Anti Hierarchy 001.
Brett Sonter wrote the lyrics and music to this song in Mt Druitt late 80 or early 81.
Brett was killed Christmas Eve 1981 in Sydney, grappling with a young Lebanese guy. They both went under the same car.
Brett and I started a band called Espionage, which later became Anti Hierarchy when Bretts role as vocalist was taken on by Dean Driscoll. Paul Obrien played guitar and Dean Picket played drums. In a classic punk move Tony Cardinal stole Deans drum kit and kicked him out claiming he could do a better job. He did.
The band wrote in a style typical of punk of the day. Its serious music no doubt about it. Themes of urban decay, anti war, and a basic rejection of authority. Mt Druitt in a housing commission district in Western Sydney regarded as a breeding ground for crime, low education and a general cycle of social helplessness. Some of us escaped that cycle.
This music was recorded on a cheap portable cassette deck in our share house/rehearsal room in Petersham. The band had no aspirations to record and become anything. We were playing for ourselves and our friends. This music if recorded with the right producer could easily have sat happily along side other popular (!) thrash punk bands. Its a rough recording for sure, but the vitality is there. The drums are plenty loud enough and we played tight and hard.
Myself, Paul and Tony all wrote lyrics and music, and Dean wrote lyrics.
Anti Hierarchy split late in 82 and members went off to write and perform in all sorts of other bands.
Number 4 of 7 in the Prelinger Archive mashup collection