Sea Scouts (band)


Sea Scouts were a noise rock band, based in Hobart, Tasmania.

Biography

First incarnation

Following the split of his former band Mouth in 1994, Tasmanian musician Tim Evans began jamming with U.F.O. frontman Zach von Bamburger. Fusing the elements of thick, rough analogue guitar noise and hidden melodies, also aided by a drum machine, the duo recorded the $100,000 Dollar Mamal EP. Vocal and instrumental duties were shared by the duo on the polycarbonate-only pressing, as they were in live shows. Live shows were often chaotic affairs marked by loud feedback, repetitive rhythms and heavily distorted bass riffs.
Shortly after the release of the EP, Monika Fikerle became the band's drummer. Idiosyncratic, but contumelious with the band's minimal yet full sound, Fikerle played her kit with a complete absence of snare drum. Following a short tour of the mainland, Fikerle left the band and the band folded six months later.

Second incarnation

A year after parting company with von Bamburger, Evans restarted the band with bassist Alex Pope, reinterpreting old and composing new material with a drum machine. After several months of gigging, ex-U.F.O bassist Andy Hazel joined on drums, introducing snare and hi-hat to the previously more stripped-back sound. Later in 1996, Sara May Libero replaced Hazel on drums, continuing the band's use of stand-up drummers. This lineup recorded the band's first full length album Pattern Recognition, on four track cassette recorder and released via Chapter Music in 1997, on vinyl only.
In 1997, the band toured Melbourne and Sydney, supporting Pavement and, in 1998, Archers Of Loaf before Libero was replaced by Fikerle, who re-joined the group to jam a newer set of songs.
Later that year the band recorded their second album, Beacon of Hope, released on the Unstable Ape label In the same sessions, the band re-recorded an intentionally cleaner, "less scabby" version of the Pattern Recognition album for CD release.
In 1999 a re-recording of two songs from the band's first incarnation were recorded, and the Word as a Weapon"/"Destroy Your Local McDonalds 7" was released on the Californian label Zum.
Further recordings were also made of a combination of old and new songs, which to this date have never been released.

Touring and breakup

In 1999 Sea Scouts embarked on a tour of North America and Europe, joining Ninetynine for shows in Eastern Europe.
Returning home later in 1999, it was decided that the band would play its final shows in Hobart, before a "grand-final" show at Melbourne's Corner Hotel on 18 February 2000.

Legacy

Albums