October 1992 - Rip it up magazine

Have to laugh about this now, but at the time we weren't too impressed!

So what happened?

The magazine asked to interview us, but were reluctant to nominate a time.

They finally settled on a time mid afternoon, which didn't suit any of us as we all worked/studied.

Wayne made himself available to attend the interview, but then they postponed it at short notice.

Wayne was pissed off, and made it known that this was an inconvenience to him. Hence the reference to our "lack of social grace"!

I remember at the time being pissed off with Wayne that the whole band was tarred with lacking "social grace" tag because of his behaviour! But this was representative of my general feelings of disillusionment with the band (and especially Wayne) at this time.

And I have since used the fact that it is stated in print that I lack social grace to my advantage many times since......though I'll leave it to your imagination to decide how I may have done that!

September 1992 - dB magazine

Change of plans....here's our first article from dB magazine. As you can tell from the interview, we didn't take it very seriously.

The photo was taken from a photo session we did in a forest. I think there were around 100 photos taken. God knows why we selected this one - maybe it had the right "atmosphere".

That's me second from right. My partner cannot look at this photo - she thinks I look "gay"! She prefers my more "manly" current sheared look!

July - September 1992

And that's where the diaries end. I'm sure I wrote more at the time, but I'm buggered if I can find those entries now! Maybe I deliberately disposed of them!

There were a few notable events over the next few months:

• We got a manager! Sounds like progress, hey? Not exactly. Our manager was actually our sometimes sound guy Peter. The four band members had neither the time not the inclination to manage the band, so we were always on the lookout for someone to shoulder that burden. We had some interest from potential managers, but nothing ever eventuated. And although we never took Peter that seriously as a candidate, we figured he couldn't do us any harm.
• 
  
• The first thing Peter did was get us a residency. Ah yes, the legendary residency! Does that conjure up images of The Beatles at the Star Club? Hmmm, not exactly! The dump in question was known as Control, which consisted of a small bar downstairs, and a larger nightclub upstairs. We played the small bar. From memory, we played there every second Saturday night, five or six gigs in all before we pulled the pin. While it was good to have a regular gig, I'm not sure it did us much good. The venue never promoted the gigs, so the turnout was usually small. The main things I remember about these gigs are that:  

• I once threw a hissy fit when I broke a guitar string, and threw my strat off stage - the most rock 'n' roll moment of my musical career (and possibly my entire life) - pity only about four people were there to see it! 

•  we played an improptu version of Smells like Teen Spirit - well at least up to the first chorus. This was the closest I ever got to my dream of being in a grunge band
• 
  
• We recorded the Anthems for the Estranged demo, as featured in the first post on this blog!
• 
  
• We played a benefit gig (I can't remember who for though) where we actually made it to the lofty heights of...upstairs at Control! This will be the subject of my next post - a gig that was a turning point for me as this was when I first thought about leaving the band.
• 
  
• We were featured in articles in both local music magazines, Rip it Up and dB. The first of these articles is a classic! I'll post these articles in forthcoming posts.

10th June 1992 - The Tivoli

We weren't too thrilled to be doing this gig. We contacted the Tivoli since they had an ad in Rip it Up saying they were looking for bands to play there. So we rang up. We were lead to believe it would be our gig. After much stuffing around, we were put down to play with Paradise Interchange and Churchill's last cigar. That didn't impress us. Then we found out we were playing first. My first thought was to pull out, because I felt we had been shafted, and I didn't want to play with those bands. But we just thought what the heck, and decided to play it. I still don't know whether we should have or not. We didn't publicise it or anything, and there were bugger-all (i.e. hardly any) people there.

This was pretty much the antithesis of the Le Rox gig. There, we felt in control, whereas at the Tivoli, we were basically playing to our friends, and everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong.

The set list was:

Circle she is
Flood
Waterfall
Haunt
This peaceful place
Darkest lightest day
Led
Said August
Autumn color haze

I didn't like the setlist. It was unbalanced and badly thought out. We opened with Circle because its pretty strong. However, it wasn't really representative of what was to follow. It was a strong opening, but that took away from the end, where it is normally played. It was well played though. While I was feeding back at the end, Mark came in with the start to Flood. Wayne thought he would bang the bass a bit, for atmosphere. Only trouble was, by the time I came in, he'd banged it out of tune, and basically ruined the song! It sounded
absolutely shit! I had to laugh, but I just hope people realised he was out of tune, rather than fucking up! Speaking of which, Wayne missed the first break in the song, and totally threw everyone out. I'd say he was probably to busy working out how to play Flood out of tune! Then, before Waterfall, he had to retune, and took so long that we lost all our momentum. I played some stuff just to make some noise (My Bloody Valentine impressions if I remember correctly!) Waterfall was pretty shaky. While its an OK song, it will be one of the first to go, out of the current set, when Forgotten plus other new stuff comes in.

Haunt was well played. Theresa (Wayne's partner) said it was the best we had ever done it! At the start, Peter (our sound guy) was meant to put on the children tape. However, the Circle intro (which had been played earlier) came on instead! Had to laugh again! We false started TPP, as I had my volume knob turned down. We were just about to restart, when the taped into for DLD came on! Another laugh! TPP was played well, as was DLD, except the effects changes still suck a bit (three pedal changes in 2 seconds!). They are sounding alot better though. Led was good. Peter was controlling the strobe. It was coming on and off at really odd times, and pissed me off a bit. Said August was solid, as was ACH, but still not as good as it could have been. The strobe was used to good effect in this song, especially at the end, where Peter put on this radio effect tape that sounded great.

It was a bit harder to look out into the audience this time, as they were pretty close up. This made me appreciate Le Rox a whole heap better! Overall, I was disappointed with all the fuck-ups, but we did play very well. We did receive some compliments too.

Before we played, the keyboardist from PI came up and said they were putting a 4 dollar door charge on, and that we could have two guests. We didn't get any say in the matter. We couldn't be fucked staying until the end of the last band, so we left pretty early, and didn't bother collecting any money. Interestingly, there were fewer people there when PI started, so maybe some people did come to see us.

Postscript:

I have to laugh when I read the reference to the Waterfall and Forgotten now!

Waterfall never really worked because Wayne insisted on playing a bassline that didn't fit the guitar riff or vocals. As far as Wayne was concerned, it was a good bassline, so he was going to use it come hell or high water. The fact that it didn't fit the song never occurred to him, or he didn't care less - just another straw.....I can't listen to the song now - the bassline still jars even now!

Forgotten was named as such as it was the forgotten guitar riff - probably the best riff I ever came up with, but one which Wayne and Mark could never come up with a decent rhythm for. I recomposed the riff to make it simpler for them, and we developed a song around that. But we all felt that we were better of saving the riff until Wayne and Mark came up with something that equaled the magnificence of the guitar riff!

5th June 1992 - Le Rox

The general consensus of our supporters after this gig was that Lucid Ocean have arrived! Everything about this gig was more professional than any I remember. During the week we had this guy Andrew takes performance lessons from come and give us some hints. Things like looking out into the audience to communicate. His friend Caroline is a lighting tech, so we got her to do the lights. Our sound guy Peter made some tapes that we used as song intros and outros. It probably helped also that we weren't the first band on, for a change. It certainly made me feel a bit more significant!

Our set list was:

Darkest lightest day
Haunt
Said August
Led
This peaceful place
Flood
Autumn color haze
Jupiter Girl
Waterfall
Circle she is

It was probably our best musical performance as a whole. We came on to the sounds of seagulls and crashing waves. After a while I came in with the DLD fade in. I imagine it would have sounded really cool. DLD went quite well, considering I was pretty nervous about starting off with it because of all the pedal changes (I had to hit three pedals in two seconds!). Haunt was really good, the best I remember us playing it. SA was good, and I let my guitar feedback at the end while Wayne came in with the opening of Led, which was good also. I didn't really enjoy TPP, although I can't quite put my finger on it. Guitarwise it doesn't really do much, though.

Flood worked like a dream. We were a bit apprehensive about doing it (as it was quite new), but it just flowed out nicely, suiting the atmosphere of the place perfectly. We then had a tape of playground noises, to which Wayne started ACH. It didn't really work this time (again, a quite new song), it was just a little loose, but still quite good. JG isn't really working at the moment, and again, I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe its just a little too fast. Waterfall was quite reasonable, although I bollocksed up the start. CSI ditto. Although I had an excuse this time. We had pink noise before the start, and I didn't hear Wayne start! We had lots of sound effects when we left the stage, also.

Under instruction, I spent alot of my time looking out into the audience. It definitely helped, it was sort of uplifting! Unfortunately, the strobe we were to use blew in the first song! There was a comment that the lights were too bright, and not aggressive enough in the more uptempo moments, like CSI. This was probably partly due to the strobe, and the fact that it was Caroline's first attempt. Everything was really positive afterwards, and there was the definite feeling that we have reached a new level, and that things could get better from here on in.

A gig that will be fondly remembered!

2nd May 1992 - Gordon's 21st party

The period from February through May was a slow period for the band. We had trouble getting shows, but we were slowly and surely improving our songs and performance. So when the chance came to play a 21st birthday party for a good friend of mine we accepted it..... 

Gordon asked us to play at his 21st party. He had to move the date for us to do it. I thought it would be a good experience, and a good opportunity to video ourselves to see what we look like. It was a bit of a failure on both counts. Wayne wasn't feeling to good, Andrew didn't want to do it because he didn't think much of the crowd (from memory he labelled them bogans!), and the video wasn't rewound so only 2.5 songs fitted on. I watched it when I got home. It looks OK.

Since it wasn't a crowd who came to see a band we were never going to get a great response. In fact, after one song, there was just deadly silence - and I thought we played that song well! (I cant remember which song it was though).

Our set list was:

Haunt
Waterfall
Led
This peaceful place
Jupiter girl
Darkest lightest day
All one moment
Sunday
Said August
Circle she is

I insisted we start with Haunt, as I am sick of TPP as an opener. It sounded a bit lame, and there were a few bad stuff-ups. Waterfall went really well. Led ditto. Andrew didn't sing the bit on the end that I don't really think works. I don't know if thats a permanent change or what. TPP went well. In Jupiter girl, Wayne missed out the old start bit after the second chorus. It sounded OK though, except it went on faaaaaaar too long. The start of DLD sounded really fab, then I stuffed up the first pedal change. It didn't sound to bad though. All one moment was a total fuck-up. Mark didn't go into the slow bit after the second chorus, and went into the slow bit at the end too soon. I fucked up Sunday, I totally forgot where I was, not that anyone would have realised. By this stage I was going through the motions! Said August was not too bad, and Circle was OK, although I stuffed up a few times. At the end of it I put my delay pedal on and let the guitar feedback. A good way to end the set.

Overall, I thought it was worthwhile. Talking to Paul (my brother) afterwards, most people liked the music, but not the singing (a common response at the time - but I was too pigheaded to listen). A few people liked it all though. I feel a little better after doing it, in terms of experience. I also felt it was a really good song order, in terms of mood-swings and stuff. TPP and Jupiter girl together is priceless!

Postscript:

The thing I remember most about this night was that the party was in a nightclub that Gordon's parent had hired exclusively for the night. Andrew arrived at the party and went to the bar to order what he assumed would be a free drink. When the barman tried to charge him he made a scene. I was at home watching TV when Andrew called up and started abusing me, and threatening not to do the gig. So I had to rush to the gig to save the day! When I got there Gordon's mum thrust $100 into my hands to cover our bar tab. Made me feel like a real cheapskate! And just another of the straws that would break this camels back later in the year....

I'm surprised I neglected to diarise this at the time. Maybe this was because it wasn't such an unsual occurence?

Another interesting thing about this show is that someome who was to become a good friend five or so years was also at this party - hello Stephen if you're reading this!

February 1992 - Rip it Up magazine