(in no particular order): Baterz (AKA Barnaby Ward), David M. Lewis, Lillybub (AKA Bill Heuzenroeder), Kirsty Stegwazi, Spaemen (AKA Stephen McKenzie), Benjow (AKA Douglas Mackay), Andy Wiffler, Dave Wiffler, Razz Mussen (AKA Emma Rasmussen), Alex Miller. For details on which members were in the band during specific eras, see bio.
Influences
The Velvet Underground, The Violent Femmes, Sesame Street songs, but mainly each other. We used to sit around fires in backyards, handing a guitar around the circle, swapping songs. If we had a stereo or TV, they were never any good, so we looked to each other for influence and inspiration.
Sounds Like
if you can imagine the early Violent Femmes with acoustic instruments, heaps more harmonies and hardly any angst, singing about their friends spilling wine and going to the shops in Australian accents, and frantically racking their brains for half-remembered ditties from Sesame Street, then you're close, my friend. Quite, quite close.
(originally written by Baterz, later expanded by David M. Lewis).
Lineups:
(1) THE EARLY EARLY DAYS (1989 - 1990):
Baterz - vocals, guitar, drums, bass, clarinet, banjo, mandolin.
David M. Lewis - vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, drums, harmonica.
Kirsty Stegwazi - vocals, guitar, drums, banjo.
Lillybub - vocals, cello, guitar, bass, drums.
Spaemen - vocals, bass, guitar, drums, banjo.
After finishing school in Canberra (yay for Narrabundah College!), we formed the band and immediately moved to Adelaide together. We rented a dilapidated deathtrap of a house in West Hindmarsh and had lots of parties, wrote lots of songs, dug tunnels under the back yard and signed a deal with a tiny independent record label called Round Records. Everyone sang, including taking turns at being lead singer, except Lillybub who only did it a bit, and everyone wrote the songs. We played as many gigs as possible, often to audiences numbering less than the band, and managed to tour the Eastern States a couple of times and release one album (now deleted) called "It's All Fun And Games Until Someone Loses An Eye". This lineup of the band also featured on the David M. Lewis & Friends album "Mao Mao"*.
(2) THE LATE EARLY DAYS (1991 - 1992):
Baterz - vocals, guitar, drums, bass, clarinet, banjo, mandolin.
David M. Lewis - vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, drums, harmonica.
Kirsty Stegwazi - vocals, guitar, drums, banjo.
Lillybub - cello, guitar, bass, drums, vocals.
Spaemen - vocals, bass, guitar, drums, banjo.
Benjow - vocals, guitar, drums, recorder, banjo, bass.
Benjow, who had co-written some of the songs on the first album, moved to Adelaide and joined the band, which was now living in several dilapidated deathtraps around the general Hindmarsh area. This version of the band also recorded one album for Round Records, titled "Big Scary Cow" (now deleted). The songs were perhaps a bit punker (surely that's a word) than the first album. A compilation ep (now deleted) known as "the cat and dog ep" because of the cover art was put out around this time as well.
(3) THE DARK YEARS ( 1993 - 1996):
Baterz - vocals, guitar, drums, bass, clarinet, banjo, mandolin.
David M. Lewis - vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, harmonica.
Kirsty Stegwazi - vocals, guitar, drums, banjo.
Andy Wiffler - guitar, vocals, bass, drums.
(soon replaced by his brother,)
Dave Wiffler - bass, vocals, guitar, drums.
Benjow - vocals, guitar, drums, recorder, banjo, bass.
Our official stand was that we had split up, but we kept playing "reunion " shows - we discovered that heaps more people come to your gigs after you split up. Nothing from this era was released, although several passable recordings were made, notably a SCAT-TV video of an Adelaide show at the Jolly Miller and a sound recording of a show at the now defunct but deservedly legendary Punters' Club.
(4) THE AGE OF REASON (1997 - 1998):
Baterz - vocals, guitar, bass, drums, clarinets, banjo, piano, recorder.
David M. Lewis - vocals, guitar, bass, drums, banjo, harmonica.
Dave Wiffler - bass, vocals, guitar, drums, piano.
Benjow - vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano.
Lillybub - vocals, cello, clarinet, guitar, percussion..
This era signified a "coming of age " of The Bedridden in which we put together our own recording studio (Nerd Studios, Kilburn, SA) and record company (Army Of Nerds). More thought, planning and money went into production, arrangement and promotion than had previously been the case. We recorded one studio album, "I Told You It Wouldn't Work"*, before Lillybub rejoined, and one live album, "The Anthem Of The Crown And Anchor"*, over the brief series of uncharacteristically well-rehearsed shows after Lillybub rejoined and before Benjow quit. A lot of other recordings were made at this time, but nobody seems able to agree on what to do with them. (sigh).
(5) THE SCATTERED YEARS (1999 - 2002):
Baterz - vocals, guitar, bass, drums, clarinets, banjo, piano, recorder, squeezebox.
David M. Lewis - vocals, guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, harmonica.
Razz Mussen - vocals, drums, stylophone.
Lillybub - cello, guitar, bass, drums, clarinet, vocals.
Dave Wiffler - bass, guitar, drums, banjo, vocals
(was replaced in 2000 by:)
Alex Miller - vocals, bass, guitar, double bass.
David M. Lewis had moved to Victoria, leaving Baterz as the only remaining Adelaidean (new members Razz and Alex being both confirmed Victorians). Everyone had various musical projects (Baterz's solo career - well documented on a ton of various solo CDs* - was notably swinging into high gear), but we managed to find time to write, record and even put on a show or two. The bulk of a new studio album was recorded, some of which came out on the "Inland Sea" ep* and some on the "Army Of Nerds Sampler 1998 - 2005"*, but much of which has not been released. In 2002, Baterz died of complications arising from HIV, which he had been battling for many years. The Bedridden, as well as the world, will never be the same again.
(6) THE EVEN MORE SCATTERED YEARS (2002 - present):
David M. Lewis - vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica.
Kirsty Stegwazi - vocals, guitar, percussion, banjo.
Razz Mussen - vocals, percussion.
Alex Miller - vocals, double bass.
Lillybub - vocals, cello, bass, guitar, clarinet.
This lineup got together to do a reunion tour in 2005, partly to tour the just - released live album ("The Anthem Of The Crown And Anchor"*, recorded with the "Age Of Reason" lineup). Nothing has been released by this lineup, but the same people, minus Kirsty Stegwazi and plus Clay Ravin on drums, did release an album as the first incarnation of Dirtbird ("High Water Dover"*). They got as far as playing shows in Adelaide, Melbourne and Ballarat and then, in true Bedridden style, vagued out. The future, as ever, is unclear.
WHAT THE CRITICS HAVE SAID:
"sing-songy absurdist folk that works just fine" - Rolling Stone.
"the masters of quirk" - Forte.
"one of the greatest / least heralded Australian bands ever" - punters Club Form Guide.
"without a doubt, folk's alternative cutting edge" - Adelaide Messenger.
"an aggressive, low rent acoustic folk attack that hits the spot more often than not" - Beat.
"think of Sesame Street songs performed by caffeine-addicted hillbillies and you're getting close" - frisbee.
"the stuff of local legend" - dB magazine.
"The Bedridden has knocked folk music into a wild untamed new musical form with its raucous performances and curiously original songs" - Adelaide Advertiser.
"the best example Adelaide has ever seen of an original band par excellence" - The Adelaide Ray.
"a blend of acoustic psychedelia and pounding punk that is completely original...with self-deprecating humour and quirkiness that deserves to be heard" - In Press.
"The Bedridden are brilliant, childish, side-splittingly funny, mean-spirited, musically outstanding, puerile, visionary, insular, precociously talented, immature, poetic, condescending, and capable of making albums that challenge, inspire, disgust and entertain" - Townsville Bulletin.
(* - available on Army Of Nerds - don't be shy! send us a message).
G’day super trooper – just letting you know that I am playing on Friday August 7 @ The Wheatsheaf in Thebarton. I’m on at 9pm – entry is free. I will be supporting Joe Murphy and band.
Be great to see ya – if not ... I guess I won’t see ya. You level of rocking is adequate so rock on – Palky
i was visiting some friends after the nash many moons ago and commented on how i had been staying in watson and how i got lost and all the houses and the streets looked the same and my friend reached into a crate of records and said check this out and this is how i came to know of the BEDRIDDEN :)
It's time to take things day by day Time to take a chance Time to look at things in a different way I'm going to grab the first thing that comes my way I'm going to run from all my problems I'm going to do just what I like I'm going to burn down al my bridges I want to live my life I want to live my life
I miss you guys so bad I'm contemplating starting a Bedridden tribute band.
Is there anyone out there who can write songs like you guys?
Where has the creativity gone?
It was on 1996 when a friend of adelaide came to Buenos Aires.
I listen at your music and from this moment I always wanted to find some of your cds at some store, but I think that the distribution never arrived here. Thanks for the add.
We love your music and we needed this connection.
Peace & Emphaty
Clap & Biblias
Because of you I have searched for the girl you call Rachael Cooper all my life. I love her. I think of her every time I see a clock reading 6.38
I tell all my friends about you but not many of them understand, but I too sir am guilty of purchasing pluggers at the Bridge Side Plaza.
Thank you for helpling me find my capital I.
AND, Antenna is and will remain one of my favourite songs of all time.
We sing it at every camp fire.
Praise be to the bedridden!
thanks so much for the add. i was wondering if you were going to get into the terrible thing that is myspace...
unfortunately i only had the pleasure of seeing you once, and that was the last gig at the gov before baterz sadly left us. but i'm so glad i got to see you there. it was an awesome gig. i did attend the launch of the live cd at the grace, but it was so smokey in there, and since i have cf, it really wasn't doable for me to be in there... was so bummed about that.
i was a HUGE baterz fan, trying to get to every gig he did in the last 8 months he had. and through him i was made aware of your stuff, and of course instantly fell in love.
anyhoo, i'm rambling, so cheers for the add again, and hopefully see you next time in radelaide, with whatever line up takes form!
Hello lovelies,
From the punks in East Gippsland jumping infront of old-growth logtrucks where your CDs are constantly popped on as a morale and beverage uplifter! THANKYOU BEDRIDDEN! some miss Adelaide, all miss Baterz, you rock.
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