LINE-UP #1 (March-May 1996)
Damien Kalinowski (vocals, guitar) Sam Vinall (vocals, guitar) Tim
Goodfellow (bass) James Stout (drums)
LINE-UP #2 (June 1996)
Sam Vinall (vocals, guitar) Tim Goodfellow (bass) James Stout (drums)
LINE-UP #3 (July- August 1996)
Pete "the Stud" Howlett (guitar) Sam Vinall (vocals, guitar) Tim Goodfellow
(bass, vocals) James Stout (drums)
LINE-UP #4 (August 1996- August 1997)
Sam Vinall (vocals, guitar) Tim Goodfellow (bass, vocals) James Stout
(drums)
LINE-UP #5 (August 1997 to late 1998)
Sam Vinall (vocals, guitar) Kyle "Kipper" Webber (vocals, guitar) Tim
Goodfellow (bass, vocals) James Stout (drums)
LINE-UP #6 (late 1998 to late 1999)
Sam Vinall (vocals, guitar) Kyle "Kipper" Webber (vocals, guitar) Adam Leray (bass) James Stout (drums)
LINE-UP #7 (late 1999 to sometime 2000)
Sam Vinall (vocals, guitar) Kyle "Kipper" Webber (vocals, guitar) Adam Leray (bass) Dan Jones (drums)
LINE-UP #8 (sometime 2000 to now)
Sam Vinall (vocals, guitar) Kyle "Kipper" Webber (vocals, guitar) Adam Leray (bass) Some Dude (drums)
Damien and Tim started the band, with Sam playing drums for a few jams before James came along, intending to play fast melodic pop, with a strong ska edge (ala SCREECHING WEASEL, SATANIC SURFERS etc).
They came together musically extremely fast and began gigging after only a month or so. Damien left due to “musical differences”, and for a time they considered getting a horn section, but decided it was too impractical to go too far in the ska direction. Stud slipped in for a couple of months, adding some burbling lead guitar that added a distinctly rockier edge, but found he didn’t have enough time to really commit himself to the band, and they’ve happily stayed as a 3 piece since then.
The line-up changes did little to impinge on their constant round of live performances (usually at the late, lamented Abbadon).
Recording wise they did a couple of demos at 5UV which, in their own words, are “lost and thankfully forgotten because they were both total crap” before settling in for a “proper” session at John Reynolds on 21/10/96 produced by Nick Love, that produced material destined to go on the “Easy Listening for the Terminally Tortured” comp CD (Never, Falling, Samantha, Spicks & Specks). The un-mastered version of Samantha was given to 3D radio as a single song demo, and made it to #96 on their top 100 + 1 for 1996.
For the future they’re looking to record an album’s worth of material in the next couple of months, to be hopefully released on their own label.
Previously Tim had played in heaps of punk/ metal crossover bands during 1986-89 that never got very far, and he gave up the whole band thing until Damien encouraged him into having another go.
Sam was a member of a melodic indie-pop band called THE GOBLINS (Feb
1995- Jan 1996): Sam Vinall (guitar, vocals), Bodo (bass) and Jordan (drums).
He’s also currently playing drums in GLEN & THE PEANUT BUTTERMEN.
The band spent much of 1997 performing live, both locally and interstate, with the occasional recording session squeezed in. This frantic activity not only helped score them the services of management/booking agency Scorpion Entertainment International, but also highlighted the fact that an extra member was needed to compliment their live sound.
During mid 1997 it was rumoured that popular Three D announcer Mara might be joining, but only a couple of rehearsals eventuated and nothing really came of it.
Finally in August they secured the services of Kyle Webber (ex of HAMMERHEAD TED), supposedly (according to a press release) to "try and play some sort of arbitrary role in the band, as previous to this no-one could agree with anyone else. Alas this did not change!"
Shortly before then they'd recorded a trio of songs that have been appearing on compilations this year, all of which have come from their interstate work. They came to the attention of Matt Levey from Canberra label Intent Records after doing a show there, and having since become firm friends with him and stay at his house when touring the nation's capital.
During 1997 they also did major supports with the likes of PROPAGANDHI, TEN FOOT POLE and locals AREA 7 and CAUSTIC SODA, the latter of which brought them to the notice of Rapido Records. In March this year they supported the SATANIC SURFERS on their Australian tour which led to them being signed to Big Plastic Records, who have just released their debut self titled CD EP.
At the time of writing they were just finishing their third national tour for the year, this one in support of the EP, and were planning a heavy schedule of Adelaide gigs during August and September. This is to be followed by a song writing break during October, then back on the road during the summer, with recording for a full length release due out early next year.
Their current press kit describes them as playing "high energy
punk seasoned with a pinch of ska" and they quote the following bands as
influences- BODYJAR, SATANIC SURFERS, PROPAGANDHI and SAMIAM.
After much delay and general buggerising around their second EP, dubbed Careful What You Wish For, was realeased in February 2000. Dan Jones of Seraph's Coal plays drums on the recording as he was the temporary drummer following James leaving the band.
They now have a new full time drummer and are back playing support for high profile punkers such as Millencolin and Frenzal Rhomb.