It's hard to work out when 28 Days actually formed and why. Typically, none of the band members can agree on the details. The original line up included Jay, Hep and Damo who had played in various hardcore and punk bands of little note before they got together to trigger the 28 Days sound. A unique, melodic brand of pop intertwined with hardcore sensibilities and laced with hiphop - Australian style. Subsequent line up changes later dragged in Scotty on drums and Jedi Master Jay (Jedi to his friends and Jason to his mum) on turntables and solidified a line up of five very different people with one thing on their minds R.O.C.K. Well that last bit was pretty cheesy but you get the picture right?
Originally influenced by bands like Sick Of It All, CIV and the Beastie Boys and more recently Rival Schools, Saves The Day and System Of A Down the original 28 Days recordings were released through a small independent label. The band started touring around Australia behind that release, fine-tuning the skills to pay the bills. A few ripples caused by their reputation for putting on awesome live shows bought them to the attention of a new label, Sputnik. That label's first release was an ep "Here We Go". Radio was quick to jump on the band-wagon with the first single "Sucker" receiving national airplay and gave 28 Days their first taste of mainstream success with a #21 spot on the singles chart.
The signals were strong that the band was no lightweight and the scene was set for the second radio single "Rip It Up" to debut top ten. 28 Days were now a "hit" band. How the fuck did that happen? The band were notorious for their non-stop touring and killer live shows but it was their excessive revelry and cavalier attitude to the rock star scene and it's poseurs that became the subject over many morning coffees. We all began to wonder if a band that played that hard could play that well. Well they could and did and do, playing to tens of thousands of people during the Australian Summer Festival season at Livid, at Homebake, at the Big Day Out, the Falls, Push On and on and on - they came, you saw and now everyone knew that the Melbourne crew could kick it live as well as on the charts.
Now for the real test?.an album. Anticipation and hopes were high. From the opening track "The Bird" the band's confidence charged through. The album sounded like a bona fide hit from the get go. "Upstyledown" shipped out gold and while the band eyed each other nervously and shuffled their feet wondering if anyone else was as surprised as them the record ripped into the charts at #1. Yeah baby! Thus began the merry-go-round that no one in the 28 Days camp was able to get off. Touring, late nights, more hit singles, overseas releases, festivals, television appearances, photo shoots, videos, magazine covers, more touring and, hey you, everyone wanted a piece of the action.
2001 was to be the year for 28 Days to prove themselves overseas as the band hit the U.K., Europe and Japan in a whirlwind of warm ale, strudel, sake and other substances not fit for print or human consumption. After hugely successful festival shows at Fuji Rock in Japan, a small event that attracted 75,000 or so people, the infamous Reading and Leeds in the U.K., Pukkelpop in Belgium, headline shows in England and France and month long tours with Sick Of It All and Goldfinger it was time to put an end to such an iniquitous touring schedule. After two years riding the "Upstyledown" tidal wave it was time to take a break, pack up the old kit bag and head home.
In November last year tragedy struck the band on what should have been a regular night for any 22 year-old guy. The unthinkable happened when Scotty the band's drummer was walking home from band practice and was struck by a car while crossing the road. He slipped into a coma and never recovered from the head injuries he sustained in the accident. Scott Douglas Murray passed away on 18th November 2001 and the band's spirit slipped away with him. Any thoughts of the band without Scott were unbearable and as the band's friends, families and fans gathered around to support them the future of 28 Days was unclear.
But, as we know, even terrible wounds like this will eventually heal and slowly but surely life has to go on. For a band that had seemed to have it all - hit records, sold out tours and charmed lives it was back to the basics. They recruited a friend of theirs, Vinnie, to play drums and started to practice together again. Inspired by the highs and lows they had experienced new songs started to flow, old songs felt good again and they decided the best way to chase away the demons was to get back on the road. In a time of confusion this was something that they could understand.
In March this year 28 Days introduced their new lineup and paid tribute to Scott by continuing the band with the same fire, enthusiasm and courage that he had always shown them. Headlining the Australian Warped tour alongside kindred spirits Pennywise, who had also lost a band member in a tragic accident, the band caught the eye of U.S. promoter Kevin Lyman and they were promptly booked onto the U.S. and Canadian Vans Warped Tour shows and release plans for the land of the free commenced.
With the show seeming to be back on the road new tunes began to flow freely and the timing seemed right to head back into the studio to see if the ideas they were working on could form an album. Starting off with two songs they had written with Scott, "Photos" and "January", the band enlisted the help of a producer going by the name Machine. Hailing from New Jersey he had worked on some of their favourite albums - with bands like Shootyz Groove, Pitchshifter, Vision Of Disorder and HedPE. The band laid down the tracks for new songs like "What's The Deal", "True Story", "A General" and what would be the first single "Take Me Away" and also re-recorded a new version "Say What?", amongst other songs, over two months in April and May 2002. In June Machine packed his Mac and took the tracks back to the "Machine Shop" in Hoboken to complete the final mixes for the album which was now being referred to as "Stealing Chairs".
So the page turns to now, much the same as the band's opening chapter way back when, with a willful spirit, unbeatable energy and an edge you cannot copy or manufacture. Back stronger and more convincing than ever.
Let the record show that 28 Days is a rock band of individuals that perform live, write music, record songs and traverse the globe together. These people are Jay Dunne - vocals, Simon Hepburn "Hep" - guitar, Damian Gardiner - bass, Jedi Master Jay - turntables, samples and Vinnie Jukic - drums.
Their records are supported, sold and distributed in Australia by Festival Mushroom Records. Contact info Natalie??????
