The Bedridden
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| The Bedridden | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Canberra |
| Country | Australia |
| Years active | 1989–1993, 1995–2002 |
| Genres | Indie Folk-rock Anti-folk Punk |
| Labels | Round Records Army of Nerds |
| Members | Barnaby "Baterz" Ward Dave Lewis Dave Wiffler Razz Mussen Alex Miller Lillybub Benjow Mahatt Kirsty Stegwazi Spaemen Andy Wiffler |
The Bedridden was an Australian cult band, which spanned almost over a decade - excluding the bands constant breakups - and created a strong fan base around the Australian, especially Adelaide, pub rock scenes.
Contents |
[edit] History
The group, consisting of original members Baterz (guitar), David M. Lewis (guitar), Spaemen (bass guitar), Kirsty Stegwazi (guitar) and Lillybub (cello), first formed in 1989 in Canberra, before quickly moving to Adelaide, where the band remained inconsistently until their final parting.
The group recorded their first album It's All Fun & Games Until Someone Loses an Eye through Adelaidian label Round Records later in 1989, and was eventually released in 1990. The album introduced some of the groups most well-remembered songs, including Bateman's Bay, Stephen McKenzie and the Sesame Street tune Capital I.
Between the release of their first album, the band toured Australian cities Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, growing yet a stronger fan base, before releasing their second album Big Scary Cow in 1992, also through Round Records. This collection released Bedridden favourites including 2/11/1968, Midget and their second Sesame Street cover, Born To Add.
Around 1993 to 1995, The Bedridden had their longest falling out, which saw many of the band members retreat to various capital cities around Australia to pursue solo careers, causing the longest amount of inactivity before their eventual disbandenment.
By 1996, frontman and founder band member, Baterz had developed an important name for himself as a solo artist, which lead to the investment of his own recording studio and label Army of Nerds, which brought back various group members to record the third album as a band, I Told You it Wouldn't Work in 1998. The album had a much cleaner and defined sound, with stronger arrangements than seen before from the band, recording tracks including Agent of Satan, Darren Williams and their most recognized song The Drowning of the Daddo Brothers.
Up till 2001, the new formation, including Baterz, Benjow, Dave Wiffler, Dave Lewis and Lillybub, kept on par with performing on and off in Adelaide and Melbourne every few months. March 2002 saw the release of a new Bedridden single, Inland Sea, which was to herald a fourth album, however ongoing medical difficulties that had plagued Baterz for many years began to worsen, and in 2002, lesions were discovered in his brain, hospitalising him for several months. Combined with his HIV, which he was diagnoised with in 1984 and his hemophilia that he was born into, Baterz finally died in July 2002. This desparing event for the band has seen the bands performing and recording inactivity ever since.
In 2005, The Bedridden released The Anthem of the Crown & Anchor, a collection of live recordings of the band from performances in July 1998 in Ballarat and Melbourne.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Releases
- It's All Fun & Games Until Someone Loses an Eyealbum (1990, Round Records)
- Big Scary Cow album (1992, Round Records)
- I told you It Wouldn't Work album (1998, Army of Nerds)
- Inland Sea EP (2002, Army of Nerds)
- The Anthem of the Crown & Anchor Live Compilation (2005, Army of Nerds)
