B-Sides Rate a Melbourne band-The Wreckery

[Captain Sensible]

The Smackery, oops sorry that should be The Wreckery, were one of the most original bands in Melbourne in the 1980s. Boosting Hugo Race, Eddie Clayton-Jones, Nick Barker and Robin Casinader the band had some of the most talented musicians in Australia at the time. Never really had a hit but left a body of work including No Shoes For This Road and Ruling Energy.



Any other fans?

 

[finbarr]

Thought they were ok. In my opinion the greatest Melbourne band of that era was Venom P Stinger. The 'Meet my friend Venom' LP and the 'Walking about/26 milligrams' single are two of the greatest Australian releases of all time in my opinion. Unbelievable live.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Thought they were ok. In my opinion the greatest Melbourne band of that era was Venom P Stinger. The 'Meet my friend Venom' LP and the 'Walking about/26 milligrams' single are two of the greatest Australian releases of all time in my opinion. Unbelievable live.

The Prince Of Wales, thursday nights, meet my friend Venom, Venom P. Stinger. They could turn it up to eleven.

 

[finbarr]

The Prince Of Wales, thursday nights, meet my friend Venom, Venom P. Stinger. They could turn it up to eleven.

I never saw them in Melbourne. Saw them here in Adelaide & at the Sydney Trade Union Club. Jim White at his brilliant best. Should be added to the 'Best Drummers' thread if he hasn't already.

 

[Binxy]

Saw The Wreckery a coupla times - each time I swore it would be the last - eventually I was right.

What happened to Hugo Race? He was hailed at the time as the second coming of Nick Cave/Jesus Christ. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Ollie Olsen of No/MaxQ fame?

 

[Shinboners]

Oh yes, the Wreckery. They were a great band if you were an angst ridden uni student in self denial over the Economics degree that one was studying. Eventually, you got over Hugo Race because he really only did have two good songs (the ones that localyokel mentioned).

What happened to Hugo Race?

He's still recording under the name, "The True Spirit". Apparantly he's released about a record a year for the last decade.....which puts him up there with late 80s/early 90s Ed Kuepper and Ryan Adams.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to Ollie Olsen of No/MaxQ fame?

I think his career died with MaxQ. The alternative crowds thought he sold out after working with Michael Hutchence whilst the commercial crowds didn't understand MaxQ.

I don't know what's happened with him, but the stuff he did with NO was brilliant. Once We Were Scum Now We Are God - what a great record that was.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Oh yes, the Wreckery. They were a great band if you were an angst ridden uni student in self denial over the Economics degree that one was studying. Eventually, you got over Hugo Race because he really only did have two good songs (the ones that localyokel mentioned)..

He's still recording under the name, "The True Spirit". Apparantly he's released about a record a year for the last decade.....which puts him up there with late 80s/early 90s Ed Kuepper and Ryan Adams..

He is pretty big in Europe I think. Leaping Lidner might know better than me.

I don't know what's happened with him, but the stuff he did with NO was brilliant. Once We Were Scum Now We Are God - what a great record that was.

Dont forget Glory For The ******** For brains

 

[Shinboners]

Dont forget Glory For The ******** For brains

Now that's a fine anthem for BigFooty's trolls.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Now that's a fine anthem for BigFooty's trolls.

Might make it my user title.

 

[Shinboners]

Might make it my user title.

Ollie Olsen should copyright it. It could be used in so many places......

The subheading for the letters page of The Herald-Sun.

The new slogan for the Australian Democrats.

The description for Alan Jones and his talkback show.

etc. etc. etc.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Ollie Olsen should copyright it. It could be used in so many places......

The subheading for the letters page of The Herald-Sun.

The new slogan for the Australian Democrats.

The description for Alan Jones and his talkback show.

etc. etc. etc.

In the unlikely event of another Collingwood premiership they should sing it instead of Good Old Collingwood Forever.

 

[Shinboners]

He is pretty big in Europe I think. Leaping Lidner might know better than me.

David Hasselhoff is also pretty big in Europe.

In the unlikely event of another Collingwood premiership they should sing it instead of Good Old Collingwood Forever.

Now that you mention it, it would have been the perfect intro song for the video of Carlton's 2005 Pre-season Cup Premiership.

 

[VANDA]

ah the memories........

The Wreckery were indeed somewhat 'unique' in their own special way but each time i saw them it was mostly a very depressing yawnfest.

Went to see New Order once..........probably about '84......must have been their first trip to Oz on the back of Blue Monday release...........was actually at the Powerhouse Rowing Club in Albert Park...........strange i know but very true.
Anyway The Wreckery were supporting & the gig attracted every 'Goth' in Melbourne i reckon........squeezed in like the proverbial sardines & it was about 35C that day so it was absolutely baking in the joint & it left me with the lasting memory of seeing all these heavily made-up Goths withs make-up dripping of their faces & turning each into a very sad sight indeed.

As for New Order that nite.............they almost came to blows on stage with a variety of techno-failures & walk-offs...........i vowed after this gig to never go & see a band with so much 'tech'.............standing their watching a drum machine wasnt great entertainment.

from the Wreckery i guess Nick Barker was the one that went on and had a modicum of further 'success' with his Reptiles & then his solo acoustic stuff.

 

[Leaping Lindner]

Oh yes, the Wreckery. They were a great band if you were an angst ridden uni student in self denial over the Economics degree that one was studying. Eventually, you got over Hugo Race because he really only did have two good songs (the ones that localyokel mentioned).



He's still recording under the name, "The True Spirit". Apparantly he's released about a record a year for the last decade.....which puts him up there with late 80s/early 90s Ed Kuepper and Ryan Adams.



I think his career died with MaxQ. The alternative crowds thought he sold out after working with Michael Hutchence whilst the commercial crowds didn't understand MaxQ.

I don't know what's happened with him, but the stuff he did with NO was brilliant. Once We Were Scum Now We Are God - what a great record that was.

Last I heard (admittedly about 2-3 years ago at a party) was that he was working at one of the big book/cd shop stores (Readings or Borderers can't remember which). That would be up there with Ronnie Peno working at Richmond Ikea (when he's not playing with The Darling Downs) or so I'm lead to believe.
As a matter of interest I'm also told that Max Q hasn't been re-released on CD due to a bun fight with the Hutchene estate. This may change soon though as it was apparently also the reason that Dogs in Space hadn't been released on DVD and it's meant to be coming out soon.

FWIW

The Wreckery rocked - Nick Barker solo sucked - IMO.

 

[Captain Sensible]

As a matter of interest I'm also told that Max Q hasn't been re-released on CD due to a bun fight with the Hutchene estate. This may change soon though as it was apparently also the reason that Dogs in Space hadn't been released on DVD and it's meant to be coming out soon.

That's great news. Any idea when, or how I can find out when?

The Wreckery rocked - Nick Barker solo sucked - IMO.

Good assessment. Unless you were a teenage girl then it was the other way around.

 

[oxx]

LMAO.

There isn't a bigger pack of w a n k e r s in the world.

Best part is,Hugo Race truly believed he was something special.

What a moron.

 

[Grimmett]

They were OK. Preferred the Huxton Creepers from that era and I Spit On Your Gravy from a year or two earlier.