Noisam

ORIGINS: Sydney, NSW

GENRE: Crust, Punk

YEARS ACTIVE: 1995-1999

 

MEMBERS:

• Steve Betteridge - Vocals [1995-1998]
  
• Stu Magoo - Vocals
• Quiff Collier - Guitar
• Darren 'Daz' Bottom - Guitar
• Grant Rogers - Bass [1995-1997]
• John - Bass [1998]
  
• Nick - Bass [1999]
  
• Glenn Maltby - Drums [1995-1998] Vocals [1998-1999]
• Kaz - Drums [1998-1999]
  

RELEASES: 

 

• Self-Titled Demo (1995)
• 1. Despise
• 2. Answer the Call
• 3. Nuclear Nightmare Remains
• 4. Act
• 5. Beer Song
• 6. My Plight
• 7. Moist War?
• 8. Lift Yer Game
• 9. No Chance
• 10. Bent Edge
• 11. Bred in Captivity
• 12. Slaves to the System
• 13. Raping the Antarctic
• 14. Beyond Control  

• South Pacific Contamination (1996) Split with Redstain - Download Here.
  
• 1. Answering the Call
• 2. Gas Attack
• 3. Shame About Ray
• 4. Raping the Antarctic
• 5. No Chance
• 6. Inebrious Bastard
• 7. Bred in Captivity
• 8. Bent Edge
• 9. Nightmare Remains
• 10. Act
• 11. Despise
• 12. Plight
• 13. Beyond Control
• 14. System Slaves
• 15. Beer...

• 6079 (1997) [Red Rag Records split] - Download Here.
  
• 1. Life Yer Game
• 2. Beyond Control
• 3. Moist War
  

• Compilation Tracks
• 'Raping the Antarctic' - from The Myth of the Clean Kill comp (1996) released by Human Error Records.
• 'A Message to You Pauline' - from Angry People live comp (1997) Download Here.
• 'Some Shit' - from Pulling on the Boots live comp (1997)
  

SUMMARY: Forming from members of the bands Subversion and Omnicide, Noisam were a mid-90s band that solidified after the arrival of their second drummer, Glenn Maltby, who also did the art for their demo tape. As soon as they had enough songs, the band set about recording a 14-track demo on cassette at Troy Horse Studios. A lot of songs from this were later re-recorded in its entirety at Zen Studios for a CD release. The band underwent a lineup shuffle when Steve moved to Narooma and later broke up the following year.

 

SHOWS: 

• Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, Newtown - unknown date, 1995
  
• Punx Picnic, Sydney Park, St Peters - 26th January, 1996
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 19th April, 1996
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 2nd May, 1996
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 7th June, 1996
• Punx Picnic, Sydney Park, St Peters - 9th June, 1996
• Addison Road Community Centre, Marrickville - 29th June, 1996
  
• Feedback, Newtown - 9th August, 1996
• Octoberpus 5, Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale - 18th October, 1996
  
• Oxford Babylon 10th Anniversary Show, Manning Bar, Sydney - 22nd November, 1997
• Pulling on the Boots, Iron Duke, Alexandria - 6th and 7th November, 1997
• Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney - 11th April, 1998
  

ORAL HISTORY:

QUIFF: The band basically started when I left Subversion and wanted to start a new band. It was a time when everyone had various side projects but I wasn't keen and thought it was enough being in one band. So I grabbed members from Omnicide and Subversion to start something new. The name came about because I wanted something that sounded like 'Noise' and when I looked it up and found it meant everything foul, disgusting, and evil-smelling... perfect. The real spelling of the word is 'Noisome' but we changed the spelling so we could put an anarchy symbol in it. 

Quiff Collier (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

QUIFF: Our first show was at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and it was okay. We struggled a bit with sound, timing, and thinking every show was a party... we were too pissed or pharmaceutically-challenged haha. It all came together at the Golden Ox squat show in Redfern where we actually sounded like we did in practice. 

Quiff Collier (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DAZ: Noisam was pure chaos - a combination of no holds barred punk rock, alcohol, and tomfoolery. At one point I got electrocuted on stage at the Melbourne Punx Picnic. I was jumping around and knocked the amp over, breaking the cable in the back, which in turn caused a live circuit. Gave me a good jolt but luckily Steve pulled the lead.

Darren 'Daz' Bottom (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

GRANT: Noisam was a lot more drunk than Omnicide. One night we all fancy dress on at the Iron Duke and Steve went through the stage. That show stands out in my memory because I had black metal corpse paint on and kept thinking 'why the fuck are people looking at me odd.' At another show, the ABC were doing interviews with straight-edge bands and - us being drunken assholes - just heckled the shit out of everything so they couldn't end up putting it on the telly. 

Grant (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

REVIEW: The first time I saw Noisam was when they support Spitboy at Petersham Inn. All I can say is that they fucken blew me away!

Noisecrash Issue 3, November 1995

 

STU: We've had a few fuck ups due to alcohol and drugs or because there was a lack of enthusiasm in the scene. Other than that, our shows have been fuckin' great. The crowds are getting bigger and wetter.  

Stu Magoo (Vocals), Noisecrash Issue 3, November 1995

 

From Noisecrash Issue 3, November 1995

 

QUIFF: All the songs on the CD were just put together on Track 1 so when it got played on the Oxford Jukebox you got the whole album. Thought it was funny at the time. Steve wanted to put it out on vinyl after Subversion had done a record so I got the Noisam recordings remastered and separated into different tracks. I was hoping to capture a bit of Glenn talking bollocks gold from this original recording but it snapped while I was trying to get it remastered. 

Quiff Collier (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

GRANT: I had to leave Sydney due to some health problems. Also, I was bit over the 'seen in the punk scene' thing. Felt like it was more important to look cool rather than actually live by what we sang about. We are all hypocrites to a certain extent but the fucken' hypocrisy was embarrassing. Me and my girlfriend at the time left Sydney but Noisam lived on through a dude called John n bass. He was a good fit for the band too. 

Grant (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

QUIFF: 'A Message To You Pauline' was a song that was written and recorded on the spot at St Peter's Studio by Glenn. I remember being in the Iron Duke beer garden when someone gave us copies of the Righteous Assembly comp. We couldn't remember the song at all - "Oh yeah, that one..."

Quiff Collier (Guitar), Noise Levels discussion, 2024

RELATED BANDS: Subversion, Omnicide, Sordid, Inebrious Bastards, Tutti Parze, Redstain, Mindcrack, Unknown to God, Hate is Enough, The Blurters, AVO, Consumers of Greed, Subversive Intent, Cachexia