For anyone/everyone who wants to know? Who the hell that is? That’s Rowland S. Howard’s band before he joined The Boys Next Door which became The Birthday Party. The Accident song is one of his many lesser well-known songs, one do I really like/love maybe more that very famous one that other bloke when on to sing. One reason to enjoy this one is I’ve or maybe you’ve not heard it a million time before? Like that song I’m talking about which is Shivers. I guess, fair is fair that other bloke who sung it is: Nick Cave, if you have no idea what in hell I’m talking about? NC himself has try very hard to clear up that it was Rowland who wrote Shivers not him!
Anyway before all that was Young Charlatans who recorded a 1978 demo tape of 11 songs. These recordings have been called/labeled unlistenable and never have really been released but a few years ago you could download the whole thing from RSH official website, which is what I did. I don’t know where you can get it now? But 9 of the 11 tracks have been uploaded to YouTube. Whoever uploaded Accident song did included another track called You And/Or Her as some kind-of double? But because I’m doing some kind-of alphabet order, one song every few days, let’s call that one a kind-of extra/bonus track today. These couple of songs were listed as track number eight and nine on that, simple entitled Demo 1978.
A tiny bit about the Young Charlatans now, Along with RSH the line-up was Ian ‘Ollie’ Olson on vocals & guitar, Janine Hall on bass and Jeffrey Wegener on drums. Story about them was Jeffrey in 1977 goes to Melbourne to meet Rowland and Ollie to start them band with them, they travel up to Sydney where Janine joins them. Playing only a dozen of shows only once moving back to Melbourne a year later, recording the demo in mid-1978. Ollie leaves the band three or four times over this time to rejoins them but leaves one last time, they replace him with a new member for like one more gig but by August 1978 Howard joins The Boys The Next Door so that’s the end of the Young Charlatans.
I totally loved this Demo 1978 and just think it’s so pure punk rock at it’s total greatest. I guess, yeah it’s bloody raw as all hell or it couldn’t be more rough if you tried? Here’s what’s been uploaded to YouTube of that Demo 1978, someone else has made a playlist which is in the order of that official listing, linked here. Opening with not one but the two versions of that very famous song Shivers with Howard himself singing it, have you heard that before? Off course, with a few more lesser well-known songs:
BTW Rowland S. Howard tribute shows are playing next year Jan/Feb. 2020 in London, Orléans, Paris and Melbourne. With different singers singing his songs, I’ve seen one show like these a few years ago, over east and was most wonderful amazing gig, well worth going if you can make it to any of these shows!
Cheers 🙂
a1000mistakes 
I really like this. I have never heard of this band that existed before the Birthday Party. The Rowland S Howard tribute gig would be so good to see, I am sure it will be really good. I hope you had a lovely Christmas. I am still on Melbourne time but now back in Wellington. Have a good one 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh well, they never really official released anything but i found them first on an Aussie punk/post-punk comp album called Inner City Sound of the 2000’s, if you’ll like to know? His tribute show was amazing when i seen it so no doubt it will be great this time and the corner hotel is a cool venue, pity I’m going to miss it!
Oh yeah yeah, Xmas is finally over again but new years eve is next-up so hope you have a nice one too! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person