Sunday, December 1, 2024

Savage Cabbage

Pic by Anna Cridland, 1994

ORIGINS: Pennant Hills, NSW
GENRE: Hardcore, Skate punk
YEARS ACTIVE: 1992-1995
 
MEMBERS:
  • Andrew Epthorpe - Vocals
  • Paul Meaney - Bass
  • Matthew Oates - Guitar
  • Nathan Summers - Drums (1993-1996)
  • Unknown - Drums (1992)
RELEASES:

  • Demo (1994)
    • 1. Intro
    • 2. Locked
    • 3. Square
    • 4. Suck Ya
    • 5. Tetris
    • 6. Bored
    • 7. Tug O War
    • 8. Mr Men
    • 9. Angry For Fun
    • 10. Dog Log
    • 11. Grindorama

  • Compilation-only Tracks
    • Tension (1993) - on Circle Storm (No Deal compilation)
  • Unreleased Recordings
    • Toss On (Ska version) - Recorded live at the Lansdowne Hotel (December, 1993)
    • You're a Dick - Recorded live at the Lansdowne Hotel (December, 1993)
    • Toss On (Grind version) - Recorded at Zen in 1994
    • Wise Up (cover - originally recorded by Bald) - Recorded at Zen in 1994
SUMMARY: Savage Cabbage was a hardcore band out of the Hills area who were active in the early to mid-90s. They were loosely involved with the Cosmic Snail collective who put shows on at the Hornsby PCYC, and also played a lot of shows with fellow Dural/Pennant Hills band Melancholy. Savage Cabbage toured interstate to Melbourne with Subversion in 1994, played supports lots for DOA, No Means No, Propagandhi, and All You Can Eat, and eventually broke up in 1995. 

They were known to cover the following songs in their live sets: 'Snap' (DRI), Crucified (Agnostic Front), Toxic Shock (Agnostic Front), Last Warning (Agnostic Front), Salad Days (Minor Threat), New Start (Gorilla Biscuits), Wise Up (Bald), The Deal (Sick of It All), Johnny Got His Gun (Nausea)
 
SHOWS: 

Pic by Anna Cridland, 1994

ORAL HISTORY:
NATHAN: The music was very influenced by New York hardcore bands, and also thrash bands such as DRI, and powerviolence bands such as No Comment. It was generally pretty fast skater type music with light-hearted lyrics. We also did covers from Agnostic Front, DRI, Sick of It All, Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits, and Bold.
Nathan Summers (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MATTHEW: It was a rainy day and we met at Paul's place... about 18 months ago. We had another drummer and we just stuffed around. Then we got Nathan drumming with us and it all became a bit more serious. And because Nathan had something to do with Jellyheads we played there a few times.
Matthew Oates (Guitar), Loaded to the Gills Issue 1, October 1993


NATHAN: Our first show was at the Jellyhedz warehouse, an anarchist collective warehouse venue in Chippendale that ran for a couple of years. This show was in 1993 with Melancholy and a heavy metal band called Mayhem. We gigged quite a bit between 1993 and 1995, playing a lot with bands like Subversion, Blitz Babies, Toe to Toe, Stalin's Organ, Drawback, Injured Head, TUBbH, Spilt Milk, Lentil Soup, Melancholy, Minute Minder, Downtime, and many others. One of our more memorable gigs at Hornsby PCYC was supporting DOA and No Means No, which I had interviewed on 2RRR as well. I do remember also a big gig there one evening with Nancy Vandal, which had a jumping castle as part of the action. 
Nathan Summers (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
BIO: The music was influenced by a lot of East Coast American Hardcore (New York, Boston, often from the straight edge genre). As a band, the music was mainly for skating, surfing and having a good time, and was usually particularly fast! Most of the lyrics are generally lighthearted and often quite silly. 
Unknown Author, retrospective biography, c. 1996
 
PAUL: Sean from Toe to Toe, he's really into promoting bands, and giving young bands a start. He's doing a couple of shows under the name of No Deal Productions that we're playing. Sean's also organising a recording on Punchdrunk Records. He's putting a lot of work into that. 
Paul Meaney (Bass), Loaded to the Gills Issue 1, October 1993
 
Cosmic Snail Productions bio for Savage Cabbage
 
MATTHEW: After we broke out of Jellyheads, we did a band comp at the Vic on the Park and we somehow made the grand final. Then Alan (Vic on the Park), he was booking bands, he asked us back there again and then a couple more times. And then we just met bands that were doing a bit better, and they saw us play and then they invited us along to play with them and stuff. 
Matthew Oates (Guitar), Loaded to the Gills Issue 1, October 1993

NATHAN: There seems to be a need for all ages shows because all the under ages gigs we've had so far, there's been a really good turnout. Firstly, the audiences are enthusiastic, probably more enthusiastic than a pub gig, and the bands seem to get paid more than a pub gig too... I guess a lot of gigs tend to get organised around the inner city because that's where a lot of alternative bands get to. In this part of Sydney the Hornsby Police Boys has so far filled the niche that needed to be filled.
Nathan Summers (Drums), Loaded to the Gills Issue 1, October 1993

RELATED BANDS: Dieback, 12 Day Fixx, Cooking with Gas, Stalin's Organ, SMUT, Groovinator, Anarchists Anonymous, Magnet, Mad Cowboy Disease, Burn 'Em Down, Red Planet Repairs, Metal Ace
 
Pic by Anna Cridland, 1994


With Spacey (Tutti Parze, Tofu Terror) on guest vocals.





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