Western Australi punk scene report

Perth bands with new releases soon include Ballpoint's (fast, aggressive, emotional, melodic punk) split cd with Canadian band Oversight. Ballpoint's contact is ballpointxxx@hotmail.com , this release comes after the huge success of their debut ep titled 'Magnetik' (which is must have album). Melodic pop punkers gyroscope. are releasing their debut ep 'Scaletrix' in February/March, after their demo tape of 1999 sold like hotcakes. Contact address is gyroscope@goecities.com Western Australia's most successful punk band, Boredumb with their melodic hardcore sound are doing a split cd with South Australian band, The Beer Goggles in March with The Beer Goggles most probably touring Western Australia soon after for some shows. Boredumb are also recording a live album that will be done when they support Millencolin in mid February with only about 70 copies being pressed so it'll be a sought after cd, that's for sure. Their email address is boredumb@iinet.net.au Other bands releasing material soon are melodic pop punkers No Wonder, who are Perth's longest running punk band and set to release their debut album. Billings Method (melodic punk with ska influences) are recording a demo in the not too distant future and Ska punkers LowDown are set to launch their debut disc in late February. One of perth's favourite bands, Love Camp 7, a sorta mixed bag of punk, metal, rock and everything inbetween have had rave reviews for their debut album Clean 'Em All (a parody of Metallica's Kill 'Em All) and are already planning for a follow up to it for later on in the year. Melodic hardcore band PC Thug are also set to release their second ep in March and if their recent live shows are anything to go by the sound will be more hardcore than their previous ep, High Energy Comment. Rabbit Records at http://www.omen.net.au/~rabbit/ is a local record label run by Mat from the TMT Fanzine. Out in the next week is Rabbit Records comp CD number 4 " Thanks very Much Max " which features tracks from PC Thug and Love Camp 7 plus bands like Tiltwheel (usa), mainstay ( qld ), Beergoggles ( sa ) and nine other bands.. 28 tracks for $14 at the shops. Another comp out shortly is 'You Are Here' featuring most of the main Perth punk bands. New band on the block The Disgusteens, who blast out some fine punk and roll tunes ala The Ramones, Queers, Screeching Weasel are starting to do some regular gigging and from all reports are very very good.

Their haven't been a hell of a lot of shows recently except for a full house show at the Hyde Park Hotel in early January with a lineup that included Baoredumb and Ballpoint and from all reports Ballpoint blew everyone away with their new material. They too were awesome for the first All Ages Saturday Matinee which was all organised by the bassist from Boredumb, Dion. Dion runs the local record label, Feeble Records and is also the chief promoter for punk bands in this state and is the reason more interstate bands are now touring Perth, Western Australia. The All Ages Saturday Matinees run every second Saturday and are held at a newish venue (for live music) called the Commodore Chateau Hotel. this will definately make the scene better and well done to Dion for organising it all. His email for these gigs is feeblesaturdays@hotmail.com Apart from these regular gigs, Millencolin are coming to perth for the first time and the lucky local bands to gain supports included Boredumb and Billings Method for the licensed show at the Lookout on Feb 17th and Ballpoint and gyroscope. for the all ages at the Grosvenor Backroom the next night. Hopefully the local crew can show that they are great bands to the Swedish superstars, I’m sure they can and will.

Over the last couple of months some very good shows included the Guttermouth tour with supports of Boredumb, PC Thug and ballpoint. This tour totally went off, Guttermouth played great although they seemed tired to an extent, fair enough too and the local bands played exceptional. Another tour just before Christmas was the Take A Swing Tour with Toe To Toe (from Sydney, NSW) and 28 Days (from Melbourne, VIC). Supports included gyroscope and Boredumb for a couple of shows and all band played great especially the gig at the Grosvenor Backroom on the 20th Dec when the temperature outside was nearing 40 degrees celsius. Another big event to happen soon is the yearly Big Day Out that hits Perth (the last leg of the tour) on the 6th Feb. The only local punk band playing is Love Camp 7, with other notable acts performing including Frenzal Rhomb (Sydney, NSW) and Blink182. Looks like NOFX will be here in April so supports for them will be very hotly contested, other acts looking to tour Western Australia in the not too distant future include No Use For A Name, Bouncing Souls, Frenzal Rhomb, Throwdown (Sydney, NSW) and a host of other interstate bands. Love Camp 7 and Three Orange Whips (rock pop) do a double header album launch very soon which will be big.

The main gig playing venues in Perth include the following: North Perth (Hyde Park Hotel, the Lookout), Perth City (Grosvenor Hotel, Commodore Chateau Hotel), South Perth (Coakleys, Mojos) and then places in southern western Australia such as Settlers in Margaret River and several places in Mandurah and Bunbury. When overseas and bigger interstate bands tour they normally play at venues like Grosvenor Hotel, Metropolis Perth and the Lookout as these pubs/clubs are generally able to hold the bigger crowds i.e. Metropolis Perth last year playing host to Blink 182, Unwritten Law, Bodyjar (Melbourne, VIC) and Mach Pelican (from Japan, Perth and now Melbourne, VIC).

This was a really weird gig, Metropolis Perth is a very weird venue with a unique setup. The first thing that happened was when a kid got up onstage and was gonna stage dived but a security tackled him and knocked him to the ground heavily, from that Wade (Unwritten Law's drummer) got off his stool and pushed the security off the stage. This stopped the gig for a good 10 minutes with it looking like the gig was going to be called off. Anyway the show went on and then after Bodyjar's set a few idiots up the top level started throwing glasses of drink down below to the moshpit with them retaliating. It was a mini riot and i saw alot of people with blood all over them from being hit, hopefully this doesn't occur again it was just crazy.