Tim West – Frozen Doberman

Frozen Doberman formed in 1988, smack-bang in the middle of the halcyon days of the Sydney thrash/hardcore punk scene. Originally from the Central Coast of NSW, Frozen Doberman quickly became favourites on the Sydney live metal scene, playing regularly with thrash and punk stalwarts Mortal Sin, Addictive, Cromok, Hard Ons, Armoured Angel, White Trash and Detriment. Frozen Doberman were no sneaker-staring band. Their shows raised the energy levels of already highly charged gigs. Doberman released three albums – all independently – and were featured on five compilation albums. They also supported Motorhead and Sepultura on their Aussie tours. Tim West, ‘Westy’, was a founding member and bass player of the still highly regarded Sydney metal band.

What were you doing in the 1980s (your job/where you were living, etc)?

I left school in 87…my first job was an assistant boat builder. Up to my neck in fibreglass and resin and they were pretty woeful conditions in the factory, it was on the Central Coast of NSW, Gosford, where we grew up. Access to the music we listened to was very limited and we wore our music like a badge. In fact, it was a badge, lots of them, on denim jackets. The Central Coast was a emerging satellite city of Sydney and lots of teenagers were surfers or into rugby league, being a bit of both with long hair, metal shirts and punk jackets. We attracted a fair share of attention.

What are your strongest impressions of the 1980s?

That I didn’t like a lot of the mainstream music and the celebrated, but woeful fashion, the New Romantic movement and the androgynous pop music/fashion. To me it a lot of it seemed to have zero substance. Electronic music was new and clunky, its an important development in modern music, I just didn’t want to hear it. In the music we listened to there were a lot of apocalyptic themes, not just music, movies and books. I remember the 80s and the nuclear threat that seemed to hang over like a cloud it left a strong impression. I kinda remember thinking it seemed a relief to get to the 90′s. I was attracted to the darker elements.

What historical event of the 1980s has most resonance for you? Why?

More a vivid TV memory I distinctly remember the first Space Shuttle disaster and watching the first televised tragedy for NASA, and the seven astronauts dying. We were on holidays and a family member had passed away the day before and my father had to fly home for a few days. It intertwined the two events, and it’s a clear memory all in the surreal surroundings of Surfers Paradise. We also started our band, Frozen Doberman in 1988.

What was an event/party/gig of the 80s that stands out?

Seeing Iron Maiden in 1985. It was at the end of their ‘World Slavery Tour’ and the crowd before they came on, and during, was electric. I have seen them a few times since and they always generate this great electricity in the crowd. Also Metallica in 1989, after the previous ‘Master Of Puppets’ Tour got canceled due to the death of bass player, Cliff Burton, finally they arrived and locals ‘Mortal Sin’ were playing with them.

Any memories (fond or foul) of what you were wearing in the 1980s?

Denim jackets that we painted and drew on when we couldn’t get, or afford, real ones. Buying studs and badges and totally ‘designing’ your jacket. They are referred to as ‘Battle Jackets’ which is pretty funny in hindsight. Black jeans and white high-top sneakers. Shirts were almost always black and had a band logo or design. Tour t-shirts were the most sought after.

What movies/TV engaged you in the 1980s (and did you takes sides on VHS versus Betamax), and now?

Star Wars was the single biggest influence in that regard. It changed everything. It was 77 when it was out here and the sequels were in the 80s. I am still amazed how it stands up but also set such a high bar for classic sci-fi movies. VHS all the way.

What were you listening to – and was it on a Walkman?

Iron Maiden, Kiss, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Deep Purple, Midnight Oil, Metallica, Death Angel, Slayer, Dead Kennedys, Sex Pistols, DRI, Suicidal Tendencies, The Bad Brains..lots of metal and punk. San Francisco Bay area thrash tetal and Californian and Washington DC Punk…and I loved Sydney’s The Hard-ons and Massappeal, Mortals when we were seeing bands live.

I had a Walkman but it never represented good value buying all those batteries when you could buy a new album and listen in bedrooms. We all had boom boxes of various sizes and I proudly absconded with the folks turntable when they upgraded to a new Teac double tape deck stereo in an 80s style glass cabinet.

What did you do for entertainment/leisure then and now? (Did it include computer games or the Rubik’s Cube?)

We spent a lot of time listening to music and reading magazines. We got guitars when we were 15 so organising band practices and literally carrying amps to friends houses took time and effort. I can’t believe that I lugged amps up hills across to the other side of the suburb. We never had an Atari but we had that ‘pong’ TV game that had the gun connected with a cord to shoot skeet targets. I did have a Rubick’s cube for a short time, but lost interest. Surfing took a great deal of time in the late teens, often greeted with ‘headbangers can’t surf!’

What event (personal or public) in the 1980s would you either revisit or undo if you could?
Corporations running out of control.

Check out Frozen Doberman’s ‘Frozen Once More’ album on iTunes.