Saturday, May 17, 2025

Scratch Habbit

ORIGINS: Penrith, NSW
GENRE: Punk, Alternative
YEARS ACTIVE: 1996-1999
 
MEMBERS:
Photos supplied by Brad 'Bomber' Moore

RELEASES:

  • Gee Um I Don't Know / You've Been Habbit Struck!! (1997) - Download Here.
    • 1. Disarm the Alarm
    • 2. Grug
    • 3. Enough Said
    • 4. Insane
    • 5. Tinitis
  • Self-Titled (1998)
    • 1. Doomed But Hey
    • 2. Insane
    • 3. Pyjama Girl
    • 4. Adolf Hitler is My Dad
    • 5. Splendid Afternoon Tea
    • 6. Lower
  • Insane / Keeping Time (1999) [as Detox Unit]
    • 1. Fridays (Drinking on My Mind)
    • 2. Insane
    • 3. Keeping Time
    • 4. Brainless
    • 5. Breakdown
  • Compilation-only Tracks
    • Insane (1998, different version to demo recording) - on Grow Your Own Volume 4 compilation.
SUMMARY: Beginning as a three piece started by Adam Check, Laura Kelly, and Craig McVea after the demise of the earlier band Carnage Flail, the band grew to add a second guitarist with Dean Connell shortly after in 1997. Swanny joined on bass after the band parted ways with McVea and he in turn was replaced by Cassie Walker. Scratch Habbit broke up in 1998 and Check joined Spilt Milk. The band reformed in October 1998 and Check eventually moved to bass in 1999 as the band returned to a three piece and renamed themselves as Detox Unit. After a run of shows in 1999, Check left to join One Dollar Short. Detox Unit enlisted Chris Duckworth on bass for a few practices, with Connell moving to vocals duties, before then calling it a day.
 
SHOWS: 


ORAL HISTORY:
CRAIG: Adam and I wanted to start something different after we finished school. He loved Bodyjar, Millencolin... I was loving One Inch Punch and Regurgitator. We'd stopped doing Carnage Flail and started a new 3 piece band with Laura, who Checky knew. We cut a demo quickly. It's original artwork was of a skateboarder mooning a crowd and was by a really talented great artist. It was banned in some mountains school, which helped us pack out Melrose Hall.
Craig McVea (Bass, Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
DEAN: I think my first show with Scratch Habbit was at Richmond Royal Hotel. We were only 17 going on 18 so there weren't heaps of pub shows, just battle of the bands and shows around Western Sydney with The Hassle Brigade and Fatboy, and parties after. We played at Blaxland Tavern and Melrose Hall a lot.
Dean Connell (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024


CRAIG: Dean came in as our second guitarist and we cut a second demo and I was kicked out of the band shortly after, haha. I remember watching after, thinking... I wrote those lyrics.
Craig McVea (Bass, Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024


LUKE: I used to hang around the guys a fair bit, in and out of school. Checky asked me if I wanted to play bass in the band, and obviously I was stoked to. The guys had to hold my hand a fair bit though. I remember my first show with the band - it was a band comp at Sydney Park, St Peters. It went really well and it was so much fun - felt awesome to be a part of it. I think we came second, maybe third, behind Irrelevant. 
Luke 'Swanny' Swannell (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

CASSIE: It was a band formed by people in my year at McCarthy High. I was Dean's girlfriend, I think  Dean got into the band because Adam cut his finger badly with a stanley knife and needed surgery, so they asked Dean to fill in and then he stayed. I guess hanging around with them a lot is what led to me playing bass. I filled in for a bit but you know how it goes with having a 'couple' in the same band, haha, never ends well. 
Cassie Camilleri (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

LUKE: We mostly played Western Sydney and Blue Mountains shows. A few in the city too - we played in Newtown a couple of times. 
Luke 'Swanny' Swannell (Bass), Nosie Levels correspondence, 2024


CASSIE: We recorded a song that went on a compilation. I remember playing at Blaxland Tavern and Melrose Hall, and on a stage in a park. 
Cassie Camilleri (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

NEWSPAPER: The Western Sydney-based band Scratch Habbit has recently got back together and will be seen in Penrith in the coming weeks. The band is made up of four local members aged 18 and 19 years old. They will launch a compilation CD, Grow Your Own IV, showcasing Sydney's best upcoming artists. The band's manager Brad Moore said Scratch Habbit was the only band from outside the city on the compilation CD... "They play a mix of ska, punk and power pop that is radio friendly", he said.
Penrith Press, November 1998

Penrith Press, November 17th, 1998

NEWSPAPER: They call themselves Penrith's premier punks. "Well, we try", says Detox Unit, whose antics at Blaxland Tavern last week pleased everyone. And never ones to disappoint, Detox Unit promises "more ska punk is on the platter" when they perform at the new Parkview Hotel at St Marys. It's all part of their July tour. Hear the band on Thursday, July 8, and help bass player Adam celebrate his birthday.
Penrith Star, June 1999


JOSHO: The idea of Ska Man came from The Porkers, where I'd seen The Porkman rev up the crowd. I remember chatting to Checky one time when we saw The Porkers and, at the time being a massive follower of Scratch Habbit, I put an idea to him about Scratch Habbit having a similar person to get the crowd going. Obviously at the time we were both heavily influenced by and listening to a lot of Operation Ivy - the cover of their iconic self-titled album with the 'ska man' breaking out through the album cover us the idea for the look of our Ska Man. I would sing to the songs, get the crowd energetic, and a lot of the time create skanking circles and join the crowd.
Josho Matheson (Ska Man), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

LUKE: When Checky started getting on the One Dollar Short scene, I think that was when the band ended.  
Luke 'Swanny' Swannell (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

CHRIS: When Checky left, I joined the band and we had a few practices. I learnt a bunch of the songs. There was another practice I didn't know about and didn't turn up for and it fizzled after that point. A loss of communication I think - it wasn't as easy those days, mobile phones weren't really a thing for everyone. It was a shame.  I liked the band the people in it. I never played live with them. 
Chris 'Goonie' Duckworth (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RELATED BANDS: Badanga, Clobassi, Fat Slinky, Carnage Flail, The Shirkers, Charchie Ink, Spankin' Brothers, Lucy and the Pheromones, Jugular Cuts, Moonbombs, Struck 70, Spilt Milk, One Dollar Short, Columbia's Pain, Insult to Injury, Horrible Men, Toe to Toe, The Hassle Brigade, Dipstick Holiday, Unpaid Debt, Strength Within, Speckled Foam, Staunch








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