Editing Ratcat (section)

===1985–1990: Career beginnings and Waterfront Records===
{{Main|Ratcat (EP)}}
Ratcat were formed in 1985 in [[Sydney]] by Simon Day on lead guitar and lead vocals, Victor Levi on bass guitar and Andrew Polin on drums.<ref name="McFarlane">{{cite book | last1 = McFarlane | first1 = Ian | author-link1 = Ian McFarlane | title = [[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]] | chapter = Encyclopedia entry for 'Ratcat' | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040930214349/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=673 | chapter-url = http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=673 | year = 1999 | publisher = [[Allen & Unwin]] | location = [[St Leonards, New South Wales|St Leonards, NSW]] | archive-date = 30 September 2004 | isbn = 1-86508-072-1 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="Holmgren">{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110805133645/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/r/ratcat.html | url = http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/r/ratcat.html | title = Ratcat| publisher = [[Australian Rock Database]]. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren) | last1 = Holmgren | first1 = Magnus | archive-date = 5 August 2011 | url-status = usurped | access-date = 4 September 2016 }}</ref> Both Day and Levi had been members of garage band, Danger Mouse.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> Ratcat "built-up a strong live following by playing the local haunts of the Sydney skate-punk scene alongside the likes of Massappeal, The Hellmenn, The Hard-ons and Happy Hate Me Nots."

The group signed to [[Waterfront Records]], and released a [[Ratcat (EP)|self-titled]] extended play in December 1987, which "contained four of the band's self-penned stage favourites plus a cover of "[[I Think We're Alone Now]]"."<ref name="McFarlane"/> It was followed by two singles, "I Think I Love You" (August 1988) and "Baby's Got a Gun" (December). 

In July 1989, the band released its debut album, ''This Nightmare''.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> By that time the line-up was Day, John McAteer on bass guitar and Andrew Polin on drums.<ref name="McFarlane"/> According to Australian musicologist [[Ian McFarlane]], the album "contained a treasure-trove of witty, effervescent Day-penned tracks like "Go Go", "True Lust", "Baby's Got a Gun" and "The Killing Joke", plus a cover of UK band [[The Darling Buds]]' "If I Said"."<ref name="McFarlane"/> Another single, "Saying Goodbye" was released late in 1989 which was their final release on Waterfront.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> Amr Zaid replaced McAteer on bass guitar and backing vocals.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> Alister<!-- Last name not given --> of ''[[UNSW Tharunka|Tharunka]]'' felt "Saying Goodbye" was "quite refreshing, both in the areas of its mixing and melody, despite decidedly average vocals."<ref name="Alister">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230429495 |title = Ratcat: 'Saying Goodbye' | last = Alister | newspaper = [[UNSW Tharunka|Tharunka]] | volume = 36 | issue = 4 | date = 9 April 1990 | access-date = 4 September 2016 | page = 27 | via = [[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref>