78 Saab
| 78 Saab | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Canberra, Australia |
| Genres |
Rock Alternative rock Indie rock |
| Years active | 1995–2013 |
| Labels | Troy Horse Ivy League Other Tongues |
| Website | Official website |
| Past members | Benjamin Nash Garth Tregillgas Jake Andrews Nicholai Danko Robert F. Cranny Darren Smith Christovac Thompson |
78 Saab were a rock band from Australia that consisted of Ben Nash (vocals and guitar), Jake Andrews (guitar and vocals), Garth Tregillgas (bass and vocals) and Nicholai Danko (drums and percussion). The band has stated that it was influenced by acts such as the Rolling Stones, R.E.M. and The Church. After forming in Canberra, Australia, during the summer of 1995-6, they relocated to Sydney in February 1997.
78 Saab formed at the Australian National University, with the original members being Nash, Tregillgas, Darren Smith and Christovac Thompson. For the purpose of attaining live performance experience, they entered the Australian National Campus Band Competition in 1996, with the band name chosen spontaneously in order to complete the entry form. In a 2007 interview, Nash explained the inspiration for the "last minute" title:
"I used to own a 1978 Saab which I bought off my grandparents for around a thousand bucks when I was at university. Anyway, we entered a band competition and we had about three hours to come up with a name. "78 Saab" got thrown in the ring and for better or worse we've stuck with that name."
At the time, the major sponsor of the competition was Troy Horse, a Sydney-based rehearsal studio that also operated a record label. The competition's first prize included an EP to be recorded and released by Troy Horse and a tour of Australian university campuses. 78 Saab won the competition and as a result recorded their debut EP, Eastwards By Removal at Troy Horse's studio in Alexandria, Sydney.
After its release in 1997, the band prepared for a run of 35 dates to promote the EP. Before the tour began however, Darren Smith made the decision not to continue with the band and Jake Andrews joined 78 Saab as lead guitarist.
Soon after the end of the tour Christovac Thompson left 78 Saab and Nicholai Danko (whom the band had met whilst performing at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga) replaced him on drums.
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Wikipedia