One By Wednesday

ORIGINS: Penrith, NSW

GENRE: Pop-punk, Punk

YEARS ACTIVE: 2001-2002

 

MEMBERS:

• Andy Marsh - Vocals, Bass
• Adam Watts - Guitar (2001)
  
• Michael Seager - Guitar
• Matt Perriman - Drums

RELEASES: 

• 50 Years to Nowhere (2001) - Download Here
  
• 1. Filmore
• 2. Killed in Action
• 3. [Unknown]
• 4. Occupational Hazard
• 5. San Luis
• 6. Tear Jerk Radio
• 7. Lame
• 8. X-Ray
• 9. No Way Home
  

SUMMARY: Starting under the name 'Loophole', One by Wednesday were a Penrith-based four piece pop-punk band who developed their sound while frequenting Wednesday night jam nights at the Great Western Bar in Penrith. Streamlining to a three piece with the recording of their EP, the band dissolved not long after as members moved on to other projects.

 

SHOWS:

• Gearin Hotel, Katoomba - unknown date, 2001 [as Loophole]
  
• Great Western Bar, Penrith - 7th March, 2002
  
• Timebomb 2, Scout Hall, South Penrith - 3rd August, 2002
  

ORAL HISTORY:

MATT: One By Wednesday started with me and my neighbour across the street, Andrew Marsh. We were both mutual mates with Michael and we started jamming at the old Great Western bar... We were listening to pretty much everything on Drive-Thru records at the time - New Found Glory, The Movie Life, that sort of thing. Lots of pop-punk.

Matt Perriman (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

ADAM: Me and Andrew went to school together and were in music class and into the same kind of music - pop-punk. One day he called me up and said he was going to jam with a drummer across the road, Matt. This was our first get-together. From there, Matt had a mate, a second guitarist who came to our next jam - Michael. We were influenced by bands such as Blink 182, New Found Glory, Yellowcard, MxPx, NOFX, and Australian locals For Amusement Only.

Adam Watts (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

MICHAEL: I'd been in a band with a few high school friends that mainly played covers. I think we had one original. One By Wednesday was the first band I played in that mainly played originals. We still snuck some covers in from time to time - 'Chick Magnet' by MxPx, 'Letters to You' by Finch, and 'Chop Suey' by System of a Down. I don't remember our first show but it was probably someone's party. I always enjoyed playing live... I'd be nervous leading up to it but always had a great time.

Michael Seager (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

ANDY: Our first show was played at the Gearins in Katoomba as 'Loophole', before we decided to change the band name. Pretty sure it was 2001.

Andy Marsh (Vocals, Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

ADAM: We were originally called Loophole but the name was taken. We were playing the open mic night at Great Western on a Wednesday night and we were brainstorming a name and in frustration I said, 'Come on, guys, we need one by Wednesday'. It stuck.

Adam Watts (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MATT: We got booked for a show with The Shenanigans on a Wednesday and didn't have a name. We needed one. By Wednesday. That was how the name came about. The first time we got paid for a show it was also at Great Western Bar... $100 and it was the first time any of us had been paid for playing music, which was pretty cool. I think we bought beer.

Matt Perriman (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

ADAM: Our first gig was at the Gearins Hotel in Katoomba. We also played the Jolly Frog in Windsor and every Wednesday night at Great Western Bar for about two months straight. We also played terribly at a house party... we were too loud, had no idea how to set our sound up with no PA, and the drums were deafening. Good times!

Adam Watts (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MATT: We recorded an EP with Tim from Unpaid Debt at his studio. It looked like an American burger diner... I did all the drums live without a click track, Marshy and Seager then layered their stuff over everything. I think we did it in about three days, over the one weekend. 

Matt Perriman (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

ADAM: We started to record an EP but it was evident that I was not good enough. My timing was off. The guys came over to my house one night in Werrington and said they had a band meeting and had decided that the band would move forward without me. It sucked. Felt like my first breakup and it also sucked as I felt like I lost the riffs I had written. After that I lost contact with the guys and let them do their own thing without me. 

Adam Watts (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MICHAEL: Recording with Tim Walter was great. We went in with a bunch of songs and wanted to record them all. We were quite clearly unprepared but he was very patient and flexible with us. He very kindly let me use an old Marshall amp of his. After that, I put together the cover art and burned copies at home. It was a very slow but fun process. 

Michael Seager (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

ANDY: We were starting to develop different musical interests. I don't remember it being a bad split, though. And I ended up in a band with Matt a few years later anyway, called Evolvar. The highlight of playing in One By Wednesday was getting to do something that I loved - playing music - with my best mates. And making lifelong friends with people from other bands or people that I met at shows along the way. I learnt that I couldn't sing very well, haha, but that it also didn't matter if you weren't the best musician or band - if you were having fun and putting out a fun vibe, people would come to your shows and have a good time too.

Andy Marsh (Vocals, Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024 

 

MATT: I genuinely don't remember why we finished when we did. Maybe some sort of falling out? I don't remember chatting to or seeing Seager much after that. Marshy and I went on to form Evolvar with CJ before his time in Thy Art Is Murder. 

Matt Perriman (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MICHAEL: I'm not sure why the band stopped when it did. I don't remember it even being a definitive decision, we just kinda went our own ways. There was probably some conflict that seemed major at the time but is trivial 20 years on, haha.

Michael Seager (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

RELATED BANDS: Evolvar, Kiai Academy, Me vs. You, Ashes, Molemen, Moxham, Vegas in Ruins, Beneath the Crown, Thy Art is Murder, Septembers Silence, Alvarez, A Small Victory, Modus Fire, Outside Chance

Faux Pas

 

ORIGINS: Penrith, NSW

GENRE: Pop-Punk

YEARS ACTIVE: 1999-2006

 

MEMBERS:

• Nick Chapman - Vocals, Guitar
• Kristian Catanzaro - Drums
• Jordan Catanzaro - Bass (2002-2006)
  
• Mike Chapman - Vocals, Guitar (2000-2006)
  
• Christopher Valderama - Bass (1999-2002)
• Joel Caruna - Guitar (1999)
  

RELEASES: 

• A Lesson in Dude Rock (2000) - Download Here.
• 1. D.M.Y.
• 2. Marian
• 3. Miss Potato
• 4. Poor Lawless Dan
• 5. Poo 
  

• Demos (2001-2004) - Download Here.
• God Song
• Ska Song
• Pruillas 
  

• Self-Titled (2005) - Download Here.
  
• 1. How I Feel
• 2. Got a Gun
• 3. You Can't Touch the Posse
• 4. D.M.Y.
• 5. Tennis
• 6. Free Me
• 7. Too Far
• 8. Bite My Tongue
• 9. Party Time
  

 

SUMMARY: Initially starting out as 'Foe Par' and jamming on covers of punk songs, the band underwent a lineup shuffle with the two original members (Nick and Kristian) joining forces with their brothers (Mike and Jordan respectively) and then changing their name to 'Faux Pas'. Faux Pas went on to play regularly on the All Ages circuit in Western Sydney and released two CDs.

 

SHOWS: 

• Jamisontown Public School Hall, South Penrith - unknown date, 2000
• Pulse, St Clair Skatefest, St Clair Shops - 11th November, 2000
  
• Channel Cafe, Penrith - 4th July, 2002
• McHappy Day, Penrith - 18th May, 2002
• Richmond Community Centre, Richmond - 24th May, 2002
• Richmond Community Centre, Richmond - 28th June, 2002
• Punk Wars, Channel Cafe, Penrith - 1st February, 2003
• Backdoor, Panthers Leagues Club, Penrith - 31st August, 2003
  
• Channel Cafe, Penrith - 19th June, 2004 
• PCYC, Penrith - 4th February, 2005
  
• PCYC, Penrith - 13th May, 2005
• Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills - 12th May, 2006
• PCYC, Penrith - 7th July, 2006
  

ORAL HISTORY:

NICK: Myself and three other mates shared the same taste in music and decided we wanted to be in a band. We were all starting out on our chosen instruments so we spent a lot of time just jamming and trying to figure it all out. We had a great Music teacher in Year 8 who was a big help to us. He would spend his lunch break letting us into the Music room to jam. 

Nick Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

KRISTIAN: It was Year 8 in high school when we got to do Music as a subject. I had a few friends who could already play instruments. At the same time, I remember Nick let me borrow the single for 'Dammit' by Blink. It had some live songs from their Warped tour and I just loved the sound. The Chapman brothers introduced me to lots of new bands. Since everyone was already playing guitar and I was shit at it, I had to ask Mum to buy me a drum set so I could try to learn how to play and jam with the boys.

Kristian Catanzaro (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

 

NICK: My brother Mike had been playing guitar since he was 11. He was way ahead of us all so original guitarist Joel was out and Mike was in! We would always jam at Kris's house and his younger brother Jordan had taken an interest in bass, so he eventually replaced Chris.  

Nick Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MIKE: We were all super into Blink, Frenzal, ALL, Descendants, and anything Fat Wreck Chords or Epitaph. That kind of stuff. We got into New Found Glory too and liked anything punk-related. The Ataris were another one. I'd taken overt from Joel, who went on to play in One by Wednesday. We started writing music and then we thought we wounded okay so we started looking for gigs.

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

NICK: Playing in a band with my brother was great. I loved it most of the time. We have always been great mates and both share a love for music. Trouble is, we could get on each other's nerves sometimes, just be always being together I suppose. And being brothers, we know how to stir each other up pretty well.  

Nick Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

MIKE: Mum named the band 'Faux Pas'. We looked up what it mean and thought, "That's a sick band name!" Then we wondered if Mum was secretly the taking the piss or trying to tell Nick and me something. It was originally spelled 'Foe Par', but that was ridiculous so we went back to the proper spelling. It was a cool name though. Even if Mum does think we are an embarrassing mistake. 

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

KRISTIAN: Nick and I had done one or two shows under the name 'Foe Par' where we mainly played covers. Our first show with the main lineup, and playing as Faux Pas, was at the hall attached to Jamisontown Public School. Bagster headlined. The band really started when Mike came in with the songs he had written. He always jammed with us before this but I don't think he liked getting up on stage. 

Kristian Catanzaro (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MIKE: Our first show was extremely punk rock... I'm pretty sure it was a McHappy Day in Blacktown and our parents drove us to the gig. I was so nervous that I stared at Nick through the whole set (which would be a recurring theme). He is very handsome and it was very comforting. He's been my best mate my whole life. Dad always says he enjoyed how we would harmonise and then smile at each other if we nailed it. 

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

NICK: Our first real gig was at St Clair Skate Fest. We hadn't written any songs at this stage so we played a set of Blink 182 songs. Enema of the State had not long come out I think so we played the first half of that album. I remember a chick jumped on stage (which was a flat bed trailer) and simulated wanking a big dick, insinuating that we were wankers. I think because we weren't 'punk' enough and Blink 182 were thought to be sellouts by some people at that time. With about two songs left to play, a guy walked over and helped us out with setting our levels. There wasn't a full P.A. setup, just a little one for vocals. I can only imagine how bad we must have been, haha. He was really nice and encouraging to us. I can't remember his name but I know he played in a band in Penrith. 

Nick Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MIKE: After our first show, we played a house party here or there and some community events. I vaguely remember playing an empty park in Rooty Hill with three people watching us. Mum was one of them. The other two were the organisers. 

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MIKE: Things changed when Kris started meeting people online and made some connections. One of the connections was with Final Request. Faux Pas were a bit awkward meeting new people but Final Request were always so easy to hang out with. Renee got us some gigs and it all went from there. 

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

KRISTIAN: I have so many good memories of playing gigs. Like at the Channel Cafe, when the scene was thriving with so many awesome bands around. I also remember hearing our band mic'd up to a proper P.A. system and watching people enjoy our songs, and going to all the parties with the friends we made through Faux Pas.  

Kristian Catanzaro (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

NICK: I remember most of the venues like PCYC, Channel Cafe, Richmond Community Centre. 

Nick Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MIKE: I'm not sure why we called the EP 'Dude Rock' or what it was meant to be. We just sounded like little bogans. 'Bog Rock' would've been better.

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

MIKE: Playing at the Palais in Newcastle was a standout show. There was a big crowd there and a few people knew the band. It was a really nice old building with an amazing atmosphere and we had a great time. Another memorable show was a Sunday arvo gig we did in Leichardt at Norton's. This booking agent had booked us and we got up and did our set to a room that did not resemble our usual audience. Turns out the booking agent got mixed up, and it was a singer/songwriter Sunday sesh. Our set went over really well, as you can imagine. The Channel Cafe gigs always stood out too - for better reasons. That place was awesome and we feel so lucky to have been able to play there and be a small part of that scene. It was such a good thing to have and we met so many great people at the Channel. 

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

KRISTIAN: Another favourite memory is opening for my big cousin Joey's band Unpaid Debt at the Backdoor at Panthers Leagues Club. It was a pretty solid show. Everyone was obviously there to see Unpaid Debt but we did okay! I remember being pretty nervous playing before them with Joey there.  

Kristian Catanzaro (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MIKE: We became more confident in our songwriting ability over time and started to have more original ideas. Lyrically,w e started to try touching on different subjects like religion and mental health. Sometimes, we did this in serious ways, and other days we tried to do something that made a serious point while using our sense of humour. Looking back, some of the lyrics were good and some were embarrassingly bad. What I love about revisiting them is that it reminds me of so many great times and so many great friends from back them. 

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

KRISTIAN: I don't think spending everyday together like we pretty much did for however many years was going to be sustainable. We had to get jobs and girlfriends. We still talk about putting another show on in the future. We were super close to recording some awesome songs when we stopped playing. 

Kristian Catanzaro (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

NICK: I was a bit tired of the grind I think. I might not have realised that's what it was at the time, but I think that's what it was for me.  

Nick Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

MIKE: The band finished because of silly disagreements. We are all friends to this day and we were friends after we ended the band. It was just a stupid argument and we call it a day.

Mike Chapman (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

RELATED BANDS: One By Wednesday, Lonesome Ghosts, The Pointy Heads, Lavamachine

 

 

Fifth Place

 

ORIGINS: Penrith, NSW

GENRE: Pop-punk

YEARS ACTIVE: 1998-2001

 

MEMBERS:

• Luke Webb - Vocals, Guitar
  
• Matt Pearson - Vocals, Bass (1998-2001), Guitar (2001)
  
• Tim Gannon - Drums
• Isaac Harvey - Bass (2001)
  

RELEASES: 

• What's Your Excuse? (1999) [as Guest Speaker]
• 1. Not Funny
• 2. Reason for Intention
• 3. Fake Reality
• 4. Stay
• 5. Forever
• 6. Countdown
• 7. Game Over 
  

•  Curiosity (1999) - Some tracks available to download here.
  
• 1. Routine
• 2. Interfere
• 3. Curiosity
• 4. Fake Reality
• 5. Change My Mind
• 6. Not Funny
• 7. Reason for Intention
• 8. Call Waiting / These Days
• 9. Remember
• 10. For All of Time (Our Song)

 

•  Opinions (2000)
• 1. Opinions
• 2. Remember
• 3. Interfere 

• No Hard Feelings (2000) - Some tracks available to download here.
  
• 1. Mistake
• 2. Chooser
• 3. Opinions
• 4. Romance Boy
• 5. The Things You Say
• 6. No Regrets
• 7. Losing You
  

SUMMARY: Starting as the band 'Guest Speaker' while in high school, the band later renamed themselves 'Fifth Place' in 1999 to reflect their shift into away from grunge to a faster, pop-punk sound. Their EP 'Curiosity' (1999) had a run of 100 CDs and sold out within a few months, leading the band to record a second EP relatively quickly. In the final few months, the band experimented with having two guitars, with bassist Matt Pearson jumping onto guitar while a new bassist joined.

SHOWS: 

• St Paul's Grammar School, Cranebrook - unknown date, 1998 (as Guest Speaker)
• Axolotl, Werrington Youth Centre, Werrington - 20th March, 1999 (as Guest Speaker)
  
• Youth Week Big Gig, Civic Centre, Springwood - 1st May, 1999 (as Guest Speaker)
  
• Emu Plains Community Centre, Emu Plains - 9th October, 1999
• Right Here Right Now, PCYC, Penrith - 12th December, 1999
  
• Prankfest, Civic Centre, Katoomba - 1st April, 2000 
• Judgement Day, Judge's Carpark, Penrith - 8th April, 2000
  
• Zound, Warrimoo Hall, Warrimoo - 15th April, 2000
• Planet Rock, Daily Planet, Penrith - 2nd June, 2000 
• Blaxland Tavern Blaxland - 8th June, 2000
  
• Grounded, Museum of Fire, Penrith - 17th June, 2000 
• Meredith's Birthday Party, Hazelbrook - 1st July, 2000 
• Channel Cafe, Penrith - 25th August, 2000
  
• Rock the Lympix, Town Hall, Parramatta - 3rd September, 2000
  
• Zound, Warrimoo Hall, Warrimoo - 9th September, 2000
• Ballyhoo, Q Theatre, Penrith - 21st October, 2000 
• PCYC, Parramatta - 8th December, 2000 
• PCYC, Parramatta - 11th March, 2001
  
• Grounded Festival, Museum of Fire, Penrith - 17th March, 2001
  
• Havoc 2, Melrose Hall, Emu Plains - 24th March, 2001(show possibly didn't go ahead)
  
• Top Deck, Judge's Carpark, Penrith - 7th April, 2001
  
• Big Little Gig, Blaxland Hall, Blaxland - 7th April, 2001
• Prankfest 2001, Springwood Train Station Carpark, Springwood - 12th May, 2001
  

ORAL HISTORY:

LUKE: Basically me and the bass player have been jamming for two years. We thought we'd get a band together. We went through a few drummers but none of them fit the style so we lined up Tim from Warrimoo and we started jamming together and it worked out heaps well. 

Luke Webb, Obzine Issue 4, October 1999

 

MATT: We formed when we were all in high school. Luke and I both played guitar but we needed a bass player so I decided to take one for the team and moved across to bass. Plus, I thought, four strings has to be easier than six! We all had different musical interests but a shared love of grunge and punk, as was the fashion of the era. We started off playing music together in the music rooms at lunchtime; occasionally drawing a crowd of moshing students in the music room. When this occurred we would be politely instructed to bring our practice session to an end. Still, we were pretty lucky to have free reign of the music facilities - having Luke's dad being the Head of the Music Department had its perks. So we produced our own EP on cassette over lunchtimes and after school on a borrowed Yamaha MT4X 4-track recorder. Luke figured out how to do this thing called 'ping pong' where you could somehow move tracks across so you could then layer more tracks on top of the 4 real time tracks the device allowed for, so we were able to add some additional guitar layers and vocal harmonies. 

Matt Pearson (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

TIM: Luke and Matt were really the drivers behind putting the band together. They were in school together and I had jammed with Luke once, and from there he proposed getting together with Matt. They both wrote songs and had a few tracks ready to put together so my gig was to just work out some drum parts to fit.

Tim Gannon (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

MATT: We discovered and were captivated by the likes of early Blink 182, Frenzal Rhomb, etc., and were keen to become a fast pop-punk band. So Guest Speaker morphed into Fifth Place after a year of playing. 

Matt Pearson (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

First show, 1998 (as Guest Speaker)

TIM: Our first show was the school walkathon and the 'stage' was a balcony on a demountable classroom. Being my first gig playing in front of people, I was still super nervous, but I also remember a pretty positive response. We played mainly originals and a few covers, from memory a super easy Green Day track and possibly a politically-correct version of Rage's 'Killing in the Name'. Shows were always a lot of fun after this - we were 15/16, so each gig felt like a big event and something to be practicing for and working towards. 

Tim Gannon (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

Promotional Band Bio, c. 1999/2000

REVIEW: Next up was pop-punk band Fifth Place, who pumped out songs from their Curiosity EP. With catchy songs and funny hats, Fifth Place played a forty-five minute set of pure pop-punk tunes including 'Curiosity', 'Remember', and 'Fake Reality'. Fifth Place have played a few shows around the Penrith area with Offset, Hassle Brigade, and Spudgun, so they have become a bit well known around the area.

Review of 1999 show at Emu Plains Community Centre, Obzine Issue 5, November 1999

Obzine Issue 4, October 1999

TIM: The first Fifth Place EP we recorded by ourselves with a 4-track rape recorder in a school hall - I remember being surprised by how decent (some of) the sound quality was. It was super basic in terms of production, and the songs were really straightforward - I was very much playing along with the already established ideas and Luke was pretty handy at feeding me drum ideas, which helped a bunch with cohesion.

Tim Gannon (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

REVIEW: The third time I listened to Curiosity I was getting the songs stuck in my head... it's extremely catchy and very pop, similar to Smudge and Lemonheads. 

Review of Curiosity EP, Obzine Issue 5, November 1999

Penrith City Star, November 23, 1999

MATT: The scene was really pumping in Penrith for a few years there! There was a gig on somewhere once or twice a week. We played Prankfest at Katoomba, which was heaps of fun, there was quite a big crowd there and heaps of bands on the bill. Grounded 2000 was also awesome too; a big music festival right in the heart of Penrith, some big name acts on the bill, and a great stage with a big PA. It was an amazing feeling as a 17-year-old!

Matt Pearson (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

REVIEW: Fifth Place kicked off with real style. They had a real Millencolin/Fat Wreck Chords sound and were definitely the tightest sounding band of the day. They didn't play a single cover (which is always a plus point as far as I'm concerned) and still managed to pull a very decent crowd and mosh. Fifth Place displayed amazing energy and a healthy enthusiasm that really impressed me. 

Luke Bartolo, review of Judgement Day Skatefest, Obzine Issue 10, May 2000

Judgement Day, Judge's Carpark, April 2000

REVIEW: By now you would have heard all about this three piece punk machine. They played a set of new songs and old, explaining that their new CD will be coming out eventually. I'll admit here that I'm not the biggest punk fan but these guys did impress me. As with the Skatefest where I saw them last, they were tight, fast, reminiscent of NOFX and very, very good. One of the boys delayed his holiday so they could do this show and the crowd were very glad they did.

Mark Alston, review of Zound (April 2000), Obzine Issue 10, May 2000

TIM: Gigs with bands like The Hassle Brigade stand out as Ivan was such an immense drummer and the band was such a force that playing a gig with them felt like it lent cred to us as 'real' band. The Warrimoo Community Hall gig in 2000 stands out for this reason. The Grounded Festival was another one - a bunch of great local and bigger bands that we could check out (after playing under a tarp as the gates opened at about 10am!)

Tim Gannon (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

REVIEW: Fifth Place were professional and tight like usual, but this time they seemed to have more energy than usual! They moved a lot more and even interacted with the crowd. They had their new CD for sale, which many people snapped up, and tried some new songs on us which sounded as punk and melodic as ever. Good show.

Lisa Jenner, review of Puddstock, Obzine Issue 13, August 2000

CD Review, Obzine Issue 13, August 2000

MATT: We're very happy with the new CD. Even though we've been around for a while, it's only been over the past few months that we've really found our own sound. Doing No Hard Feelings professionally (recording, mastering, etc.) was really great, and well worth the time and money that was spent on it. We did one track, 'Opinions', in a separate session from the rest, and that took around four or five hours. Our old album, Curiosity, was a learning experience. We learnt about the sounds we like and the sounds we don't like. The biggest lesson we learnt was that if you want to put out a CD, it's worth spending the extra cash and getting a decent recording.

Matt Pearson (Bass), Obzine Issue 14, September 2000

 

TIM: By the time we recorded this second CD, we had decided to be a 'punk band', which basically meant I was sweating through playing flat-out punk beats a bunch of the time and had grabbed a double kick pedal to basically ease the load on the hands for a few fills here and there. We recorded with a guy called Chris Grey at Grey Label Studios and the main highlight was his response to a question from Matt about whether if he thought we should bother paying to get it mastered at 301. His reply was along the lies of "You can't polish a turd". He was right, but I think we may have paid 301 to try anyways!

Tim Gannon (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

REVIEW: Fifth Place rocked up to the stage all pumped and ready to launch their new and second CD No Hard Feelings. They looked like they were having fun up there on stage as their fans danced along to a bunch of songs from the CD as well as a few oldies. I liked 'Romance Boy' and 'Losing You'.

Review of Zound show (9/9/00), Obzine Issue 15, October 2000

REVIEW: Fifth Place is Fifth Place, always tight and the same solid style of punk. Always entertaining.

Luke Bartolo, review of Top Deck Skatefest, Obzine Issue 20, June 2001

Article about Ballyhoo, Q Theatre Show in October, 2000

REVIEW: A tight set as usual with a lot of action from the crowd and a few jokes about Luke's accent from Matt. The boys play some requests and then finish up with their quality songs like 'Gifthorse', 'Romance Boy', and 'Losing You'. Fifth Place are doing everything right and tonight was no disappointment. All they need is to take their punk rock and hit the city. I'm sure they'll build on what they already have.

Mark Alston, review of Big Little Gig (7/4/01), Obzine Issue 20, June 2001

 

MATT: Fifth Place stopped as we started to grow in different directions. We were finishing up school and also changing musically. Tim and I went on to form Universal. 

Matt Pearson (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

TIM: The whole experience was a great entry into performance and building experience and the confidence to gig. I learnt from Matt and Luke about how they put songs together and how to communicate ideas to build a track. We finished up because I think we started playing with other people a bit more and tried a few things with including other people and instruments for a few rehearsals and jams, which lined up with finishing school. From there, we kicked off into some slightly different musical directions and formed some other bands. 

Tim Gannon (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

RELATED BANDS: Universal, Rockboxx, Code Atlantic, Lucky Luke and His Shooting Stars, Sonica, New Horizon