Tablewaiters

Tablewaiters
Graeme Synold (centre), Tony Ameneiro (right), Ian Robertson (background) Trade Union Club, Sydney, 1982
Background information
Origin	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Post-punk, New wave music, pub rock
Years active	1980-1986
Labels	Powderworks
Associated acts	Johnny Kannis Band, The Hitmen, Roddy Radalj and The Surfin' Caesars, The Psychotic Turnbuckles, The Agents
Past members	Tony Ameneiro Graeme Synold Gye Bennetts Ed Lee Ian Robertson Phillip Hyrwka

Tablewaiters were an Australian Post-punk band active from 1980 to 1986. They were founded by Tony Ameneiro on synthesiser and Graeme Synold on lead vocals; by 1981 they included Gye Bennetts on drums, Ian Robertson on bass guitar, and Ed Lee on lead guitar. By 1984 they were joined by Phillip Hyrwka who replaced Bennetts on drums. After Tablewaiters' disbandment Ameneiro pursued a career in visual arts. Tablewaiters had undertaken various national tours and supported both national and international artists: Simple Minds, The Psychedelic Furs, Split Enz, INXS, Midnight Oil, Machinations, Laughing Clowns, Models, Hunters & Collectors, Eurogliders, and The Birthday Party.

The founding members, Graeme Synold and Tony Ameneiro, met in Sydney in 1980 while studying art at the Alexander Mackie College of Advanced Education (later a campus of Sydney College of Advanced Education). One of the band's first appearances was as a support act to Sardine vat the Civic Hotel in Sydney in 1980. Various line up changes settled down in 1981 with Gye Bennetts on drums (ex-The Agents), Ian Robertson on bass guitar and Ed Lee on guitar, along with Ameneiro on synthesiser and Synold on lead vocals.

The line up of Ameneiro, Bennetts, Lee, Robertson, and Synold recorded material for an album, Gate, with Lobby Loyde in 1981 at the Alberts recording studio in Sydney. The album was never released because of financial problems. Various bootleg copies were in existence from the master tapes, though they are of poor quality as the recordings had not reached the mixing stage. The intended single, "Between the Lines", and "Access", was never released. There were also a previous series of recordings with Colin Newham of The Reels.