A classic doco unearthed!
The Tribes of Melbourne documents the Melbourne punk scene of the mid-1980s, and *s Depression, End Result, G.A.S.H., Perdition (Adelaide), Vicious Circle and Phil MacDougall of Reactor Records and ‘Sunglasses After Dark’ fame. It was written and directed by Tina McQuade and produced by Steven Goddard and released — in some fashion — circa 1983. Or possibly 1984… or 1985? For more infos on the history of Australian punk
SEE!
AustralianPunk.com by the redoubtable Les and
READ!
an interview with Phil (Maximum Rock’n’Roll, No.245, October 2003) here.
Note that Phil/Reactor released a 40-track Depression comp last year (review by Trevor Block: “It’s interesting to ponder how they might fare in today’s climate, when punk is a meaningless marketing term and protest seems to be the domain of dreadlocked hippies not angry bootboys”). The history of the Reactor Records label is re-told by Chris Spencer in a neat little pamphlet released c.1997, and includes some notes by Depression member Smeer (now tattooing @ Chapel).
And a few old songs for good measure…
The Last Words : ‘Animal World’ (1978)
See also : ‘Something’s Wrong’ (1978/1979) | ‘Top Secret’ (1980)
TV Smith & The Thought Criminals : ‘Safety In Numbers’ (1977)
All you pretty people who’ve been taken over
Had better start looking for your own answers
‘Cause there’s no safety in numbers anyway
Or in a “new” wave…
And remember folx, as Vomit Visions sang in 1979: ‘Punks Are The Old Farts Of Today’!
England started everything
new wave conquered all the world
all of it is fucked up now
that’s what no one else sees
Johnny Lydon is just a liar
he is not rebel hero
nihilism ain’t his way
only madmen live today
’67 hipster love
but in fact it wasn’t smart
did the punks learn anything
they just act as being mean
Britons are potential stars
but they don’t see what they really are
aiming at a big success
that’s why punk became a mess
Punk has always been a gimmick
no one ever was for real
nailing women is a must
hate and danger what a lust
We don’t like the fellow men
those who do just follow trends
we ain’t normal we are mad
punks and hippies what a drag
Punks are the old farts of today
fade away we don’t care
this needs an immediate re-release! my tape cuts off about 40 or so minutes in =(. cuts off right around a g.a.s.h./depression interview.
Hello. I Am Danny Drummer. Depression. Aka Danny Death.
YES. I Am Still Alive. ILMAO.
For Anyone That Is Interested. I Created A Depression Original Web Site.
The Official Depression Web Site. For The Benefit Of Depression. Owned & Controlled By No One. Check It Out @.
http://www.myspace.com/home?code=0992CBBF-674A-4FBB-93CB-F2027E2656B1
For Me Punk? Hummm. Unfortunately. Punk Like Everything Else has Contradicted Itself. It Is Human Nature. You Sit There Judge-ing. & Bagging People. Yes I Contradict Myself. Yes I Admit. I Am A Hypocrite. I Will Take 1.st Prize. 1.st Place Trophy For Being The Worlds Biggest Hypocrite. I Admit That. But Who Amoungst You. Will Man Up. Male Or Female. Step Up & Take 2.nd Place Trophy. For Being Just As Bigger Hypocrite As Myself?? Not Many Would Even Admit It. We Do Contradict OurSelfs. & All That We Ever Say.
That Is Human Nature. Be REAL. Be True To Yourself. To Your Own Lifes Convictions. Say What You Mean. Mean What You Say. Cut The Bullshit Talk. & Don’t Try To Sell It To Me. 1. I Can’t Afford It. & 2. I Don’t But Bullshit. In Other Words. I See What You Do. I Hear What You Say. I Might Even Knod In Agreement. But You Didn’t Fool Me For A Single Second. I’m Not Perfect. I NEVER WAS. Once We Know Better. We Do Better. It Is Called. WISDOM.
You Bunch Of Trivial Morons. HYPOCRITES. WE ARE.
ILMFAO. I Loved Playing In Depression. I Did Not Like All The Preaching.
But That Was Only One Mouth. It Did Not Speak For Me. Or For What I Beleaved In, Or Supported. For Me, Being ANTI WAR. Or ANTI POVITY, The Dying, The Sick. & Poor Starving Children Dying In There Mothers Arms. While Your Sucking Down A Mc Donalds Greazy Pus Burger. Or Lard Ass Fries.
ANTI WAR. Was Not A Fashion Or A Trend. Or A Cool Thing To Be. For Me It Was My Life Style.
I Was A Frikken Stupid Punk Ass Kid Back Then. I Adored Depression. & Beleaved In Our Plight. But Even Depression Sold Out To Metal.
MegaHeavyCrossOver Fucking Pile Of Shit. & That Was Why I Left.
One Persons Idea. One Persons Say. Fuck The Other 3 Depression Members Say,
Or How They Felt. I Was Of The Other 3, Number 3 Danny, Original Depression Drummer. & 2. Was Liddy, Depression Bass Player. & 1. Was Spike,
Depression Lead Singer. Just For The Record, I Left Depression On A Mutual Agreement. I Beleaved In Punk, & The Punk ANTI WAR Movement. I Did Not Want To Be Just Another One Of The 1,000’s Of Half Assed Metal Bands In Melbourne. Depression Was The Biggest. & The Best, & The 1.st HardCore Punk Band In Australia’s History. Anyone Want To Debate Me On That One???? Before You Do. Better Do Some Research 1.st. & Get Your FACTS Rite. Remember. I Was Playing In 70’s Punk Bands In Melbourne. Way Before You People Ever Got Into To Punk. You Know Allot Of Blah Blah About Punk & HardCore Punk. You Read About It. I LIVED IT. That’s A Massive Difference Buddy. LMFAO. I’m 50 Now. But Playing Punk?? I Can Still Run Rings Around You Lazy Asses. HardCore Cheat Drum Beats. I Played Double, Tripple & Quaddripple Ride Cymbol Work. & Kick Ass Bass Drum. That Took Allot Of Effort & Stamina. You Cheat. LMAO. Good Luck With That One Punk Boys.
You Spike Up Your Hair. Or Moheecans. Buy Talor Made Studded Leather Jackets. & You Think Your Punk, Or HardCore. Remember. I Was Poor. I Had To Make My Clothes. I Was No Poor Little Yuppy Rich Boy From Toorak.
I Was Dragged Up In BrayBrook. Near Sunshine / Footscray. I Was Born In Australia. I Am Irish Decent, Celt. Blood Runs Thicker Than Water. & That Is Why I Am Passionate About Music.
Do I Sound Like A Angry Old Bastard?? Lol & Cute. No No I Am Not Angry.
I Am As I Always Was. Soo Pashionate To Punk. / HardCore. & I Dislike. Fakes. & Jump On The Band Wagon Ass Kissers & Ass Lickers. I Dislike. Liars, Cheats, Con People. & Your Big Business Corporations. I Saw HardCore House, Had It’s Own Big Business Corporation. I Was Not Part Of. & I Was Not Included. I Was Just Depressions Drummer. How Much $$$$$$ Did You All Make?? & You To MR Phil Mc Dougle.?? Reactor Records?? How Many Pressings Of Depressions Recordings?? Oooh A 40 CD?? I Have Never Received 1. Single $ Royalties?? BIG BUSINESS CORPORATIONS. How Dumb Do You Think I Am?? LOL. I’m Not As Dumb As You Are. To Be Sucked In To You. I Am A Member Of. A.P.R.A. Australia Performers Rites Association. Are Looking Into It. Royalties For The Past. 24 Years. Depression Royalties. Fuck You Phil Mc Dougle.
Smear. My Friend. Depression Guitarist. While You Were All Worshipping Like GuRu Status. Kissing Ass. I Was Standing There Observing. Puking & Vomitting On The Inside. Danny Depression Drummer. Uneducated. No I Was Not A Dumb Ass Little Simpleton. & I Was No Moron. I Saw Allot Of Them Though. If You Want To Know What It Was Like. Ask Me. Anyone That Would Like To Chat About The Past. Are Very Welcome To Ask. & Maybe Even Meet Up For A Coffee.
I Also Have Created A Depression. The Original Depression WebSite On MySpace. I Am Still Working On It. That Site Is Dedicated To Myself, & The Other Two Nameless Members Of Depression. Spike & Liddy. The Other Depression WebSite Is One Persons Story. Or One Persons View. One Persons,
EGO Boost.
Depression. The Original.
http://www.myspace.com/home?code=0992CBBF-674A-4FBB-93CB-F2027E2656B1
Regards. Danny.Xavier
Aka Danny Death.
And please don’t forget Depression original Guitarist Johnny Feed Back. Well if Spike, Liddy And Johnny Already Existed As Depression? How Could Smear Form It? As He Joined Just Before Me. Time For Some Real Research. And A Real TRUE Bio.
https://www.facebook.com/Depression.The.Original.Hardcore.PunkBand