Space Party is a 3-piece instrumental/surf band based in Canberra, Australia.
Kevin and Alex have known each other since about 2003 and started jamming on surf tunes together with the aim of having some fun, getting back their playing chops and maybe doing a recording sometime. We became a band in February 2006 with the addition of Darren on drums. We are all old geezers and between us have a bit of musical history:
Alex Plegt - Guitar, songs. Started off in 1980 in Brisbane in a band called President's Eleven. They got quite well-known after, or maybe because, he left. Played in punk band Politburo in 1982. After he left they changed their name to Vicious Circle and got quite well-known. (Notice a pattern here?) Finally joined/formed the Arctic Circles in 1984, they were around for 3 1/2 years and got quite well-known despite him NOT leaving. After that played with a band called Fiendish Glee for about 2 years. Then formed Forbidden Planet with Steve Agar (ex Shindiggers) and Michael (Kaos) Glenn, who has been in countless bands, most well known of which was Hoss. Did not play in any bands from 1992 to 2006.
Darren Atkinson - Drums, knobs. Also started in Brisbane in the early '80s, with his brother Greg in moody paisley poppers Ups and Downs and actually recalls playing the odd gig with President's Eleven (though they waited until Alex had left). Ups and Downs went on to achieve loads of indie chart success with singles like The Living Kind and Perfect Crime and their EP Sleepless, and later briefly dented the mainstream charts and even appeared on Hey Hey It's Saturday (!) before breaking up in the early '90s.
Darren went on to form the grungier, though still hugely melodic, Big Heavy Stuff, again with his brother, though this time Darren only played with them during their early, 'unpopular' years (I'm sure Alex can relate to this). He kept the connection alive however, becoming their live sound engineer and occasional fill-in drummer. And here's where it gets incestuous: their full-time drummer Nick Kennedy had previously played in Sydney band The Templebears, so when Darren left Big Heavy Stuff, he nabbed fellow Templebear Josh Morris to help form Atticus in the mid '90s. Atticus had some JJJ and Rage success in the early noughties with their album Looks Money Talent.
Darren still plays with Atticus who will release their 3rd album Great Big World shortly and notes an impending Ups and Downs compilation with the accompanying threat of live shows in 2008! You have been warned.
Kevin Lauro - bass, dancing. Kevin's from the U.S. and played with a band called The Defenders over there who did a nifty surf version of "Sleigh Ride" on a Christmas surf compilation, called "The Tarquin Records All Star Holiday Extravaganza".