Punk West on RTRFM: Recent Episodes
RTRFM
On the face of it, Perth seems like a respectable, middle-class city, where people love the beaches, the Sunday sessions, and the cover bands. But scratch away a little bit and you’ll find an underbelly of great punk music. Starting from the ‘70s, Perth has influenced and been influenced by others, and has chucked out some of the greatest punk tunes and punk bands.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
Min Stokes grew up in the UK during the first wave of punk rock and was an instant convert. She used to sneak out of her boarding school to watch punk bands play live in London and was there at the right time in the right place. Sometime later Min moved to Perth and joined the punk band SSA on bass. Having lots of links to bands in the UK she started organising Australian tours for the likes of the Sub-humans, Steve Ignorant of Crass and Killing Joke.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder statespeople about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds. This episode is the final instalment of Punk West's first season.
Perth punk in the 1990s was largely hardcore, and when Murray Figg started listening to the likes of Cremator and Pestilence, that was the direction he wanted to take. He was a member of the legendary late 1990s Perth punk band PC Thug and later Dropsick Injektors. PC Thug's first gig was a sell out at the Rosemount Hotel, and he speaks to us about the excesses, tragedies and thumping music of the time.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder statespeople about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds. This episode comes with a coarse language warning.
Jackie Coffin doesn't like to stand still. She needs new challenges in her life and when she discovered the Bunbury skate scene, she dived in headfirst. This led her to meet like-minded people and she decided to give drumming a go, joining Chickspit. Jackie's heart is punk rock, and she eloquently gets her point across with passion and venom on this episode of Punk West.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder statespeople about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds. This episode comes with a coarse language warning.
Kim Salmon's musical career has spanned nearly fifty years and he has been a prolific writer and performer over that time.
Never content to sit back and admire what he has done, he would rather see what he can do next. On this episode of Punk West, we speak to Kim about the early days playing covers six nights a week in a Fremantle strip club to playing in Perth's first punk band the Cheap Nasties before moving onto the early days of The Scientists.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder statespeople about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
Dennis Cometti, the band, is made up of Mitch, Alex and John, who formed the band in 2014 and quickly gained a solid fanbase writing songs about the CBD, playing footy and the WAFL.
In 2020 they released their debut album as well as the single "WAXIT", which became the most played track of the year on RTRFM. (It also placed #69 in our most played list of 2021, and was voted #26 on RTRFM's 45 Greatest WA Songs poll this year.)
Their punk tunes have a unique Western Australian theme and their love of the state and each other really comes across during this chat on Punk West.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder statespeople about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
Donny Rat’s mum was a glam rock fan and dad was an Edwardian, so Donny could do nothing else but get into Punk music when it exploded into his life in the late 1970s. He was there when The Clash played at the Perth Entertainment centre in 1982 and has lived the life. He has played in numerous punk bands including The Homicides, The Rats and more recently Sick Pose. Donny doesn’t like to be interviewed, so I was very grateful when he welcomed me to his place for Punk West. Donny doesn’t suffer fools and he speaks his mind… all the time. Language warning.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
Before the Hoodoo Gurus, Dave Faulkner was a founder member of seminal punk band The Victims in Perth in year zero (1977). In this episode of Punk West, Dave speaks about his love of The Ramones, playing gigs in Perth and co-writing "Television Addict" (which was number 11 in RTRFM's 45 greatest WA songs) with James Baker. He also spoke of the breakdown of the band, joining The Manikins and then moving abroad and coming back to Perth (as everyone does!).
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
Georgia Kennedy has been a Perth punk superfan for many, many years. One of her single purchases was Siouxsie and the Banshees and later Discharge's Visions of War...and nothing was the same after that. Georgia supported many local punk bands over the years, including Division 4 and Mob Vengeance. Now the Development Manager at WAM, she speaks about why Perth was a frightening place for a punk rocker in the eighties and why she moved to Melbourne (and why she returned).
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
Lauren Butcher began kicking around the music scene as soon as she could get into venues. Seeing local bands in Lauren's late teens changed her life, and when she came out as a transgender woman in 2019, she soon after decided to start a punk band with Owen Bandura and Tess Crow named Lauren and The Goodfights, which focused almost entirely on the experiences of being a gender-diverse person. Many of the songs were inspired by the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQIA+ young people she had met since coming out. She has also presented at RTRFM for the last two years on Burn the Airwaves, All Things Queer and Drastic on Plastic.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
Kyle Gleadell currently plays in Helta Skelta, Cold Meat, Gaffer and Semtex 87. He has also run Helta Skelta Records since 2012. Kyle has been playing in bands and involved in punk, distribution, booking shows, and touring for around 15 years. So, there's no talking about punk in 21st century Perth without talking to Kyle.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
James Baker was in Perth at year zero, when Punk music started. He played drums and created the legendary band the Victims, who ignited the city with their scowling energy. Their single "Television Addict/I'm Flipped Out Over You" still stands the test of time.
James drummed in many bands following the split, including Beasts Of Bourbon and the Painkillers. James came in for a chat about his love of music and why he is still drumming in 2021.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
Mike Wafer has been a constant in the Perth punk scene since moving from the UK in 1987.
Immediately drawn to the punk and skate scenes, he's since made his mark performing in Love Camp 7, Order of the Black Werewolf, Tanami, and Covøids.
Mike's particularly well-situated for a chat about Perth's punk scene – he's also been a music journalist for the better part of two decades.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David Redding (Burn the Airwaves) talks to the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.
You probably know Claire Hodgson as lead singer of the Shakeys. Or maybe from one of the many other punk-related projects she’s connected with – managing the Homicides and Beverly Killbillies, playing in Roundup Weedkiller, booking bands back in the Hydey’s heyday, even presenting Burn the Airwaves on RTRFM.
Claire joined David Redding for this first episode of Punk West. It's a deep dive into Perth's '00s punk scene, covering everything from grant applications to ASIO investigations.
Punk West is an oral history of Perth’s punk scene. David talks to some of the scene’s stalwarts, stand-outs, and elder states(wo)men about the gigs, the bands, the venues, and the sounds.