Riot City

ORIGINS: Sydney, NSW

GENRE: Ska, 2-tone, Rocksteady, Roots, Reggae

YEARS ACTIVE: 2000-2003

 

MEMBERS:

• Martin Jennings (Vocals, Keyboards)
• Mark Heather (Saxophone)
• Paul 'Ruffy; Girdo (Trombone)
• Marco (Guitar)
• James Gorman (Percussion, Vocals)
• Lindsay (Drums)
  
• Tom 'Crappy' Hoekstra (Trumpet) [2000-2001] 
• Emily 'Leeroy' Connell (Trumpet) [2001-2003]
• Torrin Nelson (Bass) [2000-2002]
• Tom (Guitar) [2001-2002]
• Lister (Bass) [2002-2003]

RELEASES: 

 

• Gimme Some of That Old Moonstomping! (2002) [Live]
• 1. Train to Skaville
• 2. Skinhead Girl
• 3. One Step Beyond
• 4. Woolly Bully
• 5. Watermelon Man
• 6. Guns of Navarone
• 7. Al Capone
• 8. Come On
• 9. Johnny Too Bad
• 10. Whine or Grine
• 11. Chase the Devil
• 12. Don't Argue
  

 

• Bonus Live (2002) [Live] - Download Here
  
• 1. Skinhead Moonstomp
• 2. Skinhead Girl
• 3. Man Next Door
• 4. Guns of Navarone
• 5. Night Boat to Cairo
• 6. Act of War
• 7. Johnny Too Bas
• 8. Woolly Bully
• 9. Chase the Devil
• 10. Outro
  

SUMMARY: Martin, Mark, Ruffy, and Tom were all looking to bring an older ska sound into the current Sydney scene after the rise of ska-punk. They assembled an eight-piece band that played a steady stream of shows throughout 2001 and 2002, including tours to Newcastle and Melbourne. Focused primarily on playing ska standards to begin with (covering artists such as Lee Perry, Prince Buster, The Skatalites, etc.), the band introduced a few original songs over time. 

 

In July 2001, original guitarist Marco and original trumpet player Tom both left the band. Emily Connell (of Kamikaze Harry) joined on trumpet and the band played 6 shows before finding a new guitarist. The final lineup shuffle occurred in May 2002 when Torrin Nelson left and was replaced by Lister on bass. Riot City stopped playing in early 2003 when various members began to pull into different directions, moving away, and playing in other bands. 

 

SHOWS:

• Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 12th May, 2001
• Vic on the Park, Enmore - 18th May, 2001 
• Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 9th June, 2001
• Northpoint Tavern, North Sydney - 20th June, 2001
• Bar Broadway, Sydney - 29th June, 2001
• Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle - 13th July, 2001
• Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Vic on the Park, Enmore - 14th July, 2001
• Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 11th August, 2001
• The Harp, Tempe - 17th August, 2001
• Green Square, Zetland - 14th September, 2001
• Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle - 22nd September, 2001
• The Harp, Tempe - 28th September, 2001
• Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 20th October, 2001
• Bat & Ball, Surry Hills - 26th October, 2001
• Gearins Hotel, Katoomba - 30th November, 2001
  
• Ska Bar, Arthouse, Melbourne - 6th December, 2001
• Birmingham Hotel, Collingwood - 7th December, 2001
• Mayfields, Collingwood - 8th December, 2001
• Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 13th December, 2001
• The Harp, Tempe - 11th January, 2002
• Tom's Place (House Party) - 28th January, 2002
• The Harp, Tempe - 8th February, 2002
• Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle - 9th February, 2002
• The Harp, Tempe - 23rd February, 2002
• Vic ont he Park, Enmore - 22nd March, 2002
• Northpoint Tavern, North Sydney - 5th April, 2002
• Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 20th April, 2002
• The Harp, Tempe - 11th May, 2002
• The Harp, Tempe - 23rd May, 2002
• Coledale Senior Citizen's Hall, Coledale - 8th June, 2002
• Northpoint Tavern, North Sydney - 15th June, 2002
• Bat & Ball, Surry Hills - 28th June, 2002
• Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 13th July, 2002
• Vic on the Park, Enmore - 19th July, 2002
• Green Square, Zetland - 10th August, 2002
• Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle - 23rd August, 2002
• The Harp, Tempe - 14th September, 2002
• The Harp, Tempe - 1st November, 2002
• Empire Hotel, Annandale - 23rd November, 2002
• Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle - 29th November, 2002
• Bat & Ball, Surry Hills - 14th December, 2002
  
• Green Square, Zetland - 11th January 2003
• Empire Hotel, Annandale - 22nd February, 2003

ORAL HISTORY:

TOM: What me and Ruffy were talking about was the need for some non-ska-punk in the Sydney ska scene. All these new bands were popping up that were heavily influenced by ska punk and we were just talking shit about how we should start up our own band and do something new (by doing something old). Ruffy already had the name and we drew dodgy logos to pass the time.

Tom Hoekstra (Trumpet), Riot City website, 2001

TOM: We tried out the idea of using some members of Kamikaze Harry but the distance factor was too difficult... some guy on The Last Hemeroids eGroups list was gonna be our bass player and an old mate of mine, Pete, was gonna play guitar. Anyway, it all sort of disappeared for a while but every now and then we'd talk about how it was needed.

Tom Hoekstra (Trumpet), Riot City website, 2001

Martin and Ruffy

TOM: At a Punx Picnic we asked Martin from the Last Hemeroids about joining and he was keen, and he said Mark from the Hemeroids would be too. All we needed was guitar and a drummer... At one stage we weren't even gonna bother with a guitarist. Anyway, it was February 2001 when we had our first true practice at the Enmore Speakeasy. We had a left-handed drummer that Torrin dug up from somewhere.

Tom Hoekstra (Trumpet), Riot City website, 2001

MARK: Last Hemeroids had finished up. There were new bands like Bagster and Lyrical Madmen on the scene who were mostly influenced by 2nd wave 90s ska bands. A few of us thought playing some older ska from the 2-tone era or earlier would be a good mix in the scene. Riot City was made up of members from existing or former bands; lots of egos but lots of fun!

Mark Heather (Saxophone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

Original Lineup

MARTIN: The band was formed by a group of friends that all wanted to play the same stuff, which made it work well. It was also around the talent too. Everyone knew what they doing and got involved. No passengers.

Martin Jennings (Vocals, Keyboard), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MARK: First show at the Green Square was pretty special, cause it felt like we played better than we actually were and the work getting it going had paid off. Another highlight was the three gigs we did in Melbourne in December 2001, including the monthly Ska Bar show at the Arthouse Hotel... organising interstate tours for an eight piece band with a few partners tagging along was a logistical nightmare for me, but it worked.

Mark Heather (Saxophone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

EMILY: I joined much later after the original trumpet player left. Being in the band was hilarious! We had too many band members and it was hard to fit us all on stage. We had band practice at this real sketchy place which was creepy yet awesome at the same time.

Emily 'Leeroy' Connell (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MARK: I think the most amusing show was the first birthday of the monthly Ska Trek gig in Newcastle at the Cambridge when we played with The Porkers and Casino Rumblers. We decided it was better to all go on the train after going in two vans up there once before. One with all the gear and one with the people. The problem was that neither of the two guys in the van with all the gear had a current driver's licence and they got pulled over for random breath testing. I don't know how they managed to get the van and gear there, but they did... very late.

Mark Heather (Saxophone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

Mark, Emily, Ruffy

 

EMILY: Once we played a show in Newcastle and our drummer Lindsay stopped the song and started drumming the next song halfway through... I think the only reason he was in the band was because he had a van we could load our gear into! He was super old. I think he may have worked at the placed we rented a van from.

Emily 'Leeroy' Connell (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

EMILY: If I didn't want to play my solo at the end of the show I would jump off stage and dance instead!

Emily 'Leeroy' Connell (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

MARK: The band ended for a few reasons. Emily and I had got pretty busy with The Optionals... I think Martin was getting a bit over the Inner West music scene and planning on heading back to the UK. Tom was going to move up north. I think Lister was starting work as a lawyer and didn't have time. I can't remember any specific conflicts or a specific single reason... it was just sort of time to come to a natural end I think.

Mark Heather (Saxophone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

RELATED BANDS: The DTs, Groin, The Last Hemeroids, The Optionals, Kamikaze Harry, Steppin' Razor, The Signals, The Bedlam Beggars, The Moondoggies, The Fat Bastards, Slant 6, Rastawookie