History made: Sick of It All, Squid

The first night of Sick of It All's tour was definitely the inspiration for a lot of people to joins bands or make music and tour. Photo / Simon R Kay

Dean Cameron saw New York hardcore outfit Sick of It All play Squid in Auckland on Thursday 20 April 1995.

I wasn't playing music at that stage. I was close to a band called Balance, which I later joined - there was a group of friends who hung out, and we were very into the New York hardcore scene. We'd buy seven-inches and so on by mail-order, and have them sent to us from various small record stores in America.

Sick of It All were one of my favourites, and for them to come to New Zealand was a big deal. You'd get the California punk bands coming through town, but New York hardcore was a different sort of sound - a bit more heavy and abrasive.

It was a small scene back then in New Zealand, but in that circle people were really excited because we were starved of that kind of sound, and Sick of It All really kicked it off for that genre of music. They played five dates - they started in Auckland with the Squid show, then they went to Wellington, New Plymouth, Hamilton, and finished the tour with another Auckland show. I went to both Auckland shows and the Hamilton show.

Squid was upstairs in O'Connell St - it was Mikey Havoc's bar at the time. It probably held 150 people, 200 tops, so it was an intimate show. The first night of Sick Of It All's tour was definitely the inspiration for a lot of people to join bands or make music and tour, and maybe even get overseas - it gave you an understanding that you could do it as well.

A close friend of mine who was the drummer for Balance, Ben Lythberg, ended up driving for the band. There were some issues with Sick of It All's transportation, and we met them outside the show as we arrived and we were just talking, and they asked if someone was willing to drive them on this tour. Ben put his hand up, and that was the start of something for him.

After the tour, we went on a road trip across the US, and the band had said to him, "Anytime you're in the States, 'cause you hooked us up, come on tour with us". It was the first Warped Tour in '95, and Ben joined them for half-a-dozen dates or so. He now lives in the US and he's been there for the past 13 years. He became their drum tech, and then he went on to work for bands like Rancid, The Offspring, he drummed in Snapcase for a while, and it was all a connection from that one show.

Sick of It All's Squid show was 17 years ago, but I'd still be excited to see them tomorrow. They're a band that I think everyone needs to see - they deliver one of the best live shows you'll ever see. One thing with Sick of It All, they haven't changed since day one and their stage presence, enthusiasm and intensity are definitely still there. They run at 150 per cent every show.

* Sick of It All play Auckland's Kings Arms with Agnostic Front on Wednesday 2 May.

Who: Sick of It All
Where: Squid, Auckland
When: Thursday 20 April 1995

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