Notion

ORIGINS: Baulkham Hills, NSW

GENRE: Metal, Nu-Metal, Alt-Metal

YEARS ACTIVE: 2000-2004

 

MEMBERS:

• Liam Willoughby - Vocals
• Nick Gabriellan - Bass
• Mark Huntingford (2000-2003) - Guitar 
• David Bleus (2004) - Guitar
  
• Paul Hancock - Drums (2000)
• James Gatt - Guitar (2003-2004)
  
• Ned Jankovic (DJ Feeder) - DJ (2000-2001)
• Brendan Hately - Drums (2001-2004)
  

RELEASES: 

• Demo (2001) - Download Here.
  
• 1. Upscale
• 2. Don't Hang Up
   
• Demo (2002) - Download Here.
  
• 1. Two Fingered Whore
• 2. Upscale
• 3. Doctors Tattoo
• 4. The Burden of You
• 5. 572
• 6. Winter in the Mirror
  

• Six Weeks at Your Heart (2004)
• 1. Lawless
• 2. Red Lines
• 3. Winter in the Mirror
• 4. Sapphire Eyes
  

SUMMARY: Notion began as a nu-metal band with a DJ, playing regularly in the Hills District. Galvanised by a slot on the Grounded Festival in early 2001, the band demo'd a bunch of tracks and worked hard. After the departure of DJ Feeder in 2001, Notion reinforced their sound with an alt-metal edge and played predominantly in Sydney and the Riverina region. The band underwent a few lineup changes across the next few years, did a Queensland tour with Polystigma in 2002, and eventually broke up when vocalist Liam moved away from Sydney in 2004.

 

First guitarist Mark

 

SHOWS: 

• Baulkham Hills High School Band Comp, Baulkham Hills - 13th October, 2000
  
• Hype Festival, Castle Hill - 2nd September, 2000
• Crestwood Fair, Baulkham Hills - 3rd September, 2000
• Grounded Festival, Museum of Fire, Penrith - 17th March, 2001
  
• Forest Inn, Bexley - 30th March, 2001
• Sodens Hotel, Albury - 20th April, 2001
• Condemned Festival, PCYC, Parramatta - 22nd September, 2001 
• Great Western Bar, Penrith - 10th October, 2001
• Great Western Bar, Penrith - 25th October, 2001
  
• Kelts Bar, Blaxland - 27th October, 2001
• Wastelands, Blacktown Masonic Hall, Blacktown - 24th November, 2001 
• Distorted '01, PCYC, Penrith - 2nd December, 2001
  
• The Excelsior, Surry Hills - 4th January, 2002
• Bat and Ball Hotel, Surry Hills - 18th January, 2002
  
• The Excelsior, Surry Hills - 23rd January, 2002
• Club 77, Sydney - 9th February, 2002
• Bat and Ball Hotel, Surry Hills - 18th February, 2002
  
• Maximum Dosage, Westmead - 23rd February, 2002
  
• Hay-Wire, Castle Hill - 15th March, 2002
  
• Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney - 23rd March, 2002 
• Grounded Festival, Museum of Fire, Penrith - 13th April, 2002
  
• Woden Youth Centre, Canberra - 28th June, 2002 (ACT)
  
• Frosti's Birthday, Werrington Youth Centre, Penrith - 5th July, 2002
  
• Bull and Bush, Baulkham Hills - 22nd August, 2002 
• Gravity, Parramatta Hotel, Parramatta - 14th September, 2002
• Hype Festival, Castle Hill - 15th September, 2002
  
• Rise for the Sick, The Kids Museum, Merrylands - 31st October, 2002
  
• Bega Day Out, Bega - 11th January, 2003
• Bull and Bush, Baulkham Hills - 27th February, 2003
• Bull and Bush, Baulkham Hills - 3rd May, 2003
• Kelts Bar, Blaxland - 13th September, 2003
  
• Great Western Bar, Penrith - 25th October, 2003
  
• Bull and Bush, Baulkham Hills - 11th November, 2003
  
• Bull and Bush, Baulkham Hills - 15th January, 2004
  
• Kelts Bar, Blaxland - 6th March, 2004
  
• The Roxy, Parramatta - 4th July, 2004

Artwork from website, 2004

ORAL HISTORY:

LIAM: I've been in bands since the age of 12. Grew up listening to and loving heaps of different styles of music, I was first into death metal from the age of 11 when I began singing in a borderline death metal band. From 14 to 15 I was in a Deftones cover band. Music to me is much more than a hobby, it's a way of life. 

Liam Willoughby (Vocals), Notion website, 2001 

 

NED: I was only a few years into playing guitar and was interested in joining a band. I think I looking in Drum Media and foudn their ad. I wasn't gelling well as a guitarist for them though. Linkin Park and Incubus were huge at the time, and the idea of going to the decks was flown about. So I just decided to give it a try. It was all self taught! I had absolutely nothing or no one to teach or guide me, but it was fun to experiment with sounds and beats. 

Ned Jankovic (DJ), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

 

NED: We were all on ICQ chat thinking of what to name the band and my friend told me to update his info - so I did and his nickname was 'Notion'. I suggested this to the guys as a band name and they loved it. Some people say we got it from the Coal Chamber song but we actually got it off our friend (who also didn't get it off the Coal Chamber song).

Ned Jankovic (DJ), Obzine Issue 18, February 2001

 

Pic from Excelsior show, Obzine Issue 25, 2002

LIAM: Some of the band's influences are softer bands like Weezer, Far, and Smashing Pumpkins, as well as heavy rocking bands like Tool, Sevendust, Rage Against the Machine. Our music is unpredictable, pulsating, ear-throbbing... there's a lot of experimentation to it.

Liam Willoughby (Vocals), Obzine Issue 18, February 2001

 

NED: Thankfully Notion at the time was more towards nu metal so as long as I had some solid beats and scratched at the right times I was okay, haha. 

 Ned Jankovic (DJ), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

 

PAUL: I'm a punk drummer, that's all I listen to, but the mad sounds Notion produce got me hooked on ensuring I was their drummer. Notion produce a unique sound which I have come to like and I love playing it!

Paul Hancock (Drums), Notion website, 2001

 

 

NED: We sent our demo to the Grounded Festival organisers and waited for a month - they heard our demo and loved it... We worked a lot on those songs - I'm fairly new to the decks, so it was difficult for me, but in the end we got a really cool demo which got us into the Grounded Festival.

Ned Jankovic (DJ), Obzine Issue 18, February 2001

 

NED: Our plan was to get to the Top 100 of the Channel V Leg Up competition so that more people would listen to the band. It worked as it helped us build a fanbase. I was a bit shocked because I didn't expect so many people commenting on our song and for them to like it so much. I'm really happy.

Ned Jankovic (DJ,) Obzine Issue 18, February 2001

 

Second guitarist James

 

NED: The Grounded Festival in Penrith will always stand out to me. It was my first festival and my first time playing to quite a big crowd. That show alone really got me hooked into music and pursuing it full time. After Grounded we did a few shows. I left after that.

 Ned Jankovic (DJ), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

 

REVIEW: The songs sounded fantastic tonight. Everything really clear. They had some new songs as well and they really sounded killer. The drummer's got some great stuff on his toms, really gives the band a great dynamic. I like these guys! Liam's funny on the mic too. 

Review of Excelsior show by Warren Mills, Obzine Issue 25, February 2002

 

LIAM: Gatt is, of course, our new guitarist and our sound has progressed as a result.

Liam Willoughby (Vocals), Notion Website, late 2003

 

JAMES: I was in Vanity Star and got the opportunity to play after Mark, their guitarist, decided to leave. I was already good mates with Liam, so that's how I got in - which honestly was awesome because they were my favourite band before I joined them. I was in Notion for about 18 months before I left. I wanted to do something else, pretty much.

James Gatt (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

Third guitarist David, 2004

DAVID: My band Self is a Seed (called Self at the time) played our first gig with Notion at the Bull and Bush. I became friends with Liam (along with the other guys) so we were always hanging out and when they needed a guitarist I guess I was an easy choice. I was very familiar with their music and close with the guys in the band. So I was their guitarist in their final moments. Liam moved to Albury to work in his family's pub - booking music, etc. - and the band gradually fell apart after this because he was the driving force behind it. So it kind of fizzled out. 

David Bleus (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RELATED BANDS: Lee'Mon, Cassette Kids, Casa Del Disco, Vanity Star, Cherub Mafia, Subnation, Caulfield, Awaken I Am, Redhook, Self is a Seed, Superb Lyrebird, Commander Arkipov, Swampash, Quadzilla, Ezekiel Ox and the Evidence, Coverpalozza, Killing Flaw