| The Leftovers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Genres | punk |
| Years active | 1976–1979, 1983 |
| Labels | Punji Stick, Dropkick |
| Past members | |
| Warren Lamond Jim Shoebridge Glenn Smith Graeme ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson Ed 'Wreckage' Dziduch Michael Hiron Mark Troy Johnny 'Burnaway' Gorman Mal "Malcontent' Skewis |
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Brisbane punk rock band The Leftovers, formed in 1976, had acquired local cult punk hero status in Australia over the years due to their acknowledged reputation in the past for excessive anti social practices, constant harassment by the Queensland Police Force and self destructive deeds. Their musical style fitted the generic conventions of punk but they also paid live homage to earlier proto–punk influences such as Lou Reed and Patti Smith.
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Originally from Sandgate, Queensland, the band mostly played self promoted hall shows, such as at the Hamilton Hall and the Sandgate Town Hall. From Brisbane punk’s infancy in 1975 to its eventual demise around 1984, these hall venues were seen to be an important and essential part of the developing character of the Brisbane punk rock scene, especially as regular band venues gave only limited or no stage access to punk bands to play their music on.
Like The Saints, they encountered at these hall venues, the disproportionate attention of the law. “Many Leftover gigs were never finished – police would often pull the plug before they had a chance to get through a full set.”[1] The Leftovers had been quoted as saying. However, unlike The Saints, the group never achieved critical success for the duration of their career; only managing to release one E.P. in 1979. The A-side was called Cigarettes and Alcohol and now is considered an Australian punk “classic.”[2]
The band started out with members Warren Lamond on vocals, Jim Shoebridge on guitar, Glenn Smith on bass and Graeme ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson on drums but also had a plethora of other musicians filling in vacant roles. They included also at various times Michael Hiron on drums, Mark Troy on saxophone, Johnny Burnaway, guitar and Ed Wreckage, first drums and then guitar. Some of these members went on to join up with The Riptides at various times.
The Leftovers went to tour Sydney, but before their first live show there they were thrown out by the hotel Manager, their guitarist Jim Shoebridge was viciously assaulted and had to be hospitalized, receiving numerous stitches to his eye and mouth, their drum kit was no longer usable and singer Warren Lamond overdosed on drugs. After this they became disillusioned with Sydney and vowed to never return. “We decided we were never gonna play in Sydney again no matter what. They could all go and get fucked. Brisbane was fun and they were all a pack of cockhead yobbos. They were the same as all the fucken yobbos as far as we were concerned. There wasn't one bit of artistic culture down there. Didn't matter who they were for years, we just thought, Nup!” said Ed Wreckage on his opinion of Sydney.[3]
The band’s misfortune continued in a downward spiral which led them to disband in 1979. After the split, according to Ian McFarlane, a string of tragedies to the band ex-members with suicide attempts, prison for drug offences and premature deaths.
In 1983, they managed to reform for one last live show.
In the early 2000s a retrospective CD of Leftovers was released called The Fucken Leftovers Hate You. The material included recorded songs including Patti Smith’s Hermine and a collection of live recordings.
Punji Stick PRS-26248
McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'The Leftovers'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. p. 363. ISBN 1865080721. http://web.archive.org/web/20040419074247/www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=1010.