Scrap Metal (band)

Last updated

Scrap Metal
Origin Broome, Western Australia, Australia
GenresRock, reggae, country
Years active1983 (1983)–1995 (1995)
LabelsJigil/Larrikin, ABC/PolyGram
Spinoffs The Pigram Brothers
Past members

Scrap Metal were a reggae, country, rock band from Broome, Western Australia which formed in 1983. The members had Aboriginal, Irish, Filipino, French, Chinese, Scottish, Indonesian and Japanese heritage. The group issued four albums, Just Looking (1987), Broken Down Man (1988), Scrap Metal (1990) and Pub Sweat 'n' Tears (1992). They toured nationally supporting Midnight Oil in 1987 and as part of the Bran Nue Dae musical in 1990 and 1993. They were the first Aboriginal band to sign an international publishing deal. Scrap Metal are the subject of an ABC TV documentary From Broome to the Big Smoke (1991). They won the Best Indigenous Act award at the 1992 West Australian Music Industry Awards. The group disbanded in 1995.

Contents

After Scrap Metal, founding mainstays Alan, Stephen and Phillip Pigram, joined their younger brothers David, Colin, Gavin and Peter to form the Pigram Brothers. In 2006 Stephen and Alan Pigram were inducted into the Western Australian Music Hall of Fame.

History

Scrap Metal were formed as a reggae, country, rock band in 1983 in Broome by Michael Ambi on lead vocals, Alan Pigram on guitar, Phillip Pigram on drums, Stephen Pigram on vocals and guitar and Michael Teh on bass guitar. [1] [2] [3] The two eldest Pigram brothers, Alan and Stephen, had performed together in bands since 1977 and Phillip joined for Scrap Metal. [1] Broome had a history of ocean fishing and pearl diving, which attracted culturally diverse groups; [1] the members had Aboriginal, Irish, Filipino, French, Chinese, Scottish, Indonesian and Japanese heritage. [4] Besides local shows, the group would travel 220 km (140 mi) to Derby or 612 km (380 mi) to Port Headland to perform. [1] [5] Due to the town's isolation, "[they] weren't reared on the traditional Aussie rock and roll ritual - that is, they didn't get their weekly dose of Sunday night Countdown to keep them abreast of music trends." [5] Ambi drowned in 1985 and was replaced on vocals by Johnny Albert. [1] [6] Duncan Campbell, their talent manager, joined on keyboards.

Scrap Metal's debut album, Just Looking (1987), was recorded at Broome's Planet Studio in 1986. Self-financed, it was issued on music cassette. [7] The group gained the attention of Midnight Oil's members, who asked them to join that group's Diesel and Dust Tour in October 1987. [1] Scrap Metal funded their own label, Jigil, to issue their next album, Broken Down Man (October 1988), which was distributed by Larrikin. [1] [8] Kathryn Whitfield of The Canberra Times observed, "[it's] quite impressive in its diversity [with their] blend of rock, reggae, pop and country." [9]

In 1989 the members signed with ABC Music/PolyGram, which released their third album, Scrap Metal (August 1990). [1] Whitfield's colleague, Penelope Layland found it, "a wonderful fusion of simple rock, iced with country pop [where] the music and the lyrics are unpretentious and heartfelt." [10] They became the first Aboriginal artists to sign a music publishing deal with Warner Chappell. [1] Also in that year Alan, Phillip, Stephen and Campbell performed in Bran Nue Dae and reprised their work in the musical in 1993. [11] [12] From Broome to the Big Smoke (1991), an ABC TV documentary, dealt with the band's history and showcased their performances. [1] [13]

Pub Sweat 'n' Tears, their fourth album, was issued in May 1993. [1] For the album Alan, Phillip and Stephen were joined by their brother David Pigram on backing vocals and Paul Mamid on bass guitar. [14] One track, "Beautiful Woman", had been recorded in 1985 with Michael Ambi on lead vocals and Teh on bass guitar. [14] The group disbanded in 1995 and subsequently Alan on lead guitar, mandolin, ukulele and tiple, Stephen on vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, requinto, valiha and ukulele, and Phillip vocals and drums, were joined their younger brothers David on vocals and acoustic guitar, Colin on vocals and acoustic guitar, Gavin on percussion and Peter on vocals and bass guitar, to form the Pigram Brothers in the following year. [15] In 2006 Alan and Stephen Pigram were inducted into the Western Australian Music Hall of Fame. [16]

Members

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yothu Yindi</span> Australian musical group

Yothu Yindi are an Australian musical group with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members, formed in 1986 as a merger of two bands formed in 1985 – a white rock group called the Swamp Jockeys, and an unnamed Aboriginal folk group consisting of Mandawuy Yunupingu, Witiyana Marika, and Milkayngu Mununggur. The Aboriginal members came from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land. Founding members included Stuart Kellaway on bass guitar, Cal Williams on lead guitar, Andrew Belletty on drums, Witiyana Marika on manikay, bilma and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on yidaki, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu on keyboards, guitar, and percussion, past lead singer Mandawuy Yunupingu and present Yirrnga Yunupingu on vocals and guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goanna (band)</span> Australian rock band

Goanna is an Australian rock band which formed in 1977 in Geelong as The Goanna Band with mainstay Shane Howard as singer-songwriter and guitarist. The group integrated social protest with popular music and reached the Top 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart with "Solid Rock" (1982) and "Let the Franklin Flow". Their debut album, Spirit of Place, peaked at No. 2 on the related albums chart. They disbanded in 1987 and briefly reformed in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant (band)</span> American rock band

Giant is an American melodic rock band that was formed in 1987. The band originally consisted of founding members Dann Huff and Alan Pasqua (keyboard), and had Dann's brother David Huff on drums and Mike Brignardello on bass. The Huff brothers were part of the founding members of the Christian rock band White Heart.

No Fixed Address (NFA) are an Australian reggae rock group whose members are all Aboriginal Australians, mostly from South Australia. The band formed in 1979, split in 1984, with several brief reformations or guest appearances in 1987–1988 and 2008, before reuniting in 2016 and continuing to perform into 2024. The original members were Bart Willoughby, Les Graham, Ricky Harrison, John Miller, and Veronica Rankine. As of 2024 the members are Willoughby, Harrison, Tjimba Possum Burns, and Sean Moffat. They were the first Aboriginal band to travel overseas. They have been inducted into the Hall of Fame at the inaugural National Indigenous Music Awards as well as the SA Music Hall of Fame, and have had a laneway in Adelaide CBD named after them.

James Ronald Chi was an Australian composer, musician and playwright. His best known work is the 1990 musical Bran Nue Dae, which was adapted for film in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pigram Brothers</span> Australian musical group

The Pigram Brothers are a seven-piece Indigenous Australian band from the pearling town of Broome, Western Australia, formed in 1996.

Roslyn Louise Bygrave is an Australian singer-songwriter.

<i>Bran Nue Dae</i> 1990 Australian stage musical

Bran Nue Dae is a 1990 musical set in Broome, Western Australia, that tells stories and of issues relating to Indigenous Australians. It was written by Jimmy Chi and his band Kuckles and friends, and was the first Aboriginal Australian musical. The name is a phonetic representation of "Brand New Day".

Mixed Relations were an Australian band formed by Bart Willoughby. They played a mixture of reggae rock, pop, and jazz. Mixed Relations toured Aboriginal communities, Australian cities, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, United States, Europe, Canada ,and Hong Kong. Their track, "Aboriginal Woman", was listed at No. 89 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 1993.

Kuckles was an Aboriginal Australian band in the early 1980s.

<i>Corrugation Road</i> Australian musical

Corrugation Road is an Australian musical set in a mental hospital, about an Aboriginal schizophrenic patient. It was written by Jimmy Chi, his band Kuckles and friends, the creators of Bran Nue Dae. It is based on Chi's own experiences at Perth's Graylands Hospital.

Stephen "Baamba" Albert was an Indigenous Australian actor and singer. He starred in the musicals Bran Nue Dae and Corrugation Road.

<i>Bran Nue Dae</i> (film) 2009 Australian film

Bran Nue Dae is a 2009 Australian musical comedy-drama film directed by Rachel Perkins and written by Perkins and Reg Cribb. A feature film adaptation of the 1990 stage musical Bran Nue Dae by Jimmy Chi, the film tells the story of the coming of age of an Aboriginal Australian teenager on a road trip in the late 1960s.

The 2010 Deadly Awards were hosted by Luke Carroll and Naomi Wenitong at the Sydney Opera House on 27 September 2010. Performers included Archie Roach, Dan Sultan, Christine Anu, Frank Yamma, Ali Mills and the Bangarra Dance Theatre. The Awards program will be broadcast on SBS and SBS Two on 3 and 6 October respectively. The awards event was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Briggs</span> Australian actor

Tony Briggs is an Aboriginal Australian actor. He is best known for creating the stage play The Sapphires, which tells the true story of an Aboriginal singing girl group who toured Vietnam during the war. Briggs is also a former track and field athlete.

<i>Mad Bastards</i> 2011 Australian film

Mad Bastards is a 2011 Australian drama film written and directed by Brendan Fletcher. Set in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the film uses mainly local Aboriginal people in the cast, and draws on their stories for the plotline. It is Fletcher's debut film and it premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Alan Pigram is an Australian musician and songwriter. He has been a member of Scrap Metal and The Pigram Brothers.

Stephen Pigram is an Australian musician, songwriter and member of the Yawuru people.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Scrap Metal'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop . St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 16 September 2004.
  2. ↑ "A dusty town forges Scrap Metal". The Sun-Herald . 24 December 1989.
  3. ↑ Cochrane, Peter (26 January 1990). "50c trots trifecta turned to Scrap Metal". The Sydney Morning Herald .
  4. ↑ Elder, Bruce (30 September 1987). "Why Broome beats Bondi". The Sydney Morning Herald .
  5. 1 2 "Music - Review & Biography". Torres News. Torres News What's On. Thursday Island, Qld. 21 September 1990. p. 6. Retrieved 17 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ Cooper, Mike. "Brunswick Music Festival: Pigram Brothers Part Three". Brunswick Music Festival. Archived from the original on 21 August 2006. Retrieved 17 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ Scrap Metal (1987), Just Llooking, Planet Studios, retrieved 17 May 2024
  8. ↑ Scrap Metal; Albert, John; Pigram, Stephen (1988), Broken Down Man, Jigil Records, retrieved 17 May 2024
  9. ↑ Whitfield, Kathryn (2 February 1989). "Music Good Times". The Canberra Times . Vol. 63, no. 19, 476. p. 31. Retrieved 17 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ Layland, Penelope (11 October 1990). "Gems on junk-heap". The Canberra Times. Vol. 65, no. 20, 271. p. 29. Retrieved 17 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "Event: Brand Nue Dae". AusStage . 1990. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "Event: Brand Nue Dae". AusStage. 1993. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  13. ↑ gurubob (12 June 2010). "ABC Message Board - rage - Messages: Naidoc Week". ABC Message Board. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  14. 1 2 Scrap Metal (1992), Pub Sweat 'n' Tears, Jigil Records, retrieved 17 May 2024
  15. ↑ Petran, Paul (22 August 2003). "Live on Stage: 'The Pigram Brothers'". Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). Archived from the original on 10 September 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  16. ↑ "WAM Hall of Fame". West Australian Music Industry Awards. Archived from the original on 14 August 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.