| JAB | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Genres | Experimental rock Art rock Synthpunk |
| Years active | 1976–1978 |
| Labels | Suicide Records |
| Associated acts | Models Bohdan and the Instigators |
| Past members | |
| Bohdan X Ash Wednesday Janis Friedenfelds Bob Stopa Peter Sutcliffe |
|
JAB was an Australian punk rock that band formed in Adelaide in 1976. The band's original lineup consisted of Bohdan X (Bodhan Kubiakowski) on guitar and vocals, Ash Wednesday playing bass guitar, synthesizer and tapes, and Johnny Crash (Janis Friedenfelds) on drums and vocals. The band took its name from the first initials of the founding members. In 1977, Bob Stopa was recruited as a second guitarist, and Pierre Voltaire (Peter Sutcliffe) joined on bass, allowing Wednesday to concentrate on keyboards. JAB defied strict categorization and split audiences with their abrasive sound. The catchcry label for JAB among Adelaide's early music press was "synthetic shock rock";[1][2] one contemporary critic described them as "experimental, confrontational synthpunk".[1] JAB have since been recognized as perhaps the first Australian band to marry electronica with a punk aesthetic and hard-edged guitar sound.[1]
The band relocated to Melbourne in August 1977, joining the city's burgeoning punk scene and frequently playing live alongside local bands such as The Boys Next Door and X-Ray-Z. Bohdan later recalled, "They were very exciting times, we were changing the face of the music scene and we all knew it. .... All the bands on the scene just kind of found each other. Usually it was through playing together at places like the Tiger Lounge in Richmond, Bombay Rock in Brunswick and of course Bananas down in St Kilda."[3] JAB signed to Suicide Records in January 1978, and two of their songs, "Blonde and Bombed" and "Let's Go", were included on the Lethal Weapons compilation.[3] The band played their final show in August 1978 at the Crystal Ballroom (then known as the Seaview Ballroom), which was also the first gig ever played at the now iconic venue.[4]
Bohdan X joined members of The Chosen Few to form Bohdan and the Instigators. He later issued several solo records, including the four-track, 12-inch EP, Fear of Flying, on Rumour Records in December 1983 and the mini-album, Kingsnake on Rampant Records in 1988. He also hosts a long running show on the community radio station 3RRR-FM.
Wednesday, Crash and Voltaire joined Sean Kelly (ex-Teenage Radio Stars) to form the first line-up of Models. Wednesday stayed with Models for a year, after which he played with The Metronomes, Modern Jazz and Crashland. He also issued a solo single in 1980, "Love by Numbers"/"Boring Instrumental", and became a touring member with the German band Einstürzende Neubauten.