Formerly called Jodi Moore as a tribute to an acquaintance who didn't want the honour of seeing her name in the street press, The Stabs acquired their new name not long after starting to play irregular gigs at small Melbourne venues around 2003. They have the honour of clearing the 'Airport Lounge' at Monash Uni faster than any other lunchtime act, with only three diehards ending up braving the wall of noise for the whole set.
UK born singer/guitarist Phil Dean jumped ship from his homeland in 2000, making for the sunny shores of Melbourne, Australia. A series of archaic pagan rituals went horribly wrong, forcing him to abandon earlier plans of world-domination, and he decided to return to his musical 'career'. The first Zeptepi demos emerged in 2001, but it wasn't until 2004 that a band was recruited, due mainly to a horrific injury to Phil’s sofa which had rendered it uncomfortable.
Over 20 years on, as their legendary status has grown, most people are aware that Strange Tenants were the pre-eminent Australian SKA band of the 1980s. What is often overlooked today, however, is that at their peak, they were one of the most popular and successful live bands of any style. In the early 1980s, hundreds, sometimes thousands of fans - referred to by the music press as "the Tenants' army" - swarmed to their gigs up and down the east coast of Australia. Strange Tenants also did national tours with international acts such as U2, Style Council and UB40.
What’s in a name?
Quite a lot actually. And sometimes not much at all. The Hebrew name Sarah indicates a woman of high rank and is sometimes translated as “princess”, described in the Hebrew Bible and the Qu’ran as the wife of Abraham. It also means “lady.” One Point Five, in this case, is a measurement in metres In a rather obscure nutshell, this brings us to the origins of Melbourne duo, Princess One Point Five; a marriage of seemingly unrelated elements that come together to spawn a sassy, clever, and deeply idiosyncratic little outfit.
Forming late 2008 around charismatic guitarist/vocalist Marty Frawley and bassist Rick Milovanovic, the Twerps have quickly risen to become one of Melbourne, Australia’s favourite pop bands. They play their own brand of warm and incredibly infectious pop, with elements of the 80s Flying Nun sound and 90s lo-fi. Marty’s cheeky but heartfelt songs are complemented by the crystalline guitar lines of guitarist Julia MacFarlane (ex Batrider) and the sympathetic percussion of drummer Patrick O’Neill.
With a career spanning well over a decade, Sean Quinn can lay claim to being one of Australia's hardest working and more diverse Dj's. Always holding down a minimum of four and as many as seven weekly residencies has meant that being versatile and reliable go hand in hand. Starting Dj'ing at age nineteen, Sean has witnessed and been a part of the meteoric rise of dance music, firstly in his hometown of Melbourne and later in his career, all over the world.
Holliava are an Australian 4-piece group hailing from Melbourne, Victoria. The sound they have made is a great mixture of pop and melodic rock. (2009-2011) Line-Up: Michael Soltys (Vocals, Rythym Guitar)
Ryan Lapthorne (Lead Guitar)
Luke Soltys (Bass)
Tyson Hoop (Drums) After a couple years of extensive touring a writing, Holliava has had a slight change of style, leaning a little more on the hard rock, that has seen a change in line-up. The guitar duo remains as it is to this day... (2011 - Present) Line-Up:
The Red Eyes, Melbourne’s Dub/Reggae monster band, continues to wow audiences with their unique sound, combining masterfully produced beats, soulful, heartfelt lyrics and grooves, with shake the house dub rhythms that have set a benchmark for Australian Dub/Reggae.
Founded in 2002 as an 11-piece act, The Red Eyes describe themselves as a bit like the hotel California – you can check out anytime but you can never leave.
Mark Seymour is an Australian musician and singer best known for his work as the frontman and songwriter of rock band Hunters & Collectors. In 1997, whilst still officially part of Hunters & Collectors he released his debut solo album King Without a Clue, which earned him a nomination in the ARIA Awards for Best Male Artist (as well as Best Debut Single with Last Ditch Cabaret). In 1998, Hunters & Collectors officially split up.