Heavy Weight Champ
Encyclopedia
Heavy Weight Champ was a three piece heavy rock band from Perth
, Australia
. Formed in 1999, the band's early sounds were akin to influences such as Tool
, Deftones
and Pearl Jam
. The group has so far released two EPs and a full-length album. As of 2008, the band has disbanded.
/guitar
), Dean Miller (drums
) and Brad Alexander (guitar/vocals) had played in several rock acts in country Victoria
including Cringer, Notbigwotbox and Strange Neighbours in the early 1990s. Toward the end of that decade the members were playing together in the alternative rock band Meld; the decision was made to move from their home towns of Wangaratta
and Corowa
to Melbourne to pursue their musical goals. Following a visit to Perth
, the group decided to move there due to Western Australia's
lifestyle and burgeoning musical scene. Ads were taken out for a bass player and after several auditions the group found Luke Copeland. Mid-1999 Alexander quit the band and returned to Victoria
leaving Heavy Weight Champ without a primary guitarist. After auditioning numerous local players to no avail McCulloch took over primary guitar duties.
In late 1999, in only its second Perth show, Heavy Weight Champ took out the Grosvenor Hotel's "Twenty Minutes of Fame" competition. Over the next few months the band would win several more titles before going on to represent Western Australia at the National Campus Band Competition finals in Sydney. The band finished third overall. With the studio time won from the competition, Heavy Weight Champ recorded their first EP Two Triple Zero at Perth's Pinnacle Studios with producer Forrester Savell. The EP was released mid-2000 and would go on to chart in the Australian Independent Record Companies Association charts Top 20 for almost a year.
After an extensive national tour in 2001 with Karnivool
along in support, Heavy Weight Champ would return to the task of writing in 2002 with the purpose of maturing their heavy sound. Toward the end of that year the band went into Watt Studios with Jarrad Hearman; trialling new tracks the result would be the WAMi
- nominated "Grey Filters" double A-side. Released mid-2003, the release showed a new fragility in the band's sound with the track "Grey". The release also contained radio edits of the singles and two live tracks. Heavy Weight Champ would capitalise on "Grey Filters'" positive reception in the Australian heavy music community with extensive tours with bands such as The Butterfly Effect
, The Mark of Cain
and Grinspoon
.
During 2004 the band turned its focus inward. Weighing up the mounting costs of national tours and the need for another release, the decision was made to forgo the benefit of another EP and instead bunker down to write a full-length album. Beginning with the few post "Grey Filters" tracks that had been written, the band proceeded to work on album material at an upstairs studio in the central Perth suburb of Subiaco
. Questions began to arise as to the band's future and break-up rumours emerged as Heavy Weight Champ retreated from the live scene to commit to the writing process exclusively. In late 2005 the band entered Perth's Loop Studios with Jarrad Hearman to begin work on Lo-Fi Funeral. Material would be tracked and mixed throughout November and December before the final mix sessions took place at Melbourne's Sing Sing Studios in March 2006. The first single "This Revolution" was released to radio in April with the album issued mid-May.
During 2006 Heavy Weight Champ returned to live performance. Lo-Fi Funeral enjoyed critical and market acclaim and saw Heavy Weight Champ head out on the national circuit several times.
Heavy Weight Champ played its final performance on 14 December 2007 in Perth.
Live set 06 - Live set broadcast on Triple J
in 6 September, tracks performed were Worth Your Weight in Gold, Part Two: The Effect and Olympiad - as yet unreleased
Bipolar - Demoed for the Lo-Fi Funeral sessions, as yet unreleased
Live set 04 - Recorded for the Sic Sessions Volume One album, a collaboration between Heavy Weight Champ, Subtruck
and Antistatic. Live tracks released on this album were Filters, Breach and Two Triple Zero
Jeri Ryan
- Demoed for the Two Triple Zero sessions and released on the 2000 Next Big Thing compilation
released 2006
This Revolution - Directed by Grant McCulloch
released 2006
Filters live - Directed by Andrew Ewing
released 2004
Down - Directed by Chris Frey
released 2000
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Formed in 1999, the band's early sounds were akin to influences such as Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
. The group has so far released two EPs and a full-length album. As of 2008, the band has disbanded.
History
Founding band members Grant McCulloch (vocalsSinging
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
/guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Dean Miller (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) and Brad Alexander (guitar/vocals) had played in several rock acts in country Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
including Cringer, Notbigwotbox and Strange Neighbours in the early 1990s. Toward the end of that decade the members were playing together in the alternative rock band Meld; the decision was made to move from their home towns of Wangaratta
Wangaratta, Victoria
Wangaratta is a cathedral city of almost 17,000 people in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, about from Melbourne along the Hume Highway, with Benalla to the southwest, and Albury-Wodonga to the northeast. It is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers which flow from the...
and Corowa
Corowa, New South Wales
Corowa is a town in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is on the bank of the Murray River, the border between New South Wales and Victoria, opposite the Victorian town of Wahgunyah. Corowa is the administrative centre of Corowa Shire...
to Melbourne to pursue their musical goals. Following a visit to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, the group decided to move there due to Western Australia's
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
lifestyle and burgeoning musical scene. Ads were taken out for a bass player and after several auditions the group found Luke Copeland. Mid-1999 Alexander quit the band and returned to Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
leaving Heavy Weight Champ without a primary guitarist. After auditioning numerous local players to no avail McCulloch took over primary guitar duties.
In late 1999, in only its second Perth show, Heavy Weight Champ took out the Grosvenor Hotel's "Twenty Minutes of Fame" competition. Over the next few months the band would win several more titles before going on to represent Western Australia at the National Campus Band Competition finals in Sydney. The band finished third overall. With the studio time won from the competition, Heavy Weight Champ recorded their first EP Two Triple Zero at Perth's Pinnacle Studios with producer Forrester Savell. The EP was released mid-2000 and would go on to chart in the Australian Independent Record Companies Association charts Top 20 for almost a year.
After an extensive national tour in 2001 with Karnivool
Karnivool
Karnivool are an Australian progressive rock band formed in Perth in 1997. The group currently consists of Ian Kenny on vocals, Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking on guitar, Jon Stockman on bass guitar, and Steve Judd on drums. Karnivool emerged from a band Kenny and Goddard formed during high school...
along in support, Heavy Weight Champ would return to the task of writing in 2002 with the purpose of maturing their heavy sound. Toward the end of that year the band went into Watt Studios with Jarrad Hearman; trialling new tracks the result would be the WAMi
West Australian Music Industry Awards
The Western Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc...
- nominated "Grey Filters" double A-side. Released mid-2003, the release showed a new fragility in the band's sound with the track "Grey". The release also contained radio edits of the singles and two live tracks. Heavy Weight Champ would capitalise on "Grey Filters'" positive reception in the Australian heavy music community with extensive tours with bands such as The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect (band)
The Butterfly Effect are an alternative metal band from Brisbane, Australia, formed in 1999. The band consists of Clint Boge , Ben Hall , Glenn Esmond and Kurt "Puddles" Goedhart . Their debut album received high rotation play on influential radio station Triple J.-The Butterfly Effect EP:The band...
, The Mark of Cain
The Mark of Cain
The Mark of Cain is a hard rock/alternative metal band from Adelaide, South Australia. Their style has been likened to that of Helmet and Rollins Band, yet this band predates both of those groups and was influenced by the early work of Joy Division and US hardcore...
and Grinspoon
Grinspoon
Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales formed in 1995 and fronted by Phil Jamieson on vocals and guitar with Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar and Kristian Hopes on drums. Also in 1995, they won the Triple J-sponsored Unearthed competition for Lismore,...
.
During 2004 the band turned its focus inward. Weighing up the mounting costs of national tours and the need for another release, the decision was made to forgo the benefit of another EP and instead bunker down to write a full-length album. Beginning with the few post "Grey Filters" tracks that had been written, the band proceeded to work on album material at an upstairs studio in the central Perth suburb of Subiaco
Subiaco, Western Australia
Subiaco is an inner western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, situated to the north west of Kings Park. Its Local Government Area is the City of Subiaco.-History:Prior to European settlement the area was home to the Noongar Indigenous people....
. Questions began to arise as to the band's future and break-up rumours emerged as Heavy Weight Champ retreated from the live scene to commit to the writing process exclusively. In late 2005 the band entered Perth's Loop Studios with Jarrad Hearman to begin work on Lo-Fi Funeral. Material would be tracked and mixed throughout November and December before the final mix sessions took place at Melbourne's Sing Sing Studios in March 2006. The first single "This Revolution" was released to radio in April with the album issued mid-May.
During 2006 Heavy Weight Champ returned to live performance. Lo-Fi Funeral enjoyed critical and market acclaim and saw Heavy Weight Champ head out on the national circuit several times.
Heavy Weight Champ played its final performance on 14 December 2007 in Perth.
Other recordings
Other Heavy Weight Champ recordings include...Live set 06 - Live set broadcast on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
in 6 September, tracks performed were Worth Your Weight in Gold, Part Two: The Effect and Olympiad - as yet unreleased
Bipolar - Demoed for the Lo-Fi Funeral sessions, as yet unreleased
Live set 04 - Recorded for the Sic Sessions Volume One album, a collaboration between Heavy Weight Champ, Subtruck
Subtruck
Subtruck is a heavy groove rock band that was formed in 1998 in Perth, Western Australia by singer/guitarist Phil Bradley, previously of The Jackals.-Biography:The band also features Kris Goodwin on drums and Robert Troup on bass...
and Antistatic. Live tracks released on this album were Filters, Breach and Two Triple Zero
Jeri Ryan
Jeri Ryan
Jeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series...
- Demoed for the Two Triple Zero sessions and released on the 2000 Next Big Thing compilation
Videography
Worth your Weight in Gold - Directed by Grant McCullochreleased 2006
This Revolution - Directed by Grant McCulloch
released 2006
Filters live - Directed by Andrew Ewing
released 2004
Down - Directed by Chris Frey
released 2000