Bodyjar
Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
Bodyjar are an Australian pop punk band which formed in 1990. They began performing under the name Bodyjar in 1994; their previous names included Damnation (1990–91) and Helium (1992–93). The latter group released an album, You Can't Hold Me Down, in October 1992. As Bodyjar their original line-up were Cameron Baines on vocals and guitar; Ben Petterson on vocals and guitar; Grant Relf on vocals and bass guitar; and Charles Zerafa on drums. In 1995 Ross Hetherington (ex-Bastard Squad, Swamp Rats) replaced Zerafa on drums. In 1999 Tom Read replaced Petterson on guitar and in 2004 Hetherington made way for Shane Wakker on drums.
Bodyjar released six studio albums, Take a Look Inside (1994), Rimshot! (1996), No Touch Red (1998), How It Works (2000), Plastic Skies (2002) and Bodyjar (2005), before disbanding in September 2009. After a hiatus they reformed in March 2012, their next album, Role Model, appeared on 18 October 2013, together with corresponding tour dates.
HistoryEdit
1990–1993: Damnation and HeliumEdit
In 1990 future members of Bodyjar formed a rock group, Damnation, in Melbourne with Cameron Baines on guitar, Ben Petterson on guitar, Grant Relf on bass guitar and Charles Zerafa on drums.<ref name="Tauschke">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="AMG Dillon">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Baines, Petterson and Relf had grown up in the same Melbourne suburb of Vermont and attended the same primary schools.<ref name="Nimmervoll">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> Damnation recorded two demos, Demo and Grow, before changing their name to Helium in 1992, as a pop punk group.<ref name="AMG Dillon"/><ref name="Nimmervoll"/> That group issued a demo, Bodyjar, in 1992 and followed with an album, You Can't Hold Me Down, on Shagpile Records in October that year.<ref name="Nimmervoll"/><ref name="Robinson">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> It was co-produced by the band with Phil Rose (of Nursery Crimes) at Argenteuil Studios, Richmond. By 1994 Helium changed their name again, to Bodyjar, as a punk rock band.<ref name="McFarlane">Template:Cite book</ref>
1994: Debut studio album, Take a Look InsideEdit
Bodyjar line-up of Baines, Petterson, Relf and Zerafa recorded their studio album, Take a Look Inside, at Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne. It was co-produced by Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton (both from touring United States band, All) in March 1994.<ref name="Nimmervoll"/><ref name="AMG Take">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In August 1994 they had their first gig, as Bodyjar, at the Great Britain Hotel, Richmond.<ref name="Newstead">Template:Cite news</ref> A five-track extended play, Time to Grow Up, was issued in that same month.<ref name="Nimmervoll"/> Take a Look Inside was released in September on Shagpile Records and distributed by Shock Records.<ref name="Nimmervoll"/><ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Newstead"/> According to Howlspace website's Ed Nimmervoll "With the help of punk fanzines and all-ages gigs at pubs Bodyjar managed to build a formidable reputation despite grunge".<ref name="Nimmervoll"/> Also in 1994, they supported NOFX at the Prince of Wales in St. Kilda, with Wally Meanie's side project Even, and One Inch Punch (later Mid-Youth Crisis).
1995–1997: Rimshot! and No Touch RedEdit
Charles Zerafa was replaced in 1995 by Ross Hetherington on drums – a former member of "hardcore punk outfits", Bastard Squad and Swamp Rats.<ref name="Nimmervoll"/> The group co-headlined a national tour with Pennywise and Blink-182 in December.<ref name="Nimmervoll"/><ref name="PWBJ">Template:Cite news</ref> The band supported No Fun at All and Face to Face on tours of Japan (October 1995), Canada, Europe (March 1996) and then United States (April 1997).<ref name="Nimmervoll"/><ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Rage Bio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On their European and US tours they promoted their next album, Rimshot! (February 1996).<ref name="Nimmervoll"/><ref name="Rage Bio"/> It had been recorded in September 1995: the group co-produced with Kaj Dahlstrom (The Bo-Weevils, Nursery Crimes); with a US release on 3 September 1996.<ref name="AMG Rimshot!">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Note: producer's last name is given as "Dahlstrol".</ref>
Bodyjar's third album, No Touch Red, was recorded the following year in Montreal over 12 days.
1998–2002 How it Works and Plastic SkiesEdit
Petterson left the band following the 1999 Big Day Out festival. Facing an impending breakup, the band added Read, formerly of 180 Discord, to the lineup. That year Bodyjar signed with EMI/Capitol, having completed a 33-song demo for their upcoming release. Though independent for the majority of their career, Bodyjar released two studio albums for EMI/Capitol in the early 2000s. The first album for the major label, How It Works, produced by Kalju Tonuma, reached the top 20 on the Australian ARIAnet albums chart in 2000 and achieved gold sales (35,000 copies). The album's first single, "Not the Same", was also featured in a Pepsi ad campaign and the video games Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and MX Superfly.
After their second major label album, Plastic Skies, and the retrospective, Jarchives, featuring new and rare material, failed to build on the success of How It Works, Bodyjar returned to their former label, Shock Records.
2003–2009: Self-titled album and disbandmentEdit
They released a self-titled album in 2005 after Hetherington left the band in May 2004 while on tour with The Offspring. Hetherington was temporarily replaced for the remainder of the tour by Gordy Forman of Australian punk band Frenzal Rhomb. The role was then filled by Wakker, formerly of the band Channel 3, and he was named the group's permanent drummer later that year.
Despite having their commercial peak seemingly behind them, Bodyjar remained a major attraction on the all-ages circuit in Australia, and continued to tour and play festivals. Selections from their discography have also been repackaged and released for the American and Japanese markets, where they have consolidated live followings.
On 10 January 2008, the band said a new album "looks to be shaping up for late in the year". However, the band announced on 4 September 2009, they would be calling it quits after a farewell tour, which took place between October and December 2009.<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band reformed for a one-off gig in April 2011 to celebrate the Royal Artillery Hotel (The Arthouse) venue's last drinks calendar.
2012: reformationEdit
Bodyjar reunited in March 2012 to perform No Touch Red in its entirety at Melbourne's Corner Hotel, together with former tour mates One Dollar Short, Antiskeptic and Game Over. Regarding the show, bassist Relf remarked, "When a good friend of Bodyjar's says they want to start a label and release one of your old albums on vinyl, you don't have to think too long or too hard about the response. No Touch Red kicked some arse back in the day and still holds its head up high all these years later, so I say let there be vinyl and a show to boot."<ref>[2]Template:Dead link</ref>
2013–2016: Role ModelEdit
As of February 2013, Bodyjar has performed as a support act for various touring bands in Australia, such as The Descendents. Read explained in an October 2013 interview that, following the Descendents tour, the band had "a little bit of money in the bank" and decided to write and record for a new album: "we just thought let's write some songs and if they are good enough we can record them and if they're not then we can spend the money on beer I guess. But they turned out really well."<ref name="Cassie" />
Satisfied with their new songs, the band announced the release of a new record, Role Model, which is the first collection of new material in eight years. The first single, "Fairytales", premiered on 12 September 2013.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> Prior to the release of Role Model, Read explained the motivation that underpinned the album:
... we had just finished the No Touch Red tour and I had a conversation with Grant about writing a fast kind of album like that, doing what we are good at and stop fucking around with slower songs and big rock riffs. Just do what comes natural and write for ourselves again. There is a lot of emphasis on having fun this time around, I think that has come through on the record. "Stop enjoying yourself and have some fun".<ref name="Bomb">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
Read also explained that Tom Larkin of New Zealand band Shihad produced the album at his own studios in Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia, and that the band referenced the sound production of the bands Refused, Foo Fighters and Starmarket for the recording process. Joey Cape, of Lagwagon, and Ahren Stringer, of The Amity Affliction, contributed vocals to the album, while a guitar solo was recorded by Stephen Egerton of Descendents.<ref name="Bomb" />
Bodyjar enlisted Australian independent music label UNFD to release Role Model on 18 October 2013, and bundle packages that included a skateboard deck, a T-shirt and a stubby holder were released. Baines hired Dutch design company ATTAK to create the artwork for the album.<ref name="Bomb" />
2017–present: Terra Firma and New RitualsEdit
On 13 October 2017 the band released a new EP, Terra Firma on three vinyl colour-ways limited to 100 copies each.
Bodyjar were one of the first bands to return to live shows following Melbourne's COVID lockdown period. The band returned in January 2021 with a show at 170 Russell.
On 1 December 2021, Bodyjar announced their eighth studio album New Rituals, released on 4 February 2022; 9 years after their previous studio album Role Model. Recording of New Rituals took place throughout 2020 and 2021, a process which was heavily delayed by Melbourne's numerous COVID lockdowns.
Side projectsEdit
At the beginning of 2007, Baines and Wakker launched a side project called Cola Wars, a moniker that Baines has used for various projects since 1999—Mark Brunott (Automan, The Volume10, and Steelbirds) and Mikey Juler (ex-For Amusement Only) completed the lineup. The band have played under other pseudonyms, such as "Daughters of the Rich" and "William Shatner's Dacks".Template:Citation needed
Read's and Relf's side project is called Burn The City, which also involves a former member of Australian band One Dollar Short on drums.<ref name="Cassie">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Personal livesEdit
Shane Wakker is from the Victorian town of Moe. Cameron Baines's wedding to wife Regan occurred in late April 2012.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Since 2016, Baines has operated Locality Store in Greensborough, which sells skateboards and equipment, music, and apparel.
MembersEdit
Current membersEdit
- Cameron Baines – guitars, lead vocals (1990–2009, 2012–present)
- Tom Read – guitars, backing and occasional lead vocals (1999–2009, 2012–present)
- Shane Wakker – drums, backing vocals (2004–2009, 2012–present)
- Nick Manuell – bass, backing vocals (2019–present)
Past membersEdit
- Ben Pettersson – guitars, lead vocals (1990–1999)
- Grant Relf – bass, backing vocals (1990–2009, 2012–2019)
- Charles Zerafa – drums (1990–1995)
- Ross Hetherington – drums (1995–2004)
TimelineEdit
<timeline>
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:100 top:20 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1990 till:{{#time:d/m/Y}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1990 ScaleMinor = increment:2 start:1991
Colors =
id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:BVocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album id:EP value:gray(0.5) legend:Extended_play id:live value:gray(0.7) legend:Live_album id:comp value:gray(0.8) legend:Compilation_album id:Bars value:gray(0.95)
BackgroundColors = bars:bars LineData =
layer:back color:comp at:01/09/1999 at:01/04/2003 at:01/04/2004
layer:back color:live at:01/02/2007 at:01/04/2009
layer:back color:EP at:01/04/1994 at:01/04/1995 at:01/08/1997 at:01/04/2001 at:13/10/2017
layer:back color:studio at:01/04/1993 at:01/09/1994 at:01/02/1996 at:01/02/1998 at:01/08/2000 at:01/06/2002 at:01/09/2005 at:16/10/2013 at:04/02/2022
BarData =
bar:Baines text:"Cameron Baines" bar:Pettersson text:"Ben Pettersson" bar:Read text:"Tom Read" bar:Relf text:"Grant Relf" bar:Manuell text:"Nick Manuell" bar:Zerafa text:"Charles Zerafa" bar:Hetherington text:"Ross Hetherington" bar:Wakker text:"Shane Wakker"
PlotData=
width:11 bar:Baines from:01/01/1990 till:01/02/1999 color:Vocals width:3 bar:Baines from:01/01/1990 till:01/02/1999 color:Guitar bar:Baines from:01/02/1999 till:04/09/2009 color:Vocals bar:Baines from:01/02/1999 till:04/09/2009 color:Guitar width:3 bar:Baines from:01/03/2012 till:end color:Vocals bar:Baines from:01/03/2012 till:end color:Guitar width:3 bar:Pettersson from:01/01/1990 till:01/02/1999 color:Vocals width:3 bar:Pettersson from:01/01/1990 till:01/02/1999 color:Guitar bar:Read from:01/02/1999 till:04/09/2009 color:Guitar bar:Read from:01/02/1999 till:04/09/2009 color:BVocals width:3 bar:Read from:01/03/2012 till:end color:Guitar bar:Read from:01/03/2012 till:end color:BVocals width:3 bar:Relf from:01/01/1990 till:04/09/2009 color:Bass bar:Relf from:01/01/1990 till:04/09/2009 color:BVocals width:3 bar:Relf from:01/03/2012 till:01/06/2019 color:Bass bar:Relf from:01/03/2012 till:01/06/2019 color:BVocals width:3 bar:Manuell from:01/06/2019 till:end color:Bass bar:Manuell from:01/06/2019 till:end color:BVocals width:3 bar:Zerafa from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/1995 color:Drums bar:Hetherington from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/2004 color:Drums bar:Wakker from:01/01/2004 till:04/09/2009 color:Drums bar:Wakker from:01/01/2004 till:04/09/2009 color:BVocals width:3 bar:Wakker from:01/03/2012 till:end color:Drums bar:Wakker from:01/03/2012 till:end color:BVocals width:3
</timeline>
DiscographyEdit
Studio albumsEdit
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref name="ARIA">Top 50 peaks after 1988: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}}Template:Cite book</ref> | ||
| You Can't Hold Me Down (released by Helium) |
|
— | |
| Take a Look Inside |
|
— | |
| Rimshot! |
|
— | |
| No Touch Red |
|
— | |
| How It Works |
|
19 | |
| Plastic Skies |
|
37 | |
| Bodyjar |
|
47 | |
| Role Model |
|
30 | |
| New Rituals |
|
citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Live albumsEdit
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Is It Alive |
|
| The End Is Now |
|
Compilation albumsEdit
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Singles and Stuff |
|
| Jarchives: 10 Years of Bodyjar |
|
| Time To Grow Up |
|
Extended playsEdit
| Title | EP details | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Grow Up |
| |
| Gee And Al / Do Not Do |
| |
| Strange Harvest |
| |
| You Got Me a Girls Bike You Idiot! |
| |
| Terra Firma |
|
CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
|
SinglesEdit
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | ||||
| 1994 | "Time To Grow Up" | – | Time To Grow Up | |
| 1996 | "Glossy Books" | – | Rimshot | |
| 1998 | "Remote Controller" | – | No Touch Red | |
| "Return to Zero" | – | |||
| 1999 | "A Hazy Shade of Winter" | – | Singles and Stuff | |
| 2000 | "Not the Same" | 69 | How It Works | |
| "Fall to the Ground" | 56 | |||
| 2001 | "Feed It" | 60 | ||
| "Five Minutes Away" | – | |||
| 2002 | "Is It a Lie" | 56 | Plastic Skies | |
| "One in a Million" | 65 | |||
| "Feel Better" | – | |||
| 2003 | "Too Drunk to Drive" | – | ||
| "17 Years" | – | Jarchives (10 Years of Bodyjar) | ||
| 2005 | "Lights Out " | 78 | Bodyjar | |
| 2013 | "Fairytales" | – | Role Model | |
| "Hope Was Leaving"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
– | ||
| 2017 | "Terra Firma" | – | Terra Firma | |
| 2020 | "Big Shot"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
– | New Rituals |
| 2021 | "Get Out Of My Head"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
– | |
| "Rain"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
– |
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Template:Official website
- {{#if:|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}