Silencer Seven

ORIGINS: Northern Beaches, NSW

GENRE: Punk, Skate Punk

YEARS ACTIVE: 1997-2002

 

MEMBERS:

• Todd Clarkson - Guitar, Vocals
• Richard Martin - Guitar (1999-2002)
• Rick Thomas - Bass (1998-2002)
• Mitchell Johnson - Drums (1998-2002)
• Luke Sunners - Vocals (2000-2002)
• Tom Fisher - Guitar (2002)
• Brett Stokes - Bass (2002)
  
• Mark Olsen - Drums (1997-1998)
• Dave Andrews - Guitar (1997-1998)
  
• Chris Chandler - Guitar (1998-1999)
• Rodney White - Bass (1997-1998)

RELEASES:

• Demo (1997)

• The Bottom Line (1999)
• 1. Holding On Forever
• 2. The One
• 3. She Walked Away
• 4. What's The Point
• 5. Mirvac
• 6. 2 Far
• 7. Never Had a Moment

• A New Day (2000) - Download Here.
• 1. Not 4 Me
• 2. New Day
• 3. 16 Years
• 4. Kiddypunk
• 5. Traitors
• 6. Let It Go
• 7. Strive
• 8. Son of the Father

• The World Won't Change (2002)
• 1. The World Won't Change
• 2. Wasted Days
• 3. State of Mind
• 4. The Hunt
• 5. Take Tomorrow Back
• 6. Mastermind

TIMELINE:

• 1997: Band starts - Todd Clarkson joins up with three members of Northern Beaches band Disfigured (Dave Andrews, Mark Olsen, Rodney White). 
• 1998: Rodney leaves and is replaced by Rick on bass. Dave and Mark leave to focus on their own band. Todd enlists Mitchell on drums.
• 1998-1999: A couple of guitarists - Chris Chandler and Dan - join and leave. Rick Thomas joins on bass.
• 1999: The Bottom Line EP recorded. Todd doing vocals as well as guitar. Richard joins band on second guitar shortly after this.
• 2000: Luke joins band as singer. A New Day EP recorded.
• 2002: The band records The World Won't Change. Richard replaced by Tom Fisher. Band breaks up a few months later.
  

SHOWS: 

• C.I.T., Canberra (ACT) - 12th April, 1998
• Fitz Cafe, St Ives - Unknown date, June, 1998
• YoYos, Forestville - 2nd June, 1999
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 11th March, 2000
• Downstairs, Maroubra - 16th June, 2000
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 6th July, 2000
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 23rd September, 2000
• Vic on the Park, Marrickville - 26th January, 2001
• Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle - 27th January, 2001
• Forest Inn, Bexley - 2nd February, 2001
• Forest Inn, Bexley - 23rd February, 2001
• Bar Broadway, Sydney - 9th March, 2001
• Manly Youth Centre, Manly - 10th March, 2001
• Iron Duke, Alexandria - 12th March, 2001
• Downstairs, Maroubra - 17th March, 2001
• Harbour Cruise, Sydney - 18th March, 2001 [Day show]
• Manly Fishos, Manly - 18th March, 2001 [Night show]
• Youthfest, Dee Why Beach - 8th April, 2001
• Green Square, Zetland - 26th April, 2001
• Fitz Cafe, St Ives - 1st June, 2001
• Bat and Ball Hotel, Surry Hills - 29th June, 2001
• Green Square, Zetland - 13th July, 2001
• Caringbah Bizzos, Caringbah - 14th July, 2001
• Junee Community Hall, Junee - 25th August, 2001
• Bar Broadway, Sydney - 30th August, 2001
• Bat and Ball Hotel, Surry Hills - 1st December, 2001
• Kardomah Cafe, Kings Cross - 17th October, 2002
• Panthers Leagues Club, Penrith - 12th December, 2002
• Unknown Venue, Northern Beaches - December, 2002 [Last show - did not play]

Logo from Silencer Seven website, 2001

ORAL HISTORY:

TODD: I was in a band called Double Standard, which ad a more metal vibe with some definite punk undertones. I was keen to be in a more dedicated punk band so I started jamming with a few guys from another Northern Beaches band, Disfigured. The band named, 'Silencer Seven', came from a friend of mine on the beaches who was a creative type - it's actually from the Star Wars books; it's an Imperial ship that was a world destroyer. 

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MARK: Todd started it and he got us (Mark, Dave, Rodney) to play with him. We were having a few jam sessions at his house and then he wanted to start a new band. I was a huge fan of NOFX, Lagwagon, Strung Out, Unwritten Law, and Bad Religion, and that was part of what inspired us. 

Mark Olsen (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

TODD: Silencer Seven began with myself, Mark, Dave, and Rodney, but it was just a side hustle for the others. Over a short period these guys opted out and that's when Rick and Mitch came on board and the band started to take shape.

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

Fitz Cafe, 1998, with Todd on vocals (pic: Ryan McCluskey)

TODD: We did some demo work in my house on an 8-track but we never reproduced it. Those songs actually never transferred to the later version of the band.

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RICK: Todd was in the band with three other guys he knew through bodyboarding. They had a recording with 3 or 4 songs. Anyway, the bassplayer missed a few gigs so I got the call... I'd previously played in a band called Double Standard with Todd. When the other two original members of Silencer Seven left we started jamming with Mitch on drums - we knew him because Richie's younger sister went to school with him. We jammed with him at his place in Frenchs Forest. He had his PJs on.

Rick Thomas (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MITCH: I miss those old flannel PJs.

Mitchell Johnson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RICK: Mitch was like 15 or something when we first jammed but he was so fucking good already.

Rick Thomas (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MITCH: I was 15 when I met the other guys in Silencer Seven. It was the start of my life, really. They were all about 20. Todd had started the band with two other guys - Mark Olsen and Dave Andrews, from another band on the Northern Beaches. They recorded a four track demo with Todd on vocals and played one gig - they didn't last long as that set up. I saw an ad in Drum Media, which said "looking for a drummer and guitarist". I answered the call and Todd gave me the demo to listen to and learn. I was a very naive kid at the time... just kinda getting into punk rock music through some friends at high school, so very innocent, haha. We started rehearsing and then came another guitarist, Dan, who played for a little while and then left. 

Mitchell Johnson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RICK: Todd started singing in addition to doing guitar and we recorded The Bottom Line with Dan doing the lead guitar. Dan left after The Bottom Line EP and Richie then hit us up to have a jam. 

Rick Thomas (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

TODD: We recorded The Bottom Line at Troy Horse in Newtown in 1999. I did all the art for all our releases with use of the photography that people had done for us over the years. 

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

REVIEW: Get out your snowboard... for there is no denying that these guys have a heavy Pennywise influence. From guitar sounds to Strung Out harmonies, this is snow punk at its best... this three piece play hard. 

Review of The Bottom Line EP, Kickass Zine, February 2000

MITCH: My drumming style was developing around this time. I had a crush on Wade, the drummer from Unwritten Law, and adopted some of his stuff when drumming. I also loved Bad Religion so I introduced a bit of that too.

Mitchell Johnson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RICK: I was definitely influenced by the kings of thrash metal - Cliff Burton and Tom Moraya - but the first time I heard Strung Out I was hooked; they are the greatest. My favourite bands are Slayer, Faith No More, No Fun At All, Strung Out, Cradle of Filth, and Assorted Jelly Beans.

Rick Thomas (Bass), Silencer Seven website, 2001

TODD: We were gigging around Sydney a bit, played a few local parties and maybe a band comp at the Bat and Ball. We didn't play on the Northern Beaches that much. There were so few places to play... we played at Manly Youth Centre a few times, which ewas always hectic. They were always the best gigs on the beaches. They would always sell out. There were a lot of surfers and skaters on the beaches - a lot of punk fans - but so few opportunities to see good bands locally. One of our best gigs there was opening for Bodyjar and The Living End. 'Prisoner of Society' had just been released so The Living End were blowing up. Bodyjar are... just the fucking best, so the place was full before we took the stage. A thousand kids going mental. Great vibes. We had some merch there - shirts and hats, which were like $10. No chance of selling at that price these days with inflation! I worked for a company that made stickers and prints, so we had a heap of that stuff to give away.

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MITCH: Another guitarist named Chris Chandler came and left, and so on and so on for a couple of years. It was slow at the start, especially with me being only fifteen. Once I was 18 we played fairly regularly - at least once every 3 or 4 weeks. 

Mitchell Johnson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

TODD: We had a few temporary second guitarists and while looking for someone it came up that Richie, who was the drummer in our previous band, Double Standard, well, he was a great guitarist, and so he joined. 

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RICHIE: I was in a band (Double Standard) previously with Todd and Rick and I knew Mitch from school - he was in my younger sister's grade. Silencer Seven needed a guitarist and asked me to join after the first EP was recorded.

Richard Martin (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MITCH: We played some great shows early on. Youth Fest at Dee Why Beach, and a show at Manly Youth Centre in 1998 with The Vandals (they were touring their Hitler Bad, Vandals Good album). We also played at Manly Fishos with Bodyjar and supported Diesel Boy at the Bat and Ball Hotel with One Dollar Short. I was star struck! All my heroes straight from my bedroom stereo and in a pub that I wasn't old enough to play in. I couldn't believ it. I just wanted to brag to all my school friends so badly. My friends didn't believe me at first but then I actually played all the gigs and some of them came along to watch.

Mitchell Johnson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

TODD: We realised pretty quick that singing was not for me and that's when we met Luke and he joined... it was hard to find good guys based on the Northern Beaches so we were lucky to get such a good group together. We'd write songs together all types of ways - someone could bring a riff and we would build that to a full song. Sometimes someone would have the whole music part done and we just refined it and added lyrics. Or there were times Luke had virtually a whole song ready to go. Everyone contributed in some way to almost every song.

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

Newspaper Article, Jan 1999

RICK: We started playing gigs around Sydney with Ballpark. Luke left them and joined Silencer Seven, singing on the third release. After that we started writing together and gigging heaps, eventually releasing an album. I remember bands were pissed because we 'stole' Luke from Ballpark.

Rick Thomas (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MITCH: Eventually we settled with the lineup of Todd and Richie on guitars, Rick on bass, Luke on vocals, and me on the kit. 

Mitchell Johnson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

Newspaper article - pics of Silence 7 at Youthfest, 2000

BIO: Silencer Seven are a punk rock band from Sydney, Australia. They play fast melodic punk in the vein of Bad Religion or Pennywise... with fat guitars, catchy melodies, and raw emotion, Silencer Seven are a must for punk fans.

Band Bio, Silencer Seven Website, 2001

TODD: We recorded A New Day in 2000 just after Luke and Richie joined. This was recorded at Smokin' and Jokin' Studios. Our style didn't change much with this main lineup, we just got a lot more polished with the second guitar and Luke was a great vocalist. So we started to sound more like we had always envisioned. Also, having five people in the band made the influences a little broader and the song-writing more diverse. We had a heap of fun doing A New Day as it was our first time recording as a five-piece. We did a hidden song, a cover of 'Uncle Fucker' from South Park, which was absolutely hilarious to record. We also left an outtake from a vocal part on one of the songs, which is cool.

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RICHIE: We recorded A New Day over night sessions - we would work our jobs all day and then go the studio in Artarmon. It took three nights, maybe four. We did a release show after, probably at the Northpoint Tavern. 

Richard Martin (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MITCH: A New Day was recorded at Smokin' and Jokin' Studios in Artarmon. We played mainly Sydney shows, not much state to state stuff really happened. We just played the gig that came our way and wrote to record when we could.

Mitchell Johnson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

TODD: That weren't that many serious punk bands that were gigging on the beaches at that time. We got on well with some of the other bands we met and played with, but they were mostly from other areas. We played mainly at venues outside the beaches. We'd organise shows however we could! Everyone kind of pitched in - we had people we knew locally that would hook us up, mates in other bands that we would play with. 

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

Film clip for 'Kiddypunk' from A New Day EP (2000)

From the band's website, mid-2001

RICHIE: Shows were always a lot of fun, there was lots of community spirit between all the bands. I remember gigs at the Iron Duke being particularly fun. Crowd numbers were never huge, we played mostly Wednesday and Thursday nights, but we started to see regular faces in the crowd, which was pretty cool. My favourite gig was probably Youth Fest with 28 Days. It was the biggest show I played with the band - big stage, huge sound, and we played really well. 

Richard Martin (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RICHIE: We played a gig at Junee community hall. It was the middle of nowhere and they treated us like rockstars - there was a decked-out green room, lots of beers and snacks. I don't think they got many bands visiting their town. A local band called Bladder Control played the show with us. Shows out of town were always fun - sleeping on random people's floors and stuff. 

Richard Martin (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

LUKE: Our worst show was supporting Segression and playing to a room of cross-legged metalheads sitting on the floor - giving us the world's worst vibe.

Luke Sunners, Silence Seven Website, 2001

TODD: In the last few years we got help booking shows from Olivia and Ryan - they had a booking agency and they ran Club Burnout in Penrith.

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RICHIE: I was with Silencer Seven pretty much until the end. I recorded The World Won't Change and toured that CD with the band. After that I got booted and then things didn't last much longer. It was good times before all that. There were probably a few missed opportunities and things we should have capitalised but I'm proud of what we all created and I think it still stands up well today.

Richard Martin (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

TOM: I joined just after their last EP was recorded. It was in the period when Bagster's first drummer Derek left. He took a job out of town and kept telling us he would be back soon but then kept extending his stay. So I was looking for another band so I could keep playing shows. Silencer Seven had just had a guitarist leave. I was real young still - needed my mum to drive me to the first rehearsal. I went in to fill the spot and played with them for a few months. 

Tom Fisher (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MITCH: We were all moving on to our own little things and the momentum and excitement that we used to have was dissipating. 

Mitchell Johnson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 202

TODD: The band sort of just tapered out... I was engaged and getting married soon and decided that it was time for me. I told the guys - I think it was after a gig with Seraphs Coal at Penrith. From there I think everyone just sort of decided to let it go. Ironically we had our final gig lined up as a home show on the Northern Beaches and the venue was packed. The band before us was also local, with a good following... The Lyrical Madmen. They had a lot of people crowd surfing and the venue said they needed to stop and when they didn't, that was it, the venue pulled the pin. We never actually got to play our final gig. Bittersweet.

Todd Clarkson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RELATED BANDS: Double Standard, Phunt, Ballpark, Disfigured, Bagster, Last Dig Academy, Gwylo, War Rages Within, We Without, Mana Lion, Fake No More, James Keith, Ape BC, The Kirbys, Unpaid Debt, The Optionals, The Versionaries, This Version, Extramentalist, Sub-Tribe, Modus Fire, Dividers, Psyclops Eyepatch, Vesty Vials, Ess-Em

Film clip for 'Wasted Days' from The World Won't Change EP (2002)