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My Def FX experience

<.ACCELERATE ME.>

The very first time I heard of Def FX was when I saw the video of "We Are Now" in a Tandy electronics store in '91(for years I didn't really know which video it was - couldn't remember the sound, only remembered a scene with the figures of remaining hectares of rainforest. Saw the video some years later...)

Anyway, for some reason I thought it was cool enough to search them out. Probably a few months later I saw the Surge Ep and bought it - a tape, seeing as though we didn't own a CD player. One of my brothers had also bought something, so naturally he had to play HIS first - this resulted in me resorting to using the car stereo. From the very first bass-synth riff of "Under the Blue", I KNEW I'd scored!

Overall, Surge is brilliant.

The next offering I bought was the CD of Water, their first release (Surge being their second). Def FX were already my favourite band - this just reinforced my belief. Of course, "Surfers of the Mind" was the hit, but I also had a spot for "Ghost" (a.k.a "Drowning")

Next up was their first album, Light Speed Collision, which I picked up in Surfers Paradise somewhere - then went round the corner and saw another shop was offering it for $5 more with a T-shirt. Should've gone back...

I'd seen them perform "No Time For Nowhere" on the ARIAs before I got the album, and this was definitely my favourite from the album. Later came the release of "Space Time Disco", the video of which I first saw on the bus home from school! (it was a long trip for some, and the video was to stop 'em tearing up the bus!)

<.NO ROOM FOR A DREAMER.>

A while later they came to play at Sawtell. Unfortunately, I was under-age, so had no chance of seeing them (found out a few years later only about 20 people turned up!)

<.THIS IS THE PLACE.>

OK, 1995. I move to Brisbane to go to Uni.

Hear about the Post Moronic EP, hear "Masses like Asses" on Triple J, finally get it but have no stereo, so it's about a month later that I go to my mate's place, tape it, and hear it for the first time!

One of my favourite Def FX releases - kinda heavier than the rest, more industrial? Cool. "Mask" is perhaps my favourite off it, but it's all brilliant!

<.WIRED.>

Around May I finally get the chance to see them live for the very first time - I'd heard they absolutely went off, so there was no way I was missing it!

St Paul's Tavern. Turn up about 2hrs early, and get in free. While I'm waiting, I start talking to the merchandise man - I'd ordered a T-shirt mail-order, and here they were $10 cheaper!

Anyway, one thing leads to another, and I'm talking to Ian, the tour manager. As more and more people start streaming in, Ian makes a proposition - get behind the counter and help out, and get two shirts! Cool, I'm in.

The gig went off, though I didn't really get the chance to get into it that much. After the after-gig sales, I get Ian to introduce me! I sit in the band room like a dork for a while, talking to Peter Tasker (then bass-player) - turns out he was from around my way originally!

After the usual signatures, etc, Dave gives me Ian's mobile number on the back of a poster, and says to call next time they're in town - see if I can hook up again!

<.FEELS GOOD.>

Get Ritual Eternal (with a free T-shirt - that gave me 2 Ts & 2 black long sleevers, one of which I gave to my brother Paul), perhaps June '95? Very different direction, some songs very ambient in feel. "Truth" is my favoutite, especially live, with "NRG", "No Room for a Dreamer", "Running from Shadows",... hell, most of 'em, all high up there.

<.NO TIME FOR NOWHERE.>

Around July, they rock up again, so I call Ian. We organise so that I do merchandising at the UQ lunch- time BBQ gig. Well, the merch never eventuates, but the gig is certainly memorable - security literally pull the plug during the last song - turns out the student association didn't clear the concert with the Uni heirarchy!! Sean was not impressed... (re. pulling the plug on his sampler, etc)

Anyways, Ian asks me after the concert if I'd like to come on tour for the next few days - he hadn't organised anyone to do merchandising. Let's see: Uni vs Def FX Tour...

An hour later, we're **on the road...**

<.MORPH.>

Next time they were in Brissy (supporting Infectious Grooves) Ian got my name on the door, so I got to see 'em for free again. Saw Sean, Dave and Sean F walking down the China-town mall before-hand, chatted to them for a while - found out Sean F had decided to stay on as permanent bass player - cool, he fitted well.

Def FX go off, and I can't be bothered staying for the main act! Hell, I was only there to see Def FX!!

End of '95, move back to Coffs, get the single of "Psychoactive Summer" - cool, but the major drawcard is the live version of "Truth", which absolutely kicks!!

Early '96, get the single of "Spell on You" - goes off. "God Rod" is filth, but "Morph" really captures my attention - read on the Def FX web page that it's a "pre-mix" of a song on the up-coming Majick album, so I'm hanging...

<.MOCEAN.>

Find Majick in a store in Surfers Paradise, about a week before the scheduled release, so I'm stoked. Have to wait till I get back to Coffs before I can listen to it...

"Headfuck" is a definite favourite, as with "You only live once" (I'd been looking forward to it from "Morph"), "Mind in Mine",... well, the entire album's filth - though I don't know about "Revolution No. 9"!??

<.SURFERS OF THE MIND.>

Next, and last, time I saw Def FX was at Sawtell RSL, 1st July 1996 - the release of Majick. I'd put up posters for the gig for the promotions company, so my name was on the door.

Damn fine gig, getting off to a strange start - apparently Fiona was on the phone, so the rest of the crew decided they'd better start without her, doing "Headfuck" solo! Some of the crowd actually thought this was a good way to start!?

Hang out with the crew afterwards - Dave and Sean F are shocked and stoked to see me ("YOU?!!") - as I had been based in Brissy. Give Fi her late B'day present, then Dave convinces me to take him surfing the next day!

Next day, wake up, have to ring my (then)girlfriend to take me to pick up Dave, and we go surf at Trapdoors - decent surf, but Dave can't catch any waves 'cause he's cramping up majorly from the night before! We hang out, talk heaps, then have to rush him back to the hotel so they can get moving. He leaves his towel and rash-shirt (which my girlfriend surfs in and practically sleeps in for the next month!) in the car, so we eventually send 'em back to him - he was going to Bali, and wondered where they got to!

Get "I'll be Your Majick" single a bit later - "Butterfly" version is cool, and "Everything" is pretty different from usual?

<.LOST.>

The first I hear of Def FX splitting up is when I see a photo of Fi in a newspaper social column, with the caption saying "Fiona Horne, of the now defunct Def FX". Defunct??! Bullshit!? No way possible...

I e-mail Justin Van Stom, and unfortunatley he confirms it - Sean Lowry pulled the plug, no corespondance entered into...

Shattered. I'd been following 'em religiously for six years, trying to convince everyone else that they where THE band, they finally start getting recognition and boom...

POST BREAK-UP THERAPY:

<.RITUAL ETERNAL.>

Sit and watch the two videos Lee Christensen had sent me, featuring video clips and home video he had taken, half the time. Re-discover the old CDs I'd not listened to for a while. Basically just brood, eventually searching for other bands to fill the gap

<.MAKE YOUR STASH.>

Find Blink EP and US release of Light Speed Collision (version now available as Aus re- release) in a second-hand store in the Gold Coast, virtually brand new - possibly unsold stock?

Blink: "Sex Game Sucker" is one of my favourite Def FX songs. It and "Wired" were on the Aus Light Speed Collision, so I'd previously figued I didn't really need this EP. However, the versions are slightly different, and the other two songs are pretty good as well.

US LSC: Again, I had previously figured I didn't need this one, 'cause I had most of the songs. However, "Surfers of the Mind" is completely different, and "Road Song Fever" alone is worth getting the CD for!

March 2000 - finally get hold of Baptism second-hand in Brissy): Pretty much a compilation of Water, Surge and Blink, plus a few more. However, it has "Make Your Stash" which is absolutely insane!!!!

The only CDs I don't have are:

"No Time For Nowhere" single
"Deja Vu" Single
"Space Time Disco" Single
And a few 12" mixes, rare stuff like that. Otherwise, I pretty much have it all!

SUMMARY

I followed Def FX virtually since they released any music, and haven't let up since! They've been my favourite band since the first EP I got of them, and, basically, I must be one of the few people who have followed them religiously since