Canberra’s Best and Worst Bands

dhadson said :

I feel that the Suspect Mushrooms were one of the best acts in the ACT. I bought their CD and I still listen to it (Ode to the Groovers – track 6 – is getting some play right now). Their shows were always fun and they handed out song books so you could sing along. Many an enjoyable evening was spent at the Pheonix.

Ode to the Groovers! I love that song!

mightyfew were awesome! First time I saw them I was really impressed… almost Rage Against The Machine-ish.

Having said that, I saw them again 6 or 12 months later and was not as impressed, but it could have been ‘one of those days’.

@footloose #76

I saw two members of Nulear Winter perform acoustically at Pendo’s in Weston a few years back. Man, they had some long songs to strip back acoustically!

Liquid are up there for mine. Solid professional players in little ol’ Canberra in the 90s.

Bungle said :

The Hammonds!!

I couldn’t think of their name back when this thread was started. A friend had one of their songs on his ipod and it came up the other day.

I’m surprised no one had mentioned them here. They one of the most popular bands in the mid 90’s.

I still listen to the Hammonds. They were an awesome band as well as being a great bunch of guys that did a lot for the A.C.T. music scene.

I feel that the Suspect Mushrooms were one of the best acts in the ACT. I bought their CD and I still listen to it (Ode to the Groovers – track 6 – is getting some play right now). Their shows were always fun and they handed out song books so you could sing along. Many an enjoyable evening was spent at the Pheonix.

Im so glad this thread has popped up.

Anyone remember a band called Nuclear Winter? They ‘played’ a couple of times down at the gypsy bar and were totally hilarious. Cross dressing lead singer/guitarist and bogan backing tape/drum machine metal dude.

It was hard to tell if they were serious or not but I could not stop laughing.

Best Worst Band ever.

The Hammonds!!

I couldn’t think of their name back when this thread was started. A friend had one of their songs on his ipod and it came up the other day.

I’m surprised no one had mentioned them here. They one of the most popular bands in the mid 90’s.

#10 posted by swamiOFswank
(Hooligan)
17:27, 20 Apr 2008
Quote
suspect mushrooms…and…way hip antelopes
they both really sucked

That’s hilarious… 10 years on , this dubious nomination is all that’s left of suspect mushrooms. OH well – we didn’t mean any harm!
I liked Way Hip Antelopes too.
Jodie (formerly of The Suspect Mushrooms)

Deadmandrinking said :

Looking Glass make some of the best recordings I’ve ever heard from a local band, but live, they can be a bit all over the place (when the guitarist/singer shows up, that is).

Dahahoo, Cas P and Los Caps own the party scene, although I’ve gotta say I sometimes get a bit bored of the whole joy, happy, bounce-around thing.

With interesting/weird/f-ked up sh-t, it’s a toss up between Super Best Friends and Inflatable Ingrid. Hip hop – I’ll give the trophy to Omar Bin Musa, but only because I haven’t heard much of the local hip-hop scene. Big Dave MC is also interesting.

Worst bands – ummm, where do I start? I tend not to remember names if they were noticeably awful. Some of the pop-punk-emo bands in this town are tight, but that’s just polishing a turd. Cool Weapon has a good bass-player, but the singer couldn’t rap his way out of a bag.

Ooh Canberra hip hop..A topic I can post in finally..lol

Canberra has some good quality hip hop acts at the moment.
Yeah Big Dave is sic!
D’opus and Roshambo arent bad either.
Of course there is all ways Koolism..Hau just landed a dj gig on triple j hip hop show.

Im pretty sure both Dave and D-R have albums in stores in the next few months.
Big Daves album has an appearance from one of 2Pacs Outlaws and is mastered by John Payne co-founder of Death Row Records….pretty big deal for a Canberra rapper.

I havent heard to much about D’opus and Roshambo’s album yet…I think it comes out in June though, I hear they do a good live show to which Im gonna catch soon.

There are some other up comers but there the main hip hop artists I know of coming out of our city.

http://www.myspace.com/bigdaveemcee
http://www.myspace.com/dopusroshambo
http://www.myspace.com/koolismcrew

> its in the same category as ’space is dead’, i cant really remember if i thought they had a good sound, it was more that they used to play the odd youth centre show, so I knew them and they were nice to us kidlets! wacky.

Wow! A fan! 🙂

You’ll be happy to know that we’re doing a re-union show soon (within the next few months). Keep an eye out for details.

oh and P harness’s song I wish I could be as big as Belconnen Mall was a classic – saw these guys support Lucksmiths at UC bar – was a great night..

Strider were good… after they were Inebriator… And Swim?.. or Swell? or something like that.

I believe their final incarnation was called “By All Means” – wearing one of their t-shirts right now.. Matter o-fact those in the know, know that the drummer of By All Means comes from a long line of talented muso’s – with 2 other brothers being drummers, one in 4Dead and the other now a singer in Using 3 Words. Not that I would know.

Three wins hands down. Those guys were freaks. Ben Green and Adrian McKerrel (sic). Utter, utter, utter legends.

P-harness were a bit variable, but I’d still love to get a hold of the album with “terry towelling shorts” on it. Anyone?!?!

Penguin were (are?) damn good. Dahahoo were fan-bloody-tastic, but alas no more. Recipe, retroflex, befuddle… all good fun.

George Washingmachine is still going – he played the southern cross club late last year I think.

Wivestale, Ska Trek, Sons Of Kyuss…

Strider were good… after they were Inebriator… And Swim?.. or Swell? or something like that.

i remember a band called Redmill too. they were good.

…and Hamble.

Paris Calling played some great shows at the Snake Pit at Erindale.

NSA! Thats right, they were good.

Also a rapper im pretty sure.

And a Canberra band of the, oh, late 80s, early 90s, I think…

was a cartoon on the ABC in my youth if I recall 🙂

Anyone remember Dangermouse?