As Is (Bands from Perth, Australia)

As Is existed between about 1992 and 1996, playing in many of the few pub venues available for original bands.

I was initially convinced to pick up an old bass guitar that was laying around the house, more of a piece of furniture than a musical instrument, by a friend who was starting a band and couldn’t find a bass player. My house was also our early rehearsal space.

We started rehearsing under the name “Two Faces Of Culture” playing covers by The Cramps, The Saints/The Aints, The Ramones, The Beasts of Bourbon, Iggy Pop and other similarly influenced tunes, plus some early originals. We progressed to more permanent rehearsal spaces, after complaints by some of the locals and the band slowly improved. We found another drummer when the first drummer started to lose interest and the friend who first asked me to join his band moved on to do some dj-ing (this decision was sort of forced upon him) as we found another vocalist and started gigging in earnest under the moniker As Is.

The venues we played included The Shenton Park (now an old persons home), The Lone Star (knocked down for a tunnel through the city), The Loft (went the way of many nightclubs and faded away into something else), The Grosvenor (still going strong), The Harbourside (dunno what’s happening there now) and many others I can’t think of at the moment.

We did two recording sessions during our time together, both with Laurie Sinagra. The first was recorded live to 8-track in our rehearsal room, with vocal overdubs added later. The second session was recorded, (with yet another new drummer) in the studio although the band was still pretty much recorded live, again with vocal overdubs.

But the rest of the band eventually decided that they wanted a new bass player - even though I was the one organizing all of the gigs, advertising and flyers, coordinating the recordings and who owned the master tapes and DATS. I was told in explanation that our musical paths were heading in opposite directions.

So I went off and joined The Hoovers and they never found another bass player, never played another gig together and eventually broke up. Sad story, huh? But it was (pretty much) fun while it lasted.

Thanks to all of my regular lurkers, I can see that counter slowly (yet constantly) climbing, but I don’t seem to get too many comments. What do you all think of the Perth music scene? Are there any bands here you haven’t heard of before but are interested in hearing more of? Or bands you are interested in hearing but haven’t seen out in the ether yet? Should I continue with this theme? I’ve hardly touched the surface of the vibrant music scene in my home town.

I’m off on holidays for a week or so, heading back home to Perth to see family and friends. I’d love to hear your thoughts while I’m gone.

In the meantime I’ll leave you with some recordings of my first band that managed to get into the studio (or at least to get the studio to us in a rehearsal room).


As Is - Count To Ten

As Is - Bury The Lie