Avail Over the James

Avail 'Over the James' (Lookout! Records 1998)

In 1998/99 I took what many now refer to as a 'Gap Yah'. Straight Edge XScottX made me a compilation tape to take with me on my trip, which was, I'm sure you'll agree, a very touching gesture. From memory one side was emo and the other was hardcore and I remember listening to it on many, many occasions. That tape led opened my eyes and ears to Boy Sets Fire, Grade, As Friends Rust and Avail amongst others. What a true straight edge gent.

I made a lot of very good friends on that trip; many of whom I still see fairly regularly and many with whom I sadly lost touch. One those great friends was Scotty Mac, lead singer of Toe to Toe and Sydney Hardcore legend. After a lengthy jaunt around Asia and the Indian subcontinent I arrived back in Sydney for a final week before my return to the UK and I spent the whole time living with Scott in the back of Resist Records.

Resist was, at the time, a fledgling record label/shop who specialised in releasing Aussie hardcore and operated out of a small shop in Australia Street in the Newtown area of Sydney. Graham was the driving force behind the label, mainly because he was straight edge and not permanently pissed like the rest of the Sydney crew, and from small punk acorns great hardcore oaks have grown. I'm always chuffed to see how well they are doing, despite their main bands not being to my tastes.

In those days though, Scott and I would mooch about in the back of the shop drinking and watching old VHS recordings of The Rabbitohs until crew would arrive, the Town Hall would open and we'd go for a pie and many, many schooners of Hahn, Tooheys and Coopers. I loved Newtown, it was brilliant; like a mix of Camden, the Lower East Side and Glasgow's West End (but grittier!) and I got to live in a record shop. I couldn't really have hoped for much more and I'll never forget Scott and the hospitality he and the SHC showed me. Mighty Oath!

I would spend every spare moment taping their extensive stock, which was obviously a bit rude so I bought a handful of records on my last day with my remaining Aussies bucks. I picked up 'Over the James' based on the songs 'New #2' and 'Cross Tie' which XScottX had put on the comp he gave me. The former was a melodic take on Sick of it All type hardcore and the latter was a catchy, lilting track with a Hot Water Music/Broccoli feel to it.

Those tracks were well chosen, and due to familiarity stood out against the rest of the LP. They still do, which points to the fact that the rest is not bad, but just not great. It's pretty standard melodic hardcore which is done a lot better by other bands, particularly the myriad 'gruff' bands from Gainesville on No Idea Records. Yes, I'm sure those bands ripped off Avail, but I've never got into Avail enough to care.

When The Process toured with Municipal Waste, who are from Richmond, the home of Avail and the James River, Tony would announce every night that their merch guy was Tim, the vocalist from Avail, and the perplexed faces of those who would first stare then nod in agreement when he did guest vocals were hilarious. Tony was like a thrash Derren Brown bamboozling the hardcore faithful with his deceptions!

This was another LP where it pained me to remove the shrink wrap, which still had the Resist price tag on it, $19.00, in order to take the photo, but needs must when handsome chap Jamie's chrome dome was reflecting off it!

Peace