Perdition
from Regression #8, March 1985. Thanks to Zol for sending me the zine!
Perdition are a 4 piece Adelaide punk band and in my opinion are just about the best punk band in Australia. They have been together for a year now and have been working hard on getting a following by releasing tapes and doing gigs in Adelaide and Melbourne (see tape and gig reviews elsewhere in this issue). Members of Perdition are Robert Pillar (guitar), Dave Williams (drums), Tony Loader (bass), and Mark Eayes (vocals). We interviewed them in Issue 5 and here's another interview with them.
Q: Who's been coming up with all these new songs you seem to have and what's been inspiring you to write?
Mark: Robert and I have written most of them and Tony a couple. We have 6 new ones already, I wrote 3, Robert 2 and one we all wrote, music me, Robert, and Tony, lyrics Dave. Tony has just about finished a new one. He likes to take his time, he's got very high standards. Basically Robert and I write all the time. Robert 1 or 2 a week, me 3 or 4 but it takes a while to introduce them to the band. The band on average learns 1 or 2 a week and we don't like to be song hogs so everybody gets a chance. Dave says he has a few up his sleeve, so everybody's putting his bit in. The inspiration comes from being a band who enjoys each others' company. We all get along together very well so it comes out in our songs. Basically a 'hit at society' band, the things that destroy it. POLITICS and WAR. The point is though you can't go too overboard, you still have to get the point across, if you're swearing every second word then people don't want to listen to you and you totally lose the points you're trying to get across. Where we use swearing it's to highlight something, so people prick up their ears and listen even more. Too much is overkill.
A: What did you think of the last gig you played in Melbourne at the Duke Of York?
Tony: Great, overwhelmed.
Dave: Thought it was great but a bit disappointed we had to rush our set and of course the trip didn't pay for itself again. Having no money and getting no money doesn't get you from A to B very often.
Robert: Excellent, it was great. It makes the trip worth the effort when you get a good turnout and a good reaction.
Mark: I couldn't sum it up any better than what's already been said but for what it's worth, Fucking Great - Good crowd, good atmosphere and a lot of good friendly people!
Q: How are things going in Adelaide?
Tony: Oh Gawd!
Dave: No positive answer to Adelaide?
Robert: As well as can be expected. No. 6 on a chart and still no airplay. There's not enough support for bands like us.
Mark: It makes you wonder what you have to do in Adelaide to get some recognition. But enough said all I will say is 'It's home - our breeding ground' and we have a lot of friends here, sometimes that's all you're playing to. Everybody knows each other down here.
A: How many copies of the 15 track tape have you sold and what reaction are you getting?
Mark: We've sold about 70 a month so far and it could've been more. We've had some trouble getting money back straight away so we can put it back into more tapes. The shops in Melbourne and here were without them for about a week, so we lost a few sales here and there, as far as the reaction goes it's been very good. The sales alone speak for itself. Sydney wants some as do Perth and Brisbane. It's just a matter of getting some to those cities. We may have a vinyl deal worked out with a few interested parties, just got to fish them out, which just about answers the next question.
A: Are you planning on releasing any vinyl in the future?
Mark: Yes, definitely. We go into the studio to record 4 or 5 new tracks in November for a possible EP release pending on the outcome in the previous question. Unfortunately it all takes fucking money, something we don't have much of (Everybody for that fact).
Q: Are you happy with the band at the moment?
Tony: No-No... Yes of course I fucking well am.
Dave: Yeah, the band's very positive at the moment but from a drummer's point of view, I still think it could be quicker, quicken the pace up a bit.
Mark: Very happy. Like Dave said it's very positive at the moment, we're putting the right ingredients into the cake you might say. Plus the mild success of the tape helps to brighten your outlook. Gives you a bit of confidence in what you're doing. Melbourne especially has been very kind to us, we have a lot of good friends in Melbourne who have helped the band greatly (Brian - PBS, Glen and Charred Remains - plug, plug, and of course Alby).
Q: Do you plan on playing interstate more regularly (Sydney, Melbourne, etc.)?
Tony: As often as possible and again as often as we can afford. I hate to sound like a peasant, but I am.
Dave: As long as we can get money the more we will come over.
Robert: I've got some but not that much.
Mark: Money seems to be our biggest problem but we always seem to manage between trips and recording. There's a lot more interest interstate so obviously we want to play there as much as possible.
Q: What's your opinion on punk in Australia?
Tony: (laughs) Umh. It seems to be a big fashion parade in some ways but in others it's just as strong in Australia as anywhere, if not so much in numbers. We have our own proportions. Unfortunately it doesn't mean much to many people. It should mean something more.
Dave: Pretty much dead if it exists at all, it's stagnant, needs a good kick in the arse. There should be more bands like Perdition... a lot more to mean anything. Too many go round in circles, it's time to be more positive and think of a future. It happened in America and the U.K. but they've found their roots again, that's what Australia needs now. It's never been on as big a scale as overseas but it's hit the same rut.
Robert: I never think about a question like that. We're just a punk band, I like punk music so I play it. It's as easy as that.
Mark: I think it's very self-existent. Doesn't extend outside its boundaries. I'd like to see it more united, more punk/skin bands playing reality music with reality lyrics. They already do that and that's the strong point of punk rock, it's got a very strong social statement to make but it's got to be more together. Here people have to realize what a fucked world we're living in. We dress and look different and have a lot of strong anti-society ideals (this society anyway) but that doesn't make our problems any different from other people, but because we look the part we're persecuted, everybody thinks it, why don't they do it? If they're sick and tired of all the crap being dished out, why just sit back and take it, you don't have to be a punk to rebel although punks are the best advocates of that.
Q: How would you describe your music?
Robert: Rough and ready, I don't know if we can really put a label on it, Perdition music I suppose.
Tony: It has a lot of varying influences and originality. Try to make it sound like us not other bands although you still have to give other bands you like or admire the cridit for their influence. There's a hell of a lot of bands the four of us like but I couldn't say we sound like any one of them, just a whole lot put together.
Dave: I never give questions like that any thought. I just like to play and we sound exactly like we sound.
Mark: Well I'm not one for labeling but I suppose just punk rock. We play our songs exactly the way we want to without ever giving it a label. I think Robert summed it up as - Perdition music.
Q: Is there anything in particular you'd like to say?
Dave: About what?
Tony: What sort of question is that? I think he's trying to put us off guard.
Robert: Hello Melbourne... thanks for the alternative album slot in Juke... keep buying our tapes.
Mark: Thanks to everybody that's helped us, the list is endless but especially Brian and PBS, Glen and Charred Remains, Harry of DNA fame (Hope he likes the plug), Alby and Zol of Regression and all the punks and skins who've put up with us.
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