The Awkward Years to experienced Performer Years
Learning to play music and write songs, was a way for me to direct some low vibrational frequencies, I didn’t realise how healing it was, like most hobbies or passions are. As soon as my brother Arturo (who played in bands since he was 13) taught me some chords at 14 or 15, it took me to another level. I locked myself in my room, and began making up tunes and playing songs from my favourite bands. Being close with Arty what he listened to was what I listened to. At the time a lot of Indie Brit pop, shoe gazing, American rock, grunge. The iconic Aussie late night music video show, Rage was ritualistic for me on Friday and Saturday nights. Dug some L7, Babes in Toyland etc I loved Blake Babies, Belly, more guitar pop stuff as well as Aussie bands, like Smudge, Ratcat, The Hummingbirds, Tumbleweed. It wasn’t long that I started jamming with a few cats from school but it didn’t last too long. When my brothers bought a second hand drum kit I started learning some drums.
Frankston
The suburb I grew up in. The local music scene was quite healthy throughout the 90s. All age gigs were big in Frankston, I also ventured to EV’s Croydon which was also the place to see live bands. I remember one of Arty’s high school bands got to play on the ‘rock train’. The band set up with drums and all, entertained passengers for a couple of hours from Frankston to Melbourne city and back!
All age shows in Frankston were funded by the local arts community Flac and The Push I believe. Arty’s band Botswana played many of them, formed with friends in high school – Chris Simmons and brothers Jude and Matt Prezens. They were a great indie rock band! I frequented their gigs as a young teen, many at the Mechanics Town Hall. Most of the other bands were heavy metal, heavy rock and they all became good friends. There’s a Facebook page dedicated to the Frankston bandscene at the time. For me, being tiny and a bit intimidated, the girl muso wasn’t really gonna be taken seriously or find like minded people to play with. So off to the city I went to a place more suited to young female musicians back then.
In later years I briefly played guitar with a new version of the band they called Bliss (around 1996), I recall a few gigs and house parties. Rob Dawson (resting in power) joined after on guitar, Rob had a home studio and recorded some of those Botswana/Bliss songs, which Arty released some years later The First EP in 2004.
RnRHS
In 1993 I read about Rock n Roll High School from a Riot Grrrl magazine and an interview with one of the bands on 3PBS. I called the school and spoke with founder Stephanie Bourke, who sent me tickets to go to the Vol I compilation launch. I felt like I found a world I could blend in with, other teens who just wanted to rock out. I was 16 at the time. I signed up immediately. I began with the Summer elective workshops and took guitar with Greg Long and drum lessons there. I played my first gig at Moomba, 1994.
The school had already started getting attention from the local and international music scene. Touring bands came to the school and as their songs were part of the school’s curriculum these bands were treated to their own songs played mostly by teenage girls! They were super impressed. I was asked to play guitar with the Midget Stooges, mind you I was more of an indie rock player than punk-rock but they were cool with that. I was really into minor, augmented, mj7th chords. I remember Tim Rogers (You Am I) complemented my major 7th change in a chorus when he visited the school 😊. I feel I may have changed the direction of the band they had the right spunk before I joined. As they were a little younger most of the set were covers and I wanted to establish more originals.
RnRHS provided the space for creative musician-ship, cultivating a sound, music industry experience, gigs, promos etc. We got to be a surprise opener for Dinosaur Jr at the Palace in 1995, play the Big Day Out in 1997, interviewed on 3RRR and Rolling Stone Magazine, and by Paul Grabowsky for Access All Areas, played interstate, and I must have had important things to say as I was quoted in Kathy Bail’s DIY Feminism book.
I have such wonderful memories from that time and much admiration for Stephanie who was only 23 when she started the school in 1990! Later, in my late 20s I returned and started piano and continued drums with her. And THAT is when I met my now music partner of over 20 years…Clare Chadderton.
Links
Rock n Roll High School, Melbourne
Part III coming soon.