Early Years & Memoirs of a Common Man 1999-2003
Formed in Melbourne in 1999, the band was originally only a side project for guitarist/singer Andrew Kitchen and bassist/singer Sean Daly who were at the time performing in another band name 'Dispersia', which later broke up and gave way to Antiskeptic. Initially named 'TSP' – an acronym for 'the side project' – Andrew Kitchen came up with the band's name whilst treating an infected ear piercing; Andrew misread the label on a bottle of antiseptic and suggested it to the other members.
Shortly after, Nick Coppin became the band's drummer and the trio began to write material and play live shows. The band issued a self-titled EP in 1999 and complemented the release with a low-budget video clip for the track 60% Intentional, which was featured on Australian music video program Rage. The success of the EP and 60% Intentional saw the band begin touring outside of Melbourne for the first time, and scored festival slots at the Black Stump Music and Arts Festival in New South Wales and Forest Edge Music Festival in Victoria.
In 2001, the band released a second EP, Change My Ways which featured two forthcoming tracks from the debut album that was still being recorded by Producer David Carr. The EP also featured 3 previous un-released songs and a short video clip of interviews and liver performances.
In June 2002, Antiskeptic finally released their debut album. Titled Memoirs of a Common Man, the album propelled the band to new heights. Lead single Called featured on high rotation on national radio stations Triple J and Triple M, with the track and video clip also featuring on Triple J's famous Hottest 100 compilation (CD and DVD, Volume 10) after being voted number 92 in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2002.
The success of Called also lent itself to more festival dates, including the M-One Rock Festival with Nickelback, Midnight Oil and the Goo Goo Dolls and the Homebake festival with Gerling, Jet, Pnau and others.
Aurora 2003-2005
In 2003, Daly made the decision to leave the band and pursue other interests. He toured and recorded with his side project, sunsetsallday and also married his partner. He was replaced by Shane O'Keeffe, who contributed bass on Nothing to Say, the lead single from the band's sophomore album, Aurora.
However, the then 18-year-old decided that the pressures of moving from Queensland to Melbourne were too great, and he made the decision to leave. This left the band without a bass player for the remainder of the "Aurora" recording sessions and the planned national tour to promote the new album.
Daly and album producer David Carr recorded the remaining bass tracks and friend Corey Sleap was able to fill in for the tour while they continued to search for a full-time replacement.
Despite the set-backs, lead single Nothing to Say featured on Australian radio, the music video also ran on national programs such as Rage and Channel V. As the band went on a national tour to support the album, Clear to Pass was issued as a free single available through the band's website, complete with artwork. The single achieved some modest radio play, being picked up by Triple M and Sydney independent station FBI.
At the beginning of 2004, it was announced that Daly had rejoined the band after temporarily filling in for the band in December 2003. On returning the band, Daly described the reunion as follows: "The band was in a position when they were trying out some bass players and they were in a spot with some shows. They contacted me and asked if I’d come back as a fill in, which I was thrilled to do because I’d had a break and was feeling great about it. After one show they said we’ve got these other shows booked, how would you feel about filling in for those. Then those three shows became five and it became a case of why don’t I just stay.”The reunited trio released a single and music video for Beautiful In White and followed up with re-recorded version of the Aurora track More Than Kind on vinyl, complete with new vocals by Daly.
While the band had reunited, Coppin moved to Brisbane, but remained a full member of Antiskeptic.
In March and April 2004, Antiskeptic headlined the Renegade Festival which toured Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Others on the bill included I Killed The Prom Queen and After the Fall. The band also played the Gold Coast's Festival of Beers, Push Over Festival in Melbourne and the Cosmonautical Festival in Perth during the same period.
In September 2005, Antiskeptic played at Youth Alive 2005 in the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. The concert was filmed, and would later be released on the DVD accompanying Monuments.
Monuments and split 2006-2008
Following the release and tours for the last of the Aurora singles, the band re-entered the studio to record the EP/DVD release Monuments. The recording was originally supposed to be an album, but the band became concerned that the new studio sessions were too similar to that of the previous album; “we had predominantly focused ourselves on writing another album...but we found that the more and more we tried, the more and more we came up with, it was just sounding like Aurora part two. So we put ourselves to the task of writing something really different and that takes time," stated Daly. The result was a 4 track EP that was cut down from 13 demos which showcased a brand-new musical direction for the band, with the group exploring more hard rock and progressive territory. The band supported Dashboard Confessional on their Australian tour, before conducting their own national tour in support of the release.
The band appeared on Rove Live on 19 September 2006 as the show's house band.
In March 2008 at the Easterfest music festival, the band made a statement during their performance that the band was finishing up as of September 2008. Recalling the decision to call it quits, drummer Coppin elaborated that "when we finished up in 2008, priorities had shifted in the band and we were unable to continue doing it in a way that was respectful to all members."
Their 'Goodbye Goodnight tour' was to be their final tour, with only one Adelaide show, one Sydney show and two Melbourne shows, the last of which was on the 20th of September 2008 to a sold out home crowd at the Hi-Fi Bar. In celebration of their career, they recorded one final single entitled "I'll Follow", which was available for free download on their MySpace, and released a DVD called "Memoirs of a Common Band", which is essentially an overview of their career. The final live performance was recorded and filmed. The concert audio was made available to the audience immediately after the performance on the band's final CD release titled 'Goodbye Goodnight - Live at the Hi-Fi’. A full-length CD/DVD of the performance with enhanced audio and features was released in 2011 through El Shaddai Records.
Reunion and Reformation and Current Activities 2011–Present
In March 2011 it was announced via the bands Facebook page that its members would reunite for a special one-off performance at Melbourne's iconic punk/metal venue The Arthouse to commemorate its closing. Tickets for the show sold out in minutes and the band was joined by fellow Melbourne rock trio Horsell Common.
The band played a brand new song titled ‘The Kids Aren’t Scared' and was also the first time people could purchase the full length CD/DVD 'Goodbye Goodnight - Live at the Hi-Fi 2008'. Following the show, Kitchen and Coppin decided they wished to continue on following the success of the Arthouse show. Following a series of discussions, Coppin and Kitchen decided to re-form the band permanently, without Daly;
"We got some feedback that Antiskeptic was the chemistry that we all had, but Nick and I were keen to proceed," recalled Kitchen in a 2012 interview. "We all talked about it. A few days after we made that decision, Nick and I walked in on a new frontier. We had gigs booked, and with only two active members. A day or two later, one Bodyjar show was confirmed and we knew we made the right decision from then on."
Coppin also expanded on the reasons for the band's reunion and why they would reunite without Daly in a 2012 interview; "weʼd had discussions about doing Antiskeptic again after The Arthouse show, but it was clear that he (bassist Sean Daly) was not on the same page as Andrew and I. This was the reason why things had finished in the first place, so after having had three years to think about the dissolution of the band – there was no way I was going to allow myself to be put back into that position of limitation and constriction. With all due respect to Sean, I now feel that we can lift off the park brake in the car and move on and dream again."
In early November 2011 the band's complete reunion was formally announced, with the addition of new members Tavis Wardlaw of No Love For Lexi and Ryan Mclerie of House Vs. Hurricane. At this time, Antiskeptic announced a reunion tour of Australia; combining club shows with festivals, including headlining performances at Easterfest in Toowoomba (Queensland) with P.O.D., Rapture Ruckus and Mercyme in April 2012, and Victoria's Forest Edge Music Festival with Ivoryline in March 2012.
The remainder of the dates will include shows at traditional live venues in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.[1] The band will also play a one-off show with its contemporaries Bodyjar and One Dollar Short on the 31st of March in Melbourne, to celebrate the limited edition release of Bodyjar's landmark album No Touch Red on vinyl.
When queried on the future of the band, Coppin stated in January 2012 that it was open-ended; "the plan for Antiskeptic is to have fun. We are now in a position where we are open to anything. We have four dudes in a band that are passionate about playing music and performing for people and that is feeling really exciting and invigorating. We want to continue to tour, we want to record and we want to have a blast doing it!"
In late March 2012 Kitchen announced via the band's Pozible webpage that the quartet would head into the studio to record an album which would see release in either 2012 or 2013.The 3rd studio record will be produced by Daniel Kelaart and mastered by Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, Cog).
Members
Current
Andrew Ridley Kitchen – Vocals and Guitar (1999–present)
Nick Coppin – Drums (1999–present)
Ryan Mclerie – Guitar and vocals (2011–present)
Tavis Wardlaw – Bass Guitar and vocals (2011–present)
Former
Sean Daly – Bass Guitar and vocals (1999–2003, 2003–2008, one-off show in 2011)
Shane O'Keeffe – Bass guitar (2003)
Corey Sleap – Bass guitar (2003)
Dancing on the Inside
Antiskeptic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caught up in your eyes, battlefield of behaviour
The music played wins you over
Crowded faces, sweating up and panting
Breaking down the lines, social ties eliminated
The music played draws us closer
Now the night's getting old
The lure of this crude medication
Glimmer in the lights and the shining faces
The music played wins you over
And you adhered to the social order
Given up the chance to command their favour
The music played draws us closer
Dancing on the inside
Now the nights getting old
Shouting from the roof of your heart
Take this hand my dear
You can throw it all to hell
The nervousness release
it's over, it's over
Becomes steady
Finding indication of a stunning brightness and elation
Fed up running, try to get the pace down
Tonight wanting part of revelation
The lyrics of Antiskeptic's song Dancing on the Inside paint a vivid picture of a night out, where people are caught up in the excitement and energy of the music. In the veil of the night, jubilation takes over as people let loose and dance their troubles away. The music played draws them in, eliminating social ties and breaking down the lines that usually divide people. The lure of the "crude medication" is too strong, and glimmers in the lights and shining faces. People adhere to the social order, giving up the chance to command favor, as the music played draws them closer. The chorus speaks of dancing on the inside, as the night gets old and people shout from the roof of their heart.
The lyrics suggest that through the power of music, people can release their nervousness and enjoy a stunning brightness and elation. The song acknowledges that sometimes people need to let loose and be part of something bigger than themselves. The line, "You can throw it all to hell," suggests that perhaps people need to forget about their worries and just have fun for a while. The final line of the song hints at a desire for revelation, perhaps suggesting that the magic of music and dancing can reveal something deeper and more profound about the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
In the veil of the night jubilation
Amidst the darkness of the night, there is a sense of excitement and celebration
Caught up in your eyes, battlefield of behaviour
I am entranced by your gaze, but it is also causing turmoil and confusion within me
The music played wins you over
The melody is captivating and alluring, and has the power to charm and seduce
Crowded faces, sweating up and panting
People are packed in closely together, perspiring and breathing heavily
Breaking down the lines, social ties eliminated
The boundaries between individuals are breaking down, and social etiquette is disregarded
The music played draws us closer
The rhythm is bringing us together and creating a sense of intimacy
Dancing on the inside
Although outwardly still, I am experiencing an inner sense of dancing and joy
Now the night's getting old
The evening is progressing, and time is slipping away
The lure of this crude medication
The appeal of this basic form of escapism
Glimmer in the lights and the shining faces
The sparkle of the illumination and the radiant expressions of the people
And you adhered to the social order
You have conformed to the expected standards of behavior
Given up the chance to command their favour
You have relinquished the opportunity to impress and win the esteem of others
Take this hand my dear
Join me in this moment, my love
You can throw it all to hell
We can disregard everything else and surrender to the experience
The nervousness release
The tension fades away
it's over, it's over
The feeling of hesitation and inhibition is gone
Becomes steady
I regain my composure
Finding indication of a stunning brightness and elation
Discerning evidence of a remarkable sense of happiness and euphoria
Fed up running, try to get the pace down
Tired of constantly moving, and attempting to slow down and savor the moment
Tonight wanting part of revelation
Tonight, I desire to have an experience that will reveal something significant and meaningful
Contributed by Madelyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.