Chokeslam

ORIGINS: Northern Beaches, NSW

GENRE: Punk / Crust

YEARS ACTIVE: 1998-2000

 

MEMBERS:

• Tony Toy (Vocals) [1998-2000]
  
• Mike Woody (Guitar, Vocals)
  
• Scotty (Bass, Vocals)
  
• Jason Atherton (Drums, Vocals)
  

 

RELEASES: 

 

• Demo (1999)
  

 

• Slam 'n Bleed - Split with Bleeding Face (1999) - Download Here.
  
• 1. Dance Floor Whores
• 2. Depression
• 3. Religious
• 4. We Breath the Air of the Machines
• 5. Police State
• 6. Security Stare
• 7. Stifled Ambiance
  
• 8. Raw War
• 9. Pinocchio's Army
• 10. Packaged Lifestyle
• 11. Government Out of Control
• 12. Noise
• 13. Something to Say
  

• Triple-0 (2000/2019) - Download Here.
  
• 1. Fake
• 2. Respect
• 3. Reclaimer
• 4. Parking Inspector
• 5. Just Say No
• 6. Precious Thoughts
  

SUMMARY: Formed in late 1998, Chokeslam were a Northern Beaches based  that rose out of the ashes of the earlier band Retaliate. Chokeslam played lots of shows around Sydney. Singer Tony Toy parted ways with the band in 2000, leading to the band continuing as a three piece under the name Tripe-0. The 'Triple-0' demo was recorded as a limited edition CD in 2000 but not properly released until Jay Blurter put it out on cassette on his Innercity Records label in 2019.

 

SHOWS: 

• Lewisham Hotel -10th of May, 1999
  
• Feedback, Newtown - 12th April, 1999 
• PCYC, Hornsby - 24th April, 1999
  
• Petersham Scout Hall, Petersham - 27th February, 1999
  
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 1st May, 1999
  
• Bat and Ball, Sydney - 16th July, 1999
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 2nd October, 1999
  

 

ORAL HISTORY:

TONY: Woody had a band named Retaliate that had disbanded. As we were into pretty much the same scene and had been going to gigs and hanging out a bit together, we just started to jam - just the two of us at his pad. It pretty much started from there. I'd had a few jams here and there with other musicians and had jumped up on stage to have a singalong at gigs, but Chokeslam was my first band. 

Tony Toy (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

JASON: It all started on the Northern Beaches after Woody played with Retaliate and I was growling/screaming for a death metal band called Dismissal. We all hung out and played gigs with our mates from Mindcrack... Woody asked me if I could play drums, I said, 'Yeah, sorta', and we ended up jamming and Chokeslam was formed. He'd already lined Tony Toy and Scotty in the band and the rest in history.

Jason Atherton (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

TONY: Every show was a stand out to me 'cause I got to belt out to the crowd exactly how I felt about a lot of shit that was happening around us in the world at the time. Every band we supported was fucking awesome too. To me, Chokeslam was about four mates playing as fast as we could and letting people know about the bullshit going on out there in the world in the way that we wanted to.

Tony Toy (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

JASON: My favourite Chokeslam memory was supported Dystopia at the Iron Duke when they came over from the USA.

Craig Fisher (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

WOODY: We were usually playing first on the bill, so the crowd would be only warming up. It's not until later on that crazy shit happens but, to be honest, gigs had become fairly tame by this time, compared to the '80s. This was great because you weren't always looking over your shoulder to avoid conflict. Punks, skins and metalheads by this point had somewhat become united and the scene wasn't as violent. No guns were pulled or knives drawn, or punters carter off to hospital in an ambulance. I guess the biggest incident Chokeslam faced was when I dropped my guitar pick on stage at the Iron Duke, having to stop the set while the crowd looked for my guitar pick in the moshpit. It was the last time I only brought one guitar pick to a gig! 

Mike Woody (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

REVIEW: Getting things underway in front of a decent-sized crowd were Chokeslam, first time I've caught 'em too. Good to see a band from over the Northern Beaches way; the four-piece impressing with their political-charged grindin' punk, even throwing in a cover of DRI's Couch Slouch.

Rod Hunt, Drum Media, 16th July, 1999 

TONY: The band coming to an end? That would be my fault. I moved out west to Lansvale and I went missing-in-action a lot. I couldn't get myself to jams, etc. I fucked up. So that was me gone but the lads kept playing under a new name. I didn't sing in any bands after that - I was just another person in the crowd supporting the many great bands and enjoying their music.

Tony Toy (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

WOODY: Chokeslam finished when vocalist Tony went missing-in-action and we couldn't find to rehearse or play live. The three of us that were remaining weren't ready to stop playing so we formed Triple-0. We were rehearsing at Rockafellas in Brookvale, which was run by Smurf. He was setting up some recording equipment and wanted to test it out, so we recorded the 000 demo. These recordings weren't officially released until nearly 20 years later by Jay Blurter.

Mike Woody (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

RELATED BANDS: Dismissal, Retaliate, O.T.S.B., WWXXIV, Slaughter Yard, Mindcrack, Crankcase