Rocketboy

 

ORIGINS: Hornsby, NSW

GENRE: Punk

YEARS ACTIVE:1998-1999

 

MEMBERS:

• Adam Lees - Vocals, Guitar
• Aaron Clarke - Bass
• Nick van Breda - Drums
  

SUMMARY: Rocketboy was an early band featuring Adam and Nick (from Staying at Home) and Aaron (Pure Evil Trio). The band did not record anything or play shows but served as a formative experience for the members.

 

ORAL HISTORY:

ADAM: I met Nick at school. He was two grades below me and I got him listening to some punk rock. I got him as obsessed with Propagandhi and melodic punk as I was. Nick played guitar and drums, and could also sing, so we thought it best to start a band. This would eventually be called Rocketboy and after a long string of failed bassists we eventually convinced Aaron to do the honours. Although we were around for ages (from the start of Year 11 until after I left school) practising and writing music, we didn't record and we never played a show. It eventually just became hopeless - it was going nowhere and it was getting a little boring. Plus it was only a matter of time before Aaron realised he was playing in a pop punk band...

Adam Lees (Vocals, Guitar), Staying At Home website, 2002

NICK: Adam and I both went to Asquith Boys High. They gave us a key so we could rehearse there on weekends. Looking back on it, it was pretty awesome of them to do that. We weren't exactly honour roll students. We didn't record anything or even play any shows but it's the first band I was in that felt like a real band. It's a shame really - it was a fast pop-punk kinda thing but also kinda mathy. It definitely laid the foundations for Staying At Home. The band finished because it we were all at different stages of our lives. Aaron had already finish high school and was living in the Inner West. He was playing in other bands and working at Utopia Records. He drove a pretty sweet Kombi too! Adam was finishing Year 12 and had fallen in love with a girl so was spending most of his time with her. I was still in Year 10. After Adam finished high school we just saw a lot less of each other so Rocketboy was over. We remained in touch though.

Nick van Breda (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

RELATED BANDS: Staying at Home, The Shirkers, Lights Out, Animal Shapes, The Mumps, Pinch Hitter, Coward, Zen Demon, Lungs, Pure Evil Trio, Charcoal Human, The Spitz, Lightweights, Death Mountain, Oh Messy Life