This is a section that is intended to serve as a reference point for those wishing to read a bit about their favourite punk bands or those wishing to find some new bands that are recommended as being worthy of checking out. Although it is intended to act as a reference point for others to get info on Australian bands, it may in the future have some overseas bands as well. Anyway, please do the Australian punk scene a favour and check out a few of these bands. If you are interested in any of them and aren't able to track them down, don't hesitate to e-mail me and I might be able to help you out.

You may find that I am at pains to draw comparisons between the Australian bands and others as reference point. The reason for this is that Australian bands (in my humble opinion) tend to have a different sound to their international peers and are bursting with originality. I'll try and keep the list diverse but I'll probably only be plugging bands that I like. I'm sick of people e-mailing me or whatever with calls for "more hardcore" or "more oi" without telling me exactly what they want and offering any information they may have. I will cover bands that I know about and like. This is my page and because I mostly like straight out punk rock more than hardcore, ska, etc it will have a bias toward such music. If, however, you want to see your band or a band on your label here (especially if you are Australian), e-mail me and let me know, I may need a demo or something. But if you want a band covered that you don't have a vested interest in, I am also willing to listen and I probably haven't included them for one of two reasons: 1) I don't like them 2) I have no information on them. Provide me with the info and I'll cover them even if I hate them.

Anyway, just click on the letter of the band you want to read about and the link will take you there. Alternatively, if you want to read about them all you can just scroll down.

A B C D E F G H I J K L-Z

ALL SYSTEMS GO

All Systems Go is a young ska-punk band from Canberra, whose sound has been likened to Less Than Jake. Their first show, in April '98, was opening "Rock Against Racism", and earned them a positive review in the local street press (although they still deny ever being there). Since then they've played with Melbourne's Area 7 and Sydney's Hindsight, and have many more gigs booked for July and August, including a show with the excellent Ballistic Allshorts and Alpha Team 1. Despite this, their favourite gig ever has been playing at a yacht club to a crowd of mostly pensioners. The reason? They thought it was funny when an old lady blocked her ears in horror. After only a few shows ASG is already popular in the Canberra scene and their popularity can only keep growing. All Systems Go should be releasing a demo tape sometime this year, as well as possibly doing some shows interstate, so look out for details. (By Christina)

AVO

"AVO - Hated And Proud", well that's what their logo declares. I'm sorry but I'm yet to find somebody who hates AVO. "Best band in Australia" is often what I hear instead. To be honest, they are definately up there. AVO is made up of group of people that have been involved in the Australian Punk/Hardcore scene for many years. The lineup includes people that have been/currently are in the following bands: Forward Defence, Toe To Toe, Crank, Downtime and ROCKS, just to name a few! They are (in my mind) the perfect mix of straight out punk rock and hardcore. Fast furious songs that often clock in at under a minute are a sure characteristic of AVO. They claim to play "hooligan" punk rock but are not really a streetpunk band, though the influence is there. They are more like the early 80's US hardcore bands but are much faster most of the time. They have had a relatively short existence with the current lineup (they began in late '98) and are yet to release something on their own but I'm sure the wait won't be too long. They play regularly enough so go see them and get hooked like I have.

BALLISTIC ALLSHORTS

Ballistic Allshorts hail from down Canberra way. They basically play a form of punk/hardcore/ska that not many other bands a re bothering to attempt. They are a very heavy punk/hardcore band that also has some ska influences creeping into their music through the brass section. However, they are not your typical ska band at all. From what I have heard of Link 80, they are kind of along those lines, or maybe Voodoo Glow Skulls is a better reference point. To date they have one release which is a mini cd that is self titled. They apparently play regularly in Canberra and also make frequent visits to Sydney. If you ever get the chance to see them live please do. If not, go and buy the cd if this at all sounds like it would interest you.

BASTARDOS

Bastardos are a brilliant crusty Sydney punk band. They have risen from the ashes of other great Sydney bands like Smut and Stalin's Organ. They are a really heavy and really crusty punk band that throws in some other styles to keep things interesting. There is a touch of (original) ska as well as bass that touches on jazz at times. They have the benefit of dual male/female vocals as well, just adding to their appeal. They have an album out now ($5). They play regularly in Sydney with the crusty/Oi! bands all over the place. They are definitely a step above the rest in terms of quality and ability to hold my interest. The album is great and is reviewed in the relevant section of this page. Bass player, Kieran, has gone overseas for a while. I'm not too sure if the band has actually broken up or not due to conflicting information. I really hope they haven't, it would be a real shame to see them disappear but that does seem to happen pretty quickly with the crusty bands.

BENTEDGE

Bentedge are a Sydney band that banded together in early 1998. I have often heard cries about them being the best band in the world and I can't really dispute it to be honest. They play a unique style of hardcore Oi! with a major slant on humour. They recently broke up (after a lengthy US tour) due to musical differences (ie Troy gave up the Rock to pursue a career in professional bowling). They reformed weeks later due to huge demand with Rudeb Oi! on drums. He's since been kicked out of the band to make way for Troy's return. To date, they have released a 7" and a cd album with gems such as Troy Can't Skank, Beercore Oi and PC Fag. The unique part about BentEdge is that they are more than a band...they are an institution. Bentedge has become an elite community with a set of rules and a strict process of induction. Basically, this is really just an excuse for them to be arseholes but it has worked with tremendous success and everybody wants to be a member. Look out for Bentedge in the future, they are often seen playing with high profile bands so there is no excuse for not seeing them. If you don't you're just a poser.

BODYJAR

Bodyjar are probably the most likely band that overseas visitors would have heard (of). They appear on a couple of overseas punk/hardcore compilations including the Revelation "In Flight Program" cd and Burning Heart's "Cheap Shots" 2& 3. They are distributed in the US and Europe through these labels respectively. If you haven't heard them, they are a very poppy punk band that are way above a lot of the mediocre crap that is produced in this area of punk. To give you an idea, maybe think along the lines of The Decendents, who even helped produce their first album. They have toured extensively overseas including a European tour with No Fun At All and a snowboard festival through the US and Canada. Apparently, their US/Canada tour went over really well, as indicated by the phenomenal reviews I read of these shows. They play well every single time I see them, so check them out. They have released three albums, "Take A Look Inside", "Rimshot" and "No Touch Red" and a number of singles and EP's. They have a new album that has just come out called "No Touch Red". It was recorded in Montreal, Canada and mixed in Colorado by Bill Stevenson and Steven Eggerton of All. It is a slightly different sounding album that is similar to the style of All but also very different. It is, however, the best release by them so far and is a huge leap forward in regards to songwiting ability.

CAUSTIC SODA

Caustic Soda is a great three piece band from Melbourne. While they can probably be described as punk-pop, their songwriting, emo influences, and personal lyrics make them stand out from all the other so-called 'punk' bands. Bass player Jeremy has described their sound in the past as "Jawbreaker in a bike crash with Snuff?" and that's pretty close if you can imagine it! Caustic Soda has played alongside many of Australia's best bands, as well as such international acts as Snuff, Propagandhi, All You Can Eat, and Millencolin among others. Their live show is always impressive and they managed to make thousands of new fans recently when nationally supporting Blink-182 for the "Dammnation '98" tour…despite mooning the crowd at one show! The band consists of Jeremy McMahon (bass, vocals), Donnie Dureau (guitar, vocals), Lachlan Hodgson (drums) and Adrian (ex MYC) (guitar) and has so far released two full length albums called "Bleak Youngkid Dis-Knowledge" and "Music From The Motion Picture". Caustic Soda can also be heard on numerous compilations including the high selling Vans Warped Tour CD and the MDS release "Chainspotting". Their new 7", "Femalevolence", is released on Crackle Records (UK) and may well be their best release yet. Caustic Soda is definitely a band to check out if you haven't already. (By Christina)Caustic Soda (possibly the best band in Australia) have disbanded but are now in the form of Blueline Medic...a new band that features all the same members bar the bass player. They play some Caustic tunes and are extrememly good.

CRANK

Crank are one of my favourite Australian punk bands because they not only play some of the best music but are really nice people. Crank arose from the ashes of hardcore band S.U.X. a few years back to form a somewhat different sounding band after recruiting an ex-member of hardcore band Toe To Toe. They only intended to play a couple of shows in Newtown (an inner-city Sydney suburb) in their spare time to have bit of fun. I first saw them open for Millencolin in March '95 and they have gotten better and better every time since then. Aside from that they have surpassed their original goal and scored a number of shows outside Newtown including a European Tour with Skankin' Pickle. They are a melodic punk band with trademark melodies that are the product of brilliant harmonising in the back up vocals. They have released an album ("Picking Up The Pieces") on New Jersey's Onefoot Records that is available through many distribution companies. Upcoming releases include a new album and even a cover of Twisted Sister on a local compilation called "I Wanna Rock". The soon-to-be-released album (of which I have an advanced copy) is a giant leap in the right direction. It is a credit to the band and is bound to see them rightly rise to their place in the punk scene. Buy it when you can!! At the moment Crank have been put on hold while some of the members are living in India but they will be back to reassert themselves as the kings of Australian Punk.

Crank Photo

CULT 45

Cult 45 have been around for a couple of years (at least to my knowledge) and have gained quite a following with a diverse range of people. When I first saw them I was expecting a goth/industrial band but I was pleasantly surprised to hear a very punk (70s style) band that was fronted by a girl, two things that are lacking in the Sydney scene to some degree. I've seen them many times since then and they never disappoint me in the slightest. Psycho, twisted songs about necrophillia, b-grade horror sluts, zombies and prozac. They have a 7" out called "Now We Are Sick" and recently released their first cd which is a 5 song effort called "Stress" released through Chatterbox Records/Phantom. "Stress" is a more diverse and better produced effort, not that you can knock the 7". They are about to embark on a tour to support it so if it comes your way make sure you catch it, they are a great band live. All the above about Cult 45 is history. They kicked out their singer and became a pop band! Fuck them! They should have changed their name. I am assuming they were pretty bad at pop cos they played a few shows like this and then disappeared. Oh well, hopefully you can rememeber the days when they were good!

DISPRUPT YOUTH

Disrupt Youth are a band that I was awakened to at the Hardcore Superbowl earlier this year. They are not really a hardcore band but are about as closed to the border of that and punk that you can get. They are from Brisbaine and have two releases (thanks to Scott for the info). The first release was a 7" called "Please Wake Me For Meals. The second is "Will Not be Served" (the only that I've heard). It is a good 7" that you should pick up if you like English (Exploited, etc) influenced punk that is pretty heavy. Apparently they have a cd coming out soon on Beer City Records. I'll keep you posted.

DOGBUOY

This 4 piece hails from Sydney and are something new in the scene here. They consist of a drummer, guitarist, 2-string bassist and a vocalist/rapper/turnatbilist. They remind me very much of what the Beastie Boys can sound like at times with their mix of punk, funk and rap. They usually put on a damn fine show that keeps the crowd jumping constantly. They have supported may international and Australian bands over the period of their existence and have appeared on many compilation cd's put out here. They have a cd EP out which has done well and has brought them some popularity. I haven't seen them since this release but I hear they are jsut as good as ever

FLYSPEAK

Flyspeak have been added to this page by request and, to be honest, I don't know all that much about them. They have been around for a couple of years and started pretty solid. They won the Sydney Uni band comp as well as an FBi Radio comp early in their career. They also played the first Homebake in Sydney where they impressed me greatly. They have a cd out but I don't know the name of it. They play sort of power-pop punk with a twist of indie rock. They are well worth checking out and they play pretty regularly around Sydney, so if you live here there is no excuses. If you have any info on them just e-mail me with it and I'll put it up.

FMD

FMD (Found My Direction) are one of the greatest hardcore bands in existence in Australia today. They hail from Maitland, up in the Newcastle area, and have been together since the summer of 1996/97. In this time they have gained enormous popularity and support in the Australian Hardcore scene. You only have to go to any hardcore show and count the number of people wearing their merchandise. They play fast, powerful and heavy old-school styled hardcore. Their songs are short but don't need to be any longer. There is no fillers contained in their music it is just straight ahead hardcore. They are a pleasure to see live and always manage to get the enthusiasm high within any crowd. I've seen them play many times and they never disappoint. They often cover Young Til I Die by Battery and do it very well. In fact they have some aspects of their sound that are similar to Battery, however there is more to their music than just copying the DC band. Tey have a 7" out on Resist called "Before Their Time" which is absolutely excellent. Don't make the same mistake I did of putting off buying the release cos you should get it as soon you can - it is truly excellent. If not, go see them live. They play pretty regularly all over the place.

GILGAMESH

Gilgamesh were, in my opinion, Australia's best ska/punk band on offer. I was lucky enough to get the 499th copy of their limited to 500 first EP, "Land Of The Long White Shaft" a couple of years ago. With the risk of sounding like the stereotypical punk, this is their best release. If you live in Sydney, it is sometimes in the used section at Red Eye Records. Anyway, since this time they have released another EP, "Vulgar Display Of Ass". Although it isn't quite as good, it is definitely worth checking out for an original display of punk and hardcore mixed with ska. If you live outside Australia, it is probably unlikely you'll be able to get a hold of this (if you want to try it was released through Murmur, a subsidiary of corporate ogre Sony). Unfortunately, Gilgamesh recently broke up. I guess that means we'll never get that album they said they were going to release...not like it wasn't meant to be out a year or so ago anyway. I'm pretty pissed that I'll never get to see the boys again. They were one of the best underground bands to come out of Sydney, at least to my knowledge. You check Graham out in his new(ish) band Pitbull Attack but I hear they are quite different...seems like everyone wants to be in a hardcore band.

H-BLOCK

Although their full name is H-Block101, they are most commonly just referred to as H-Block. Anyway, if you thought punk was dead I urge you to track down this band and justify your belief. This band is well and truly stuck in a time warp back in 1977. They are straight out snotty-nosed punks who seem to be very pissed off with a lot of things. Their music and lyrics (including the cockney vocal approach) are very England 1977. This is the real punk stuff!! I have seen them many times over the past year or two and they have never, ever played badly. They were probably the best band of the day at the all ages Rancid show last year (I love Rancid too!). They have released a lot of stuff over the time they have been together and currently have a new release ("Synergy") which you can pick up in Australia for only $5 (keeping up with their dollar a song policy). Previously there was a 5 track release going by the name of "A Voice In The Crowd" and an album "No Room For Apathy", both of which arebrilliant. They also have another album but I can't remember the name and have no copy to go and look at to jog my memory. If you are not just a fan of today's so-called 'skate-punk' and actually know your roots and enjoy the sounds of The Clash, etc. buy their stuff now!! They are rumoured to be touring Europe soon. They will also be doing a split 7" with Voice Of A Generation this year on my label, Falsestart Records.

Well that's it for this half of the alphabet. Just click HERE to get to the next section. Back To Main Page

Email me at n9704088@scholar.nepean.uws.edu.au if you feel you need to contact me for whatever reason.

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