Sunday, August 4, 2024

Lucretia

ORIGINS: Kemps Creek, NSW
GENRE: Metal
YEARS ACTIVE: 2000-2005
 
MEMBERS:
  • David Piepers - Vocals, Bass (2000), Vocals
  • Luke Connolly - Guitar
  • Pete Ross - Guitar
  • Darren Navan - Bass (2001-2005)
  • Shane Dwyer - Drums
RELEASES: 
  • Demo (2000)
    • 1. Never Ending
    • 2. Don't Want It

  • For One Reason (2001) - Download Here.
    • 1. Outsanity
    • 2. Bioethics
    • 3. Never Ending
    • 4. F.o.R.
    • 5. Don't Want It
    • 6. Rhythm Keeper
  • Unreleased EP (2005)
    • 1. Venom Inside
    • 2. Secrets
    • 3. Elixir
    • 4. The Distance
SUMMARY: Lucretia were a Western Sydney metal band that formed in 2000 from a collective of friends in high school at Emmaus College in Kemps Creek. Initially a four piece, original bassist David Piepers decided to focus on just vocals and Darren 'Navs' Navan joined as bassist in 2001. The band scored some high profile supports in Western Sydney with bands such as Frankenbok and The Butterfly Effect. Lucretia broke up when a few members decided to move on.
 
SHOWS: 


ORAL HISTORY:
PETER: We all met at school. Shane and Luke and I were playing after school and we asked a guy named Dave to sing for us.
Peter Ross (Guitarist), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
DAVID: Back in high school music class I was the only person who wanted to play the bass, so I got my own and started getting lessons. I played in a lot of ensemble pieces during class and from there a lot of people wanted to start something. I played around in a few covers groups before I met the Lucretia guys at school. We all went to Emmaus. When I joined the band, Luke, Pete and Shane already had some material... the basslines were already written. I'm pretty sure the name 'Lucretia' came from a list of options... when I joined the band the guys were called 'Reminix'. We were all fans of the Megadeth song Lucretia; some of us knew who Lucretia Borgia was... It wasn't until we were in the studio that we decided I'd sing and scream as well. Pete was originally supposed to be the singer.
David Piepers (Vocals, Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
LUKE: We were high school friends learning music together. We were interested in a lot of different stuff across all of us. Bands such as Metallica, Mudvayne, Incubus, Pantera, Blink 182... we liked all types of rock and metal.
Luke Connolly (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024 
 
SHANE: I remember sleeping over at each others' houses, writing riffs on acoustics, and then the band was formed. After a couple of gigs, Navs joined as a permanent bass player, leaving Dave's hands free so he could really hold onto the mic while he screamed into it. 
Shane Dwyer (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
DAVID: Our first show was on the back of a truck at a skate fest in a St Clair carpark, where we played mainly covers to a small but responsive crowd.
David Piepers (Vocals, Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
Review of first show from Obzine Issue 17, December 2000
 
PETER: We were in Year 8 and got a chance to record at my dad's mate's studio. We recorded our first track, 'Never ending', and it was a trip for us because we went from using guitar cases for a drum kit to a full band multi-track recording in about 2 years.
 Peter Ross (Guitarist), Noise Levels correspondence, 202
 
NAVS: I was probably the last member to join. The other four guys were doing Lucretia, recording and gigging in early high school years. It was pretty impressive to see dudes that young doing music on that level. I had been noodling on bass in Year 10 and was pretty behind in regards to their ability. Dave, who had been singing and playing bass, was looking to free himself up to focus purely on singing. I was mates with Peter as he knew my brother, and he asked if I wanted to try out. I was super nervous, I mean, Lucretia was asking me to try out - and I could be a part of it. So I learnt some songs, went well, and slotted in just before the first EP was to be released.
Darren Navan (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DAVID: We all contributed bits here and there but, for the most part, if it wasn't stuff written in the studio, Luke would give me a bunch of riffs looped on a cassette and I'd write lyrics to it. Towards the end of the recording of the first EP, and as we were playing more shows, it was becoming obvious that sharing both bass and vocal duties was limiting what I could do with each. The guys already knew another (much better) bass player in Darren, so i was happy to focus on being a frontman. Darren fit like a glove. 
David Piepers (Vocals, Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

NAVS: I think my first show with the band was the Backdoor at Penrith Panthers. There was a big audience as All Ages gigs were massive in Penrith - you obviously spruiked it at school. There was a little mosh pit and a couple of people got kicked out for 'moshing too hard'... Secretly, we loved it. Backdoor was a great venue - pro sound, big stage, pro venue. Somehow we ended up playing there a lot, I think someone in the band had a hook up. We supported so many good bands there - The Butterfly Effect, Tourettes, Frankenbok, Walk the Earth, Heifer, just to name a few. 
Darren Navan (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

SHANE: We would get together weekly to rehearse at my place until neighbours started calling the cops with noise complaints. That led us to booking rehearsal studios where we could turn it up even louder! We never looked back after that, just led the hardcore lifestyle of 16 year-old rock stars - I'd rehearse, play a gig, skateboard around after, then call mum to come pick me up.
Shane Dwyer (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DAVID: The EP launch at the Backdoor was a show I put together. We sold the place out with a locals-only bill, had a big moshpit and people singing lyrics and all. Incredible show. That earned us a few high profile supports at the venue, including The Butterfly Effect, which was another epic show. We loved the Channel Cafe but the other most memorable show was the PCYC, where we had ambos come in after someone got knocked out in the pit. Bad for health but it felt pretty fucken bad ass. I think the guy who got knocked out was the younger brother of a school friend.
David Piepers (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
PETER: There were some knocks on the head and an ambulance called at two separate shows in Penrith. One at the PCYC and one at Channel Cafe.
Peter Ross (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 

 
NAVS: Most of our gigs seemed centralised around the Penrith scene - we were underage and most of us didn't even have a licence. We played the Channel Cafe, Cyberzone Cafe, the Backdoor, and Youth Centres in Richmond, Greystanes, and St. Clair. We did play Kelts Bar once but our parents had to be there since we were underage.
Darren Navan (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

SHANE: We would play frequently at Channel Cafe in Penrith, some locals PCYCs, and of course, McHappy Day! Some highlights would have to be a Metal Harbour Cruise in Sydney supporting Heifer, and a gig at Backdoor Penrith, where we supported The Butterfly Effect on their national tour. So much fun! The punters were all young teenagers who were just out for a mad time, all for the low price of $5! I remember switching my front kick skin out for a clear one. I mounted a spotlight inside, and rigged up some strobes that we would bring on stage too. They would be operated by footswitches behind the kit. It was SICK!
Shane Dwyer (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

PETER: I was an apprentice while everyone went to school and uni, etc., so for me it was my whole life outside of my day job. Heaps good times. Once we got kicked out of Panthers after a show, ended up going back to someone's house and set up in their empty pool and played a set. 
Peter Ross (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DAVID: We all went to school together and were close-as friends even after the band dissolved... we used to spend a lot of time together being social, or anti-social. We were also good friends with the Faux Pas guys, who we went to high school with. We got into trouble with the school administration once for badmouthing a teacher on our website... but other than that general mischief, I can't recall much else in the way of misadventures!
David Piepers (Vocals, Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

NAVS: Lucretia were a heavy band. The early stuff had a slight Metallica influence as you'd expect from most young metalheads. The later stuff changed, it became heavier with a scream/growl vocal. We were always thinking about songs that would translate well live. We loved energy, mosh pits, and a crowd going off. We all brought our influences in and threw them into the pot - that was the Lucretia sound.
Darren Navan (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

PETER: Our last recording sesh was when Luke was studying studio engineering and we recorded 4 tracks, though we cannot find one of them. Lost to time. It was a song called 'Electricity'.
Peter Ross (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

SHANE: Recording was always strange to me. It seemed so expensive to get into a studio, so early on it was 'someone's mate's brother's' home studio. Eventually we scraped the cash together and got into a proper studio. It felt surreal. I still have very fond memories of those weekends in the studio together.
Shane Dwyer (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DAVID: They were incredible times, not just for us personally, but for the youth and music community as a whole. There was such an amazing bond and friendly rivalry among bands at every show we played, and having a place to go and something to do was just as important for us as it was for the crowd. It's sad that it doesn't seem to exist anymore. We were lucky to have Farz at Symphonic Sound Studios, he gave us an awesome place to rehearse after Shane's neighbours finally had enough of us and called the police on our rehearsals. I'm thankful for all the people who came to our shows, whether it was at the Channel, Backdoor, PCYC, any of the backyard parties we played, wherever, and to those people who bought our EP. There was something about being recognised as 'that guy from Lucretia' by a member of the public at Hungry Jacks... it was just awesome.
David Piepers (Vocals, Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

NAVS: I left as I was jamming with lots of bands and people and was excited to play some different music, more experimental stuff I guess. Looking back, Lucretia stands out to me because when you are making kick ass music with your closest mates, nothing comes close. There were no rules, no pressure, just fun and good times... what a way to spend your underage years! I think being around the scene at this time was also amazing. It was buzzing and being in a band was such a great thing - meeting new people, gigging with bands, going to shows... the best. 
Darren Navan (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DAVID: We finished up because our drummer Shane moved overseas. In hindsight we probably could have replaced him. We still had stuff to release and plenty to offer, but we took the all of nothing approach and went our separate ways... It was a blow at the time, I remember being gutted, but we all remained great friends and still talk... It was an eternity ago but those days are easily the fondest memories of my youth. I had fun in other bands, sure, but there was something special about Lucretia and my brothers in the band that I'll cherish forever.
David Piepers (Vocals, Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

SHANE: The band stopped because I had the opportunity to live and work in Europe for a while, which I did. When I returned home, we just never picked it up again. We've threatened each other a few times with a potential reunion gig over the years. Who knows? Maybe one day.
Shane Dwyer (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

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