Showing posts with label Ben Brady. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Brady. Show all posts

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Huntsman

ORIGINS: Sydney, NSW
GENRE: Punk, Post-Hardcore
YEARS ACTIVE: 2003-2007
 
MEMBERS:
RELEASES:
  • Demo (2004)
    • 1. Motion Toward
    • 2. Mouth the Words
    • 3. Kiss Me I Have Money
  • It's Just Four Songs (2006) - Download Here.
    • 1. Get In Get Out
    • 2. So Jaded
    • 3. My Crime
    • 4. You've Got Nothin'
  • Unreleased Album (2007)
SUMMARY: Beginning as a four-piece band and playing around Sydney and in Melbourne, Huntsman later developed into a trio with the release of their EP It's Just Four Songs in 2006. The band eventually called it a day in 2007 while in the midst of recording an album.
 
SHOWS: 
  • The Marquee, Sydney - 8th October, 2004
  • Vic on the Park, Marrickville - 30th October, 2004
  • Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney - 15th January, 2005
  • Green Square, Zetland - 12th February, 2005
  • Spectrum, Sydney - 9th March, 2005
  • Arncliffe Hotel, Arncliffe - 20th May, 2005
  • Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney - 17th June, 2005
  • Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 23rd June, 2005
  • Empire Hotel, Annandale - 4th February, 2006
  • Sandringham Hotel, Newtown - 16th December, 2006
  • Manning Bar, Sydney - 17th February, 2007
  • Vic on the Park, Marrickville - 17th March, 2007
  • Empire Hotel, Annandale - 29th September, 2007

ORAL HISTORY:
BRUZ: After I left Toe to Toe in 2000 I started working as a guitar tech and touring with bands in Australia and overseas for a few years. I wasn't really interested in playing at that point. I met Adrian Shapiro (ex-Muta) at shows as we were hanging around similar circles at the time, he hit me up a couple of times to jam and we started from there. 
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

ADRIAN: I was producing a couple of music videos for Frenzal Rhomb at the time and Bruz was working with them. We got on really well and spoke a lot about music. My band Muta had broken up and Bruz's last band Toe to Toe had also finished up a few years before. So we decided to get together and have a jam. Hence Huntsman was formed. We threw a few names around and we all felt 'Huntsman' was fitting. 
Adrian Shapiro (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DARRIN: I met Adrian through work. He was working for an ad agency and I was at a post-production studio. We had similar music taste, bands like The Nation Blue. So we conspired to do something together one day. Then he and Bruz were getting something going and he asked me to come in. We started rehearsing at Troy Horse studios, back when it was located above FBI Radio.  
Darrin Hanley (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025


BRUZ: It's too hard to pinpoint exact bands that influenced us but we were all into hardcore and heavier bands. Punk and post-punk music. Bands like Dag Nasty, Descendants, Avail, Face to Face, Hot Water Music. We really just combined our own styles and that's what fused together. I also loved Downtime - they were a three piece and they were active when I was in my first band. I looked up to them and my first band got to play a support with them around 1995 in Cronulla, which is where I grew up. Lyrically, Huntsman was based around society, and deep personal struggles (without the emo bits or the look). Some of our lyrics didn't mean anything at all - does it have to?
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

ADRIAN: I knew Ben from when he was in Badanga. Muta and Badanga used to play a lot of shows together and I always loved his drumming and his voice. And he's just a legend of a dude too. 
Adrian Shapiro (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DARRIN: The first show as at The Marquee supporting The Nation Blue and Blacklevel Embassy. We also did shows at Spectrum supporting Grand Fatal, a random afternoon show in Bexley, a cracker of a show at The Annandale, and then went down to Melbourne with The Nation Blue. That Melbourne tour started on a Friday night, and it was such a killer show that we over-celebrated. Because of the state we were in the next night, we only managed a 12 minute set. Worst show I have ever done, haha. 
Darrin Hanley (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025


BRUZ: We began as a four piece and had a couple of different drummers before finally landing with Ben Brady (ex-Badanga). A guy called Darrin Hanley from the Northern Beaches was the vocalist. We wrote a bunch of songs and played a few shows, then Ben moved up to the Blue Mountains so no more band for him. 
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DARRIN: There was one time when we played a free show at The Lansdowne and Rose Byrne was there. Rose left before we finished our first song, haha. 
Darrin Hanley (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

ADRIAN: We went through a couple of different members, including Darrin on vocals for a few shows before we settled on it being a three piece with Bruz singing and me on backups. 
Adrian Shapiro (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

BRUZ: I asked my old mate Seed (ex-Drawback, etc.) to fill in on drums after Ben left and we played a bunch more shows and recorded some demos at Jay Frenzal's house.
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025


SEED: I was mates with Bruz - he asked me to join and be part of the project, through which I became good mates with Adrian too. The drumming was a little different for me as I'm always trying to approach drumming in the most creative way possible - as opposed to just playing time. We played quite a few shows - with bands like Grand Fatal, and The Nation Blue. 
Alcides 'Seed' Stowe (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DARRIN: We recorded a three song demo at Jay Whalley's house. I was still in the band when we started recording the EP.
Darrin Hanley (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

BRUZ: After we did the demos, we hit the studio to lay down our EP. The EP sessions weren't going to plan and we became a three-piece halfway through the recording. I took on vocal duties last minute and we released the EP as It's Just Four Songs. 
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025


DARRIN: I really enjoyed my time in the band. At the time my main band (Many Are Here) were more of an indie band in the vein of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, so for me Huntsman was a way to be a little more direct as a singer and frontman. Nowhere to hide - stand at the front of the stage and engage, write less ambiguous lyrics, and create honest and assertive messages. I saw it as a challenge. I may not have fit everyone's expectations but I took a lot of positives from that short time. Bruz is a good drinking buddy, and Seed was a killer drummer. 
Darrin Hanley (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

SEED: Recording was pretty straightforward - no issues, a fairly quick process from what I remember. 
Alcides 'Seed' Stowe (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

ADRIAN: A friend of mine from work at the time, Chris McMullen, and his girlfriend Loren Reed - they did the illustration and the design of the EP. We were exploring the imagery of kids threatening their parents in a place like a playground. Funny, I just had a look at it now and it's pretty dark.
Adrian Shapiro (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025


SEED: I left the band around this point due to musical differences, I guess. It made me want to leave the band as I was interested in doing a different band and style of music. Huntsman were a great bunch of guys, I was stoked to jam with them and release a CD. Still good mates with them to this day.
Alcides 'Seed' Stowe (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

BRUZ: Not long after the EP was released, Seed left the band I'm pretty sure Ben Brady came back for a short time. Then Mick Anderson (Irrelevant, Last Nerve, No Apologies, etc.) was recruited. Mick was my flatmate at the time.
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

ADRIAN: Bruz and me were mates with Mick so we asked if he wanted to join. I think Irrelevant might have been on a break at the time. All three of our drummers had different vibes. We were super lucky though as they were all super solid and good guys. 
Adrian Shapiro (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

MICK: I was mates with Bruz and Adrian and I may have been the last man standing so I got the call up.
Mick Anderson (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

Drum Media, 2006

BRUZ: We continued writing and playing some good support shows with Dropkick Murphys, Avail, The Nation Blue, NOFX, and others. We played the Metro in Melbourne a couple of times with local Melbourne bands, and The Palace (that was with the Dropkick Murphys) in Melbourne another time as well. We also played with Avail at the Arthouse, in Brisbane and Gold Coast with The Nation Blue, and some punkfest at a pub in Brisbane. Other than that we mainly played Sydney shows. 
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

ADRIAN: We were the main support for NOFX at Manning Bar, which was like a life goal for me. Dropkick Murphys tour was also a really great run and were our biggest shows. The tour with Avail was pretty special, in particular one show at The Arthouse (RIP) with Avail and Mid Youth Crisisa. I was pinching myself there.
Adrian Shapiro (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025


BRUZ: We demoed an album's worth of songs, with intent to record the album in the studio. However, not long after, the wheels fell off for various reasons and the album demos have never been found or heard to my knowledge. Adrian had someone he knew from work record us in a rehearsal room and studio as part of a project she was doing. Adrian was the real driving force of the band. We did have a lot of fun. 
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

ADRIAN: A friend of mine, Emma, recorded some demos for us at Stage Door rehearsal studios. We later recorded some vocals for them at another studio in Redfern - it was seven tracks. 
Adrian Shapiro (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

Huntsman shirt designs, c.2007

NEWS: Currently, the band are writing the final tracks to their debut album and look set to enter the studio sometime this winter, or if things carry on as usual, a winter this decade!
Huntsman News Update, Myspace Website, 2007

BRUZ: It was a blurry period for me and I was going through a few challenges. We were all working and developing careers and there were personal relationships and family as well, just life expanding, really, and we started going in different directions. Mick had Irrelevant going - pretty sure they were recording and around this time. Mick and my other band, Last Nerve, had finished. So we were playing shows and then Huntsman kinda just fizzled out off the back of all that, along with my lack of enthusiasm and commitment. I was working on major construction projects and had met my wife-to-be. Life changed and I decided to pull the plug on music at that point. Meanwhile, Adrian was kicking goals as a producer (and continues to) and he started jamming in the band that would eventually become Lo!
Brendan 'Bruz' Newnham (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025


ADRIAN: Unfortunately Huntsman finished up due to frustration and irritation. We'd been demoing new songs for quite some time, and wanted to get in and record but there was just a lack of movement and progression to get things happening. I remember we had a rehearsal early in the week for a show that coming weekend and it basically got to a point at practice where we were saying, "What are we doing this for?", and decided there and then that the show on the weekend would be our last show. It was pretty disappointing. 
Adrian Shapiro (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RELATED BANDS: Irrelevant, Barriers, Homeward Bound, Drebin, Bent, Toe to Toe, Last Nerve, No Apologies, Muta, Doomsquid, Lo!, Spasm, The Hassle Brigade, Offset, Badanga, Strength Within, Easy Company, Drawback, Elias, Bleeding Face, Betray the Day, Friar Rush, Moonshine, Sounds of Sabbath, Back to Funk, FAF, Dragonsclaw, Lapis Sky, Panorama, War Rages Within, The Prehistorics, Stu G's Cloak and Dagger, Junkdogz, Old Heathens, Happy Jacks, Avatar, Many Are Here, Kill the Motive, One Take... Earthquake







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Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Offset

 
ORIGINS: Lower Blue Mountains, NSW
GENRE: Punk, Melodic Hardcore
YEARS ACTIVE: 1997-2000
 
MEMBERS:
RELEASES: 
 

  •  Driving Makes You Stupid (1997) - Download Here.
    • 1. Better Things
    • 2. Rat Race
    • 3. Take a Breath
    • 4. Bowlo
    • 5. Mighty Weapon
    • 6. Society
    • 7. Bowlo (acappella - secret track)

  • Turramurra (1998) - Download Here.
    • 1. Used to Be
    • 2. Not Like This
    • 3. P.O.P.
    • 4. Taken Away
 
  • Wolston (1999) - Download Here.
    • 1. No Such Thing
    • 2. For the Sake of It
    • 3. Telling Myself
    • 4. Tried Your Best
    • 5. So Many People Like You


  • Castle Hill (2000) - Download Here.
    • 1. Confused
    • 2. Once Again
    • 3. Question
    • 4. Usual Feeling
    • 5. Better Things
    • 6. Thinking
    • 7. Ricky
SUMMARY: Fuznut began when two members each from broken-up bands The Hassle Brigade and Fatboy joined together with the idea of pursuing a melodic hardcore sound. The band changed their name to Offset when they became a trio after Aaron Baker left. They continued to play shows until around 2000, adding another second guitarist and supporting Diesel Boy on their Australian tour.
 
SHOWS: 

Supporting Voodoo Glow Skulls

ORAL HISTORY:
PAUL: Fatboy broke up and around the same time The Hassle Brigade broke up so the two came together to make Fuznut. The name 'Fuznut' came from that fuzzy feeling you get in your nuts when you're excited about something. 
Paul Cullens (Bass, Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

DAN: Johnny and I, plus Aaron and Ben from Hassle Brigade, teamed up and formed Fuznut. It was four dudes who loved playing and hanging out. I wanted to venture outside of playing the drums - the four of us met up and bang. The band was named Fuznut as a description of when you hear an awesome band or song and your body reacts, we called it "getting fuznuts!" I didn't want to play drums again; I wanted to sing. We were jamming together and writing together and it was the best. It was an amazing time of hanging out and playing music. 
Dan Scutts (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
REVIEW: Comprising the remnants of two, now defunct punk/hardcore bands called The Hassle Brigade and Fatboy, these boys were specially selected to support the Katoomba chapter of the Hardcore BBQ. Probably because they are the only band in the area suited to the others on the bill. But convenience is not their only merit, they can actually play a decent tune. This was the first time I heard the new conglomeration of Fuznut, after hearing The Hassle Brigade once, but being very inebriated on that occasion, I cannot remember a great deal. But what I do remember though is that the style of The Hassle Brigade in comparison to Fuznut is fairly different. Fuznut opened their set with a tune (sorry, I don't know the names of the tracks) from the school of fast, thrashy and melodic punk rock, comparable to the likes of NOFX (did they play 'Bob'?) and The Descendants. But this was not to last, with the boys moving on to their preferred style, a ska and hardcore fusion (ska core?) without horns. They ripped through a few fine sounding numbers, with Brenden from Downtime and the general audience listening intently. Even though the crowd was small, I could tell by the expression on the punters' faces that they were impressed. But tragedy was to strike early for the Fuznuters, with the guitarist breaking a string and not having a replacement. "This has never happened to us before, and we hope that this will never happen to us again," stated the leader vocalist, a comment seconded by the band's bassist. Nevertheless, in true punk rock spirit, they soldiered on in the face of adversity. They belted out three more songs just using bass, drums and vocals, which sounded damn fine as is, while attempts to repair the guitar were made. These attempts were unfortunately fruitless and the guitarist was forced to join the others minus one string. Standouts of the set were a full-on rockin' version of the Friends theme and their numerous synchronised leaps into the air, with one of these temporarily leaving the bassist down for the count.
Review of Hardcore BBQ '97 show by Hans, Anti-Charisma Issue 2, 1998

Playing at The Globe, Newtown

PAUL: We changed to Offset... the name 'Offset' has no story. It's just a name that we picked. Maybe we changed it because Aaron left. Maybe we wanted to just play punk music without the ska. I'm not sure. 
Paul Cullens (Bass, Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
DAN: The last CD we just named 'Castle Hill' as it we recorded at a studio in Castle Hill. Kind of a shame, we were done and just wanted to have some fun putting our songs down. Maybe it's a bit sad but, for me, this is the recording I'm most proud of. I loved the songs; rush the lyrics big time but loved getting these songs down before we wrapped things up. We'd toured in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne with Diesel Boy and then things kind of fizzled out. We went into the studio because we thought the songs were good so we just put it all down for ourselves. I think, as Offset, we left a lot of songs and energy behind - but shit happens. Johnny, Ben and I had an amazing connection and I really think these songs ripped. It's stupid, but I listen to these songs every now and then and think, far out, there is some good stuff here.
Dan Scutts (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

Playing at Ulladulla (2000), members of Diesel Boy on backup

RELATED BANDS: CFBP, Fatboy, The Hassle Brigade, Strength Within, Badanga, Hunstman, Easy Company, Spasm, Boneless, Bad Blood, Tuskin Raiders, Last Exit to Nowhere

BAND TREE:

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Sunday, March 3, 2024

Strength Within

ORIGINS: Penrith, NSW
GENRE: Hardcore
YEARS ACTIVE: 2002-2004
 
MEMBERS:
RELEASES: 
  • Let the Onslaught Begin... (2002) Demo - Download Here.
    • 1. Strength Within
    • 2. Ruling Class Masochism
    • 3. Taking for Granted
    • 4. Wither Away
    • 5. As History Repeats
  •  True Till Death - Compilation (2003)
    • Figure It Out

  • Demo (2003) - Download Here.
    • 1. Figure It Out
    • 2. Licking at the Wounds
    • 3. These Walls Won't Break
       

  •  We Deliver (2003) - Download Here.
    • 1. Strength Within
    • 2. Trivial Pursuit
    • 3. Licking at the Wounds
    • 4. Dead End Perceptions
    • 5. Yours Sincerely
    • 6. These Walls Won't Break

SUMMARY: Strength Within formed as a six-piece hardcore band with dual vocals before moving towards a more standard one-vocalist set-up. They were an energetic staple of Western Sydney hardcore shows before finding spots on bills with international bands and touring interstate. In 2003 the band signed with Common Bond Records. The band finished up at the end of 2004 with some members going on to form another Penrith-based hardcore band, Bad Blood.

SHOWS: 
  • Vic on the Park, Marrickville - 17th April, 2004
  • Against / Mindsnare National Tour - time and date unknown, 2004
  • Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 18th November, 2004 
  • Arncliffe Hotel, Arncliffe - 26th November, 2004

ORAL HISTORY:
ANDREW: There was essentially a merger of strung-together Penrith fellas who wanted to do a hardcore band... We'd all become regulars going to see hardcore bands at the Iron Duke and Green Square and we were keen to get some Penrith representation on the stage.
Andrew Elphick (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
ADAM: We started 2001, after I finished with Little More Than You. I left the band to go to Ireland in 2003 but they kept going for a bit. Bad Blood then kinda formed from Strength Within.
Adam Kenny (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

JOSH: I came into the band as an experimental idea of having two singers. I later left the band in late 2003 to concentrate on work as a chef and also the guys wanted to concentrate on having one singer. Andrew was the man, had an awesome, crazy in-your-face voice!
Josh Matheson (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

ANDREW: There were definitely big metal influences in the beginning, we had two singers, a lot of conflicting ideas. By the time we got past our demo there were a few lineup changes... Far out Ben Brady was a wicked drummer, he just elevated our sound, brought us to a more punk orientated timing, made us sound a lot tighter. By the end we were a pretty stock-standard hardcore punk band I think.
Andrew Elphick (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024
 
ANDREW: Brisbane was an experience I'll never ever forget. I joked with Sourdin about how I'd probably get the flu a couple months beforehand and lo and behold, Johnny and I got it and it spread to everyone else, so it required extra effort to sing the three shows. The first night we played was a total nightmare, nothing went right for us. It was our new drummer's first show and we hadn't rehearsed for two weeks because he was in NZ and the flu really took hold of us, we were all real bummed out after that show. So the next night we were all mega nervous, we expected another disaster and we had to play after a phenomenal performance by a black metal band called Sakkuth. We got up and soon as the first note played, we clicked and played our hearts out and it turned into one of our favourite performances to date and there were kids who knew our words somehow and sang along. That made us feel all jelly-like haha. Then Sourdin got real sick after the show... he was in a terrible condition, but we were in serious laughter and were out celebrating how cool things had turned out.  
Andrew Elphick (Vocals), Straight Up Issue 1, 2003

Advertisement from Pee Zine Issue 29 (2004)

ANDREW: Touring with Mindsnare and Against was a very awesome experience, despite all of us getting influenza, bronchitis, and various other deadly strains of cold and flu (again). It didn't really have any impact on the fun we had or how we performed so it was good. It was the first time we'd been to Melbourne and Adelaide and the response was ten times better than what we expected. I think the Melbourne all ages show as one of the best shows we've played and attended in a long time... everyone that attended wasn't afraid to mosh and dance and there was even a conga line; a really good atmosphere.
Andrew Elphick (Vocals), Highly Flammable Issue 1, 2004

ANDREW: I'd love to get to work on a full length, but I guess that all depends on if we get a rock-steady line up. Personally I've always wanted to concentrate on developing some awareness of hardcore in Penrith, I think hardcore has massive potential out here, the kids are sick to death of ska and Limp Bizkit clones and we usually get a rad response when we play local shows. The western breeds are pissed, we're the true dregs of Sydney after all, what don't we have to be pissed about?
Andrew Elphick (Vocals), Straight Up Issue 1, 2003

PAUL: My best memories being in Strength Within are playing shows and jammin' with my mates and representing Western Sydney in the HC scene. Being on the Mindsnare/Against tour had to be up there too. That was fun times. The band was just fun times the whole time. I feel we had our own sound in the Sydney HC Scene. A good mix of HC/punk/metal. It was a diverse sound. I liked that.
    Paul Cullens (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

ANDREW: Anyone can pick a fake and we can pick out the kids who are all heart and knowing those kids gives hardcore that special feeling that makes us crave the next show to get to just as heroin addicts crave the needle. But if you see new kids at shows then you should make them feel welcome, throw them mix tapes, let 'em know when the next show is. I hate it when some people are like, 'Oh, I've never seen that person at shows, fuck him/her'. It's that self-righteous bullshit attitude that deters them from coming back.
Andrew Elphick (Vocals), Straight Up Issue 1, 2003

ANDREW: I miss hanging with the band the most. Practice was just a barrel of laughs, very good dudes.
Andrew Elphick (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

RELATED BANDS: Boneless, The Rumjacks, Little More Than You, Moneypenny, Bad Blood, Unpaid Debt, Fatboy, Offset, Badanga, Carnage Flail, Columbia's Pain, Struck 70, Easy Company, The Hassle Brigade, Spasm, Huntsman

Original cover for first release of We Deliver



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Thursday, February 15, 2024

The Hassle Brigade

 
ORIGINS: Lower Blue Mountains, NSW
GENRE: Street Punk, Ska-Punk
YEARS ACTIVE: 1996-1998, 1999-2001
 
MEMBERS:
RELEASES: 


  • Self-Titled Cassette (Recorded in 1996 and 1997) - Download Here and Download Here.
    • 1. Weekend
    • 2. School
    • 3. Phil
    • 4. That Way
    • 5. Don't Tell Me What to Do
    • 6. Fuckin' Unreal
    • 7. Arse Kisser
    • 8. ID

  • Self-Titled Cassette (1998) - Download Here.
    • 1. Degenerate
    • 2. She's a Lesbian
    • 3. Better Off Dead
    • 4. Aint That Bad
    • 5. No Way
    • 6. Drug Squad
       

  •  Blood, Sweat and Beers (1999) - Download Here
    • 1. Stay Clean
    • 2. Fuckin' Unreal
    • 3. Deadbeat
    • 4. Turn Away
    • 5. Triple J
    • 6. Act Your Age
    • 7. Squat
    • 8. Better Off Dead
    • 9. Oh My God
    • 10. This Town
    • 11. No Way
    • 12. I.D.

  • She's a Lesbian (2000, Unreleased until Rare Stuff album in 2013) - Download Here
    • 1. Medication
    • 2. Fuck the World
    • 3. Life Can Suck
    • 4. TV
    • 5. Daddy's Little Girl
    • 6. Severe Migraine
    • 7. Stupid
    • 8. Destroy the Airwaves
    • 9. She's a Lesbian
SUMMARY: 
 
 
 
 
1992: Adam starts playing guitar/bass at 13 years old. Playing in garage band called Cremation (later called Animosity). 

1993: Adam plays first show with Cremation; 5 songs - all Nirvana and Sex Pistols songs. 

1994: Adam playing in a punk band, Concrete Diver, at 15. They record a demo tape and play a couple of shows. 

1995: Aaron and Ben playing in punk band Spasm. Adam now living in the city and playing in a grunge band. 

1996: Aaron, Ben, and Adam are all at Wycliffe Christian school at the same time. They form The Hassle Brigade and play their first show (4 songs) at Uncle Bucks Jam Night in Mt. Druitt. Ben writes regularly to The Vandals Voice (Fox Trotsky's zine). Fox invites the band to record a song for the compilation Bust-a-Move '96. This also leads to the band recording their first cassette (4 songs) with Lex Feltham (Frenzal Rhomb). Cassette sells for $3, launched at Blaxland Community Hall (AKA Jasper). 

1997: The band plays lots of shows around Sydney, Penrith, Blue Mountains. Second cassette tape (4 songs) is recorded and sold at this time. Ben leaves the band and The Hassle Brigade breaks up. Ben and Aaron form Fuznut with ex-members of Fatboy. Adam joins Dropzone. 
 
1998: Aaron decides to leave Fuznut and also plays in a band with Ivan called Special Sauce. The Hassle Brigade re-forms as a 4 piece with new drummer Ivan, and new bassplayer Swanny. Adam plays guitar. Melrose Hall incident occurs here. Swanny plays about 4 shows, a demo tape is recorded by this lineup with 'She's a Lesbian' on it. Swanny leaves and Adam goes back to bass - the band decides to stick with being a 3-piece. 
 
1999: The Hassle Brigade record their album Blood, Sweat and Beers in 12 hours and launch it at St Mary's Memorial Hall (now the Don Bosco Youth Centre). Dan Leah (?) becomes manager for the band and they start playing shows with lots of bigger bands (Frenzal Rhomb, The Porkers, Nancy Vandal, Def FX, Insurge). Interstate tours take place. Lots of touring with Fatigue. 
 
2000: The band records 9 tracks for an EP that doesn't get released. Brad 'Bomber' Moore becomes manager for the band and focuses on online promotion. The Hassle Brigade undertake an East Coast tour.
 
2001: The Hassle Brigade breaks up after a show at Winter Magic in Katoomba. Ivan goes on to play in the Architects. Aaron and Ben form Badanga with Checky and Dean from Detox Unit. 

2013: Adam re-releases Blood, Sweat and Beers on vinyl. He also releases the majority of the other recordings on a new compilation album called Rare Stuff.

2016: Adam passes away.

    
SHOWS: 
 
ORAL HISTORY:
ADAM: I played a gig at the Axolotl. And Adam and Ben were there and they were talking to me about their band, and they were saying they wanted a bassplayer. I asked them what style, and they said 'punk', and I was like, 'yeah, that's all I wanna fucken do.' And we started jamming in Aaron's mum's lounge room. And it clicked, we started writing songs together, it was really cool. We all had a mad time.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2000

AARON: We ended up going to this gig at Panthers, it was like a downstairs Panthers all-ages jam thing, and there was a band playing there called Concrete Diver. And Concrete Diver... weren't all that good, but they were fronted by Adam, and we were like, fuck, we know this guy, this will be really cool. So Concrete Diver come up onto the stage, Adam's walked up in a pair of cut-off army slacks and a blue flanny and an AC/DC T-shirt, walked up to the 'microphone and went 'Fucken'... 1 2 3 4!' (...) Concrete Diver, they were okay at what they did, playing Hard Ons-y pop punk sort of stuff. I'm pretty sure Adam wrote all the songs. He made them.
Aaron Baker, Noise Levels Episode 1, 2024
 
ADAM: Our first band practice was in Aaron's parents lounge room. We got absolutely fucked up on cheap wine and wrote a punk song. I started writing all these songs, one being Fuckin' Unreal and another called I.D., and those are the only 2 original songs from that period that we kept playing after Ben left the band. It's a shame because from that first wave we had some blood great songs that I still remember. We had one song I loved called Why Am I Such an Idiot? and another called Don't Tell Me What to Do.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2009

AARON: Our first live gig ever was Uncle Bucks in Mt. Druitt and it was a jam night, we got to play four songs... I don't think we went down all that well.
Aaron Baker, Noise Levels Episode 1, 2024

AARON: It took a little while, we kind of started getting an overinflated opinion of ourselves. We thought 'we can do this shit, we find it easier than other bands just to punch out loads of songs', and we were young and arrogant enough to think we were better than everyone... Ben used to write to The Vandals Voice, and he used to send cartoons and stuff, and they used to write back. And Fox ended up saying 'Hey, would you guys be interested in doing an '80s cover for a compilation on Half-Arsed Records called Bust-A-Move '96'. So we recorded 'Boom Boom Boom, Let's Go Back to My Room'. It took fucken' 5 minutes to write, or re-write, and so we done that. We recorded that at Zen Studios with a fella called Geoff Lee and he suggested we come back and do a demo with our originals, so we did, and that was our first little cassette that we released, and we sold it for $3. And we printed all the covers in fucken' Video Ezy, cut out all the stickers ourselves. I think that was it, because we got those songs out there by playing those local gigs at the Jasper Hall in the Blue Mountains and we just had this cheap cassette that was decent quality and the songs were there, they were catchy, and we were kind of funny, and it just became accessible.
Aaron Baker, Noise Levels Episode 1, 2024

ADAM: We played with some top bands like Nancy Vandal, Frenzal, Gilgamesh, Toe to Toe, Downtime. Played with some shit ones too like Quadbox and Dogbuoy. One gig we did with Gilgamesh in Katoomba, one of our fans who loved us was getting king hit by some guy, so me and Aaron halfway through a song dropped our instruments and dived in.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2009

AARON: We worked pretty hard just playing loads of jam nights, loads of youth halls, loads of... a couple of gigs in the city... We used to play the Waterloo Tavern, which isn't there anymore. We worked really hard, Adam was living in the city for a while and on the piss. Sometimes that would be pretty hard... there were musical differences... Adam was really wanting to move towards the old style rock 'n' roll punk-rock, a little bit of ska. Benny was sort on more on the Cali scene, because that was exploding at the time. I was sort of caught in the middle, I just wanted to play. Adam wasn't in a good space at the time. Six months into that (after Hassle Brigade broke up), that's when Adam joined Drop Zone.
Aaron Baker, Noise Levels Episode 1, 2024


ADAM: The Hassle Brigade broke up (the first time) and I started hitting it really badly. I started hanging around, like, a big group of skinheads and punks who lived in Epping. And they started helping me out 'cause I was really loathing, and miserable, and feeling sorry for myself and they made me feel welcome in their, fucken, family, 'cause there were heaps of them, y'know, hanging out together and going to gigs.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2000

ADAM: I bumped into Aaron and we got talking about how good it would be to have The Hassle Brigade back again. So we got this guy Ivan on drums who was only 15 when he joined the band and he played like a fucking champion, and we got this guy Luke on bass. We recorded a demo with 4 songs and played around 3 shows in that format... then Luke left and I ended up going back on the bass and we started playing gigs as a three piece again, from then on it was a fucking riot.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2009

IVAN: I started learning (the drums) as soon as I could walk. My dad was a drummer back in the day so it just came naturally to me and I started learning when I was about, maybe, 5 or 6 years old. So The Hassle Brigade already had a drummer, Ben, and he kind of dropped off, and Aaron asked me if I wanted to try out for The Hassle Brigade because they were looking for someone.
Ivan Lisyak, Noise Levels podcast, Episode 1, 2024

LUKE: I was super lucky to be a part of such a special band. Really was a privilege to be asked to join the band when theyr eformed. Surrounded by three awesomely talented muso's; Adam, Aaron and the drummer Ivan, I really did feel out of place at times. But I had a lot of fun with The Hassle Brigade and really do count myself lucky to be a part of the band, even if it was a short stint on the bass.
Luke Swannell, Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

ADAM: The Hassle Brigade got back together and I haven't drank for a year or done drugs for about a year. I started doing something constructive. I went through detox about 4 times and after that I wanted to start doing something with myself, and I had the idea of a record label, putting out CDs for fun. Raunchy Records.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2000

ADAM: I remember our first show back, 400 people turned up to Melrose Hall to see us but we never ended up playing. This still cracks me up to this day. Spilt Milk were halfway through their set. We were all out back just chilling when suddenly the power went off, then we heard people screaming and yelling. Turns out two rival gangs who I remember as the Penrith Boys and the Emu Boys were having a feud and chose our gig as a battle ground. A fight broke out in front of Melrose Hall and one of these nitwits produced a sawn-off shotgun! Then apparently the police were tipped off, next thing we know about half a dozen cop cars and assorted paddy wagons turned up and it was the cops that shut off the power. The story was in the Penrith Press and The Star! I remember walking to the side of the stage and Spilt Milk were still on stage wondering why their amps wouldn't work and why the lights were out. Then the cops started rounding up the crowd telling everyone to go home. Turns out the idiot with the gun shit himself when the cops arrived and did a runner, only to trip over and twist his ankle, hence he got pinched. So we didn't get to play our first official show back.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2009

IVAN: We set up the drumkit and we were kind of ready to go and then we were told to stay in the backroom until the police came and took the guy away. But there was actually a bunch of them, it was when the Penrith gang stuff was happening back in the late '90s, back then Penrith and Emu Plains were pretty rough places, comparative to now... two of the rival gangs, and someone had a shotgun and some machetes and stuff. I think (The Melrose) was maybe a few shows in, our first show was a private party somewhere with some punks in a backyard.
Ivan Lisyak, Noise Levels podcast Episode 1, 2024

AARON: We landed a few decent supports with bands that we loved like Lawnsmell and Frenzal. So we thought we'd like to record. We went to Damien Gerard Studios and pumped out Blood, Sweat and Beers in 12 hours. That was nuts. Russell Pilling was the engineer for that and he just let us go. He was pretty cool... we sold it for 12 bucks. 12 songs in 12 hours for 12 bucks.
Aaron Baker, Noise Levels podcast Episode 1, 2024

IVAN: Some of the songs were just one take. Some of them it took a bit longer and Adam wanted to put a bit of keyboard on top and stuff like that. The keyboard you hear on some of the songs was one of those little Casio tone keyboard from the '90s.
Ivan Lisyak, Noise Levels podcast Episode 1, 2024

ADAM: At St Mary's Memorial Hall, I stage-dived and no one caught me. I also stage-dived at Melrose, but the majority of times I've been caught. Anyway, the Memorial Hall was packed and I jumped in and theymoved out of the way, and they were staring at me lying on the ground. Fucking idiots.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2000

ADAM: I never took any bands too seriously, except for The Hassle Brigade, which seemed to get lots of gigs for some reason, people just kept asking us to play.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2000
 
IVAN: It was a lot of very short songs played really fast with a lot of banter in between by Aaron and Adam. The banter would go from kind of being convivial to accusational to really offensive and everything in-between. Sometimes it would appear that they had arguments on the stage but it was all part of the fun, they were never really trying to blue with each or anything like that. I would sit there and wait for them to be ready for the next song... sometimes I would just count it off and they would have to stop and start playing. That was always pretty funny.
Ivan Lisyak, Noise Levels podcast Episode 1, 2024

ADAM: We did the Grounded Festival twice, which was fucking awesome. Playing in front of a thousand people is a fucking amazing experience, plus I got to borrow the bass amp from Killing Heidi and my girlfriend stole a heap of good that their manager put out for them.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2009

AARON: We played a gig at the Gabba (Brisbane) and Rollo from Blowhard mixed us, rest his soul. He was great, he gave us a great compliment when we walked off, he said 'Well done boys, fast and tight', and that was nice.
Aaron Baker, Noise Levels podcast Episode 1, 2024

IVAN: We did a few East Coast tours. One of them was with Topnovil and that was in the middle of 2000. That was fun, in a van with a bunch of punks and staying in rickety old terrace houses and squats and stuff. That kind of era was really kind of important in how it changed my perception of punk rock.
Ivan Lisyak, Noise Levels podcast Episode 1, 2024

ADAM: I turned up at Uncle Bucks, and we were supposed to play. I was drunk out of my fucking mind. I'd been drinking since about, what? Nine that morning? And I'd had about 14 Strongbow Drys and after I'd been to the pub and I'd had about 7 schooners, not exaggerating by the way, I was out of my mind. So I was in there having an argument with me missus, and she was going off at me 'cause she didn't want me to get drunk, and I thought, 'fuck it, I can get drunk', but I was being a dickhead, I admit. I ended up going to the toilet and I ripped one of the doors off the cubicles and apparently I smashed the fucking mirror and broke a couple of tiles in the toilet. The owner came in and fucking turfed me out. And then four regulars at Uncle Bucks came out and decided to deck me. So I had four people punching into me and my missus freaked out and we walked up the street and they followed us and we hid int he chemist.
Adam O'Sullivan, unreleased interview, 2009

AARON: There was supposed to be an EP, a six song EP that we were talking about putting out. All of those songs were demo'd at Zen, we were going to go off to somewhere and record the big shebang but that didn't happen... I think the EP was going to be called She's a Lesbian.
Aaron Baker, Noise Levels podcast Episode 1, 2024

AARON: (Adam and I) didn't talk for a long time, until about 6 months before he died and I'd given him a phonecall... I rang him and hear this 'Hello' and I said 'Hey man, how you going... are we all good, man?" and he said, "It's all water under the bridge" and he sound content, he sounded happy.
Aaron Baker, Noise Levels podcast Episode 1, 2024

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