information:
Us Versus Them began in Lismore, NSW during the winter of 2000. After recording a live demo in March 2001, and having completed two successful Sydney tours in January and April of the same year, they progressed rapidly and built quite a seemingly devout following.
They later met Damian from Building Records and began a love affair that would lead to their constant cross-country touring and an official CD pressing in the months that followed. Their sole EP was released on the 5th of November, 2001. Their embryonic demos definitely exist but have very possibly been lost to time. All of my efforts to find them have failed...
They played their last ever show on the mythical date of 02/02/02 at the Green Square Hotel, Sydney with Syndicate, Irrelevant, Seconds Away and The Vitals.
Below I have attached some ancient band biographies and interview snippets from the deep, deep corners of their Netscape-era internet presence.
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FULL NAME: Timothy Stephen Sullivan
DATE OF BIRTH: 23/3/84
NOTEWORTHY LISTENS: Saves the Day, River City High, At the Drive In, Grade, Boy Sete Fire, Thinktank, Samiam, Moneen, Alkaline Trio, Heartfelf Self, Further Seems Forever, Jimmy Eat World, New Amsterdams, Planes Mistaken For Stars,The Get Up Kids
3 FAVOURITE SONGS:
3. Boy Sets Fire - Unspoken Request
2. Grade - The Innefficiency Of Emotion
1. Moneen - The Realization Of How Its Always Been
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY: People that smile, Skateboarding with my friends, Frozen Coke, Friends, Music
WHAT MAKES YOU SAD: People that have lost the plot (drugs and bad stuff), rain when you want to go skateboarding
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY: When people say that they are nothing!! Racism, and when theres nothing but golf, tennis and car racing is on t.v.
FULL NAME: Michael Ravenscroft
DATE OF BIRTH: 24/8/85
NOTEWORTHY LISTENS: Jimmy Eat World, Blueline Medic, Moneen, the Getup Kids, Juliana Theory, Dogwood, Saves the Day
3 FAVOURITE SONGS:
3. Blister- Jimmy Eat World
2. Where are you?- Blueline Medic
1. Rest Assured- Dogwood
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY: Being around my friends
WHAT MAKES YOU SAD: People wasting their lives
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY: Racism
WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WERENT IN US VERSUS THEM: Living a normal life
WHAT BAND YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO PLAY WITH: Jimmy Eat World
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*Q. why can't I get building cd's from the bigger stores?
A. glad you asked. let's give an example of what happens when i contact the "bigger" stores. two weeks ago i had sent a package to sydney's biggest metal store (no name required), i contacted them a few days later to see if they had got my package, along with the generous promos that i included. i was told that no one received the package, and to bring in stuff in person. a couple of friends of mine went into the store a few days later and found ALL the promo cd's i had sent on sale in the dump bin. so in response to your question, we cannot deal with bigger stores because they do not respect what we are doing. next time you buy an import cd from a bigger "indie" store, think about where your 40 dollars is going...
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THE FINAL UPDATE:
Thanks to everybody who took interest in the live cd. Unfortunatly I no longer have the time, nor the motivation to undertake such a project. I would much prefer it if you were to shift your interest to the projects we are currently involed and let the past sit where it belongs. Sorry to everybody who emailed... things have been fucked up and I just don't have the time any more.
If you are interested, Tim is now living it large in Adelaide and is playing in 2 new bands- 'Love Like... Electrocution' (octave driven chaotic mess w/ members of St Alban's Kids, Slackjaw, Circle of Destruction etc.) | mp3 | & 'Snap! Crackle! Le Pop!' (new wave destruction). Brent is now living in Brisbane and is also playing in a new band (w/ ex members of the Vitals & Theory of Flight) and is jamming with another. Michael and Joel, as far as I know, have plans to continue together in some sort of project. Thanks to everybody who ever took interest in this band and helped us out in any way, we love you!
Live for the now,
Brent & Us Versus Them
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Brent: Recording... we spent a couple of days in at Damien Gerard's in Balmain with Russell Pilling. He was really good to work with (apart from his affinity with chorus and reverb!) so that made things really easy. The guys from Building helped us out in a big way...putting us up for the week and taxi-ing us around. They were great. It all went super smoothly apart from Michael and Joel arguing over the playstation almost constantly.
Damian: so the cd has been selling well, and are you getting good reviews?
Brent: yeah, it seems that way. I've actually been really suprised by the response we've received... I wasn't sure how people would take it because.. I guess it's a bit of a different direction to what we've done in the past, but it's going really well, which is great.
Damian: in what way do you think it is different?
Brent: Well there's a definite progression musically to anything we've done in the past, and the songs are a lot more personal too... I guess the band has grown and matured as we have, and this recording is a direct representation of where we are, as people, right now. I just didn't think so many people would get where we are coming from, but it seems they are, which is a pretty weird feeling.
Damian: weird? I thought you would be happy about that?
Brent: I am totally happy, it was just a little unexpected that people would respond to it how they have
Damian: do you see a shift in current trends, and does it affect you and your listening/playing habits?
Brent: I guess there are a lot of bands around at the moment that are flying the 'emo' banner pretty high (and often unjustly). There are just so many bands around at claiming a sound that at the moment is so far removed from what it actually is. We've had that label slapped on us time and time again, but we aren't an emo band, so we aren't going to claim it. Labelling yourself is placing yourself under limitations. We play music that needs to be heard to be understood, so by calling it something so indirect as 'emo' is not really that effective
Brent: Is that what you meant?
Damian: yep, so why do you do it?
Brent: play music?
Damian: yep
Brent: Because it's such a release... I always feel so much better after a show... It's the only thing that keeps me sane... Call me selfish….. I don't care!
Damian: you are selfish. You're live show is so intense, and you guys are so young in comparison to bands who play like that. What do you put this down to?
Brent: Honesty. Nothing more. We aren't putting on a 'show' as such... A show is pretend.. This band is just four guys letting everything go for half an hour.
Damian: how old is everyone, by the way?
Brent: Joel is 15, Michael is 16, Tim is 17, and I'm the old one, clocking in at 18
...
Brent: I want Q and Not U to come out. They're my all time favourite band, hands down. I heard they are thinking about coming out some time next year, so I'm excited
Damian: great news! So what do you think of the scene in Australia in general?
Brent: It's super good at the moment.. There are so many incredible bands coming about, and there is more and more people coming out to support them. It's great.. There are still a lot changes that need to happen, but on the whole, things are really improving
Damian: what sort of things do you think need changing?
Brent: Well, it seems so many people are concerned with what is cool and what is not.... If everybody respected each other's opinions and respected each other's differences instead of tearing each other down.. We could develop a greater sense of community, instead of slotting into our own little niches and stagnating.
Damian: that has always been the case though, do you think this will ever change? It's sort of like asking for world peace; it seems so simple...
Brent: Yeah, but I'm talking on a smaller scale. You know.. People within this scene claim to be enlightened with a social conscience, but when it comes down to it, we’re all just as narrow minded as everybody else
Damian: it seems to be more a battle of the brain these days, everyone thinking they are more intellectual than each other, don't you think?
Brentstegeman: Well in a way, yes. People just need to stop underestimating each other.. Just because somebody doesn't have the same level of intelligence as another, doesn't mean they are a lesser person.
Damian: exactly. Thank you for your time Brenton, any hellos you wish to give?
Brent: Nope. None that I can think of.. Except to Tim who should come home from surfing because we need to practice
Damian: water in the head obviously.
Brent: Don't be saying nasty things about Timothy
Damian: he knows I love him.
Brent: he does
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* Why are Us Versus Them breaking up? Does it have to do with Tim moving to Adelaide?
I am moving to Brisbane and Tim is moving down there (to Adelaide). I think me and Tim are right now at a time in our lives where we are needing a fresh start, we’ve been living in each others pockets for the past 5 years, and been in this band (in it’s various forms) since we were 14, and as much as it’s been great and I love making music with these people, we just need something refreshing and different to challenge us and keep us on our toes. Plus, living in Lismore, it’s kind of isolated and travelwise it’s really hard to operate a band in a town where your not able to hold shows because nobody turns up. The nearest city is 3 hrs and none of us drive so it’s quite an effort, as you can imagine.
* In the last two to three years, as Us Versus Them you have completed alot, establishing a loyal following, producing a four track self titled EP and playing shows with the likes of Grade, Seconds Away, Theory of Flight and Irrelevant. Is it enough to say that your satisfied with what you accomplished?
Just being able to play music to people is satisfaction enough. Everything else is a bonus. We were given some great opportunites by some awesome awesome people (and friends) along the way, without them we probably wouldn't have lasted as long as we did.
* What do you plan to do after Us Versus Them?
I have a couple of new bands in mind which I hope to get happening as soon as I move up to Brisbane. I'm also looking to get involved with other people in finding community halls, carparks or other non pub related places to play and have other bands play. Pushing the barriers of what has become the accepted niche for a 'scene'.... I guess sort of everybody getting together again and working towards a community rather than a scene as such with everybody involved in one way or another with the shows and whatever else goes with them...
* Was there anything more you wanted to complete as a band that you didn't get to do?
It feels so right to bring it to an end now. I'm just happy we have been given the opportunities we have been and to play music to people. People should play music with their hearts, and thats what we did, so I am completely satified.
* Your quoted as saying that 'We do what we do for no other reason than that we love it. We aren't about putting on a 'show' or trying to impress people' does this mean when people are blown away by your unique live performance's, it's an added bonus?
Totally. We just play, you know?.. and people seem to relate... I don't know why they do, but they do...
* Looking at your lyrics, I can tell that your songs are very personal. What is it about your songs that makes them so personal?
There's no point in screaming about something that you don't feel, that's just silly. Our lyrics are just thoughts about life and how insecure people are in general.. We don't push any hidden agenda's and we don't bullshit anything either.... that's it really.
* Would your music be as raw and energetic if it wasn't so personal?
There is no point to music that isn't personal. If you don't feel it don't sing about it. Simple.
* How hard is it for yourselves and other bands like you to maintain a unique style without straying off into musical genres that tend to win punters straight away?
We don't have a set plan when we write, we just let the music take it's own course, which is why we have progressed in sound as far have we have in the short time we've been a band. Our music is a direct reflection where we are as people, so as we have matured, so has our band... I don't think that musically we are all that unique or original, but I think the way we play it live is kind of special...
* What makes live shows so important to you?
Without the people there is no music. It's always nice to play music for people who appreciate you.
live footage:
1. N/A
discography:
title: us versus them. - S/T EP
release date: 9/11/2001
format: CD
tracklist:
1. Red is Blood
2. As Tears Fall From Blackened Hearts
3. I Should Have Chosen Impulse
4. Reveling in Destruction; Ravaging in Defeat?
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