Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Pitfall

Pic: Shane Quill
 
ORIGINS: Newcastle, NSW
GENRE: Hardcore
YEARS ACTIVE: 1994-1997
 
MEMBERS:
RELEASES:

  • Demo '96 (1996) - Download Here.
    • 1. Slave
    • 2. Upside
    • 3. Price of Honesty
    • 4. Torn Between
    • 5. Human Waste
  • Discography '99 (1999) - Includes demo tracks, compilation tracks, and the additional live tracks below.
    • Price of Honesty 
    • Impact [Chain of Strength cover]
    • They Say Jump
    • By My Side
    • Believe In What
    • Just Look Around [Sick of It All cover]
    • Torn Between
    • No One [Integrity cover]
    • Book of Lies
    • Under Your Influence [Dag Nasty cover]
  • Compilation-only tracks
    • 'Brother' on Son and Daughters compilation released by Stunt Rider zine (1995).
    • 'Slave 97' and 'Believe in What' on New Tools for the Hunter compilation released by First Blood Records (1997).
    • 'Fantasy Imagery', 'Control', 'Human Waste', 'Slave' [All live] on Newcastle Hardcore Superbowl live compilation released by Snapshot Records (1997).
    • 'Nervous Breakdown' [Black Flag cover] on Cover Whatever You Want 7" compilation released by Snapshot Records (1997).
    • 'Control' and 'Gift of Life' on Call It Whatever You Want compilation released by Snapshot Records (1997/1998).
SUMMARY: Pitfall was formed under the name 'Gift of Life' by the Ellem brothers and their cousin Brad in 1994. The band began to hit its stride when they picked up a new vocalist, Luke Dolan, and over the course of the next few years grew to become one of the key hardcore bands of the '90s in Newcastle. The band broke up after some inner tensions came to a head in early '97. They later reformed for a reunion show in 1999. 

One Voice Issue #2, November 1998
 
SHOWS: 
PIC: Neutral Issue 1, October 1998

ORAL HISTORY:
ROD: Before I actually started listening to punk seriously I'd only really been casually listening to music. I wasn't defining it by genres or anything, so I could be listening to Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, ZZ Top, Blondie, or Prince... and it was just music to me. I liked movie soundtracks when I was a pre-teen - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was a favourite. Even though my friends and I were occasionally listening to the Sex Pistols or The Clash, I still never clicked onto what punk was. It wasn't until I heard the name Dead Kennedys and looked for their records that I started to realise there was a whole genre and scene that was 'punk', haha. I was a bit isolated, I guess, and I didn't have anyone who could point me in the right direction. This was in early 1983, when I was 17 - I was a late starter. Anyway, after hearing The Dead Kennedys I wanted to find out more about punk in detail and found the magazine Punk Lives! in the newsagent. It was sort of a crappy magazine, but it really helped me when I started fishing through the import section of Tyrell's Records in Newcastle. In early '84 I moved from Newcastle to Sydney and started going to Phantom Records and Black Rose Anarchist Bookshop (in Alexandria). I was also reading Maximum Rock 'n' Roll zine, which was world-expanding. Actual shows were scary back then, but I was regularly going to gigs from the second half of '84. 
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: My first memory of music being more than just something playing in the bakcground was when I was about 5 years old. My dad and my uncle were drinking beers and played Led Zeppelin and Queen records loudly in the lounge room. They were very animated - singing along and playing air guitar, air drums, etc. It struck me that music could be emotive and bring people joy. That moment was the genesis of my life-long love affair with music. My first musical love for music that was 'mine' and not my parents was hip hop. In the mid '80s I had been all about rap music and breakdancing. Breaking kind of died out by the late '80s and skateboarding took over big time. Through watching skate videos I was exposed to punk and hardcore bands like Black Flag and Descendents, plus my older sister had a skater boyfriend who wore Dead Kennedys and Hard-Ons shirts. I still loved hip hop but as the early '90s loomed rap music seemed to get more commercial and less interesting. Punk and hardcore seemed more relatable, more urgent, and more exciting to me as an angsty teenager. It had an energy that was undeniable that went hand in hand with skateboarding. 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

DAVE: I got into punk and hardcore through my brother Rod. He'd moved to Sydney when I was in primary school and he started going to gigs down there. I remember coming home from school - we lived across the road from the school - and he was on the verandah one day with a bright red mohawk, haha. A few years later Rod had picked the guitar up and was jamming with some guys in Sydney. He had a bass sitting round and we just started playing around. In the early '90s, me and my cousin Brad started a band with a couple of blokes we knew in Newcastle (Blood Red Black). We played a few gigs but it sort of just ended. When Rod moved back to Newcastle we then got together with him to do a new band. 
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: When my parents split in 1992 I moved from Maitland to Newcastle (which was considered the 'big smoke' to us, haha). Changing schools and going to Newcastle High, I started meeting other skates and random weirdos/legends who were into punk. At 17 years old I started sneaking into local pubs to see bands - pretty sure my sister took me to my first local show (Front End Loader I think?). Soon after that I would go with a couple of mates from school to see local bands like The Hoax, No Reason, Big Men Fly, and Angry Earth Mutha. It was so sick to discover a local scene of bands in the very broad punk, hardcore, underground music spectrum of the time.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

From Talk is Cheap Issue #4, March 1996

ROD: In early 1994 I moved back to Newcastle. I'd been playing guitar a bit for a few years but hadn't been in a band or anything. My brother and cousin were playing in a band called Blood Red Black, who were sort of alternative, I guess. They wanted to do another band with me, so we started jamming. At first the music was like Dag Nasty or Bad Religion - melodic punk. When I say that I'm being generous because the songs were pretty bad, haha. We next picked up a second guitar player, Shane, who lived down the street from me and, after what seemed like a long time, we asked a guy named Ant to sing for us. 
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

BRAD: Having a musical encyclopaedia for a family member definitely helped me get interested in hardcore. Rod has always been my biggest musical influence - that guy's knowledge of music in general is crazy. Dave and I were playing in an alternative rock band called Blood Red Black in mid-'94. Rod was in the process of moving back to Newcastle after living in Sydney since the '80s, so Rod, Dave, and myself started jamming immediately.
Brad Ellem (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

DAVE: It was 1995 and Rod, Brad, and me had started jamming. Rod was living up the east end of Newcastle and we heard his neighbour Shane playing guitar and we knew he was into punk so we asked if he wanted to jam. 
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

Pic: Shane Quill

SHANE: I was living in the same street as Rod. he heard me playing one day and stopped to say g'day. He said he was into guitar and we listened to a lot of the same stuff. Then he invited me to jam with him and the others. I loved a lot of UK82 and English stuff - The Exploited, GBH, Subhumans, Extreme Noise Terror. I also liked US stuff like Black Flag, Dead Kennedys. Mainly '70s and '80s stuff. Hard-Ons, Raw War, Chaos UK, Radio Birdman. All sorts of stuff, really. If it was fast - it was for me. I liked a lot of snotty stuff that said 'fuck you'. 
Shane Quill (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

BRAD: Shane joined on second guitar and the four of us jammed on about 6 songs and a couple of covers for about 6 months. After that we asked our first singer, Ant, to join. 
Brad Ellem (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

DAVE: We knew Ant from going to shows and asked him if he wanted a crack at singing - but he wasn't cut out to be a singer.
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026


LUKE: The band first started jamming in 1994, long before I joined, and were called Gift of Life, a name which directly related to all of the band members personal experiences with suicide. One of the first songs, 'Brother' was written by Brad about his brother's suicide, and Rod and Dave (who are brothers) were also affected as they are Brad's cousins. Shane's brother also committed suicide, so as you might guess, the 'gift of life' has always been perhaps the most heartfelt issue for Pitfall. 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Meat and 3 Veg Issue 3, June 1996

SHANE: An early show was a house party in Tighes Hill, but I don't really remember it. I was a bit of stoner in them days. I do remember the first show at the Hunter on Hunter, and doing posters for it. It was pretty chill. I'd played before in front of people - theatre stuff, performance major for Music in the HSC, etc. Only nerves I had were around getting the songs right with the fellas. 
Shane Quill (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

From No Longer Blind Fanzine Tribute, 2000

DAVE: Our first shows weren't too bad - we got to play some good ones. Our second or third show was with Spitboy, which was great. Newcastle used to have a lot of mixed bill shows back then at the Hunter on Hunter and other venues. 
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

SHANE: Shows in Newcastle back then were mixed - not so much hardcore but punk and alternative. Newcastle was a frequent stop for interstate and NSW bands from outside the region. You also had a lot of venues willing to let bands do original stuff. 
Shane Quill (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

ROD: We played a few shows with Ant, the first was at the Hunter on Hunter with Poison Bruno, Anomie, Disengage, and Virus, and we played about five songs. Another show with Ant was at the Cambridge supporting Spitboy, but we weren't very good and I could tell Ant wasn't really comfortable as a front person. When it came time to record some songs for a Newcastle compilation tape it became obvious that, sadly, Ant wasn't a singer. So after some discussion Brad asked Luke Dolan if he wanted to sing for us. 
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

From Talk is Cheap Issue 2, 1996

BRAD: We played about three shows with Ant but things weren't really working with him on vocals. The first time we saw Luke sing was with Newy legends Poison Bruno. We were blown away by Luke's vocal style and stage presence - I introduced myself to Luke and asked him if he'd consider joining the band. Luke jumped at the chance and a week later we were in the studio recording the song 'Brother' for a compilation. We nailed it in one take, and he did the vocals tracks in one take. What followed was a blur of consistent local shows that allowed us to refine our sound. 
Brad Ellem (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: It's 1995 and Rod and Brad ask me to join Pitfall and I cream in my cammo's. Now I'd seen Pitfall a couple of times before and musically they impressed mew with their One Inch Punch / Dag Nasty-style of melodic hardcore punk but yeah, their singer... was a softly spoken person with a voice too soft to front a hardcore band. So they kicked him out and my dream of becoming the next Mike Judge was in motion baby!
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Rest Assured Issue 3, 2004

ROD: We were asked if we wanted to record a song for a compilation tape that would feature Newcastle bands. The tape was called the Sons and Daughters comp and would be released with Stunt Rider fanzine. We went in to record at Arc Up Studios, which was a Newcastle institution at the time. We got the music down and Ant came in to do his vocals and that was when we realised he was struggling with it. It wasn't working out. So we had to part ways with Ant, and find someone to become our singer and record vocals on this track. Luke was asked, learned the lyrics, and did the recording. The song was 'Brother', which later became 'Gift of Life'. I don't know why we changed the song title. 
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

From Talk is Cheap Issue #1, July 1995


From Stunt Rider Issue #3, April 1996

LUKE: Pitfall had formed sometime in 1994 by the Ellem brothers Rod and Dave with their cousin Brad. They'd played a few shows in '95 with their first singer Ant, who didn't quite work out. They asked me to join as they had recorded a song for a comp for Stunt Rider fanzine but weren't happy with the vocals, so I went in and redid the vocals for the track 'Brother'. This song remained a staple in the band's set as Brad had written it about his brother's then-recent suicide, so it was an important song for the Ellems. Musically, a bunch of songs carried over from the earlier version of the band. I rewrote all the lyrics apart from 'Brother'. 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

ROD: Our first show with Luke on vocals was at the Hunter on Hunter on October 5th, 1995, with Poison Bruno, Anomie, Disengaged, and Virus. I think we played five songs. We started playing a lot more shows once Luke was in the band. 
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: My first show with Pitfall was at Newcastle's shitbox venue The Hunter on Hunter with local DRI fiends Anomie, Nihilist, plus Sydney heavyweights Subversion and Mindcrack. I don't remember too much about th egig except that my mum was there and I wore my green Turning Point shirt. Oh, and all I knew was this... singing in a hardcore band was my new drug. Period. Although hardcore was blowing up in Newie at this time, none of the local bands had really made much of an impact outside of our area and it was though networking with people like Dan (Meat and Three Veg/Ceasefire), Jay Noisecrash, and Sean No Deal that that was about to change. Dan interviewed us for his zine, Jay put us on the first Snapshot comp, and Sean hooked us up with our first Sydney show (East Coast Street Assault '96). 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Rest Assured Issue 3, 2004

REVIEW: By the time Pitfall came on there was quite a crowd (a measly 400 people I'm told!) We played and had heaps of fun, Chippa came up and sang the Integrity cover with us. It was great to see some bodies moving and even better seeing a large crew of Newcastle supporters, we love you kids! Mean Craig was representin' on the dance floor with the best meathead floorpunch he could muster.
Review/Show diary of East Coast Street Assault show (Luke Dolan), Talk is Cheap Issue #6, 1996

From Talk is Cheap Issue #3, 1996

SHANE: It was a pretty varied music scene but once I was playing in Pitfall I started noticing a lot more hardcore getting around. In the early '90s it was mainly pub gigs but once we started going I noticed there were more All Ages shows happening. Even more so when Luke came onboard to replace Ant. 
Shane Quill (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

BRAD: The first wave of '90s Newy hardcore/punk bands were Pitfall, Disengage, No Reason, Poison Bruno, Angry Earth Mutha, and Nihilist. They were mixed bill shows back then. Once the second wave of heavy bands came through it wasn't so mixed bill any more - more of a prominent hardcore sound. One highlight was playing South Newcastle Skate Park - the Surfrider Foundation show. 
Brad Ellem (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

Pic from Meat and Three Veg, June 1996

Pic: Shane Quill

DAVE: When Luke joined we started doing just straight-up hardcore shows. There were a lot of hardcore bands starting up at that time with people that Luke knew, so we started doing more shows with them. Then the Black Box shows started and they were usually great shows - they got some good bands playing at them. 
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: Around 1994, a bunch of younger crew started coming to shows and new hardcore bands like Disengage, Anomie, and Nihilist started playing the mixed bill All Ages shows (pre-Black Box shows). Hardcore punk started growing in popularity with the younger heads, whilst some of the older heads stuck to punk rock and grunge, etc. By late '95 and early '96 there were straight up hardcore punk All Ages gigs happening at the Islington Bowling Club and you might get 150 kids turning up. When kids saw that there was a scene happening with a regular place to play, more bands formed.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

Pic: Ryan Wilmot, Blacklisted Issue 2, 2000

LUKE: The Newcastle scene is really cool with a lot of rad bands. The different between our scene and other scenes is that I think Newcastle is really unified. I mean there are a lot of different styles of bands with varying opinions but we all seem to stick together and help each other out.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Meat and 3 Veg Issue 3, June 1996

BRAD: After playing in Newcastle a lot, and a couple of Sydney and Central Coast shows, we went back to the studio to record the Pitfall demo. We recorded five songs. We were so stoked to pull off the one-take scenario once again. 
Brad Ellem (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

From This Fate Issue #2, 1996

LUKE: My lyrics were fuelled by whatever 19 year old hardcore-obsessed kids wrote about I guess, haha. I did write a song about my parents' divorce called 'Torn Between', which seemed to strike a chord with a few people. I'd been drawn to straight edge because I was a contrarian kid growing up in a bogan town where the prevailing culture was underage alcohol and drug use/abuse. I got pissed and stoned a few times like every other teenager but it just didn't blow my skirt up, plus there was a lot of peer pressure to do it regularly. I said, 'fuck that' and went skateboarding instead. When I stumbled onto Minor Threat and Uniform Choice records soon after and I read their lyrics I was, like, holy shit, this is exactly how I feel! In Australia there weren't any other bands talking about straight edge apart from, say, Price of Silence (Adelaide), Forward Defence (Canberra), and Ultimatum (Melbourne). 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

SHANE: I kinda always zoned the audience out and focused on the band when I was playing. I figure - you get the songs nailed, then the crowd lets you know between songs how it was. 
Shane Quill (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

From Just Between Friends Issue 4, February 1997

DAVE: When we'd started it had been more of a melodic sound but the band gradually got a more Cleveland hardcore sound towards the end.
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: We've been heading in a heavier direction of late, shying away from our early One Inch Punch melodic style, opting for a more straight forward heavy hardcore approach. Integrity and Mouthpiece are big influenced. We've got two older songs on the Snapshot Call It Whatever You Want Aussie hardcore comp CD.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), This Fate Issue #2, 1996

REVIEW: Cool. This band is fucking good, hard-edged hardcore music with sometimes melodic, sometimes angry vocals. Tight and very catchy with youth crew-style backups. Gimme more, more, more.
Review of Call It Whatever You Want, in This Fate Issue #2, 1996

ROD: Our first shows out of Newcastle proper were in Maitland. We played at the Queen's Arms with Urban Jersey, who were a pre-Found My Directon band from that area. We played a couple of times up there, once with Not For You from Sydney. They were fun shows. After that we got all the way to the Central Coast and once out to Macquarie Fields at Clint 'Short Fuse' Chapman's house for his birthday. After that we started getting lots of shows in Sydney and played a big All Ages in Wollongong, which was good.
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

Pic: Shane Quill

LUKE: Zine culture in the '90s was just part and parcel of the underground music scene. I'm pretty sure I started doing a hardcore zine (Talk is Cheap) before I actually joined Pitfall. I also did a punk radio show around the same time (Wide Awake). The band, the zine, and the radio show all seemed to coalesce during that era - I just dedicated all my time to punk and hardcore as I was completely obsessed with it. The radio show came about when someone told me that the local community radio station 2NJR FM would let anyone do a radio show if you went and did some volunteer work hours for them, so that's what I did. I learned how to operate the equipment and they gave me a 'prime time' slot of 1:00am to 3:00am on a Monday night/Tuesday morning, haha (hence why I called it 'Wide Awake'). I did it for a couple of years before getting kicked off for swearing too much, haha.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

ROD: Pitfall will possibly be heading in a heavier direction now that Luke's in the band, so it will probably be a bit like Integrity or something. I'd like to do stuff like Lifetime but it's too hard for a lousy guitar player like me. 
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Talk is Cheap Issue #4, March 1996

LUKE: I would describe our music as fast melodic hardcore with plenty of energy and emotion, something like say, One Inch Punch meets Gorilla Biscuits but with more screamed vocals. Lately we've been heading in a heavier direction, all of our new songs are going to be heavy and moshy, we are turning into a meathead band.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Meat and 3 Veg Issue 3, June 1996


SHANE: I got kicked out. My input wasn't as big as Rod would have liked, and me and Dolan are like chalk and cheese... I was pushing it a bit, calling the music heavy metal, blowing durries in Dolan's direction at practice, being a bit of a cunt, I'll admit. I'd be turning up to practice and no one would say practice was off... standing there waving my dick in the wind, alone, hahaha. It wasn't working out. But yeah, it is what it is. I got no ill will towards any of them. 
Shane Quill (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: I poached a teenage Jamie Hay (now of Conation fame) from young local band Stolen Youth to play second guitar for us. So yeah, I accept full credit for discovering him and providing him with the opportunity to blossom into one of Australia's best punk/hardcore songwriters of our time. 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Rest Assured Issue 3, 2004

JAMIE: I'd seen Pitfall a whole bunch at Morrow Park Bowling Club and Islington Park Bowling Club, etc. I was 17 when I joined them so for the first 6 months or so I had to sneak in the back door of the pub shows. I was the youngest member in the band - Rod is about 10 years older than me. It was a bit like an apprenticeship - I definitely felt like I had to prove myself. It was a great experience. 
Jamie Hay (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: Jamie was a talented guitarist, good kid, good songwriter already - especially for his age. And being straight edge didn't hurt either. I suggested Jamie to Rod and the other Pitfall guys and Rod was keen as he wanted someone else in the band who could write decent songs. Shane was more of an old school UK punk kinda guy who as far as I know, didn't bring any riffs or songs. Jamie was a much better fit. 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

From Talk is Cheap Issue 3, 1996

BRAD: The biggest highlight of the band overall was being lucky enough to play New Years' Eve in 1996 at the Arthouse in Melbourne with our heroes One Inch Punch.
Brad Ellem (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: It was the era just before cheap flights so it was always a fucking mission to play interstate.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

DAVE: A heap of us caught a bus down, which is all part of the fun. I was glad to get to Melbourne and stretch the legs out though, haha. We all stayed at the Arthouse and it was good 'cause we got to play with One Inch Punch on New Years Eve, and it's just fun playing to people that wouldn't normally see you. We also met people that day that we're still friends with to this day.
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

ROD: We also did the Tote in Melbourne with Fallout. The Melbourne shows were good, but the rest of the trip was punishment, I didn't really have a good time.
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: The early Pitfall stuff was all melodic Gorilla Biscuits/Lifetime-inspired stuff, which involved me attempting to hold a tune. Thank God that was all about to change after I prompted chief songwriter Rod to check out the new One Life Crew (gasp!) record along with ole faves like Judge and Integrity. The Pitfall '96 demo represents this shift in tastes and has two distinct styles... the teary-eyed melo(drama)ic style of 'Torn Between' and 'Upside' versus the derivative youth crew mosh of 'Slave' and 'Human Waste'. Now keep in mind that playing 'derivative youth crew mosh' in 1996 in Australia was completely unheard of. The scene was dominated by pop punk, crust punk, pop punk, and more crust punk, although there of course were the exceptions such as Minute Minder, Toe to Toe, Price of Silence, Mad Circle, etc. Straight edge was so small (literally half a dozen kids or so) at this stage that I wholeheartedly and perhaps naively put my energy into promoting Pitfall as a SXE band. The sloganeering in songs such as 'Control' and 'Slave' were textbook cheesecore very seldom seen in the land of beer, pub shows, and Poison Idea worship. 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Rest Assured Issue 3, 2004

DAVE: For a while there it was like we were doing shows nearly every weekend in Newie and down in Sydney, and they were always good crowds around that time too. The Hardcore Superbowls were happening at this point - it was just quality shows all the time.
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

REVIEW: Newcastle's own Pitfall were next with new guitarist Jamie, formerly of Stolen Youth and Intern. Pitfall played all of their usual 'old skool' hardcore that resembles One Life Crew in ways. They had a nice tight sound as they just about always do, they swapped instruments for the last one 'Brother', it seems to be a regular act now. They played 'Impact' by Chain of Strength.
Review of Islington Bowlo show, Just Between Friends #4, Feb 1997

Pic from Hardcore Superbowl '97, in First Failure Issue #1, July 1997

JAMIE: I only recorded 2 songs with Pitfall - it was the last thing Pitfall recorded - 'Slave 97' and 'Believe in What?' for the New Tools for The Hunter compilation released by First Blood Records.
Jamie Hay (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: We recorded two songs for the New Tools for the Hunter comp... we also had a few new songs written for a proposed 7" but broke up prior to recording them.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

JAMIE: It was really fun! The Black Box shows were always a highlight - massive sing-alongs and pile-ons. It was the golden age of Newcastle hardcore, haha. We also played Sydney, Wollongong, and Canberra. The first time I ever played the Arthouse in Melbourne was with Pitfall - it was amazing! The line-up with One Inch Punch, Unit 11:74, Self Reliance, Fahrenheit 451, and Trigger. Epic line up.
Jamie Hay (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

NOTES: The live Pitfall 7" should be on its way - it will contain 6 songs from their second last show at the Newcastle Superbowl. It looks to be the first release of SHC Records.
First Failure Issue #1, July 1997

From Sniffin' Petrol Issue #2, Sept 1997

LUKE: The 1997 Hardcore Super Bowl at the Tatts Club (Pitfall's last Newcastle show) was huge, with like 400 people turning up. The peak Black Box era kicked off pretty much the next show after that.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

JAMIE: A standout show was the Hardcore Superbowl in Newcastle... this was at the Tattersalls Club (which isn't there anymore) and the line-up with Price of Silence, Sommerset, One Inch Punch, Forward Defencer, Pifall, Nihilist, and X-Claim. This was the first time I ever saw Price of Silence and I was so stoked!
Jamie Hay (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

REVIEW: I was really waiting to see Pitfall. After listening to the demo to death and purchasing a t-shirt I was keen to see Pitfall's last show on their home turf. I was not disappointed. Circle-pit, dogpiling, singalong chaos. It was a lovely sight to behold. I think from memory Kevin (Forward Defence) helped Luke sing a Floorpunch cover. 
Doug Smith (Forward Defence), Newcastle Hardcore Superbowl, Feb 1997

REVIEW: Down in the pit (as they say), Newcastle's rapid-paced str8edgers Pitfall put the crowd on sonic alert. It was interaction at fever pitch. 
Review of Hardcore Superbowl at Iron Duke, Bar Code the World Issue 9, May 1997

From Edge of Quarrel Issue #2, 1998

ROD: It started to look like it was time to move on after the Melbourne trip. We only kept going for a few more months after doing Melbourne.
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: There was tension between me and the drummer Brad related to the slow but sure transition of Pitfall becoming a straight edge band. Brad was the opposite of straight edge, haha. 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

JAMIE: Pitfall finished up when Luke and Brad had an argument at rehearsal. I can't remember what it was about but Brad laid Luke out. Like, actually punched him in the face. Luke quit and I went with him to start Arms Reach. They got over their shit, haha... the reunion show in '99 was wild!
Jamie Hay (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: Soon after a near-death experience at the bottom of a Pitfall dogpile at the Wollongong Youth Centre (what a show that was!) my drug-free lip service would result, ironically enough, in the demise of the band. Tensions were rising between the non-SXE members of the band (Brad) and the SXE members of the band. Brad and I were arguing like cat and dog at practice one night about who was better, MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice, or something equally as vital when he threatened in no uncertain terms to knock my teeth out... Naturally, mouth-almighty king-of-the-kids X Luke Crew X responds by saying, "Well, c'mon then you fucking jock, do it!" My memory of what happened next is vague at best but I'm told it went almost identically to the scene from the movie Friday when Red asks Deebo for his bike back... minutes later he's flat on his back with a busted mouth and Smokey crouching over him shouting, "You got knocked the fuck out!" After the busted chops, blood loss, and wounded egos it was clear that Pitfall was over due to irreconcilable differences. We played our last two shows at the incredible '97 Hardcore Superbowl.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Rest Assured Issue 3, 2004

Meat and Three Veg Issue 3, June 1996

LUKE: At the time I was utterly devastated. When a band breaks up it's eerily similar to breaking up with a girlfriend, and Pitfall was my first love in the way of bands. 
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Rest Assured Issue 3, 2004

NOTES: Pitfall have a discography CD out now on Thinkin' Positive Records that features their '96 demo, all their comp tracks, and some live recordings.
Renew Issue #2, 1999

LUKE: A kid from Wollongong named Joel was keen to release a discography CD so we thought we'd help him out by playing a one-off reunion show to coincide with the release. Despite the violent end to the band, which we chalked up to both being pricks, we all remained mates so there was no dramas around doing the reunion.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

DAVE: A young bloke, Joel, asked to put out a discography CD that he would do out of his own pocket so we thought we would do a show for its release. We were baffled why he would do it, really, haha.
Dave Ellem (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

ROD: We did the reunion to help the guy who did the Pitfall discography, to help launch it.The guy had put some effort and resources into the CD so it was the least we could do. The show was pretty good - big crowd and lots of participation; even if we sounded loose.
Rod Ellem (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: I believe the Pitfall reunion show marks the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one in NSW hardcore. Let's celebrate the bands we have and endevour to create new and exciting music in the years to come. Let's welcome some fresh ideas and new blood into the scene, and embrace the concept of diversity.
Luke Dolan (Vocals), No Longer Blind Issue #7, 2000

Review in Counter Attack Issue 4, December 1999

REVIEW: A show that I loved was the Pitfall reunion show at the Black Box in Newcastle with Age of Distrust, which despite my negativity about reunion shows was also incredible. Both bands received overwhelming crowd support and at one stage there would have been over 30-people pile-ons. 
Review of reunion show, Renew Issue 3, 2000

REVIEW: A really highly anticipated show and a nice escape for me as it was in the middle of my HSC exams... Last up was Pitfall. They played pretty well and got an overwhelming response with dancing non-stop for every single song. They played it all including the Chain cover, etc., and the old favourite 'Torn Between', which was pretty damn cool. Highlights were 'Control', 'Price of Honesty', and 'Slave'... This was a show I'll remember and definitely the show that gave NSW hardcore a much needed kickstart after a few months of bad shows.
Review of reunion show, Counter Attack Issue 4, December 1999

Review in Personality Liberation Front Issue #4, 2003

RELATED BANDS: Blood Red Black, Ixodes, Bare Knuckle Fight, Stolen Youth, Intern, Arm's Reach, Conation, Wiseheimer, Fear Like Us, Post Truth, Sons of Bitches, Shitfight, Necessary Vengeance, Shutdown, XClaim!, Boiling Point, Elbow Deep, NC Wolfpack, Life.Love.Regret, The Dead Walk!, White Male Dumbinance, Hazards, Latest God, Bash Artist, Found My Direction, Drenched in Grey

Newcastle Hardcore Superbowl zine, February 1997 

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