RAZAR

The Brisbane punk movement took off following 1978. A lot more bands formed and were given airtime on Community radio station 4ZZZ, with it being said that 4ZZZ FM DJs Michael Finucan, Tony Biggs, Bill Riner, Mark Bracken, Phil Cullen and Andy Nehl were influential in playing the new music. One of the bands that benefited from 4ZZZ airplay was Razar with their song ''Task Force''. From the sleepy Brisbane suburb of Mt Gravatt in the mid 70s, a high school garage band comprising of 18-year-old Greg Wackley (drums) his 16-year-old brother Robert Wackley (bass), Marty Burke (vocals) aged 17 and Steven Mee (guitar) aged16 burst onto the Brisbane Punk scene in 1976 as Razar.

In an oppressive and politically corrupt climate under the Premier Joh Bjelke Peterson regime and with attitude to burn, anarchistic Razar wrote of their disdain for the police, mocked conservative culture of the day, and soon started to chart their way into punk history after playing their first gig at The Atcherley Hotel in Brisbane. Venues were scarce except The Curry Shop, the odd hotel and hired halls, which made bands susceptible to the scrutiny and reach of the law. Razar quickly attracted the notice of the local Task Force, a division of the Police Force and heavy arm of the Joh regime. Playing around the suburbs and city at same time were punk icons The Saints and The Leftovers, also holding Brisbane’s sceptre in punk sovereignty for a proud Australia counterculture. 

With few opportunities to advance in Brisbane musically, Razar like many others took the trip south to Sydney in a transit van, stayed in dodgy hotels around Central Railway and made little money but still ended up being able to cut their first single ''Stamp Out Disco/Task Force (Undercover Cops) released in 1978. 1000 copies were pressed. In 1979 they recorded a four track EP 'Money' for EMI. In 2012 Don Bartley remastered ''Stamp Out Disco/Task Force (Undercover Cops)'' for LMCR Records and the label issued 300 copies. This single was also released in the USA under the Sing Sing banner.

As stated in the 'Behind the Banana Curtain' CD, Razar's ''Task Force'', released in 1978, referred to Brisbane's notorious undercover police. Razar was like a beacon to the local constabulary, as were most high-profile Brisbane punk groups, often receiving intense scrutiny from the local cops. Dave Darling, 4ZZZ's and (later) an independent concert promoter, recalled such events, "We encountered problems with police just like everybody else did that tried to run a venue...9 out of 10 of them I don't think ever made the final song...and disguise them from Task Force knowing they were on, but eventually in the course of the night one of them would find out and next thing you know you had all of them there''. Bob Wackley went on to join the Screaming Tribesmen. Razar reunited for a one-off show in 2018 celebrating that city’s punk rock history.

Members

Steve Mee (guitar), Marty Burke (vocals), Bob Wackley (bass), Greg Wackley (drums)

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisbane_punk_rock