Noise Levels: Titan Outfits

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Titan Outfits

ORIGINS: Penrith, NSW

GENRE: Ska-core

YEARS ACTIVE: 2001-2005

MEMBERS:

Ged (Guitar) (Vocals, Guitar [2002-2005])
Simon Abbotts (Vocals) [2001]
Brett 'Dengy' Dengate (Trumpet)
Perrine (Saxophone) [2001-2003]
Andrew Von Schomberg (Bass)
Thom Von Schomberg (Drums) [2001]
Emma Woods (Trombone) [2003-2005]
Tim Frewer (Saxophone) [2003-2005]
Chris Baker (Drums) [2002-2005]

RELEASES:

Demo (2001)

Trash Park Rockers (2003) - Download Here.

1. Trash Park Rockers
2. Bad Perspective
3. McDonalds & America
4. Can't Make It
5. Daily Lamo's
6. I Hate Scar
7. Resistance
8. Trying Bunch
9. Nowhere to Go
10. For the Punx
11. The Scene

Final Tapes (2004)

1. Just Because It's There
2. First Fleet

SUMMARY: Titan Outfits was formed in 2001 as a 6-piece Penrith ska-core band by Ged and Perrine after they met at a party in Orchard Hills. After 6 months, the band underwent a lineup shuffle, with Ged stepping up into doing lead vocals after Abbotts left. The band played shows throughout Western Sydney and the Inner West, and played the Grounded and Fowl Air Festivals. After some time the sound began evolving into something less ska-related, leading to Ged, Dengy, and Baker moving on and forming Chaz. H. Scally.

SHOWS:

The Harp, Tempe - 23rd February, 2002
Castle Hill Community Centre, Castle Hill - 12th April, 2002
Grounded Festival, Museum of Fire, Penrith - 13th April, 2002
Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 20th April, 2002 [Pulled out before playing]
PCYC, Penrith - 18th October, 2002
PCYC, Penrith - 19th November, 2005

ORAL HISTORY:

DENGY: Titan Outfits was started by Ged and Perrine, who played sax. Me and Ged were in this school brass band thing and he asked if I was into ska and would be keen to come jam in his new band. I remember asking if it was like Area 7. He gave me a Link 80 CD and was like, nah, it's more like this.

Brett Dengate (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

PERRINE: I played saxophone and piano and grew up in a musical home with lots of instruments around. Ged played drums and guitar and was really into punk/skacore, and particularly this band from California, Link 80. They were a huge influence on the music that came out of Titan Outfits over the next few years. Band practice was every Friday at Ged's parents place.

Perrine (Saxophone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

GED: It was fast, heavy and loud. Rough sounding with lots of screaming. It's fairly obvious to anyone familiar with Choking Victim or Link 80 that we were heavily influenced... I wanted to play guitar and write more songs rather than play the drums. I was playing drums int he Oi-Ska's and that was coming to an end, so Perrine and I recorded the first Titan Outfits demos. We recruited Dengy on the trumpet almost immediately through a school band connection and then Von on bass. We had another drummer Tom (brother of bassist Von) and singer Abbotts in the early days... we used to practise every Friday after school without fail at my parents' house for years.

Ged (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DENGY: Ged used to record the drums on a 4 track and we'd jam to that int he spare room at his place. We then recruited Thom Von Schomberg on bass and Andrew Von Schomberg on drums, and Simon Abbots on vocals. That was the original lineup for like the first 6 months I reckon. Andrew was in our year at school and his brother Thom was a killer drummer; they were both big fans of Ged's old band Badtown Allstars, so it was an easy sell to get them.

Brett Dengate (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

SIMON: We were just sitting around at school and Ged and Dengy were already jamming together with Perrine and they were talking about a singe and I said I'd give it a go... We started to go around to Ged's place for band prac and then Andrew and his brother Tom came along and that was pretty much the first lineup of the Titan Outfits. Back then I was listening to Frenzal Rhomb, Unwritten Law, H20, Less Than Jake, Buck O Nine... they were my main inspiration.

Simon Abbotts (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

SIMON: Our first show was at the Gearin in Katoomba in front of just mates. It was like a mini-festival. Our first we played in front of people was at school... we played a few songs at a school Music night.

Simon Abbotts (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

PERRINE: We played around the Western suburbs and Sydney at venues like PCYC, Channel Cafe, and the Harp Hotel. Playing Harp Hotel in Tempe was our first city gig so it felt like a big deal! My mum had to accompany us because we were all underage.

Perrine (Saxophone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

GED: Shows that stand out in my memory include our first show, which was at the Gearins Hotel in Katoomba, with our original lineup. Later, we were stoked to play at Grounded Festival with lots of other good Penrith bands on the bill. All the Penrith PCYC and Channel Cafe shows were great too.

Ged (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

PERRINE: We got asked to play Grounded Festival in Penrith and Area 7 and Frenzal Rhomb were on the lineup... it was so sick, we were only like 15! After the set some guy asked me to sign his chest - was hilarious.

Perrine (Saxophone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DENGY: Abbotts was sick one day and couldn't make a gig so Ged sang it... he became the singer from then on. Grounded was one of our first gigs after that with Ged singing.

Brett Dengate (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

SIMON: I only played a few shows at the start of Titan Outfits until I parted ways with them... We had a chat as a band and my style of singing wasn't really what the guys were after and I guess it didn't really suit the style of music either. That's when Ged took over vocals... I would have to say though that I enjoyed playing every show with the band - I had a ball with everyone involved.

Simon Abbotts (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

BAKER: I started hanging around Ged, Dengy, and Von at school... jamming and whatnot in the Music rooms and they were saying that they might be looking for a new drummer. Then I ended up jumping in.

Chris Baker (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

GED: We played a festival up in Gosford called Fowl Air. We were all underage it was an over 18s gig so we didn't get to watch any of the other bands play, but we had a hotel room to run amok in for a few days.

Ged (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

EM: The band played my mate's backyard 16th birthday party and they had a hot friend, so I asked them if they needed a trombone player, and they asked if I knew someone who played. I didn't play trombone but my little sister had just started playing it in the Primary School band, and I played a few other instruments, so I figured it couldn't be that hard. So I told them to give me two weeks and a copy of their CD and I'd let them know! I taught myself trombone (admittedly very poorly!), learning the songs by ear, and practiced like mad. Two weeks later I auditioned for Ged and the hot friend, who had since joined as the new drummer (hi Baker!)... and they let me in!