Favourite bands past and present

First music that made an impact was my Mom's stuff (she'd blast it while doing household chores while i "took a nap"). That'd be Elton John, Linda Rondstadt, Jim Croce.. things like that.
Music i found for myself as a teen.. Rush, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, AC/DC, things like that.
As an adult my tastes run the gamut. I like it all when it'd done well.
But my very fave (and will remain so) is Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Early stuff is preferred but i like it all.

When I was a little fella I was right into ABBA and I guess after that would probably be Kiss and through my early teens Duran Duran then the usual grunge, techno, chill phases always interspersed with pop and rock. Mum loved pop and disco as do I to this day and I thank my dad for sowing the seeds of a deep love of classical which, reinforced by my wife I carry through to the present.

Best gig? Maybe Midnight Oil at the Sydney Entertainment Centre which was the first concert I could go to unsupervised with my mates. Or, either Nirvana at Fishoes on the Goldy or the first Big Day Out on the Goldy.

Kiss was the first band i loved when i was 5 or 6 and first album i got was Dynasty i listened to it quite a bit mostly the A side with "I was made for lovin you baby", but really it was all the visuals that i liked, the makeup, costumes, their names, how it was written, i remember getting the show bags complete with fake blood capsule and mum would do our faces up i was always Gene my sister Ace. (Mum and sister was right into Abba and Village people)

I personally can't listen to Kiss anymore.

Then next music i remember enjoying was some of the stuff that was played at the Roller Skating rink we would hit every Saturday morning, I remember lots of new wave type stuff like Seeds said The Knack, Devo, The Cure(boys dont cry), Adam & the ants, B52s, The Cars and lots of one hit wonders and i guess they played top 40 stuff from the time, didn't have the albums but loved a lot of the songs.

Then it was all rap/hip hop, my older mates somehow got there hands on all this obscure stuff that i don't even know what a lot of it is now just mixed tapes and soundtracks from Break dance & Beat street movies, and my mate had this boom box and we would walk around carrying it blasting out tunes with punk gloves on etc thinking we were like the dudes in America or hang in these big drains under the railways line with music blaring (friend had rechargeable batteries but still wouldn't last long), sometimes we would go up to this neighbourhood that was all Greek/Italian/Lebanese who were also right into it all and have real lame break competitions thinking we were

I remember Grandmaster flash's The message and Herbie Hancocks-Rockit were my favs (i still like them songs)

Funny thing is for some reason Beach Crew clothing became our go too, with addias white shoes, i think we liked the Beach crew stuff because of the writing and also being hoodies, and even though we lived inland at the time there was a surf shop "Bondi's surf and sail" but they also had skateboards which we got into, the music then got heavier Run DMC, Beaste Boys, a little Ice Cube, Public Enemy etc

Mates were getting into a bit of hardcore/punk though, through Skate videos and mags like Thrasher (Way before peoples started wearing the T-shirts as some cool thing)I liked a few odd songs but still preferred Rap at that stage.

Then we moved to the coast and i also started surfing it was stuff from Surf vids like Hunters & collectors, Hoodoo Gurus, The Radiators, Painters & Dockers, Celibate Rifles, but stuff like Rifles we would have to order via record shop and, sometimes takes weeks to get in

The Oils were my favourite after Kiss the band i really got into, although for the Oils it was more about the music..

Then i remember a mate introducing me to Goo by Sonic youth and it blew me away, and then off course Nirvana hit, i remember around this time we would tape late night rage and go through the tape the next morning, found a lot of cool bands that way.

That summer I came back over to Vic for summer Holidays and listened to RRR & 3PBS non stop and taped anything and everything i could to take back to Tassie.

My parents had pretty shittys taste in music other than The Beatles & i do remember Pink Floyd brick in the wall album and off course they hated my music and when they got religious it was pretty much tapes from friends as wouldn't buy me anything.

When i was about 16 to 18 my mates parents had big parties and we had our young crew there and they played all the classics like Jimi, Bob Marley, Clapton, The Doors, Led Zep, Creedence, Stones etc, so we all kind of got into that stuff as well.

My fav bands are still a lot of that 90s more Indie stuff, Sonic Youth, Dino Jr, Super Chunk, Pavement, Sebadoh, Archers of Loaf, then Kyuss, Q.O.S.A (early albums) At the Drive in

Also a lot of Aussie 90s stuff early Magic Dirt, Tumbleweed, Sandpit The Meanies, Cosmic psychos, Celibate Riffles etc.

Im basically stuck in the 90s musically with odd trips to the 60,70,80s and the odd post 90s stuff, even now music i enjoy that i discover is more stuff i didnt get or know about in the 90s

Other type's of music i can only handle in small amounts when the mode suits.

seeds wrote:

Maybe should add this
Best gig ever?
Helmet at Livid Festival at Davies Park Brisbane.
2 Bevis and Buttheads and a big top tent flapping it’s beautiful butterfly wings over heavy riffs. Was all time

I was at that one awesome day, i saw Helmet but wasn't really into them only knew the odd song, highlights for me where Superchunk & Tumbeweeds set that went crazy.

BTW. Have you seen this "Helmet live at Livid Festival Brisbane, 1994"
https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/programs/live-at-the-wireless-on-double-j...

seeds....that rush doco is really good. the one about Getty Lee, right?
another great music doco is "oil city confidential" about dr feel good.

I left home at 15 so I could see bands in inner city Sydney. pretty much went out seven nights a week and saw all the punks and post bands of the time... midnight oil playing to a handful of people, the birthday party, gun club, the clash, Lou reed, the cramps, go betweens, scientists, lime spiders, the church, PIL, the slug fkers, the reels, souixsie and the banshees, the fall, the saints, the laughing clowns, the damned, radio Birdman, the troggs, link wray, the hard ons, the Rooty hill marching band and hundreds more.

this isn't going to be a popular call on SW, but all those gigs pale in comparison to the early days of house music when I moved to new york.

Cool write up above Indo.

You dig your tunes for sure.

seeds wrote:

indo-dreaming wrote:

seeds wrote:

Maybe should add this
Best gig ever?
Helmet at Livid Festival at Davies Park Brisbane.
2 Bevis and Buttheads and a big top tent flapping it’s beautiful butterfly wings over heavy riffs. Was all time

I was at that one awesome day, i saw Helmet but wasn't really into them only knew the odd song, highlights for me where Superchunk & Tumbeweeds set that went crazy.

Shit it actually slipped my mind but Beastie Boys headlined that day. Being a big fan only a few years earlier I was surprised that I just couldn’t get into it.
Did you hang around to see them? Thoughts?

I did see them but i was kind of in a different mind space by then and found rap/hip hop even the Beasties kinda cringey at the time and my previous love of the music embarrassing, and i don't think they played much from the album i got into as kid (Licenced to Ill) so would have only known a few songs.

I can still picture them up there and a short snippet of the sound, but i was also pretty drunk by then, crashed in our Kombi parked out side that we were living in for a few months while traveling.

Was the prefect venue and perfect sized crowd though when at Davies park and was only my second festival, so still exciting.

indo-dreaming wrote:

seeds wrote:

Maybe should add this
Best gig ever?
Helmet at Livid Festival at Davies Park Brisbane.
2 Bevis and Buttheads and a big top tent flapping it’s beautiful butterfly wings over heavy riffs. Was all time

I was at that one awesome day, i saw Helmet but wasn't really into them only knew the odd song, highlights for me where Superchunk & Tumbeweeds set that went crazy.

I was there, won tickets, don't remember much though unfortunately.

Add You am I to the list of epic aussie 90's bands. Glorious time. Could still go out any night of the week and find live music in every pub.

seeds wrote:

@ chook House music? Bit of a change. What was it you liked? Music? The scene? Pingas? All of the above?
I’ll give that Oil City Confidential a go if I can find it

there was plenty of e. but unlike England and Australia at the time, there wasn't one drug or style of music that dominated. every party and club had a group of dealers on the corner selling cocaine, lsd, e, ketamine, mushrooms, weed and angel dust/pcp.

lots of small clubs, pitch back except for maybe one blue light, rammed full, with enormous purpose built sound systems and a crowd that ranged from middle aged people who'd been dancing since the days of disco to tough-assed 15yo street kids. and very eclectic music -- things like talking heads "once in a life time" got a play most nights.
there was a sense that you were at the best place to be on earth at that very moment and every one else in the room shared that feeling.

Ha ha! I love you man. No I do, I really love you man.

That would have been awesome Chook.

Then:

Kiss
Midnight Oil
Ramones

Showing some interest, I was fortunate to have two cousins, one from each side of the family, who'd dived into their respective subcultures and were prepared to have a sidekick follow along. So, early forays into the Sydney pub scene on one hand - Feedtime, Rifles, Hummingbirds etc etc - and from '89 - year 12 - also delving into the early rave scene as that cousin had fallen in with the English promoters who split seasons between there and here.

Walked into two subcultures I had no idea existed.

Also, from the age of 14 I was a part-time dogsbody in a pie shop, the older employees willing to give me lifts, ply drugs, and fake ID if I needed it to get into the Evil Star, Trade Union Club, et al, for The Johnnys, Lubricated Goat, Box The Jesuit, Thug, and other bands on Phantom and Black Eye Records. Gave me some currency and knowledge to navigate that world. Very thankful for that.

Found my own groove with Waterfront Records and what I guess is the 80's US hardcore sound, but over time took many diversions to various genres and times and places, the BPMs generally slowing, lyrics more significant, and the drugs less so.

Now:

Radio National.

Growing up in the pub rock era....truly blessed. Such great times. So few memories - all a blur now. Here's some that stand out. Mark Seymour stopping a gig because people dared to mosh at his show. Doc Neeson jumping boots first into a brawling crowd with mic - not missing a beat. Stoned floating 3 foot above the ground as we approached TISM sporting giant condoms on their head. Chrissie Amphlett so off her guts sang maybe 2 songs before cancelling the gig. Motorhead riot at the PIT in Palmy. (must admit I wasn't inside, but the excitement of someone plonking a stubby at Lemmy and the subsequent happenings excited the locals for a while). Best gig(s) ever? Midnight Oil @ the Lyric in Geelong. Grinspoon at the 13th Boardriders anniversary. Angels (again) @ BHP. INXS at the Palais in Geelong in their early days -3 or more encores ran out of material and had to play Smoke on the Water.....so much more....could bore you senseless with my old feller stories.

seeds wrote:

Actually care to expand on American Hardcore. What bands? After getting into Rollins and his merry men backtracked to Blag Flag and found Bad Brains. Ever see that doco ‘A Band Called Death’

Black Flag - with Keith not Hank, Circle Jerks, Minutemen, Bad Brains, Husker Du, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Dead Kennedys, Big Black, Descendents, Agnostic Front, Gang Green, etc etc etc.

Yep, seen that doco.

stunet wrote:

Then:

Kiss
Midnight Oil
Ramones

Showing some interest, I was fortunate to have two cousins, one from each side of the family, who'd dived into their respective subcultures and were prepared to have a sidekick follow along. So, early forays into the Sydney pub scene on one hand - Feedtime, Rifles, Hummingbirds etc etc - and from '89 - year 12 - also delving into the early rave scene as that cousin had fallen in with the English promoters who split seasons between there and here.

Walked into two subcultures I had no idea existed.

Also, from the age of 14 I was a part-time dogsbody in a pie shop, the older employees willing to give me lifts, ply drugs, and fake ID if I needed it to get into the Evil Star, Trade Union Club, et al, for The Johnnys, Lubricated Goat, Box The Jesuit, Thug, and other bands on Phantom and Black Eye Records. Gave me some currency and knowledge to navigate that world. Very thankful for that.

Found my own groove with Waterfront Records and what I guess is the 80's US hardcore sound, but over time took many diversions to various genres and times and places, the BPMs generally slowing, lyrics more significant, and the drugs less so.

Now:

Radio National.

stu, we must have been at some gigs together -- saw lots of The Johnnys, Lubricated Goat, Box The Jesuit, Thug gigs as well as waterfront records stuff -- were you at the exploding white mice waterfront in-store gig? or the waterfront boat cruise?

Say what you will about Seymour Seeds but his memior is one of the best music books I have read.
Totally self depreciating and hilariously funny.

chook wrote:

stu, we must have been at some gigs together -- saw lots of The Johnnys, Lubricated Goat, Box The Jesuit, Thug gigs as well as waterfront records stuff -- were you at the exploding white mice waterfront in-store gig? or the waterfront boat cruise?

Yeah, we may well have, Chook. I saw the Exploding White Mice many times but not at Waterfront Records. The shop near Central Station, just off George Street? If so, that was tiny.

Went to one of their cruises with The Hellmenn and Hard Ons, who I both loved, and from memory The Splatterheads and maybe Mr Floppy.

good stuff all. Got me thinking...

first album - I prefer to say TISM 'Great Trucking Songs...' but it was actually that Transvision Vamp 'Pop Art' album. Soon after came the TISM album, but I actually had to buy it twice. First time, I got it home and tried to sneekily listen (the only record player was in the lounge room) but mum was curious what I'd bought on my trip to town that day, and as I knew it, she was disgusted with many song titles. Incredible, she marched me back into town the next day to return it, and give the guys at Kents a mouthful about selling such filth to a young fella (grade 8). Got the money back, but just ended up buying it again a few months later and kept it well hidden...

I was heavily influenced by my older brother and his mates - Ramones, REM, Hard-Ons, Go-Betweens, RatCat, Cosmic Psychos, Husker Du, Bad Religion, NOFX... but pretty quickly came across Pixies and Sonic Youth and got their albums and then heavily into the Aussie punk/garage bands. 4-ZZZ and Rage were great, and we also regularly did the old tape the late night Rage hours and trawl through it the next morning to see what you'd find, sometimes some gems. I've said it on here before, but Pixies and Sonic Youth and later NOFX have been my long favourites, and those albums I bought way back as a young teen are still with me and getting regular rotation some 30+ years later...

Seeds - you mention Buzz and the Blues Band. They were a staple for me and my mates through grades 11 and 12 and a bit beyond. They were the Friday night house band at the Treasury, which was an easy get in for us underagers. Plus we went to school with Mojo, he was a few years older in my brothers year, so that helped. But geez we'd get smashed, $5 jugs, sneaking out for a scoob, good times...

And I remember that Livid you mention. I too was in a psychedelic wonderland. I remember Hoss, Meanies and Dreamkillers all being really good, all in a row on the same stage under a little tent area I recall, that was a pretty intense session while peaking. i really dug Skunkhour, Blowhard and Dirty Three at that time too. Then got caught up in the massive throng of the crowd for the Beasties finale, which I recall enjoying very much.

and Chook and Stu - those early underage days you talk of, wish I was there...

Cool topic, love my tunes.

- what was the first song you liked? Reckon it was something from the Gunners, Use Your Illusion II album especially. Get in the Ring, You could be mine. Maybe some old school Metallica too. I was only 7-8 when I got into this stuff, older bro influenced.

- what bands were you into up to the age of 18? It was all punk, rock & metal for me. Blink (early stuff), Pennywise, Unwritten Law, Slipknot, Machine Head, RATM Deftones, Tool, Incubus, Grinspoon early stuff and Silverchair early stuff were the main ones that spring to mind.

- did your parents hate it? What did they listen to? They hated the metal, but some of the punk/rock they tolerated. They loved all things 50's-80's pop & rock, which I still love to this day also.

- when you started going out did your musical tastes change? Big time change in what I listened to, moved into all things dance music, house/techno, whatever was playing at the clubs.

- what do you listen to now? Changed tastes? Still a diehard? Do you revisit your teen years?
After those young years partying, I've well and truly returned to my roots and it's now back to mainly punk/rock/metal. Rarely listen to dance music. Don't get into much new stuff, except for The War on Drugs. They would be top 2-3 bands for me of all time, just the perfect style of music for my moods these days.

- Best gig ever? Very tough call. Slipknot at Festival Hall in 2000, their first tour. Seen nothing like it before or after, so much pure adrenaline and brutality in a gig. Incubus toured at a time I was obsessed and played an incredible set list of first 3 albums. Daft Punk at the music bowl right up there too.

Great thread seeds, good work.
First album purchased with my own money was Parallel Lines by Blondie.
First pub gig was (groan) Uncanny X-men. But the first gig that opened my eyes and ears was the Crushed Buzzards at a uni lunchtime gig, Melbourne 80's cow punk at its finest, Lydia from an incarnation of Essendon Airport on vocals.
Current tastes have evolved and include plenty of folk, americana, alt country, etc as well as the more standard 3 chord wall of sound stuff from the Ramones through Mudhoney, Husker Du to the Cosmic Psychos, Eddy Current, etc. Add in some psych rock groovers (eg Wooden Shjips, Dandy Warhols) and some 60's influenced indi guitar bands and we are nearly done. Variety is the spice.
Keep on rocking team.

In 1969 I was 12 and the old man took me into town to buy a " Hi Fi stereo system", up till then music was only mono and hearing stereo sound was quite amazing. He asked me to choose a record to buy so as to test out the various models on offer, I chose my favorite radio song at the time, Honky Tonk woman by the stones on a 45 vinyl record. It sounded awesome and he still had that system when he died a few years ago.
At 18 it was all about road trips west listening to America, steely Dan, Neil Young
Led Zep, Deep purple, Moody blues, Frank Zappa, etc.
Later it was grunge and then even later it was bands like Refused, FNM, Mid youth crisis, suicidal tendencies etc. and then bordering on death metal.
Now I have gone full circle and love the acoustic guitars of Bread, America, Neil Young etc. Great topic, sure beats conspiracy nut jobs flogging off.

crew are all over it
Commercial radio in between listening to Australian cricket live when I found it.
Icehouse, johnny Farnham, Barnes, stones, beatles, credence top 40 countdown etc. Crew used to wear drain pipes swimming. I never understood why.

hard rock, metal, grunge, Australian pub rock, blues,
electronica d&b house was quite young and underground, totally new scene. Rage was a huge eye opener and a staple. music videos
Amazing how many bands. scenes mentioned stack up, so many styles and tastes. Good music stands the test of time whatever it is.

Remember seeing crew lining up to see shows before being legal age,
Before I new what bands where. People looked intimidating big cars, hair, mullets and flanoe's Beer and violence. Ripples were everywhere. Shows where everywhere. Australia was less impressionable , less tamed.
I missed the best part of the Australian Pub rock scene. Pokies destroyed the back room quickly.

Can't believe the power of Spotify and sharing platforms now . I don't have it. Blows my mind. Miss the Fanzines and a pint looking at the reviews and gigs. Tapes, Cds records word of mouth. . Crew who play music have introduced me to heaps of stuff I would never know about. Good bands/ artists toured pretty hard they built their following by playing well and creating albums that stood out. They have their own sound. Everything and anything performed well. The list is endless and global. If I go to see something live. I want to see crew who want to play or perform their art.

One thing I don't miss is seeing your favourite tape get chewed in the car tape player. Lost some gems.

I bought a piece of crap car off a chick I was really trying to bed once. Paid more than i should have and still got nowhere with her. The radio didn't work and the one sole tape stuck in it wouldn't eject and it was on a continuous loop if I wanted tunes.

The tape was 'Best of the Petshop Boys' and it was pretty embarrassing having my crew in the car.

Funny thing is though, after a while, we all used to sing along to it.

zenagain wrote:

I bought a piece of crap car off a chick I was really trying to bed once. Paid more than i should have and still got nowhere with her. The radio didn't work and the one sole tape stuck in it wouldn't eject and it was on a continuous loop if I wanted tunes.

The tape was 'Best of the Petshop Boys' and it was pretty embarrassing having my crew in the car.

Funny thing is though, after a while, we all used to sing along to it.

and, how'd you go?

Goof- I didn't.

Seeds- scratched cds where a heart ache too. Taught me the art of pulling over after a few close calls driving. Nothing compared to texting at the wheel but close.

.

Great thread so far. I was into heavy metal in my early teens( 1980’s) Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin as well as Kiss. Over the years have also enjoyed Midnight Oil , Powderfinger, Pink Floyd, Foo Fighters, Hawkwind and too many other bands to mention.Have also been a big Rush fan since high school . I admit they are not everyone’s cup of tea & they are relitively unknown in Australia but they were massive in the rest of the world. Albums like 2112 & Moving Pictures are worth a listen.
My first ever concert was Iron Maiden’s Number or the Beast tour in 1982 at Thebby Theatre- fuck it was loud!! Best concert I ever went to was Pink Floyd - Momentary Lapse of Reason. Tour in 1987/88? at Thebarton Oval.Unbelievable light show & sound quality was insane.
As I’ve got older my kids have introduced me to a lot of their music which I enjoy. Bands /muso’s like Flume, Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett, Alex Leahy,Skeggs,Hockey Dad ,The Chats( my favs) Dune Rats, DZ Deathrays,
Ruby Field, Dune Rats, Spacey Jane & King Gizzard & the Lizard
Cheers

ha ha I was living on the edge. And pop was massive it's self.

zenagain wrote:

Ha ha! I love you man. No I do, I really love you man.

That would have been awesome Chook.

....just as long as there is no hugging. nothing worse than a sweaty, unsoliticed hug my a man on E.