Noise Levels: Turtle Slime

Friday, March 29, 2024

Amber and Clint's Birthday Bang, Macquarie Fields, 20th January, 1996

VENUE: House Party, Macquarie Fields

DATE: Saturday, 20th January, 1996

BANDS:

Sikuntz
Lost Cause
Shaft Machine
Roadkill (not on flyer)

Turtle Slime - Additional Material

Iron Duke, Alexandria, 2nd January, 1998

VENUE: Iron Duke, Alexandria

DATE: Friday, 2nd January, 1998

OTHER: $5 entry.

BANDS:

Yokel
Red Stain (Japan)
Fuck All the Human Filth
Urban Mayhem
Turtle Slime

Green Square, Zetland, 13th December, 1997

VENUE: Green Square, Zetland

DATE: Saturday, 13th December, 1997

OTHER: No cover charge.

BANDS:

Turtle Slime
The Last Hemeroids
Kevin
Stand Alone

Punx Picnic, Sydney Park, St Peters, 15th November, 1998

VENUE: Sydney Park, St Peters

DATE: Sunday, 15th November, 1998

TIME: 12pm

OTHER: Punx Picnic

BANDS:

Red Stain (Japan)
Arms Reach
Turtle Slime
Ramraid
Mugshot
Frontside
Nihilist

Turtle Slime

ORIGINS: Ingleburn, NSW

GENRE: Hardcore Punk

YEARS ACTIVE: 1994-1999

MEMBERS:

Barry Kehlet (Vocals, Bass, Guitar)
Luke Mahlberg (Vocals, Drums)
Lesleigh Kehlet (Bass, Vocals)
Ian (Guitar, Vocals) [1994-1995]
Brendan McArdle (Bass) [1995]
Adam Carlyne (Guitar) [1995-1996]
Jeremy Tucker (Guitar) [1996-1999]

RELEASES:

Ooze Monsters [1996] - Download Here. Lyrics Here.

1. Sickuntz
2. Humanity
3. Ska Song
4. Don't Eat Meat
5. Never Before and Not Again
6. Please Think
7. Juhjuh

Angry People (Live Compilation) [1997] - Download Here.

1. Think God Out of Existence
2. Ska Song
3. Please Think
4. Bugs
5. Profit Sucks
6. Bombs and Guns
7. Don't Eat Meat

Self-Titled (Demo)

1. Earth is Dead Let's Fuck
2. The Core
3. Bugs
4. Don't Lie to Me
5. Oi Song

Compilation-only Tracks

Fuckwal (1999) - on Move Along... Nothing to See Here (Blind Records compilation)

SUMMARY: Beginning under the name 'Sickuntz' before changing to the more audience-friendly 'Turtleslime', the band's core members from the majority of its run were Lesleigh, Baz, and Luke. Turtleslime recorded two demos in the '90s, only the first of which was officially released, and they also did a tour of Melbourne with Spilt Milk and Dropzone, and other tours of Canberra and Brisbane. When the band finished, Baz moved to North NSW to play in some death metal bands before relocating to London, other members went on to play in other punk bands (Tuskin Raiders, Hippycrits, Headbutt, Bingo Moles), and Adam sadly passed away.

SHOWS:

Waterloo Tavern, Sydney - unknown date, 1995 [as Sickuntz]
House Party, Macquarie Fields- 20th January, 1996 [as Sickuntz]
Feedback, Newtown - 9th August, 1996
UWS (Macarthur) Bar, Campbelltown - 23rd August, 1996
Oxford Babylon 10th Anniversary Show, Manning Bar - 22nd November, 1997
Green Square, Zetland - 13th December, 1997
Iron Duke, Alexandria - 2nd January, 1998
Punx Picnic, Sydney Park, St Peters - 6th June, 1998
Election Day, PCYC, Newtown - 3rd October, 1998
Punx Picnic, Sydney Park, St Peters - 15th November, 1998

ORAL HISTORY:

BAZ: I started jamming with my old schoolmate Luke Mahlberg and another guy. I was originally on bass but then somehow eventually became the singer. I'd been going to some Sydney punk shows and loved the energy and DIY ethic and wanted to be a part of it.

Barry Kehlet (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

LESLEIGH: We had a 4th member, Brendan, who left an hour before a gig and because my brother Baz had taught me all the bass lines, I became the bass player at 16. They were all 21. I remember we played a house party and Baz, being my big brother, would never let me drink. But this one time he said I could drink after we played. So we played and I drank a 6 pack in about half an hour and ended up in a garden. He then came back and said, "They want us to play again". I played and then fell into the drumkit.

Lesleigh Kehlet (Bass, Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

LESLEIGH: We recorded the red tape at Zen. Baz's girlfriend worked at Sony and was getting us a really good deal on copying. They had all these red tapes that were going to waste so we copied them on that. I think we did about 200. The other demo never got released - I have it but I believe it could be the only copy.

Lesleigh Kehlet (Bass, Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

BAZ: It's all a bit of a blur to be honest. Playing the Punx Picnic was fun. We played hundreds of shows around Sydney with bands like Bastardos, Red Stain, Noisam, The Last Hemeroids, and Playground of Hate.

Barry Kehlet (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

LESLEIGH: The Arthouse gigs in Melbourne were a big favourite. We took Spilt Milk down with us... they brought fireworks and I believe a Catherine Wheel chased Matty down the alleyway. It just a whole new world for me and I have lifelong friends from it. Another memorable show... I remember Drew from Stanley Knife falling off stage at a gig and cracking one of my ribs. I then got up and played the next set, changing the words of one of our songs from "I never knew what pain was, till I met you" to "I never knew what pain was, till I met Drew." I also remember people holding up a spew bucket for Luke when he was drumming.

Lesleigh Kehlet (Bass, Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

REVIEW: This band has been around for years now and I never hear of them... They play old style punk/hardcore, sort of like 7 Seconds. They didn't play for long but they weren't bad at all.

Review by Luke Logemann of Newtown show, Counter Attack Issue 2, 1999

LESLEIGH: I was such a tomboy (still am). Being with the guys was like having a plethora of big brothers who always looked out for me. I worked hard at bass so I wouldn't just be "another female bass player." I was good - I tried to incorporate as much slap, pop, and walking bass as I could so I didn't get that label.

Lesleigh Kehlet (Bass, Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

NOTES: The Ooze Monsters demo was done in September 1995 at Zen Recording Studios... The artwork on our demo was done by Jeph Woodhouse, a friend of the band. The recording itself took 5 hours to do but was well worth it. In September this year Turtleslime are doing a split 7" through The Spiral Objective label in South Australia and plans of a CD release towards the end of the year look hopeful.

Turtle Slime website, 1999

ADDITIONAL CREDITS: Clint Chapman for supplying some of the photos.

RELATED BANDS: Cavity Search, Tuskin Raiders, Bingo Moles, Hippycrits, Kevin, HYMG, Headbutt, Empress in Thorns, The Evil Geniuses, Binge Drinker, Dropzone