“triple j refused to play our first record,” says Area-7 frontman John ‘Stevo’ Stevens. “They flatly refused to play Road Rage when it first came out because it had horns in it. Then all of a sudden, within 12-18 months, they had all of our records on high rotation.”
Area-7 rose up through the ever-fruitful Melbourne rock ranks in the mid-‘90s. While the seven-piece got together in 1994, it wasn’t until the 1999 single Second Class Citizen – and the subsequent album Bitter & Twisted – that their impact was felt nationwide. The tremors of this breakthrough still haven’t subsided.
“We can play something like Second Class Citizen to a bunch of 15-year-olds now and they get it,” Stevo says. “And they know the words, which spins me out actually. Then we can play it to an older crowd and they get it as well.
“Area-7 always prided itself on not really making political comment but we certainly made social comment. The difficulties with youth and growing up, they don’t really change from generation to generation. So in some ways, the anthem-y kind of songs are a little bit timeless, which is great.”
Yes, your arithmetic is correct, it’s now 20 years since Area-7’s inception. In the spirit of all things loud and sweaty, right now they’re in the middle of an Australia-wide anniversary tour. Following this run of dates, the band’s locked in for Soundwave 2015, which is likely be the last chance to see them.
“I think this will be it for us.” says Stevo. “We’re really honoured that AJ and Chris O’Brien sought us out to play on this [Soundwave] tour. We can quite happily walk away from it and say ‘That was a great time for the last 20-odd years, thank you very much, but time to give some of the new guys a crack’.”
No matter how much time has passed, looking back on one’s earlier activities is often a cringe-worthy experience. Area-7’s 20th birthday incited plenty of reflection in Stevo. And believe it or not, he’s largely pleased by what he’s found.
“We were lucky enough to have a moment in the sun and a lot of bands don’t get to do that. I can quite easily hold my head up high and think Area-7’s done some fantastic things. We put ska into the mainstream. We put it actually into a wider audience. We’re really proud of that and we’re still proud of the records.
“I had a listen to Say It To My Face the other day and I hadn’t listened to it in probably about four or five years,” he adds. “I listened to it and I said, ‘You know, that’s not a bad record actually’. It’s pretty cool if you can do that.”
This moment in the sun Stevo mentions involved Bitter & Twisted hitting number three on the ARIA charts and reaching Gold sales status. 2001’s Say It To My Face perpetuated this success, with its sardonic anthem Nobody Likes a Bogan making the ARIA top 30. However, scanning across the Area-7 timeline, it’s hard to ignore that they haven’t released anything since 2005’s Torn Apart. Unfortunately, even a band powered by the spirit of rebellion couldn’t avoid the music industry’s ugly side.
“We were tied to an American record label that closed up shop in Australia,” Stevo explains. “We had a single in the Top 40, we had a new single ready to drop, we were headlining on the Vans Warped Tour at that time in 2002. We were ready to go on our next step and our record company closed their operation here in Melbourne in one day. So we were left languishing for a couple of years, not really knowing who to talk to.”
Of course, bands don’t have to keep releasing music to qualify as a band. Performing in front of adoring audiences is equally as important and Area-7 never stopped playing live. Meanwhile, there is a chance that they’ll provide their fans with a parting gift.
“We wrote new songs that we actually played live but aren’t on any records,” Stevo reveals. “So there’s still an opportunity for us to record something as an EP or a digital release that we might do just before we call it quits.”
As exciting as this prospect is, Area-7’s always been in their element on stage. So, why have they chosen to close the shutters now? In an act of maturity – all too rare in the music industry – Stevo reasons that this way they’ll go out firing on all cylinders.
“There’s a great line in a Rancid song: “The secret to a good life is knowing when you’re through”. I’ve actually gotten to a point where I won’t go to see some bands anymore because I remember how amazing they were and I just want to keep that memory as it was. I have seen a couple of bands and gone, ‘Hmm, they’re not as good as they used to be.’ I don’t want people to say that about Area-7, ever.”
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
