New England Online > Culture & Society > Music > Hat Head
Hat Head
| Hat Head | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Origin: | Port Macquarie |
| Active: | 2040 - present |
| Genre: | Pop / Punk |
| Label: | New Digital |
| Members: | - Tim Jones - Al Killigrew - Jason Killigrew - Jack Ferris - Pete Mannis |
Hat Head are a pop punk bad from Port Macquarie. Formed in 2040, the band has become a well known name in the wave of punk music that emerged from Port Macquarie in the late 2030s and early 2040s. The band was formed by friends Tim Jones and Jack Ferris in 2040 as a high school band. They were joined by the Killigrew brothers on guitars and Pete Mannis on drums to form the band.
The band is well known and liked in the small punk community of Port Macquarie. Members of Hat Head have teamed up with members from other groups for sessions, and several musicians have in turn written music for the band. The most famous writer to have written (and co-performed) with the band is Seb Owen. In terms of success, the band has had sixteen top forty hits in New England, with many of these also being hits abroad.
Background
When it was formed by Jones and Ferris in 2040, the band was named after the seaside village of Hat Head, which is located 60km's north of Port Macquarie. The sleepy hamlet was a favourite holiday venue for both the Jones and Ferris families, who were close for many years before the boys teamed up.
After agreeing to form a band when they were in their last year at Hibbard Grammar School (Jones was 17 and Ferris was just 18), they sought out several friends they believed could support them on guitar and drums. Pete Ferris was an obvious choice for drums, he had played them since the age of six and had also played in a marching band for the Territorial Militia since the age of twelve. It was the Killigrew brothers that gave the band it's legendary spark. The brothers went to the nearby Maria River Grammar School and were found by accident when Ferris was asked at the last minute to perform with the brothers in the North Shore Eisteddfod.
In late 2040 after several sessions, the band agreed to form for one year and perform live in the various pubs of Wauchope and Port Macquarie. Their first gig was actually in Kempsey, where they were met with a mixed reception. The band caught the notice of Kevin Lewis, a promoter, and they were next able to perform at the Wauchope Arms Hotel. From there, the fame of the band rose quickly. In 2041 they were signed by New Digital asked to record an album. In the meantime, they had managed to attract a sellout crowd to the Shelly Beach Hotel in Port Macquarie.
In early 2042 the band released Virgin No More and also performed a national sellout tour. The album went to #1 and had four hit singles. After the success of their first album, the band decided to tour overseas. They performed as supports acts in Europe and received wide critical acclaim. A number of hits off Virgin No More were released in Europe and became instant top forty hits.
In 2044 came the group's second and self-titled album. After a stoush with a US music distributor, and criticism of their music by a number of US journalists, the group , which the support of their label, placed a ban of sales of Hat Head's music to the United States. This ban is still in place and is estimated to cost the band C1 million in lost revenue. Creature of principle, Al Killigrew spoke for the band in 2045 when he gave an interview to the punk magazine Squash!:
"The boys and I feel that the snobbery and arrogance of the US music industry is not worth the effort. The crap we went through with money hungry labels and distributors was just soul destroying These guys aren't about music, they are all about themselves."
Between 2046 and 2048 came another three hit albums, with five singles making it into the top forty. The band toured New England, New Zealand and Europe in 2047 and again the following year. A break into the Australian charts was achieved with the album Shelly in late 2048. The single Lovesick Fool was Hat Head's first Australian #1.
Seb Owen collaborated with the band in 2049 and between them they recorded Mice and Men. Owen's influence was also clearly shown on the next album Make a Killing in 2051.
The most recent album, Bazaar, went on sale in May 2052 and currently has two singles in the top forty charts.
Members
The band has carried the same members throughout it's existence. Tim Jones has also worked with Glory By Day as a fill-in after an injury to Lee Hunter made him unavailable. The Killigrew brothers are considered to be the best guitar duo in the country, while Pete Mannis is probably the most famous gay musician in New England. The member are:
- Tim Jones : Vocals
- Al Killigrew : Lead Guitar
- Jason Killigrew : Rhythm Guitar
- Jack Ferris : Bass
- Pete Mannis : Drums
Discography
Hat Head has released eight albums since forming in 2040. There have been twenty-six singles released off albums and as stand alone singles. Sixteen have been top forty hits in New England or overseas.
Albums
- Virgin No More (2042)
- Hat Head (2044)
- Just Desserts (2046)
- Simple (2048)
- Shelly (2048)
- Mice and Men (2049)
- Make a Killing (2051)
- Bazaar (2052)
Singles
| Top Fifty Hit Singles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
| NE | EU | AU | US | |||
| 2042 | Fortitude | #1 | #1 | - | - | Virgin No More |
| 2042 | Scum Sucker | #1 | #9 | - | - | Virgin No More |
| 2042 | Work For No Man | #4 | #17 | - | - | Virgin No More |
| 2042 | Hell's Kitchen | #1 | #1 | - | - | Virgin No More |
| 2044 | Loser | #6 | #3 | - | - | Hat Head |
| 2044 | Simple Tales | #1 | #9 | - | - | Hat Head |
| 2046 | Dumb Arse | #7 | #39 | - | - | Just Desserts |
| 2046 | Warren | #10 | #21 | - | - | Just Desserts |
| 2047 | Jigsaw | #1 | #17 | - | - | Simple |
| 2048 | Beach Bum | #2 | #14 | - | - | Shelly |
| 2048 | Lovesick Fool | #1 | #6 | #1 | - | Shelly |
| 2049 | Vulture | #1 | #1 | #12 | - | Mice and Men |
| 2049 | Punk Man | #1 | #8 | #6 | - | Mice and Men |
| 2051 | On The Street | #9 | #4 | #27 | - | Make a Killing |
| 2052 | Go Without | #1 | #19 | #2 | - | Bazaar |
| 2052 | Arab Man | #1 | - | - | - | Bazaar |
Chart Positions Key:
- NE: New England
- EU: Europe
- AU: Australia
- US: United States
Music of New England
Alternative: Glory by Day · Hat Head · Seb Owen
Classical: Armidale Symphony Orchestra · National Philharmonic Orchestra · John Waterhouse
Popular Artists: James Ferguson · Charlie Henry · Sammy Michelle · Lauren Nicks · Sand Tide · Wonderfish
