arm in the Hogan's Bar, City Pacific in Dec 1st 1994.

And yet… many of our local gigs were truly events. The Oxford and The Plant Room simply heaved sweatily to our Thrash-Jazz juggernaut of sound. We loved the music; the rest was what had to be put up with in order to play the music. We gave it a good go.

This is not an unusual story of a band, Man Bites Dog was an unusual band though and one that could only have come from a place called Wollongong.

Mention should also be made to poster and backdrop designer, Bill O'Donovan who produced some unique visuals for us. Typically there is little video documentary evidence, a clutch of photos, and bunch of cassettes of rehearsals, live gigs and studio recordings and the Life EP.

If you were there and liked Man Bites Dog's music consider yourself duly thanked.

Rob Laurie, January 2011

Resources:

Wikipedia

Discography:

1989: Life EP (download)

Steel City Sound Exclusives:

Live at The Oxford, 26/09/88 (download)

Life demo cassette (download)

Troy Horse Sessions, 1990 (download)

Live at The North Gong 01/01/93 (download)

'Love Theme from Take a Seat' & 'The Intruder' (download)

Mondo Kaine (1969-1973)

2011-01-12T23:05:00.001+11:00

Mondo Kaine play Battle of the Sounds at Warrawong, 1972

Formed by a bunch of beach-buddies from Warilla High, Mondo Kaine were your typical local rock band of that time: four blokes with a penchant for the sounds of Hendrix and Creedence coming from across the waters.

Geoff 'Ged' Holmes (bass/vocals), Steve Keelan (lead guitar), and Trevor Rix (drums) were inspired to pick up their respective instruments after seeing surfing pal Wayne Rogers plug his guitar through into old turntable amp.

Getting work on their local milk-runs allowed the 13-year old boys to save up for the much-needed instruments and before long the band had obtained enough gear to start practicing in their parents' garages.

Triak play a wedding in 1970

Originally going by the name of Triak, they scored their first gig at Oakleigh Park Hall on Shellharbour Rd, Warilla. Keelan laughs now as he recalls the hall backed onto a tennis court, and was used for the players' morning tea, only to be turned into a concert hall for teenagers in the evenings.

Following the Oakleigh Hall gig Triak began playing the usual events (school dances, weddings, band comps, etc...) and in mid-1970 changed their name to Mondo Kaine.

As the players matured so did the venues, and the band got a regular spot on at The Charles Hotel in Fairy Meadow which Keelan describes as a haven for rock acts at the time.

Mondo Kaine entered themselves into a band comp held at Dapto Showground which included local and Sydney-based bands but, according to Keelan, were "duly eliminated". The winners on this particular night were Rose Tattoo.

The band also played at a 'tribute' concert of sorts at Lang Park, South Wollongong following Jimi Hendrix's death.

Mondo Kaine: Ready for business

Sadly, Mondo Kaine split in 1973 without recording.

Following Mondo Kaine's demise Holmes, Rogers and Rix all went on to perform with Low Key.

Holmes and Rogers also played together in Liberty, East and Section Eight, whilst individually Holmes played with Cargo, and Rogers played with New Tricks.

Wayne Rogers is currently a member of The Tornadoes - quite possibly the world's longest surviving band.

Keelan chose not to pursue music until later in life, when he played with the NSW Irish Pipe Band.

Special thanks to Steve Keelan for providing the neccesary information for this piece.

Mutton (2000-2004)

2010-12-19T12:17:00.000+11:00

Mutton L-R: Dave Mutton, Stu Gates, Bill Anderson

Interviewing some of the more "senior" members of the scene can pose some interesting obstacles - not the least of which is asking subjects to cast their minds back 30 or 40 years or more to recall particular details long forgotten. That any number of people can recall the same, single event completely differently to each other certainly makes researching for Steel City Sound a challenge.

And yet, it is for this reason that Steel City Sound exists - lest our musical heritage be lost to the perils of dementia and time.

Bill Anderson

With that in mind, researching Mutton should be a doddle, right? I mean, it's not like we're going back to a time when Menzies was PM and women weren't allowed into pubs. Hell, we're only going back as far as the Sydney Olympics.

Mutton existed for the first half of this past decade, yet ask any of the members about this time and you're likely to be met with blank stares, like you've asked them to recall the details of their own birth.

Whether this collective amnesia is the result of one too many ales, or a specific kind of post-traumatic stress (Mutton being the trauma) is unknown, but if it weren't for the two albums and one limited run EP released during the bands' lifetime, you could easily convince the members themselves that the band never actually existed.

The band's official bio places the origins of Mutton at the scene of a botched bank robbery, a car break-in, and a hit-and-run. And though the bio includes a disclaimer to the effect that this particular version of history may not have actually happened, it does ably represent the band's comical nature.

Dave Mutton

In reality Mutton can be traced back to 1998 when Dave Parr (aka Dave Mutton, bass), Stu Gates (drums), Bill Anderson, (guitar), Dave's brother Colin (guitar), and Dave's then-partner Stella Lucas (sister of Steve Lucas of X, vocals) started playing basic and brash three-chord punk under the name of Wotstinx.

Whilst still playing for Wotstinx, Gates joined Psychotic Numbskulls along with Richard Moulton. Dave Parr soon followed with Bill closely behind.

The Numbskulls slipped into a coma in 2000 and subsequently the trio of Parr, Gates and Bill reformed under the name of Mutton with Warwick Lee (aka Wokka) on vocals.

Wokka lost interest quite soon, and the trio decided to go it alone, getting their first gig at a Ryan's Hotel open mic session where they were talent-spotted by members of FUgG who invited the band to play at the Oxford shortly after.

Invariably described as 'obnoxious', 'loud' and 'sloppy', Mutton soon settled in as local stalwarts, playing numerous shows both locally and in Sydney alongside such local legends as The Unheard, Topnovil, Rockafella and Hytest (amongst countless others), as well getting slots at the now-defunct Kemblastock.

Stu Gates

Mutton recorded and released Self Titled in 2001, followed by The Funniest Blokes in the World in 2003. The band also released an extremely limited run of CDR's (20 copies to be precise) descriptively titled Special Limited Edition Live 4 Track EP with 2 Bonus Tracks!

Despite their comical demeanour, Mutton suffered from the same volatility as many a band before them, and in 2004, following a falling out between Parr and Bill, called it a day.

Both Gates and Parr are now integral members of The Nice Folk, and Parr also performs regularly under his pseudonym.

Psychotic Numbskulls reformed in 2010.

Discography:
2001: Self Titled (download)
2002: Special Limited Edition Live 4 Track EP with 2 Bonus Tracks! (download)
2003: The Funniest Blokes the World (download)

Thanks to Dave Mutton and Stu Gates for at least trying to remember.

Sun (1971-1976)

2010-11-24T23:18:00.004+11:00

Sun at Paddington's Mandala Theatre, 1972

Though technically a Sydney-based band, Sun's rightful birthplace was right here in the 'Gong in 1968; 1966 if you're searching for a more tenuous link. Formed in '66 and made up of Allan Vander Linden (guitar), Gary Norwell (drums), Warren Bell (bass/trumpet) and Jim Guest (piano), The Chromatix only played a handful of gigs, most notably the New Years Eve Party at the new Wollongong Town Hall in the same year as their formation. According to Norwell, The Chromatix played a lot of Tijuana-styled brass tunes as well as some surf-instrumental music which, as Grampa Simpson might say, was the style of the time.

In '67 The Cromatix morphed into Shades of Truth with Graeme Wood replacing Vander Linden, and Ian Johnstone coming in on organ, replacing Guest. Shades of Truth did a few shows at Zondrae's playing a bunch of Monkees, Stones, Kinks and Donovan covers. Joining the band on bass at this stage was Tom Thompson who lived down the road from Norwell. Meanwhile Vander Linden had formed blues outfit Spoonful with Craig Hunt (vocals), Keith Shadwick (tenor sax), Dave Smith (drums) and Henry Correy (bass). This line-up of Spoonful also played a handful of gigs at Zondrae's, and when Smith left the drum seat empty, Norwell filled the vacancy. Hunt left soon after, opening the way for Ian 'Jamie' Smith (from Justin Arthur) to join the line-up. Ian Smith was well-known around the traps due to being a regular columnist for the then-scene bible Go-Set.

King Biscuit

The new-look Spoonful changed their name, first to The Hokum Jugg Band and then to The King Biscuit Flour Show Blues Band - an obscure 1930's blues reference, in case you were wondering. King Biscuit, as the band eventually became known, also featured the artistic talents of Peter Kiwi whose experimental approach to the bands' light show was considered ahead of its time. In his memoirs Tom Thompson refers to a performance of King Biscuit which was reviewed by the school magazine: "Last on the programme was The King Biscuit Band who made you listen because you could not hear anything else." The band entered the regional leg of Hoadley's Battle of the Bands in 1969 to be held at Wonderland. Complete with Kiwi's 30ft backlit translucent - and some may say phallic - purple balloon, the band scored the runner-up's spot, coming second only to Last Weeks' Washing.

Along with regular spots at Wonderland, King Biscuit also picked up gigs at Pioneer Hall, Corrimal Community Hall and took the honour of being the first blues band to play Wollongong Leagues Club. By this time the band had included some Hendrix, Zeppelin and Jeff Beck tunes into their repertoire, catering to the small contingent of the audience who were hip to these young upstarts.

In 1970 the band headed to Sydney and worked the Uni circuit, regularly taking in Paddington Town Hall before undergoing another line-up, repertoire and name change.

Following the departure of Vander Linden (who went on to join Gunga Din) in 1971, King Biscuit recruited Chris Sonnenberg, changed it's name to Sun, and adopted a more jazz-influenced sound, playing wine bars , universities , school dances and nightclubs with a set that included material by John Coltrane and Archie Shepp. By now the line-up also featured electric pianist George Almanza.

Ian Smith left the band in 1972 to be replaced with a young, fresh-faced Renee Geyer. Though Geyer's tenure was brief (12 months), it was during this period that Sun recorded their one and only available recording for RCA Records, Sun 1972. The album, featuring nine original compositions that ranged from soul to free-form jazz to psych rock, was what some may term a commercial failure. As such, the album has never been re-issued and has since become something of a holy grail in the world of Australian record collectors. Indeed, a near-mint copy of the album was recently spotted on eBay fetching US$250.

Following the release of Sun 1972 Starlee Ford replaced Geyer and Tony Slavich replaced Almanza. Under the direction of Norwell and Shadwick Sun began exploring the extremities of freeform jazz, however, this was met with some opposition within the band. Due to a counter-push to move into prog-rock territory, Norwell and Shadwick both left the band in 1973, leaving Correy as the only original Wollongong-raised member.

Following Sun's eventual demise in 1976, Correy went into band management, whilst forging a successful career as a blues artist. Correy formed The Correydoors and played the Blues Jams at the Oxford Tavern for about three years. Following the Correydoors, Correy continued playing as a solo artist and has since released a string of solo albums and achieved international recognition.

Following his split from Sun, Shadwick commenced work on a solo album with Norwell's assistance. However, due to life taking the pair in different directions it would be more than three decades before the album finally saw the light of day.

Norwell played with TV Jones briefly (an early incarnation of which featured Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman) as well as Sheila, a feminist womens band in Sydney, before relocating back to Wollongong in 1979. In 1983 Norwell joined Animal Farm featuring Ewan Sommerville (who would go on to form Whose Muddy Shoes).

Meanwhile, Shadwick relocated to Melbourne and joined The Bleeding Hearts as well as The High Rise Bombers (featuring Martin Armiger of Sports, and Paul Kelly) before returning to his homeland of England and landing a job as editor for Music Trades International magazine. In 1985, Shadwick, somewhat ironically, became head of marketing for RCA Classics, though it does not appear that he used his influence to have Sun 1972 reissued. In 1989 Shadwick would become the head of Koch International but in 1992 would go freelance, writing for various jazz and classics publications, presenting a number of radio shows and writing biographies of Bill Evans, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. In 2008 Candid Records released Free Time - the album Shadwick had started work on with Norwell thirty-five years prior. Unfortunately, Shadwick would lose his fight to mesothelioma five days before it's release. Proceeds from Free Time are being donated to Londons' Barts Hospital.

Vander Linden currently works as a music teacher in Balgownie, is a member of Monkeys Uncle and has worked with local blues songstress Anni Piper, Kappen Hand, Boots and Tassles and numerous others.

Early Shades of Truth bassist Tom Thompson became secretary of the Australian Blues Society at 15, before taking over Ian Smith's post as Go-Set's Wollongong columnist. Thompson went into journalism covering art, books and cabaret before going into publishing at HarperCollins and working on titles such as Paul Kelly's Lyrics and Archie Roach's You Have The Power.

More recently Thompson has re-engaged with Norwell and Vander Linden on a 15-part serial for ABC project and is looking forward to producing a King Biscuit EP in 2011.

Discography:

1972: Sun 1972 (~~download~~)
Update: The above download link has been removed at the request of Aztec Records, who are planning a re-release of Sun 1972 in early 2012.

Resources:
Thompson, Tom, Growing Up in the 60's pg 85, Kangaroo Press, 1986

Biblio.com - Keith Shadwick Bibliography & Notes

Divine Rites - The TV Jones Story

Wikipedia - Deniz Tek

Wikipedia - Sun

Thanks to Gary Norwell, Allan Vander Linden, Tom Thompson and Henry Correy for their help with this piece, and to 'Micko' over at MidozTouch who provided the LP rip.

Earl's Court (1966-1970)

2010-11-15T22:07:00.010+11:00

Steve MacDonald, Erle Dalby, Mark Searle, Andy Gollop

Of all the bands to emerge from the local scene in the sixties, Earl's Court is perhaps one of the more intriguing. Yet, despite them having a minor hit, one would be hard-pressed to track down any recordings credited to the band. But more on that in a moment.

The origins of Earl's Court can be traced back to The Images: an instrumental group formed in 1965, and made up of Corrimal High students Mark Searle (bass), Brian Johnson (drums), Les Eager (rhythm) and Andy Gollop (lead).

Johnson, Searle & Gollop

Very much influenced by The Shadows, The Images began gigging locally and making a name for themselves. In attendance at a number of the band's gigs was fellow Corrimal High student Erle Dalby, who eventually convinced the band to form a vocal group with his involvement.

The change would see a tweaking of the roles, with Searle taking on rhythm guitar, Gollop picking up the bass, Dalby tackling guitar and lead vocal, and Eager dropping out.

With the new line-up came a new name, and Earl's Court - a name Gollop says was suggested by local venue operator Zondrae King, referencing the London province popular with Aussie ex-pats - began picking up where The Images left off, getting gigs at Pioneer Hall, Corrimal Community Hall and, of course, Zondrae's.

So nervous and inexperienced were the band that Zondrae recalls an early show at her venue where Dalby half-hid in the curtain that ran alongside the stage through the whole set. "I don't remember much about the style of music they were playing at that point." says King, "but it must have fitted in because they were always one of our favourite bands."

Erle Dalby

Gollop, however, remembers it differently. "Apart from anything else," he says "it's difficult to hide behind a curtain while playing guitar. Also, the stage was very small at Zondrae's and did not have curtains."

In 1966 Dalby was expelled from school (for painting one of the buildings yellow, amongst other minor indiscretions) and commenced training as a telephone technician in Sydney. It is here were he met drummer Steve McDonald who was invited to replace Johnson, who, though arguably a better drummer, lacked flair. Meanwhile local teenage dance organiser David Jones was brought in as the bands' manager, simply because the band "needed someone".

The opportunity to play live gave the quartet some much-needed exposure and in October that same year they entered the innaugural 'Beat Battle' hosted at the Wollongong Show. For the show, the band adopted a 'uniform' by way of white skivvies and jeans, a strategy Gollop believes influenced the outcome. Up against other local acts such as The Finks, The None-Such, The Mystic Eyes and The Method, Earl's Court walked away victorious because, according to judge Tony Murphy, "they displayed the greatest potential". The prize included cash as well as an appearance on Murphy's nationally broadcasted 'Saturday Date'. However, neither of these prizes ever materialised.

Simon Suede @ Wonderland

Following this success Earl's Court would go through more transformations, first experimenting with an organist (Jim Fox), and then with the departure of Dalby.

Dalby's movements around this time is difficult to pinpoint. A South Coast Times piece puts him in a group called Candle - a band Dalby has no recollection of. Meanwhile Gollop suggests Dalby may have formed The Driven Minds around this time, though Dalby insists The Driven Minds existed pre-Earl's Court.

Nonetheless, Dalby's absence from the band lasted for 12-months or so, while Gollop, Searle and McDonald continued on with old school friend Derek Warner who joined as vocalist/guitarist. This new line-up renamed themselves Simon Suede - a group which Gollop says was "very much characterised by harmonies", and soon became the resident band at King's new venue, Wonderland (where Northern Ten Pin Bowl now stands).

Gary Vickery (previously of The Princetons and The Swinging Meet) was soon brought into Simon Suede as lead guitarist to replace Warner who had left to join The None-Such. Sometime in mid-'68, and with a little prodding from their peers, the band decided to re-unite with Dalby and in doing so reverted back to Earl's Court.

Searle, Vickery & Dalby

The new, revitalised Earl's Court chose Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds for their first reunion gig, and despite wowing audiences were beaten to the punch by Tin Pan Alley. With Vickery & Searle providing the six-strings, Dalby was left to focus on his vocals, and according to the South Coast Times their performance was "right out of sight".

Due to McDonald's tendency to lose time whilst singing, Vickery recommended Don Costa (The Living Dead/The Swinging Meet) to take the drummer's stool. With the help of regular Wonderland performances, the band had matured and established a solid following. King remembers "Erle had developed into a great front man, with his hair flowing and the white linen hippy style clothing. Erle had a particular kind of a swaying, marching, left right step, he used to keep time with the music and he would do the old 'one finger in the ear' with his left hand to keep himself focused. All the while using his right hand to express the lyric."

Having parted ways with David Jones when the band first morphed into Simon Suede, Earl's Court continued on without a manager, though they did allow Red Della Bona (Zondrae King's mother) - who the boys affectionately called "Mum Della Bona" - to help them out to this end.

South Coast Times 18/01/68

The band experimented with female vocalists, and at one stage featured both Angela Jones (later of Tin Pin Alley) and Cheryl Hidasi, before shifting back to the more manageable quintet. Dalby would later elope with Hidasi with whom he would have two children. Unfortunately the marriage would not last.

in 1969 Mum Della Bona would introduce the band to Dal Myles - a high profile TV newsreader and, later, compere for Saturday morning TV show 'Happening '70'. Myles attended an Earl's Court show and sensing the potential within the band, offered them the Vanda/Young-penned song 'Can't Wait for September'. The band's relationship with Myles would soon sour however, when it was revealed they would have to pay for their own recording session.

Nonetheless, Earl's Court booked themselves into United Sound Studios in Pyrmont. Best known for its soundtrack work, United Sound's biggest recording credit came via Island recording artist John Martyn who used the studio to record the theme song to the Australian film In Search of Anna in 1978. Having recently opened it's doors to rock acts Earl's Court were one of the first bands to record at the studio, although to keep costs down they were forced to work the midnight-to-dawn sessions. Spencer Lee worked behind the mixing desk while the band laid down 'Can't Wait for September' and 'Let Me Be Yours Until Tomorrow'; a song penned by Carole King & Gerry Goffin and recorded by a dozen or so bands in the preceding four years, among them Engelbert Humperdink, Cher, The Monkees and Melbourne-based The Dream. The band also paid for a full orchestra for the string backing and Rory Thomas (Doug Parkinson's In Focus) provided the keys as well as producing the single.

Gollop also recalls paying Myles $200 for his part in getting the single air play. Dalby disputes this detail and goes as far as saying that by the time the single was released in 1970 the Australian radio strike was in full swing. This strike action was in protest to APRA demanding licensing fees from radio stations that played their member's material. As Earl's Court were not APRA members, there were no licensing fees, and subsequently the single received airplay without the need for Myles' involvement. Either way, the single did reasonably well, though the band would not be credited for their involvement.

Pyramid (Dalby is far left)

By the time May 1970 had come around, Gollop had been called up for national service, signalling the end of the band. Myles subsequently teamed Dalby up with the fledgling Sydney band Pyramid. The two tracks which Earl's Court had paid for and played on were released under the name of Pyramid featuring Erl Dalby (note the revised spelling of Dalby's name) despite no members of Pyramid actually appearing on the record. A rumour circulated that Pyramid had in fact re-recorded the single, however the members of Earl's Court maintain the single was their recording, and will point to Gollop's 'bum bass note' at the end of the A-side as evidence.

'Can't Wait for September' was released in November 1970 on Du Monde Records (SDM-325) and entered the Go-Set Top 60 at #51 on Boxing Day 1970, and peaked at #24 before sliding back down the charts.

Dalby continued to perform with Pyramid before forging a career in musical theatre. Dalby contributed vocals to Jesus Christ Superstar, Man of Sorrow and Rod Stewart's ill-fated Nuclear, before heading to the UK in 1974 to pursue his career in theatre. Today Dalby resides in Wales, goes by the name of Erle Montaigue, and is a highly respected martial arts instructor, having published over 25 books and instructional videos on the topic. Additionally, Montaigue performs and records in the family band Moontagu.

In late 1971 Vickery relocated to Sydney to pursue music full-time and also found solace in musical theatre. Today Vickery is one of Australia's most respected guitarists and has performed in the stage productions of Cats, Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, Mamma Mia, Les Miserables (ad infinitum) across the country and Asia.

Following the demise of Earl's Court, Searle continued to play music in a country rock band though no further details have surfaced throughout my research.

Gollop trained as a medic in the army, and upon his return in 1972, completed his training in metallurgy and worked at BHP until the late nineties. Gollop currently has his own consultancy firm and at present is contracted to to BlueScope. Having maintained his interest in music, Gollop has built a home studio primarily for hobby purposes. Gollop's son David currently plays drums for local band, Lint.

Don Costa went on to perform with The Nightwalkers, before landing a gig with local stalwarts The Tornadoes. Sadly, Costa passed away on 12 September 1999, aged 50.

It is believed that Steve McDonald relocated to Hawaii, whilst Les Eager gave up guitar and worked as a chemist at BHP until his retirement.

Brian Johnson pursued a career in accountancy.

Postscript: On 26 January 2011, Erle Montaugue passed away suddenly at his home in Wales. Please read this tribute for further details about Erle's life, post-Earl's Court.

Discography:
1970: 'Can't Wait For September' b/w 'Let Me Be Yours Until Tomorrow' (released under the name Erl Dalby with Pyramid) (download)

Extras:
'Can't Wait For September (Extended Dance Version)' courtesy of Tom Mix Oz Music (download)

Resources:

Earle's Court Wins Battle, South Coast Times 20/10/66
Sounds Battle Swingin' Affair, South Coast Times 27/06/69
Earls Court Tops, South Coast Times 04/07/69
Go-Set Magazine Charts

Milesago: United Sound Studios

Milesago: Du Monde Records

Moontagu Music Management & Publishing

Rev. Black & The Rockin' Vicars - The Australian Band 1966-1969 - Timeline and Family Tree

Wildwood: The Australian Rock Band 1970-1972

A huge 'thank you' to Erle Montaigue, Gary Vickery, Andy Gollop & Zondrae King for their patience, persistence, and assistance with this article.

Arrosa (1996-1998)

2010-10-31T16:48:00.002+11:00

Arrosa

First forming in Kiama in the mid-nineties to ease after-school boredom, Arrosa was made up of Adam Cole (guitar/vocals), Andria Prudente (guitar/vocals), Daniel O'Connor (drums) and Fiona McCartney Hood (bass).

Despite developing some original material and playing a few local shows, Arrosa struggled to find a receptive audience to their dreamy version of pop due to the Gong being in the midst of a grunge glut.

In 1997 the band relocated to Melbourne and soon hooked up with Infectious Records, who at the time, were riding on Paradise Motels' success.

Arrosa shared a similar sound to Paradise Motel, using gentle guitar that wafted on the breeze, and dreamy male and female vocals with sultry undertones. Infectious sent the band into the studio to record two singles: 'Womb' and 'Stickgirl', both of which were recorded by Charles Bickford of Paradise Motel.

The band went onto support Yo La Tengo, and gained a spot on ABC's Recovery program, before recording their debut album with Miranda Sussex (also of Paradise Motel).

Unfortunately, and seemingly with little warning, Arrosa broke-up prior to the albums' release leaving Infectious with no way to promote it. Thus the album was shelved where it remains to this day.

Cole went on to form the similar-sounding Kali before finding some success with Pollen Choir. Prudente formed A Slow Loris as well as joining Boo Who alongside McCartney-Hood, while O'Connor went on to explore electronic forms of music.

Discography:

1998: 'Womb' (single) (download)

1998: 'Stickgirl' (single) (download)

1998: Unreleased album (download)

Resources:

Myspace
The Lost & Found Music Library

Beneath the Smoke: A Gathering of Nations (1984)

2010-10-02T11:26:00.004+10:00

Unfortunately there is very little information available regarding this obscure Wollongong release from 1984. What information we do have, we've taken directly from Paul the Stockman's brilliant Australian Folk & Bush Music & Musicians blog. What we do know is that Beneath the Smoke was curated by Kevin & Beth Baker (members of The Currency Folk Bush Band) with the assistance of the then newly-revived Illawarra Folk Club.

Formed in 1979, the Illawarra Folk Club has long promoted traditional and original folk music in the area, as well as supporting an ideologically positive view of multiculturalism as this independently released LP demonstrates.

Beneath the Smoke draws from five different nationalities performing a mixture of traditional songs and modern compositions, and naturally, the topics covered are as varied as the nations involved in the project.

The Billabongers tell the history of the original Sydney rabbiters, while Kevin Baker keeps it local in his song about the infamous Kemira strike of 1982, where BHP sacked 400 of its' workers following a profit of $300 million the previous year.

Internationally, Beneath the Smoke features Latin American protest songs, traditional English ballads, and a quaint ode to life and its' many glories.

Biographical information of each artist is included in the liner notes together with lyrics for the Chilean and Italian songs (with English translations) the giving the performances context in which to tell their stories.

Tracklisting: 01 The Billabongers - The Sandy Maranoa // 02 Beth Baker - Seeds of Tomorrow // 03 Gerardo De Liseo - Amici Amici // 04 Vince Brophy - Tug Boat // 05 Gerardo De Liseo - Gorizia // 06 Fernando Arancibia - Elegia a Los Caidos // 07 Gerardo De Liseo - La Palummeddha Janca // 08 The Billabongers - The Rabbiters // 09 Sonia Arancibia - El Calameno // 10 Val Whittaker - If I Was A Blackbird // 11 Vince Brophy - Bogies Bonnie Bell // 12 Val Whittaker - Will You Go Laddie Go // 13 Kevin Baker - Men of Kemira // 14 Vince Brophy - Geordie // 15 Val Whittaker - Black is the Colour // 16 Sonia Arancibia - Gracias a la Vida

Download: Beneath the Smoke - The Gathering of Nations

Resources:

Australian Folk & Bush Music & Musicians

History of the Illawarra Folk Club

Coyle, R. & Milner, L., Showing Some Fight: Kemira's challenge to industrial relations, 2007, Southern Cross University

Special thanks must go to Paul the Stockman for permission to re-post this album. If anyone has any additional information on this release, Steel City Sound would love to hear from you via email.

The Proton Energy Pills (1986-1990)

2010-09-07T20:31:00.002+10:00

Despite being a thriving, blue-collar industrial town throughout the fifties, sixties & seventies, Wollongong in the mid-eighties was a miserable place to be. BHP - the regions' biggest employer - began slashing jobs in 1982 in an attempt "to push down production costs and to make Australian steel competitive again on its own home market" (Donaldson, pg 1). The effect of these job losses is still being felt today with youth unemployment rates in the Illawarra consistently amongst the nations' highest (Pomfret et al, summary).

However, from great adversity comes great art and the local youth, with little else to do between cashing dole cheques, began forming bands. Inspired by other steel town scenes (Detroit, Liverpool, Newcastle) the sound emanating from these bands (The Stayns, The Mutated Noddys, The Unheard) were a frenetic mixture of sixties garage rock, MC5-styled punk and pre-Nirvana grunge.

One of the more influential acts to rise from this scene was The Proton Energy Pills. The Protons first formed in mid-1986 by Stewart Cunningham (guitar), Terry Callan (guitar) Richie Lewis (drums), Michael Foy (bass), and Lenny Curley (vocals). A few of these names (plus a few more that would go through the ranks) would, in time, become synonymous with the Wollongong music scene, but for now they were just a bunch spotty school mates with a penchant for Ramones and Radio Birdman.

Foy didn't last long and was soon replaced by Lenny's younger brother Jay. It was this line-up that played the band's first gig at the Ironworkers Club supporting The Stayns. By their own admission the band sounded terrible, but they had enough fun to realise that they wanted to keep going.

Lenny soon replaced Callan on guitar (who went on to join Mudlungs) and another friend Dave Achille joined on vocals. This line-up lasted for about a year before Achilles left and was replaced by an older Curley. Dave Curley was a few years senior to the rest of the band, and had some live experience under his belt with The Mudfrogs, The Mojo Hands and The Unloved.

Under the guidance of the older Curley, The Protons began taking their craft more seriously - though not too much so. Lenny took on the comical art direction which helped give the band an identity, and a number of originals were written enabling the covers to be dropped from their live set. One of the first gigs with Dave was at Sutherland's Royal Hotel - the first Protons show outside Wollongong.

The Protons were introduced to manager Steve Pavlovic by the guys from Waterfront Records, who also agreed to release their first 7" single ('Survival') in 1989. With interest growing, The Protons landed some major supports alongside The Buzzcocks, Rollins Band, and PIL, and toured with Dinosaur Jr and Mudhoney.

This valuable touring experience also led to J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) producing the band's second 7" '(Less Than I) Spend' which climbed to number 3 on the independent charts.

The end of The Protons came just as quickly as the beginnings. Having worked up a solid live reputation and some good interest on the back of their two 7-inches, the band booked into Electric Avenue to record an EP with Celibate Rifles gunman Kent Steedman signed up as producer. The sessions did not go well with in-fighting and confusion as to the direction of the band.

Cunningham writes in the Rocket to Tarrawanna liner notes "We had lots of people in our ears... that really was just irrelevant noise. We started to believe what other people said and for a moment we lost our belief in each other." That "moment" proved fatal for the the band, as they split before the sessions were through.

But where one road finishes, another begins. Each of the five Protons went on to form other bands, some even more influential than The Protons themselves.

The Curley brothers formed Tumbleweed with Lewis who would go on to become the flagship of mid-nineties Wollongong grunge. Dave Achille would too join Tumbleweed, albeit in a later incarnation.

Dave Curley wouldn't remain in Tumbleweed for long however, and would soon jump ship and join another of Wollongong's legendary mid-nineties acts, Zambian Goat Herders. Possibly even more influential than his time in The Protons, Tumbleweed or The Goat Herders was his position with Wollongong Youth Services between 1990 and 1997. "Noise Up North 1990 - 1993 encouraged kids to play their own music and run their own shows," recalls Dave today. " Prior to that it was about poxy band comps and cover bands. The subsequent development of the Wollongong Youth Centre in 1993 took that to another level. Somewhere to jam, play, hang and see cool bands. The positive working relationship that I had with Kim (Waters) and Dave (Kettle) at Sunami ensured that the all ages scene in terms of young people as audience members, performers, participants and producers was at an all time high. I think this was key to what was going on (at the time). My history in the Protons led to this. My belief in the importance of activating kids voices through rock and roll (or whatever art form they chose) is a legacy of that band. I don't see myself as a 'gong rock icon. However I do see myself as a guy who gave a fuck about Wollongong, kids and rock & roll."

After the downfall of Tumbleweed, Lewis formed Richie & The Creeps, while Lenny Curley went on to form The Pink Fits.

Cunningham headed for Sydney where he formed Brother Brick and also joined Challenger 7 and Asteroid B612, before moving to Melbourne where he formed The Yes Men, a band that would later also include Jay Curley. Nowadays Cunningham fronts Leadfinger alongside other Wollongong music scene notables.

In an indication of just how far The Proton's influence was felt, Spain's Bang! Records issued a retrospective of The Protons in 2003 featuring all their recorded tracks plus a selection of live cuts and unreleased recordings.

Discography:

1989: 'Survival' b/w 'Symmetry' 7"

1990: '(Less Than I) Spend' b/w 'Strawberry Patch' 7"

1990: The Proton Energy Pills 12" EP

2003: Rocket to Tarrawanna (buy)

Free Downloads:

Ajax (demo - taken from Rocket to Tarrawanna)

Nothing (taken from The Proton Energy Pills EP)

Where Do We Go? (taken from The Proton Energy Pills EP)

Resources:

Proton Energy Pills - Rocket to Tarrawanna liner notes

Donaldson M., & Donaldson J., The Crisis in the Steel Industry 1983

Pomfret, Simon et al, Youth Unemployment in the Illawarra; Final Report IRIS 2008

Links:

Waterfront Records

MySpace

Bang! Records

A BIG thank-you to Stew Cunningham & Dave Curley for making this post possible and their ongoing words of encouragement.

Nabilone (1994-2009)

2010-08-26T21:45:00.004+10:00

One of the more politically driven bands of the local scene, Nabilone spent fifteen years (off and on) promoting their brand of leftist alt. rock before ongoing line-up problems sounded their death knell.

Nathan Burling (vocals) and Tyrone Halliday (drums) first formed Nabilone in 1994 after the demise of their previous band THC (originally called Wasted Youth). Bringing in guitarist Jaylon Hall (Blind Patriots) and bassist Rebecca Mayhew (Splat) they took their name from a synthetic version of THC (and thus linking their new band to their old). Beginning like most other bands at the time, Nabilone played psychedelic garage rock with a few Nirvana and Mudhoney covers thrown in for good measure.

In 1995 Burling, citing environmental and ethical concerns, adopted a vegan diet, inspiring Hall to soon follow. This lifestyle choice would prove crucial to the lyrical direction of the band as it began taking an overtly leftist political approach with animal rights, environmental destruction and social injustices becoming regular themes.

The band headed to Troy Horse studios in late 1995 to record their first EP. They invited local engineer Pete Conran (FUgG, The Surprise Arm, Radioshack 5) along, who proved invaluable insofar as initiating the young four-piece into the inner-workings of a recording studio.

The band’s first foray into recording however, proved fraught with complications. In particular the recording suffered problems with the drum tracks and, as ProTools was a few years away yet, the cost of repair was too expensive. These first recordings remain unfinished and unreleased, though there are plans to release them in 2010.

In 1996 Nabilone entered and won the regional leg of the National Uni band competition, which gave them the local support slot for Powderfinger, and consequently some much needed recording funds.

Halliday vacated the drum seat around this time, and was replaced with Shannon Freidrich (Scalene). Meanwhile Burling’s time was being diverted into the establishment of The Blue Water vegan café at Thirroul, while Mayhew had formed Bracode on the side. The combination of replacing the drummer and external pursuits delayed Nabilone’s recording plans, and it wouldn’t be until 1998 that the band entered Powerhouse studios to record what would ultimately be their debut self-titled EP.

Following the release of Nabilone, Mayhew, having become disillusioned with the bands’ dynamics, left to focus on Bracode, making way for Damien Lane (Dropping Honey, Gilded Kiln) to fill in on a temporary basis. The new line-up worked up a few more songs before Freidrich's commitments to Scalene would force the drum seat to become vacant yet again. This time Chris Ireland (Karma) was called upon and the band began showcasing their new material at local shows.

In late 1999, Burling, who had become increasingly involved in political activity, organised Wilderfest: an environmentally themed festival to raise funds for The Wilderness Society and The Greens. It was here that the band was introduced to fellow-vegan and bass-player Andrew Smetanin (Pans Daughter, Naiad). Smetanin had left Naiad and was looking for a new project. Smetanin’s politics and musical interests fit the Nabilone consciousness and he was thus drafted into the line-up freeing Lane of his temporary duties.

Smetanin’s experience in Naiad together with his solid bass-playing and creative song-writing took the band up a level as the band began writing for their second recording.

By 2001 though, personal differences forced Ireland out of the band, once again leaving Nabilone sans drummer. The remaining threesome entered a makeshift studio in Jamberoo and spent time writing for an album. The band recorded the songs over and over without a drummer, getting the structures down pat.

The band eventually brought drummer Danny Glasgow (Pounderhound, Gilded Kiln) into the fold and entered Damien Gerard Studios. Russell Pilling assisted the band in engineering the album, and the resulting Doublethink was released independently in 2005.

The new-look Nabilone began gigging again, supporting the likes of Hard-Ons, Celibate Rifles and Choirboys, before retreating to the studio again in 2006 to record the single ‘Welcome to Australia’ b/w ‘Kuradji Man’- a collaboration with Robert Goldspring. ‘Welcome to Australia’ would later appear on 2008's re-issue of Doublethink.

Despite finally getting an album out and stringing together a run of solid shows, relations between the members had soured significantly. The band had long survived on Burling’s tenacity and dedication: organising rehearsals, arranging gigs, paying for studio time. All the usual tasks involved in keeping a band together primarily fell to Burling. Now supporting a young family, the financial toll was becoming too burdensome - Burling had paid for Ireland’s kit, most of Hall’s amp and pedals and the bulk of Doublethink.

Smetanin was the first casualty. Burling recalls: “Basically, after years of organising and paying for almost everything my patience was wearing thin. With the birth of my first son my time became very limited. I could no longer tolerate Andrew's unreliable ways. He would drop off the radar for days and we could not contact him. The end came when we had a practice booked at Kickstart and Andrew would not return calls or texts to confirm the booking. When I finally got in contact with Andrew, I was less than happy and gave him an earful and he quit.”

Following Smetanin’s departure, Nabilone floundered. “My patience with Jay and Danny was wearing thin,” says Burling "as neither had made an effort to find another bass player.” In the end Hall’s brother Jimmy Carr (The Jimmy Carr Band) was brought in temporarily, though Burling says he was the one to make the suggestion – Hall simply hadn’t thought of it.

In the meantime, band practices became a logistical nightmare, with Hall refusing to rehearse anywhere but his flat, relegating practice sessions unplugged, lest the neighbours complained.

In a last ditch effort Burling brought in fellow vegan and bassist Jason Grossman for a rehearsal. Though Burling was pleased with the results, it was clear that Nabilone was on its last legs.

In 2009, Burling called an official end to Nabilone though the band had played its last show more than a year prior.

These days Mayhew plays drums for Babymachine, whilst Glasgow now plays in blues band The Damn Fine Gentlemen. Smetanin and Ireland went on to form Mind at Large, and Burling is considering a project with his brother Adam, a bass player and also a committed vegan.

Discography:

1998: Nabilone EP (CD, download, itunes)

2005: Doublethink (CD, download, itunes)

2006: Welcome to Australia/Kuradji Man single (download)

2008: Doublethink re-issue

Links:

Nabilone website

Nabilone myspace

A big 'thank-you' to Nathan Burling, Bec Mayhew & Chris Ireland for their invaluable input. Andrew Smetanin, Jay Hall & Danny Glasgow declined to comment.

Independent Music Monthly (1993-1996)

2010-08-21T19:22:00.010+10:00

IMM, Issue #2, Jan. 1994

Birthed in late 1993 by Kim Waters, The Independent Music Monthly (IMM) was a DIY-styled street press that evolved into a tabloid, then a glossy, and then devolved back again, until it's eventual demise in 1996. The premise was simple: fill the cultural void with a free music/arts publication, complete with a gig guide that focused on original and independent music, as well as interviews from local and visiting acts.

In April '96 IMM changed it's name to Zonk before folding shortly thereafter.

Despite once being in possession of many issues, my poor storage practices coupled with one too many relocations has resulted in damage to and/or loss of them all. Thus I must thank all (Jeb Taylor, Brent Williams, Stephen Gooding, Ian Gostelow, Karl Weber. Pete Conran) who have kindly provided me with copies for the benefit of the greater good. I will post more issues as they become available.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in my youth are not necessarily the views I hold now.

All files are in .pdf format

Issue 1, December 1994: (.pdf)
Introductory issue: Gig guide + bits n' pieces

Issue 2, January 1994: (.pdf)

Tumbleweed, Big Day Out, The Indigenous People's Conference + more

Issue 3, February 1994: (.pdf)

Jane Sibery, Whose Muddy Shoes, Zambian Goat Herders, Fulltab + more

Issue 4, March 1994: (.pdf)
Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, Swamii Tom, Doing it Locally, ALL + more

Issue 5, April 1994: (.pdf)

Womangong Press, The Kindred, Merry Widows, Dinky Crash + more

Issue 10, September 1994: (.pdf)

Mudlungs, Budd, Trashed Out Cats, Funky Femmes, Ecological Toilet + more

Issue 11, October 1994 (.pdf)

Beastie Boys, Evol, Throbbing Aprils, Rather Raw Knots, Oxford Tavern, Wollongong Hip Hop + more

Issue 12, November 1994 - Bumper Birthday Issue (.pdf)

Rock Against Apocalypse, Tumbleweed, Superchunk, Trout Fishing in Quebec, Slobplant, Blues feature, WIRED + more

Issue 13, December 1994 - Hemp Issue (.pdf)

Silverchair, Man Bites Dog, Cannabis features + more

Issue 14, January 1995 (.pdf)

Prick Harness, Big Day Out, Generation X feature + more

Issue 15, February 1995 (.pdf)

Meanies, Dave Curley + more

Issue 16: March 1995 (.pdf)

Socketwood, Merry Widows + more

Issue 17: April 1995: (.pdf)

Condoscream, TISM + more

Issue 18, May 1995: (.pdf)

You Am I, Meanies, Pearl Jam, All + more

Issue 19, June 1995: (.pdf)
World Environment Day, Disneyfist, Michael Hornburg, Candlebox, Richard Claremont, Judy Bourke + more

Issue 20, July 1995: (.pdf)
Deadly Issue: Christina Anu, Blackfire, NAIDOC Week, Koori Time, Three, Lis Johnson + more

Issue 21, August 1995 (.pdf)
Puffalufica, Bjork, DJ Miko, Lee Marrow, Meshuggah, Bainmaries, Paul Ryan + more

Issue 22, September 1995 (.pdf)
Mudlungs, Slobplant, Shifter, Evol, Channel Zero, Fudge Undies, Dettol, council elections

Issue 24, November 1995 (.pdf)
Rollins Band, Midget, Dettol, Schleprock + more

Issue 25, December 1995: (.pdf)

Pennywise, Throbbing Aprils, Evol + more

Issue 28, March 1996 (.pdf)
Dead Moon, Ammonia, Frenzal Rhomb, The Kindred + more

ZONK
April 1996 (.pdf)
Feedtime, Black Hole Recordings, + more

June 1996 (.pdf)
Paradise Motel, Blink 182, Paramaecium, Frenzal Rhomb + more

July 1996 (.pdf)
Silverchair, Nitocris, Evol, Hardware, Bluebottle Kiss, Tweezer, Glide, Moler, The Fauves + more

Zeen (1966-1967)

2010-07-27T21:26:00.004+10:00

From 1964, The South Coast Times published a weekly 'Young Times' feature which looked at youth culture in the region. Music and fashion made up the bulk of the feature, along with youth achievements in sport, ballroom dancing and other such activities. There was also a strong focus on the various youth 'sets' (groups or clubs usually associated with a church, charity or political party), but the main interest for Steel City Sound is Zeen - a column run by Zondrae King for approximately 12 months.

Though brief in form and existence, Zeen provides an interesting insight to the local music scene at the time, not to mention the gas lingo. The column disappeared in mid-1967, coinciding with the breakdown of the relationship between Zondrae and her mother/business partner.

I've compiled most of these columns into one .pdf file for posterity's sake.

Zondrae's (1965-1967)

2010-07-19T00:08:00.007+10:00

Zondrae in 1966

Some may say that to suggest the Wollongong music scene would not have existed without Zondrae King is overly romanticising history. After all, local music scenes are like any other network, in that they adapt to the ever-shifting set of connections as people come and go. No one could dispute, however, that without Zondrae King the scene would not have flourished like it did in the sixties, and thus preparing a base from which the scene could develop its own identity.

The Wollongong music scene is forever indebted to Zondrae whose dedication to local youth culture in the sixties was unprecedented, made even more remarkable by her relative youth and gender as the scene was - and by and large still is - male dominated.

Zondrae's out front. Zondrae is on far right

The fact that after 40+ years since Zondrae first appeared on the scene there is still a shortage of venues catering to all age audiences highlights both local councils’ (Wollongong & Shellharbour) failure to take art and youth culture seriously. Outside the tokenistic youth centres, local youth have very few options in terms of playing or listening to music they can identify with and call their own. And once youth becomes young adulthood, the bars are still sidelining original music in favour of cover bands and the culture-killing pokies.

Born to an Italian immigrant father and a Wollongong born-and-bred mother, Zondrae Della Bona was raised beneath the smoke stacks of Port Kembla in a happy, albeit strict Catholic household. Zondrae shared a bond with her father, Giovanni ‘Jack’ Della Bona, that was more like a father/son relationship and fondly recalls helping Jack in the back shed and fetching tools and other building items from the local hardware store in a time when children could walk the street in relative safety. Jack built the family home from scratch, mostly unaided, and as a true reflection of the times when things were built to last, the house still stands.

Dianne "Bubbles" Downes at Zondrae's

Port Kembla in the fifties and sixties underwent a major demographic shift as waves of migrants, predominantly from the UK, Macedonia, and Italy arrived answering a call to remedy a local labour shortage. The unprecedented growth resulted in a boom in the local economy and photos of the era show Wentworth St alive with activity; a marked contrast to the shell of a town that it is today.

Zondrae's mother, Elsie Patricia ‘Red’ Della Bona was a noted seamstress and regularly put her skills to use for school theatre productions where Zondrae featured prominently. Today, Zondrae self- deprecatingly puts her stage appearances down her mother’s dressmaking abilities more so than her own talent. Later, Red worked at the Open Hearth Hotel in Warrawong.

Her mother "ruled the household with an ironfist", and though the family would attend Italian dances on the weekend, it was well established that neither Zondrae or her sister were allowed to have boyfriends before they turned 21, and then the boys were required to be Italian.

The Twilights with Zondrae

Returning from the wharf where he worked one evening in 1962, Jack brought with him a transistor he had purchased from a foreign sailor. In the same way that the internet opens up new worlds to today's youth, the radio provided a gateway to the music that was coming from America and the UK. Slipping the modern technology under her pillow each night, Zondrae would tune into 2UW and listen to the latest sounds of The Beatles and other Mersey Beat bands.

An average scholar, Zondrae was naturally creative, and soon took to Carneby Street fashions, designing her own clothes and cutting her own hair. Her first job after leaving school, however, was less than creative; an office junior at a Wollongong travel agency. On her break one day, Zondrae stumbled upon The Bamboo Room located upstairs in the Globe Arcade. A small coffee shop, The Bamboo Room was frequented by Mods who Zondrae soon fell in with.

Tom Thompson remembers the Bamboo Room in his memoir Living in the 60's: "In Wollongong, no afternoon was complete without a visit to the Bamboo coffee lounge where you could 'catch some music'. This would inevitably be sixteen-year-old angst, played wistfully by a Bob Dylan clone and dubbed 'folk'. Between songs we all had meaningful conversations about the state of the world or why we were in Vietnam."

The Mystic Eyes on stage at Zondrae's

Mod culture arrived in Australia in 1964 – the same year The Beatles also visited our shores. Centred on art, fashion and music, the male Mod tended to don frilly shirts, pointy shoes and long hair, while the female would wear skirts above the knee and cut their hair short - quite risque at the time. Described in the Australasian Post issue of 9 July 1964, Mods were “the latest overtone to the rebellious voice of teenage Youth shouting against the precepts of ordered society.”(Cockington, James, Long Way to the Top, 114-115)

Zondrae presenting a prize to 'in-gear' winners

In the preceding year Rockers fought battles with Surfies on the beaches up and down the east coast, the most famous one being the Battle of Manly where, as legend has it, police turned around ferries full of Rockers in an attempt to stop the violence. (Cockington, James, Long Way to the Top, 102-103) In much the same way, tensions between Mods and Rockers would also be splashed across the media, as each fought for their “rebellious voice” to be heard.

Locally, the Mods’ lamented the lack of venues in the area catering to their musical tastes. The Catholic crowd had their ballroom dances at the Southern Cross Hall, the surfies had the Thirroul Stomp and the Pioneer Hall where The Tornadoes were the in-house act, and the older crowd had music in the hotels. But the Mods - most of which were under legal drinking age - had nowhere to call their own outside the Bamboo Room.

Though a relatively young 19 year old, Zondrae was not one to shy away from a challenge, and hatched a plan whereby she would find a venue large enough to offer her peers a place for dancing. Playing on her mothers' unfulfilled dream of running her own business, Zondrae took every opportunity to sell the idea to Red in an attempt to convince her to help see it to fruition.

Already friends with members of The Sunseekers, Zondrae was aware that the band would sometimes hold their own dances in a hall on Burelli St, and would make a tidy sum each night. Zondrae convinced Red to drive to some of the Sunseeker shows, park out front and count the paying customers. Such tactics would now be called 'market research' - back then, however, it was simple youthful exuberance. Once Zondrae persuaded Red, she then began working on a wealthy aunt who could provide the required finances and become a silent partner.

Finally, in December 1965, Wollongong Council granted an interim licence for the operation of a 'discotheque sound lounge' to operate at 259 Keira St Wollongong. A full licence was issued in August the following year. The club would be known appropriately as Zondrae's, and would earn its place in history as being one of the few local venues specifically catering for youth and actively encouraging the development of art, fashion and music.

The tree in the empty lot next door was a regular hang-out

For opening night, Zondrae made the risky move of giving away 200 double-passes – risky because the venue was only licenced for 250 people. The move was successful, and, as an alcohol-free venue, soon became known as a safe and friendly space for the areas’ youth to socialise. Zondrae took her role seriously, and actively pursued opportunities to promote her venue, often making her way into the 2WL studios and even landing a weekly column (Zeen) in the South Coast Times dedicated to the local scene.

The success of Zondrae’s, spurred on by the talent of local performers such as The Marksmen, Earl’s Court and The Executives made the venue attractive for Sydney and interstate bands, and it wasn’t long before The Twilights, The Loved Ones, The Creatures and The Missing Links all graced Zondrae’s stage. A regular feature of Zondrae's was the 'in-gear' competition where the best dressed couples would be awarded for their fashion efforts.

South Coast Times regularly featured photos of activities at Zondrae'

Zondrae’s was more than just a live venue though, operating as a coffee lounge, a games venue and a general 'hang-out' for the local youth. Some forty years later people still nostalgically recall the venues' impact. For two such people, Zondrae’s was where they met and fell in love. Yvonne Brann arrived in Wollongong from Scotland in 1966, and within the first two weeks was invited to Zondrae's where she met her future husband, George Blanch. Yvonne felt at home almost immediately and recalls that she "practically lived there every day that I wasn't working. It was where the cool crowd went, the ones who listened to the best music".

Apart from anything else, Zondrae's was welcoming and accepting, unlike the main competition at Pioneer Hall. Yvonne recalls being refused entry at Pioneer Hall due to her 'witches britches' (knee-length pants), and staff measuring the distance between couples as they danced, lest they touch and defile each other. Needless to say "the crowd from Zondrae's and the Pioneer Hall crowd didn't really get along."

Night out at Zondrae's. Note The Mystic Eyes kick-drum.

Yvonne remembers the go-go dances on Saturday nights, and the 'Midnight til Dawn' dances, but one of her best memories is when she went to see Ways and Means with boyfriend George. Yvonne encouraged George to join the band on-stage to sing 'House of the Rising Sun'. So impressed by George's performance were the band, that they sacked their singer that night so George could join. The band would later change their name to Grow Your Own, and become regular performers at Zondrae's.

Romance wasn’t limited to its patrons though. Zondrae herself also met and fell in love with her future husband. Wayne King had been a ‘minder’ for The Executives who Zondrae had booked. A week following the Executives show, Wayne returned and invited Zondrae for a coffee. The two have been inseparable ever since.

Despite the success of Zondrae’s, longevity was proving a hurdle, as operation costs were high. Zondrae was faced with the ever-present problem of charging enough at the door to cover her costs, but not charging too much that people didn’t come. Zondrae experimented with the format to keep things fresh and to lower overheads by also running ‘audition’ nights where local performers would play for free in exchange for the experience and opportunity to hone their skills.

The ad that ran in South Coast Times for most of 1966

The courtship of Zondrae and Wayne however was causing problems in the mother/daughter relationship. For starters Wayne was not Italian and Zondrae was not yet 21, just two factors which clearly upset Red’s plans for her daughter. Despite supporting Zondrae in her business venture, and even managing some of the young bands that came through the doors, Red could be unpredictable and turned dramatically when Wayne sought permission to ask for Zondrae’s hand in marriage. Given the ultimatum of separating from Wayne or leaving the house, Zondrae naturally chose the latter. Six weeks later, on 29 September 1967, Zondrae and Wayne married. Sadly Zondrae was never able to re-establish the relationship she once had with her mother. But perhaps most tragic of all is that Red never met her grandchildren before her death in 1981. In a testament to the true bonds of love, however, Zondrae and Wayne are still happily married and after spending some time away from the region, have returned to Wollongong.

The breakdown in Zondrae and Red’s relationship coincided with the financial difficulties Zondrae’s was facing, and by August 1967, the venue was facing closure. Zondrae had little to do with the venue once she had eloped, and Red quickly handed the management to George Watters (The Sunseekers, Four Moods) who ran the venue as My Place for a brief period.

Erle Montaigue (Earl's Court) with Zondrae in 1989

Following the family breakdown Zondrae and Wayne connected with Ivan Dayman who operated Cloudland in Brisbane. Dayman had taken a lease out on the old Northern Bowl in Bellambi, ripped out the bowling lanes and put in a dance-floor. Dayman was looking for an experienced venue operator to live on-site and manage the new venture, when the newly-wedded Kings answered the advertisement. Zondrae and Wayne would run the new venue, Wonderland, without the assistance, or interference, of Red.

Such were the strong memories of the venue that in 1989 over 100 people, some from as far as Melbourne and Rockhampton, returned to Wollongong for a Zondrae’s reunion.

Resources:
Cockington, James, Long Way to the Top, ABC Books 2001
Thompson, Tom, Living in the 60's pg 62, Kangaroo Press 1986
South Coast Times 1965-1967

Appreciations to those who willingly and enthusiastically shared their memories of Zondrae's, especially Gary Vickery, Erle Montaigue, Yvonne Blanch, Tom Thompson and of course, Zondrae herself.

Preacher (1990-1994 & 2007-current)

2010-07-06T00:55:00.001+10:00

Perhaps Wollongong's longest-surviving bands (notwithstanding a lengthy hiatus), Preacher are balls-to-the-wall metal like it was supposed to be: loud, rude, and tattooed.

First forming in 1990 by Dale Leffley (guitar) and Dean Jones (vocals) after the dissolution of their previous band, Shattered, Preacher called upon Darren Chamberlian (guitar), Lincoln Harlen (drums) and Dave McDonnell (bass) to complete the outfit.

The band scored regular gigs at the North Gong and got some support slots in Sydney alongside KISS tribute-band Dynasty as well as V. Spy V. Spy.

In 1994 Preacher called it a day to enable members to focus on other musical pursuits and domesticity. However, the beast was awoken in 2007 when they took the stage again in support of the legendary Mortal Sin. Replacing McDonnell on bass was Rob Giles (Nekrofeist), who continues to help out his mates until permanent replacement can be found.

Despite their longevity, Preacher are yet to enter the studio and offer up a recording. An oversight the band intend on remedying soon.

Ironhide (2005-2008)

2010-07-06T00:25:00.005+10:00

Ironhide

Made up of Matt Bresolin (guitar), Daniel Mendygral (drums) and Ryan Beveridge (bass/vocals), Ironhide first formed in 2005 during the latter stages of the members' high school years.

Taking inspiration from eighties metal such as Van Halen, Extreme and Iron Maiden the trio mainly played locally, scoring a few gigs in Sydney also.

In 2007 Ironhide placed 2nd in the Leichardt Live band comp, and the band used the proceeds to enter the studio to record their self-titled EP. Later the same year Ironhide were finalists in both the UniBar and the Mercury-Bluescope band comps.

David Clowry briefly joined the trio as lead vocalist as the band experimented with their stage presence. It was a short-lived experiment however, and Ironhide soon returned to a three-piece. Clowry's vocals can be heard on the two tracks recorded live at the Oxford below.

Ironhide disbanded in 2008 and Beveridge went on to play in Bennie James and the Hesitant Few, and currently fronts Order 66 which he formed with Bresolin before the guitarist left for other pursuits.

Discography:

2007: Ironhide EP (download)

Exclusives:

Demo & live recordings (download)

Thanks to Ryan Beveridge for helping piece this history together.

Cradle/Grave (1997-1999)

2010-06-26T11:55:00.008+10:00

Cradle/Grave was a short-lived Wollongong/Canberra studio-project consisting of Matt Aitchison (Kohllapse) and Warren Wheeler. The pair first met in Canberra in the early nineties when Wheeler answered the call for a bassist in death metal band In Tears. Playing only a handful of gigs (including Metal for the Brain III) Wheeler soon returned to Wollongong for personal reasons however the friendship would remain.

Defying their musical heritage, the pair became increasingly interested in electronic music and with technology becoming more affordable and accessible, the pair turned their hands to a studio-project that would cast off their metal background. Aitchison, meanwhile, would continue his work as drummer/keyboardist in progressive metal band Kohllapse.

Inspired in equal measure by the burgeoning electronica movement, the sample-heavy sounds of the industrial underground and the spiritual nuances of darkwave, the project's first home recordings were released on cassette as the Moths demo and received high-praise in unexpected places. Each of the demo's three tracks were picked up for various compilations in Canada and America: Forensics Lab (Flaming Fish Records), Awaiting the Dawn (Velvet Empire) and Machines in the Garden Part 1 (Blacklight).

Capitalising on this mini-success, the duo set about reworking the demo tracks and writing additional tunes for a full-length album. As a stop-gap however, the pair entered Roundhouse studios with long-time friend Ed Telfer to record 'My Life Is My Infinity' for another Flaming Fish compilation, Lethal Injection. Using a mash-up of movie quotes to explore spirituality and mortality. 'My Life...' was later deconstructed and rebuilt for their debut album.

Securing the services of famed Icelandic-born/Canberra-based producer Geir Brillian Gunnarsson, Cradle/Grave recorded Saper Vedere in a week, with Aitchison and Gunnarsson finalising the mixes in the following weeks. Mixing ambient, trip hop, world beat, darkwave and electronica the album was released on Melbourne's Heartland Records and again received rave reviews, drawing comparisons to Dorobo and Cold Meat Industry artists (such as Shinjuku Thief) as well as more mainstream artists such as Delerium and Enigma.

The tyranny of distance however thwarted the duo's plans to perform live, and Cradle/Grave would soon lose momentum as other life events took precedence.

Aitchison went on to join successful roots/world ensemble Rivertribe, before leaving to form Oka - an even more successful roots/world combination that appeared at numerous festivals across the globe. These days Aitchison records and performs as Favourite Son and manages roots artist Kim Churchill.

Wheeler - always a better observer than performer - forged a side career in music journalism, before working with Jeb Taylor (How Machines Work, High Beam Music) and Simon Dalla Pozza (Monstrous Blues) in setting up Music Farmers and Trans Electric Records. Deliberately distancing himself from the scene for a few years to establish a career in community services, Wheeler now spends his spare time researching and blogging about the history of the Wollongong music scene.

Discography:

1997: Moths demo (download) (Ballistic Test review)

1999: Saper Vedere (download) (Blatant Propaganda review)

Extras:

'My Life Is My Infinity' original version from the Lethal Injection compilation (download)

Resources:
Automatapedia

Empty Bed (1995-1998)

2010-05-21T21:37:00.006+10:00

Starting life as a sleepy, soulful blues band in 1995, Empty Bed would end up finding themselves as a funky, foot-stomping party band before they their time was up three years later. Featuring Dylan Edwards (vocals), Andrew Foster (guitar), and Phil Reinfrank (drums), the band recruited bassist Michael Caruana who was also playing in metal band Manifest.

The unlikely recruit had an unlikely influence on the band, as they began writing more up-tempo, and generally cheeky tunes. Empty Bed's funky and upbeat sound set them apart from the myriad of grunge bands in the area at the time.

The band gigged regularly throughout 1996-97, hitting local venues alongside The Merkins, Ventolin, Vvovo and Naiad as well as landing a couple of supports slots with Ian Moss and Choirboys.

In late 1997, the band recorded six tracks at the Wollongong Youth Centre with Brent Williams (Zambian Goat Herders, New Christs) at the helm. Released as Nocturnal Instincts in May 1998, the EP was launched at the Oxford - a gig that saw a fight erupt in the carpark between the band and the support act Tank'o'piss.

In July 1998, the band had been scheduled to perform at the North Gong band comp. However, Foster abruptly quit the band to pursue a career in sound engineering. Unable to replace the unique stylings of Foster, the band chose to forfeit and disband entirely.

These days Edwards runs a community theatre group in Byron Bay, Caruana went on to play in Side Effect X and contribute to the success of the Wollongong Music Round Table. Foster travels the world as a roadie for stadium bands, whilst Reinfrank quit the scene altogether.

Discography:

1998: Nocturnal Instincts EP (download)

Thanks to Michael Caruana for his assistance with this post.

FUgG (1995-present)

2010-05-15T12:30:00.008+10:00

FUgG

Initially coming together as a side-project, the oddly-named and typeset FUgG have spent over 15 years entertaining audiences in bad attire with their unique blend of punk, pop and generally trashy rock.

Forming in 1995, Ronny van Dyk (bass/vocals), Adam Buckland (guitar/vocals), Grant Barkley (guitar/vocals), and Nathan Clark (drums), soon became local live favourites with their quick and quirky punk songs exploring common issues of male adolescence (share-housing, cars, sex, nightclubs, erections, etc...). Their outlandish live shows - which saw the members adopt fashion-blind costumes - provided a good-night-out-guarantee, making them a staple for venues and audiences.

Starting out playing the usual nineties haunts (Oxford, North Gong, Sunami, Youth Centre, UOW) the band were able to pocket enough proceeds to record their first demo (Call My Aunty) at Main Street Studios in 1995. With artwork part-influenced by Rolling Stones provided by Buckland, the 7-track demo demonstrated the band's deliberate puerility, together with a developing pop-sensibility.

As if to establish themselves as a serious commodity (if not serious songwriters) in 1996 FUgG released two versions of their next demo. Let it Beef (or it's vegetarian alternative Let it Bean) was another shot at punk-pop humour and featured a cover of Cameo classic 'Word Up'. Again, Buckland provided the artwork, this time designing two covers borrowing heavily from The Beatles' Let it Be.

Their comical reputation began preceding them, as they were soon invited to play alongside likemided bands further afield such as fellow cartoon punkers Nancy Vandal, Blitz Babies, and The Blurters. The band would go onto to release a split 7" with Nancy Vandal which in turn provided the opportunity for the band to tour up and down the east coast with Frenzal Rhomb.

In 1997 FUgG entered Powerhouse Studios and recorded their first EP, Drucked, with Russell Pilling. Self-released, Drucked received decent airplay on Triple J and Triple M who both picked up 'Distortion Saved My Teenage Arse', whilst the accompanying video was aired on Rage. The much-needed exposure enabled the band to play even further afield, venturing into the outer suburbs of Sydney, regular trips to Canberra and Newcastle, a couple of trips to Victoria and a spot at Brisbane's bi-enale and even a shows at Jindabyne.

It was around this time that Dillon Hicks (Zambian Goat Herders) offered his services as manager. Booking bands for the Oxford, and operating his own touring company, Hicks had the relevant contacts to open doors for the band.

Re-entering the studios in 1998 (again with Pilling, but this time at Damien Gerard Studios) FUgG recorded their Altar Ego EP. Again self-released, Altar Ego was superior in sound quality and musicianship, and again Triple J showed an interest as they added 'Pale Edwards' to their playlist.

In 1999 Noah Hampson joined the band as saxophonist after meeting van Dyk at TAFE, but by the turn of the millennium relations between the band and Hicks had become strained. Despite Hicks' contacts, his involvement with the band was minimal and limited to a few local bookings, leaving the band continued to do the lions' share of the bookings. As Hicks recalls "FUgG was pretty difficult to sell if you hadn't seen their live show. In the end, a band like that is really better off doing it for themselves." Which is exactly what the band did after parting ways with Hicks.

The pressure, however was getting to Buckland, who began missing rehearsals and gigs. Says van Dyk "Adam made a very conscious decision to completely wind the band down after the release of the Altar Ego CD, as Triple J did not pick up on his Beach Boys inspired single 'Yoko O.N.O.' which was the song we were pushing at the time. He refused to work on new material, pulled out of shows at the last minute and actively encouraged us to break up. Grant and I, realising what was happening and deciding we wanted to carry on, had already begun preparing Noah to take over on guitar as a stand by for the next show Adam pulled out of. When Adam again pulled out of a show (for the Kiama Blowout festival with Spiderbait), we had Noah ready to go and the show was played."

Hampson however, saw it slightly differently: "I was asked to fill in for a few shows on guitar when Adam was unable to make the shows. I guess this evolved into a more solid position when Adam decided to leave to focus on The Dodgy World.

"I always had a lot of time for Adam's contribution to FUgG" continues Hampson. "Adam was the member I felt I had most in common with musically so I felt ambivalent about joining the band to 'replace' him. In any case we had very different performance styles so I knew then I would have to find my own niche in the band and not try to 'be' him so to speak."

Pete Conran (The Surprise Arm, The Radio Shack 5) joined as keyboardist soon after and with the new line-up solidified, FUgG set about recording their first full-length at Studio Arts in Mt Kembla. Released by High Beam Music - a local label better known for their stoner and garage rock releases - the resulting Art Brut managed to retain the energy the band had become renowned for, but the maturity in songcraft and lyricism was immediately evident. 'I'm Psyched Tonight, Mike' was lifted as the first single and soon became a crowd favourite with it's obvious party theme.

Meanwhile van Dyk started to lend his talents to numerous side-projects, including the Archie Wah Wahs, Heliotrope, Relic and The Merchants, as well as helping out with Buckland's Dodgy World.

Mid-way through recording album number two, FUgG were playing the Bat and Ball in Sydney when they were spotted by Mental As Anything, who were on their way to a gig of their own. The chance meeting resulted in the Mentals offering to re-record the songs already laid down for the No Left Turn Unstoned album at their own studio in Annandale.

Again scheduled for a High Beam release, the band prepared a single for 'Cheap Set of Wheels' complete with re-recordings of 'Lost a Friend' (from Art Brut) and 'Distortion...' from Drucked. Unfortunately neither the single or the album saw a High Beam release due to what van Dyk calls "technical problems" and "shambolic handling" by the label. High Beam owner/operator Jeb Taylor regrets the problems stating, "FUgG were just one of those bands on the schedule at the wrong time and unfortunately it meant they got stuffed around a bit." The "wrong time" as Taylor diplomatically puts it, was the time when the label was struggling financially. High Beam closed it's operations shortly after, leaving other bands with scheduled releases scratching their heads.

With the release of No Left Turn... in limbo, Clark was offered a drum-seat with Richie and the Creeps featuring Richie Lewis (Tumbleweed) and Lax Charisma (Hee Haw). Clark didn't leave without a few parting words though, claiming he'd been mistreated and ripped off by the band.

Finally, after significant delays, the band self-released No Left Turn... in 2004 with many considering it the band's finest moment with strong, pop-oriented hooks and a clarity in production missing from previous efforts. Shane Jerome filled the position left vacant by Clark and the band began gigging again, headlining Kemblastock, and winning a band comp at the Palm Court which financed their next recording at 313 Studios in Coniston.

Buckland returned for two shows in 2008, after which the band was placed on indefinite hiatus, where it remains to this day.

Buckland went on to form Dodgy World, Sweet Sweet Bulbs, and has since built himself a reputation as a strong solo performer.

Barkley relocated down the south coast of NSW and is currently recording a country album as Grant Barkley and the Never Ending Bend.

Van Dyk went on to form MUSK - a Sydney-based glam rock outfit with members of Nancy Vandal and Crapulous Gee-Gaw.

Clark currently plays with The Sandcasters, while Hampson continues to play in the jazz-influenced Ate.

Conran recorded an electronic album Welcome to the Black Hope, and can often be seen behind the mixing desk at local shows.

Jerome had stints in The Chargers, and went on to perform in the Buddy Holly Tribute Show. He currently plays in covers band, Plagiarism.

Discography:
1995: Call My Aunty (demo) (download)*
1996: Let it Beef/Let it Bean (demo) (download)*
1997: Selling Your Faeces For Fun & Profit (split 7" w/ Nancy Vandal) (download)*
1997: Zen EP (download)*
1997: Drucked EP (download)*
1998: Altar Ego EP (download)*
2001: Art Brut (download)
2004: No Left Turn Unstoned (download)
2006: Speakhole EP (download)

Miscellaneous:
1996: Toybox Sessions (download)
2006: Damien Gerard Sessions (download)
Pete's House Sessions (download)

* nb: As per the band's request, recordings up to and including 1998's Altar Ego are not available as complete downloads. You can however download the remaining tracks from Nomaster Studios for a limited time.

Big thanks to Ronny van Dyk, Adam Buckland, Pete Conran and Noah Hampson who assisted greatly with this piece. Additional thanks to Dillon Hicks and Jeb Taylor for their contributions.

Anomie (1996-1997)/Ventolin (1997-1998)/How Machines Work (2003-2005)

2010-04-24T08:57:00.011+10:00

Ventolin - an early incarnation of How Machine Work

Perhaps one the better kept secrets of the local scene, How Machines Work were inactive more often than not over their 10 year existence.

Originally coming together as Anomie in 1996 the band consisted of three Bulli High School mates (Justin Roberts (guitar/vocals), Chris Rojas (guitar) and Jeb Taylor (drums)), recruiting Simon Dalla Pozza (bass) from a neighbouring school. Clicking immediately, the band set about getting some local gigs and scored their first show at Wollongong Youth Centre alongside Stumblin' Jesus Mosquito (aka Tumbleweed). A number of youth centre and all ages shows followed over the next six months.

Refusing to accept age as a barrier, the four entered the North Gong Hotel band competition in 1997, despite not yet being old enough to buy a beer. Anomie won their heat and took on shows at the Cabbage Patch, Oxford and North Gong before returning for the finals, going up against The Merkins and Mudlungs.

L-R: Taylor, Roberts, Dalla Pozza & Rojas

Finishing second (Mudlungs got top prize) the band were then mentored by Mudlungs and Dettol, who each gave the band support slots wherever possible. In late 1997 the band changed their name to Ventolin and entered the studio in early 1998 for the first time. The result, an EP titled Anomie, was recorded at Powerhouse Studios and featured Mick Boyle of Mudlungs on additional vocals. The artwork was provided by Simon's older brother Mark Dalla Pozza.

The EP demonstrated a heavy rock edge which would draw comparisons to early Shihad and a bottom-end not unlike that of Tool. By now two of the members were attending University of Wollongong, making the band eligible to enter the Uni band comp. Up against Dropping Honey, Phial and Pancake Day, Ventolin won the final and were soon heading to the state finals where they finished second. This success lead to support shows with The Fauves, Midget, The Mark of Cain and Big Heavy Stuff.

With some money saved from the band comp wins and regular gigs, the band re-entered the studio with Dave Trump in late 1998 to record their follow-up EP. Although the recordings were finished and mastered, the band soon split leaving the EP to gather dust at the back of a cupboard.

How Machines Work, L-R: Dalla Pozza, Roberts & Taylor

Roberts went onto form Gravitron, and Dalla Pozza joined Monstrous Blues, while Rojas continued to play in Shanghai - a band he joined during his time in Ventolin. Taylor went onto managing bands and forming the highly successful High Beam Music label.

At a chance meeting of Roberts, Dalla Pozza and Taylor in 2003, the trio arranged a few jams for old times' sake and a new set of songs were quickly written. Renamed How Machines Work, the band dragged the previously unreleased recordings out of the cupboard and released them as an EP in the hope of securing gigs. The title track 'Pilot Error' was instantly picked up by Triple J and suddenly the band were in unexpected demand. The EP showed significant growth since the Anomie recordings, with a stronger emphasis on melody drawing comparisons to Big Heavy Stuff and Even.

Plans to get Rojas back on board were made but unfortunately never materialised and HMW soon returned to the studio to record an EP of new material. Address in White was released in 2004 and again showed significant maturity in the songwriting. By this time Roberts was living in Victoria making it difficult to for the band to rehearse and gig. Given this logistical problem, the band only played handful of shows before calling it quits again in 2005.

In 2004, Taylor and Dalla Pozza established the Music Farmers retail shop and Trans Electric Records. Dalla Pozza has since relocated to London where he works as a graphic designer. Taylor continues to work in music as co-owner of Impedance Records and Various Industries. Roberts remains in regional Victoria where he also works as a graphic designer, and Rojas has again been spotted playing in the re-united Shanghai.

Ventolin Discography:

1998: Anomie EP (download)

How Machines Work discography:

2003: Pilot Error EP (download)

2004: Address in White EP (download)

Thanks to Jeb Taylor for his assistance in piecing this article together.

Dropping Honey (1997-2004)

2010-04-17T13:04:00.009+10:00

Dropping Honey

Like countless bands before and after them, Dropping Honey first came together as three university students keen to make a bit of noise. Forming in '97, the original Dropping Honey line-up consisted of Damien Lane (vocals/guitar), David Lee (bass) and Sam Rice (drums). Lane had already been playing in Pounderhound who were beginning to wind down their operations. When Pounderhound played their last gig at the North Gong (with Dropping Honey in support) Lane was able to focus his energies on his new project.

In late '97, a clash of personalities saw Lane replace Rice with Darren Ireland (brother of Tim Ireland - Pounderhound/Gilded Kiln), and add guitarist/vocalist Jolyon Pagett from Sydney.

Heavily influenced by the shoegazing scene, the band sought to recreate the wall-of-noise of My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Swervedriver, as well as indie icons Sonic Youth, Pixies and The Cure.

The band laid down it's first recordings in '98 with the Flightless single, and began getting regular gigs locally as well as the odd excursion to Sydney.

The band re-entered the studio in '99 with local engineer Ed Lee and recorded the six-track EP, Underfoot. Though a solid first release, the band would later regret the release stating that the "rockier elements were unrepresented." The crowds didn't seem to mind though, with the launch at the Oxford being one of the bands' more memorable shows.

Damien Lane

A re-recorded version of 'Flightless' was picked up by Triple J, and the band began getting higher profile gig offers supporting the likes of Eskimo Joe and Shihad.

Various members began moonlighting in a number of side-projects, most notably Lane in Gilded Kiln and Ireland, Pagett and Lane in Adam Buckland's Dodgy World. It was around this time that Lane and Lee both relocated to Sydney.

In 2001, Dropping Honey released their debut album, Snakes & Ladders, which received good reviews and further J airplay. 2001 also saw a few trips to Queensland supporting the likes of Giants of Science, Budd and Intercooler.

Never ones to put all their eggs into the one basket, Paget and Lane formed The Figurines in 2003 - a short-lived band that also featured members of Pounderhound, Traces of Nut, and Piglet.

During 2003/2004 the band entered the studio for the final time and recorded the Dreams of Broken Teeth EP. However due to Lane and Pagett relocating to the UK, the EP was mixed but never released.

L-R: Pagett, Lane, Ireland, Lee

When Lane returned to Australia in 2005, Dropping Honey played a handful of shows as a three-piece including album launches for Adam Buckland's Dodgy World and Tinderbox (featuring original Dropping Honey drummer Sam Rice).

Whilst in the UK Pagett and Lane gigged as a duo. Pagett remains in the UK and performs in Complete Radio Silence.

Lane and Ireland now perform in The Shipwrecked - whose debut album was released in 2008. The Shipwrecked have received some good airplay and have contributed to soundtracks which have seen an international release

Lane also continues to accompany longtime friend Tim Ireland as a guitarist/multi-instrumentalist. Ireland's releases include Down In The Well and Pseudo-Science.

*Update: In December 2010, Dropping Honey played a reunion show at The Patch (Cabbage Tree Hotel), alongside The Nice Folk, Mind at Large and Yardvark. Despite initial intentions of this being a one-off show the band were invited to play a couple of Sydney shows with the reunited Tumbleweed.

Discography:

1998: Flightless single

2000: Underfoot EP (download)

2001: Snakes and Ladders (download)

Steel City Sound Exclusive:

Dreams of Broken Teeth EP (download)

Resources:
Howlspace

Thanks to Damien Lane for his assistance with this post.

Zambian Goat Herders (1990-1995)

2010-04-12T20:09:00.013+10:00

Zambian Goat Herders

In 1990, four schoolmates from Kanahooka - high on the sounds of Dinosaur Jr and Husker Du - formed a band that, in time, would be mentioned in the same sentence as Proton Energy Pills and Tumbleweed.

Zambian Goat Herders - named by fellow schoolmate, Ben Varley - first came together to play a band comp at Hurlstone Agricultural College in Sydney. That line-up consisted of Matt Williams (guitar/vocals), Greg Cheyne (guitar), Paul Zanni (bass) and Dillon Hicks (drums)

William’s older brother Brent was impressed enough with the band’s debut performance that he wanted a piece of the action. Zanni left, Matt Williams moved to bass and Brent Williams filled the guitar role.

The band played a few shows around town including a support slot with an early incarnation of Tumbleweed that featured Dave Curley (ex-Proton Energy Pills) on vocals.

When Curley was ousted from Tumbleweed in 1991 however, the Goat Herders saw an opportunity and set-out to headhunt him for their own band. After some initial reluctance Curley attended a rehearsal and decided to take them up on their offer. Thus the classic line-up of Zambian Goat Herders was born.

Dave Curley

With Curley came a high energy, melodic influence along with crucial contacts, enabling the band to play regular shows outside their hometown. Brent Williams and Curley moved into Acton Court at the bottom of Crown St, and started regularly writing songs together. The band soon entered Studio Arts in Woonona with Ed Lee and recorded a demo. Reviewing the demo in On the Street in 1992, Stuart Coupe described the Goat Herders as "aggressive, tough, relentless, with moments of brilliance and a take no prisoners attitude."

Around this time, Redback Records was an oasis in a sea of Wollongong mediocrity and focused heavily on stocking 'alternative' music, before the alternative became mainstream. Store owner John Jenkins saw the band perform at the North Gong in June 1992, and although Curley managed to fall off the stage mid-rock pose, Jenkins loved it and walked away with visions of starting a record label with the Goat Herders as his flagship release.

As Hicks remembers: "There was no contract, it was all very cottage industry kinda stuff. We paid for the recording, John paid for the artwork and pressing. Promo costs were shared although John probably shelled out more money on the latter than the band did."

With the promise of financial assistance the band again entered Studio Arts with Ed Lee in December '92/January '93 and emerged with the mini-album Endorphin. Redback Records had secured distribution with MDS and funded a video for the lead track 'Starshine'. Jenkins had also hired industry veteran and ex-Polydor publicist Fiona Sommerville to do publicity for the band, all culminating in Endorphin being the highest selling release for MDS in 1993.

Recorded live, Endorphin is a moment of youth documented in audio. Lee successfully captured the sound of five naive, but intensely passionate, kids having the time of their lives. Rolling Stone reviewed Endorphin favourably, RRR added 'Starshine' to rotation and invited the band in for their 'Live in Your Loungeroom' series, and ABC's rage played the clip regularly increasing the bands exposure especially to the all-ages audience.

The Goat Herders rise to prominence coincided with the explosion of grunge rock from Seattle, and thus the band became overnight hometown heroes. One night they were supporting You Am I and Tumbleweed at the North Gong to 10 people, and 6 months later they played to 1100 punters at Thirroul Skating Rink.

Outside of Wollongong, the band's sound seemed to resonate with Melbourne audiences first, with audiences in Canberra and Sydney coming around to the highly energised live shows a bit later. These energetic performances landed the band support slots for local heroes Celibate Rifles, Hard-Ons and Front End Loader, as well as international visiting artists Babes in Toyland, Buffalo Tom and Superchunk.

Dillon Hicks

Wanting to keep the momentum rolling, the band re-entered the studio to record a follow-up album. Again Ed Lee sat in the producers' chair, but this time the band altered the recording formula. Capturing the drums and bass first, the guitars and vocals were overdubbed later, resulting in the less-than-urgent follow-up, Awake.

On top of the recording problems, the band were also dealing with inner tensions as Curley announced his intentions to leave the band after the albums release, citing personal reasons. Curley loyally committed to a couple of rounds of touring to promote Awake. Furthermore, Jenkins had informed the band that after the release of Awake, Redback would not be in a position to finance the band any further. This was primarily due to the slow return he was getting for his investment, and a reflection of the distributor as opposed to the Goat Herders.

True to his word, Curley left the band in '95. One of his final gigs though was an all-ages afternoon show at The Metro supporting Tumbleweed. The band were late setting up, and feeling a little unsure what the future held for them. But when the curtain lifted, the quintet were faced with a full-house (footage from this night is included in the ZGH youtube playlist below).

Matt Williams

Following Curley's departure, the remaining four members vowed to keep moving, shifting vocal duties to the Williams' brothers. The band set about writing an all-new set, no longer comfortable playing Curley-era songs. Over the preceding couple of years the Goat Herders had struck up a tight friendship with Bodyjar, and the final Goat Herder recordings show a decidedly more pop-punk sound than the garage-rock they'd become renowned for.

An ill-fated tour to Melbourne followed and the band returned home to play what was to be their final show at an all-ages gig at Wollongong Youth Centre.

Though their existence was brief, the Zambian Goat Herders proved that living in Wollongong was not a barrier to success. And why should it have been? Talking to Ian Gostelow for Tertangala Curley said: "I... get a bit angry about the provincial attitude that some people tend to have towards Wollongong... Wollongong is a nice little scene... it's a lot of fun because you get a lot of support."

Years later Hicks also recalls this camaraderie: "I remember being in Melbourne touring, maybe early 1993, the same weekend that both Whose Muddy Shoes and Tumbleweed were in town on unconnected tours. ZGH were sitting in a hotel room in St Kilda with the radio on and Whose Muddy Shoes were being interviewed. The announcer was trying to paint Wollongong as a blues town, but the band were like: "What would you know?" They started going on that Tumbleweed were in town and they were heavy as fuck, and the Goat Herders were also in town and they all high-energy pop, and Whose Muddy Shoes were in town and "We're fucking blues, man". Those guys sticking it to the announcer really summed up the camaraderie that existed between Wollongong bands of all different genres at the time."

The musical legacy left behind by the Goat Herders is pivotal to our city's rich musical tapestry, without which bands countless other bands may not have even formed.

These days Matt Williams lives in Brisbane and is not currently involved in any musical projects. Brent Williams still lives in Wollongong and is doing a Phd in Music. He also tours regularly with The New Christs and BDSG. Dave Curley has recently returned to the Gong to complete his Dip. Ed and occasionally gets up on stage with Leadfinger. Greg Cheyne lives in Sydney and has no current musical pursuits whilst Dillon Hicks played in Vvovo in the mid-nineties and now lives and works in Sydney as a studio manager in advertising and also plays with Leadfinger & BDSG.

Discography:

1993: Endorphin (download)

1994: Awake (download)

Steel City Sound Exclusives:

1993: 3RRR - Live in Your Loungeroom (download)

1995: Live at Sunami, 1995 (Dave's Last Gig) (download)

1995: The Doghouse Sessions (download)

1995: The 'Damo' Sessions (download)

1995: 2VOX interview (download)

References:

Burke, Tim, 'Zambian Goatherders, Fulltab & Filth'', Tertangala, March 1994

Coupe, Stuart, 'The Zambian Goat Herders', On the Street, 17 June 1992

Gostelow, Ian, 'The Zambian Goat Herders', Tertangala, March 1993

Richards, Connor, 'Zambian Goat Herders', Hot Metal July 1993

Saint, Kylie, 'Wollongong on the Harbour', On the Street, 8 February 1993

'Five Bands Campaign on Poll Eve', Illawarra Mercury 11 March 1993

Extra-special thanks go to both Dillon Hicks and Brent Williams who put in an unprecedented effort into compiling the history and recordings of the band, as well as longtime friend Ben Varley, who found the VOX interviews beneath 15 years worth of coke bottles, Marvel comics, and computer parts.

Thumlock (1994-2002)

2010-03-26T16:52:00.013+11:00

With the exception of Tumbleweed, it's fair to say that Thumlock ruled the local rock scene throughout the nineties. Drawing heavily from the stoner and seventies heavy rock scenes Thumlock carved their niche in the Australian rock landscape which. at the time was looking to desert rock acts such as Kyuss, and associated stoner labels such as Tee Pee in New York and Meteor City in Detroit.

Forming in '94 by Ben Lough (guitar/vocals). Greg Eshman (drums) and Wayne Stokes (bass), the band earned their keep on local stages, managing to pool enough funds to enter Main Street Studios to record a four-song, self-titled demo at the end of '95.

Though the band's songcraft was still clearly in it's infancy, there are glimpses of things to come on the demo, both musically and lyrically. The strongest track of the four was 'Planet Neptune' with it's cosmic overtones - a feature that would become one of the bands' trademarks.

The demo helped the band get some stagetime alongside bands such as Shifter, Dettol and Mudlungs, and in '97 the trio again entered the studio (this time heading to Sydney's Powerhouse) armed with a bunch of new songs. Again relying on their own funds, the band recorded and released the five-track EP Dripping Silver Heat demonstrating a marked improvement in song structure and a clearer musical direction. Again the cosmic nature of the music, lyrics and artwork indicated a band that was finding it's place in the world.

The two years that followed were significant to the bands' subsequent career. The trio soon added Raff Iacurto on second guitar who would soon become pivotal to Thumlock with his penchant for writing memorable and groove-laden riffs. The band also teamed up with budding local music-mogul Jeb Taylor who would go on to first manage the band, then launch a label that would become a vehicle for Thumlock's releases, as well as become a significant part of Wollongong's musical heritage.

Taylor encouraged the newly-expanded line-up to re-enter the studios in '99, during which time they recorded the now-classic Lunar Mountain Sunrise EP. Starting with a droning, rumbling intro, Lunar... shook the Wollongong scene to it's core. Together with Tumbleweed, Thumlock were announcing to the world that the mediocrity of the industrial city between the mountains and the sea was coming to an end.

Again laced with psychedelic artwork and lyrics influenced by sci-fi writers such as Michael Moorecock and Frank Herbert, Lunar... saw the band hit new stratospheres. Though there are musical references to Blue Cheer, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath the band also drew inspiration from their surrounding environment. The cover is graced by a large moon-like planet hovering over the escarpment, whilst the title of 'Jaspers Brush' is taken from a small town down Berry-way.

Lunar... received rave reviews both here and overseas, and it wasn't long before the band returned to the studios to record Emerald Liquid Odyssey - their first album-proper. By the time boys emerged, Taylor had established High Beam Music and was ready to launch the career of what was fast becoming Australia's premier stoner act.

Emerald... featured beautiful artwork by Pauli Brennan depicting a phoenix rising from the surf, and was capitalised upon by Simon Dalla Pozza's layout resulting in a finely packaged album not expected from a DIY label based in Wollongong's northern suburbs.

Again, Thumlock had surpassed their own expectations musically, with the album taking a decidedly more high-octane approach without losing it's sludgey, psychedelic edge. 'Planet Neptune' is revived for the first time since their demo days and the opening track 'Rockin' Course' is lifted as a single, getting the band some much needed airplay. 'Rockin' Course', along with crowd favourite 'Water' highlighted the bands maturity and - for the first time - their ability to write songs that were less than five minutes in length.

The album was picked up by Beard of Stars for a European release, hit #4 on the Australian Independent Record charts and received Album of the Week in Drum Media. Thumlock were soon invited to share stages with Nebula, Rollins Band and their heroes Hawkwind, as well as contribute 'Out of Focus' to a Blue Cheer tribute album that also featured underground legends Pentagram.

As the machine kept rolling so did Thumlock. Touring the country extensively over the next 12 months, the band hardly had time to draw breath before they were back in the studio recording their follow-up album, Sojourns Lucid Magic. Shedding any prog-sentimentalities they may have still held onto during the recording of Emerald..., the songwriting on Sojourns... was even more concise with the lead single 'Modulator' falling below the three-minute mark.

The straight-forward rock the band had hinted at previously was further on display on Sojourns... perhaps alienating a large portion of their audience. Though not a bad album, it lacks the mystical flavour of their previous work, with the songs, as punchy and direct as they are, fail to leave a lasting memory once the final power chord has faded away.

As is often the case when you throw a bunch of young blokes into a Tarago for hours on end, the cost of being on the road began to take its toll. The band were offered a slot on a Eurpean tour with Nebula and Monkey Wrench, but despite solid sales, neither High Beam or Beard of Stars were able to support the tour financially.

The band continued to push Sojourns... locally but it wasn't long before it became clear that, despite the latest albums' title, the lucid magic of Thumlock was waning. In 2002, less than 12 months after the release of Sojourns... Thumlock called it a day.

Eshman went on to form the short-lived El Sanchez, whilst the remaining three formed the highly-energized, but equally short-lived ROADS.

These days Eshman resides in Melbourne and occasionally drums for The Hard-Ons and Front End Loader, Lough lives in London, Iacurto performs around Sydney as a singer/songwriter, and Stokes lives on the North Coast of NSW. There has been talk of a reunion, and possible reissues, but realistically that won't happen unless Lough returns to the country.

Discography:

1996 - Thumlock demo (Download)*
1997 - Dripping Silver Heat EP (Download)
1999 - Lunar Mountain Sunrise EP (Download)
2000 - Emerald Liquid Odyssey (Download)
2001 - Rockin' Course single (Download)
2002 - Sojourns Lucid Magic (Download)
2002 - Modulator single (Download)

* Many thanks to Main Street Studios for transfering the original cassette recording to digital.

Resources:
Thumlock myspace (featuring unreleased track 'Silent Bells')
HellrideMusic.com
StonerRock.co
Howlspace

Thanks to Jeb Taylor and Wayne Stokes for their assistance in preparing this article and for verifying the accuracy.

Socketwood: A Compilation of Music from Wollongong (1994)

2010-03-18T22:45:00.009+11:00

Wollongong in the nineties was fertile ground for young, aspiring musicians keen on establishing themselves in the industry. Tumbleweed had made an impact both here and overseas, and in doing so had inspired many kids to form their first band and hit the all-ages stages in the hope that rock music would save them from the cultural mediocrity and massive unemployment that eighties had brought upon Wollongong.

VOX FM had starting airing 'Doing It Locally' - a weekly program dedicated to highlighting the local talent, and the Wollongong Youth Centre was a regular venue for artists passing through that wanted an all-ages audience. This also gave young local bands vital experience in supporting national and overseas artists.

In 1994 the Youth Centre, together with Skillshare (now 313 Training) produced Socketwood, taking the honour of being the first all-Wollongong alternative rock compilation (pre-dating No Dress Regulations by 3 years). A working party consisting of youth workers, VOX presenters, local musicians and Skillshare employees advertised for submissions and then undertook the process of culling and recording selected entries. The result is 74 minutes of youthful enthusiasm put to music.

Not surprisingly many local bands of the day looked to the Seattle grunge scene for inspiration following the explosion of bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and The Melvins. Somewhat ironically, many of these Seattle acts cited Australian influences such as Radio Birdman, The Saints and The Hard-Ons who, in turn, had been largely influenced by the Detroit music scene of the sixties. The result was a distinct Wollongong sound that is well documented here with the now-legendary acts such as Shifter, Evol and Fulltab.

Despite the overarching guitar-driven sound of the area, there were naturally those that bucked the trend, choosing to operate in a singer/songwriter capacity or using electronics as their instrument of choice. Socketwood attempts to provide a balance in representing all local artists, but at the end of the day, the high-energy, frustrated sound of guitar-bass-drums spoke loudest.

Tracklisting: 01 Bean Bag - Without You // 02 Shifter - Lost It // 03 Spleen - Burnt // 04 Fulltab - James Stepback // 05 Naiad - The Curse // 06 Dinky Crash - Clever Trevor // 07 Hunt Bros. - Waste Away // 08 Entity - Smudge Me // 09 Alloy Forces - Ride On // 10 Greg Gluyas - Better Ways To Love // 11 Crashing Sun - Blind // 12 Cosmic Z - City Tonight // 13 Attic - Prodigy // 14 Evol - Cult // 15 Slob Plant - Lista // 16 Mudlungs - Caught // 17 Nodscene - Platform Experience // 18 The Merkins - Bubble // 19 Ecological Toilet - Gelf

Download:
Socketwood: A Compilation of Music from Wollongong

Thanks to Honora Jenkins for providing some crucial background information.

No Dress Regulations: Documenting the Musical History of the Wollongong Youth Centre (1997)

2010-03-11T22:49:00.015+11:00

Released in 1997, No Dress Regulations was a project of the Wollongong Youth Centre using a funding grant from the NSW Ministry of the Arts. A pivotal part of the local music scene, the Youth Centre provides rehearsal space and serves as a much needed venue for all-ages shows in the area. The album compiles 26 of the bands and artists who utilised these services between 1993-1996 and sonically runs the gamut from punk, metal, hip-hop, singer/songwriter and indie - clearly demonstrating the diversity of the city's musical culture.

Despite the many styles on display, the album runs relatively seamlessly, much to the credit of local producer Brent Williams - whose name you'll find in numerous local album credits. The album is an interesting historical document showcasing the state of the many local scenes in the 90's. A particular highlight is the early sound of Thumlock - a band who went onto sign with the now-defunct High Beam Music, and garnered a strong following not only locally, but nationally and overseas also.

Tracklist: 01 The Merkins - Mirage // 02 Slobplant - Keep Whippin' // 03 Navel Graveyard - I Like My Pavlovas Creamy // 04 Audio - Blue // 05 Shifter - Goon // 06 Lane - Tools of Violence // 07 Thrillsucker - Psycho Joe // 08 Spoonful - Anything // 09 Sundar - The Abyss // 10 Frontside - Your Excuses // 11 Annie Werner - So Tough // 12 Forehead - Enidagne // 13 Manifest - Grow // 14 The Gathering - Elevate // 15 TBK - Blind // 16 Evol - Misunderstood // 17 Werzal - Bert's Revenge // 18 Speedyboots - Starting Again // 19 Mrs Peel - Low // 20 Product of Torment - What's Your Name (Tonight)? // 21 Kelly-Anne Stewart - Just There // 22 Tripe - Freshly Fried // 23 Second - Astral Navigation // 24 Beanbag - All the Way with Stephanie K. // 25 Thumlock - Metal Tray // 26 Rukus - Gunna Skate

Download:

No Dress Regulations

The Marksmen (1962-1968)

2010-03-09T17:06:00.009+11:00

The Marksmen (not to be confused with the American country quartet from the fifties, or the instrumental pop outfit from Melbourne around the same time) were one of this city's earliest rock groups with it's earliest incarnation forming in 1961 under the name of The Saints (not to be confused with the Brisbane band of seventies).

Consisting of Ian Porter (guitar), Neil Porter (guitar), Danny Coutts (guitar), & George Morell (drums), The Saints worked up a strong local following and scored a weekly gig at Berkeley Scout Hall where they'd play the surf instrumentals of the likes of Duane Eddy and The Shadows.

Splitting towards the end of '61, Neil Porter and Coutts reformed as The Tremors in '62 with David Kirkup on drums and Lyle Maclean on guitar (Porter had shifted to bass), and began writing their own material and adding vocals to their stagecraft. To this end, the band recruited Brian Davitt on vocals to enable the musicians to work on their harmonies. The band began getting local gigs and scored several TV appearances on Channel 4 (now known as WIN TV).

Setting their sights higher, the band changed their name in '63 to The Marksmen and began heading to Sydney for support slots with The Atlantics and Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, and received some exposure in Women's Weekly. Devitt soon left the group to be replaced by Bobby Kerr, and the band continued to work the local circuit which included the Mocambo, Zondrae's, Wonderland, Wongawilli Town Hall, and The Blue Haven Club. They were also regularly invited to play events organised by both the Young Liberals and Young Labor, and in '65 gained a support slot with the Bee Gees.

In '65 Kirkup left the drum seat vacant, to be filled by Tony Markham. Not long after, the band were discovered by Wilding Forbes who worked as a DJ at 2WL (now Wave FM), who connected the group with Larry Lawrence, and took on the role as manager setting them up in the studio to record two originals for a self-financed '45.

The single consisted of 'But Why?' b/w 'Moonshine' and was recorded by Ossie Byrne - a Tarrawanna local who made it big recording the Bee Gees' 'Spicks & Specks' - and released on Byrne's own Enterprise label. The single enabled the band to tour to Canberra and onto Melbourne for a number of TV appearances. In December '66 Markham "borrowed" a car from his employer who promptly reported it stolen. Markham spent the night in gaol and had to sell his drums to pay the fine. Markham then sent friend and novice drummer Geoff Foster to the band as his replacement.

A significant line-up change occurred in '68 when Coutts left the group. Rather than finding another guitarist the remaining members recruited Stephen Sadler to play keyboards. This line-up went on to win the NSW Country finals of Hoadleys Battle of the Sounds. Despite this success the band remained unsigned and then Kerr was replaced by Alex Stefanovic from another popular Wollongong act The Nightwalkers.

By the end of '68 though, The Marksmen had outgrown Wollongong. They changed their name to Imagination and focused solely on playing Sydney five nights a week.

Discography:

1966 - 'But Why?' b/w 'Moonshine' 7" (Download)

Resources:
The Marksmen & Imagination: The Evolution of an Australian Rock band 1962-1970
GarageHangover

Thanks to Ged Fitzsimmons whose firsthand knowledge is irreplaceable, and Neil Porter for the corrections.