If you were lucky enough to have embraced the Aussie rock scene at the turn of the millennium, there’s a chance you might have been exposed to 21st Century Ox.
Their name might not have adorned the top line of any major marquees around the country, but between 2000 and 2003, the five-piece from Warrnambool played more than 150 gigs, supporting the likes of Something For Kate, Magic Dirt, The Superjesus, George, 28 Days, Bodyjar, and much more.
Whether you remember the name or not, there’s a chance that 21st Century Ox might have been the first band you ever saw live, with the genre-defying quintet warming up crowds with their unique blend of eclectic alt-rock.
“One of the venue bookers in Warrnambool at the time described us as playing ‘weird shit that didn’t fit in anywhere’,” laughs vocalist and guitarist Matt Neal. “I think he meant it as an insult, but we wore it as a badge of honour.”
“You could play a gig in a venue in Warrnambool almost every night of the week back then,” he recalls. “With the benefit of hindsight, it really does feel like the ‘good old days’ in a lot of ways, and we were so glad to have been a part of that scene. There were so many great bands and lots of places to play.
“We did full acoustic gigs, we played with metal bands, we played at art exhibitions and at all ages gigs. We played on some big stages, we were the house band on some smaller ones, we did a few small road trips around Victoria, and we did it all playing our own music. We were truly lucky.
“We got to open for Something For Kate and The Superjesus in big rooms full of moshing teenagers. We played to a capacity crowd at the legendary Lady Bay Hotel with 28 Days and Bodyjar. We shared a stage with George when they were on the cusp of becoming massive, and that was in one of the shittiest-yet-greatest venues Warrnambool ever had.
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“21st Century Ox didn’t last for a long time, but it was an awesome time.”
Check out ‘Hackey Sack’ by 21st Century Ox:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dacnSYRA8JI
Now, years after the group’s presence faded from local live stages, 21st Century Ox have returned, dropping a massive six albums in one day over on Bandcamp.
For those in the know, it might come as a surprise to receive six albums from a group who only released one, but with the last eight months spent combing through the archives and plucking out their previously-released and never-before heard recordings, the group have now unleashed a veritable treasure trove of material.
Released today, the group have not only released their debut album, What Am I Going To Do With All These Portaloos?, but their unreleased second album The Last Sane Man On Earth, and their unfinished third record, Sang In A Debaucherous Manner.
It doesn’t end there though, with a live compilation titled While Strange Things Happened On The Road seeing the light of day, a collection of demos and unreleased material named And Ended In An Odd Mess Of Peculiar Things, and a “beginner’s guide” of sorts called The Very Least Worst Of also appearing online.
“We always felt it was a shame this stuff never got released back in the day,” Neal explained. “We worked really hard on our music, played a heap of gigs, wrote tons of songs, and had a great time, but I think we burnt ourselves out in the end.
“Before we really knew what we were doing, it was all over. It was super fun while it lasted though, and I think you can hear that in these albums.”
While 21st Century Ox have unleashed their discography onto Bandcamp today, there’s a brief delay in these records being released onto Spotify and Apple Music.
If anything, this is a good excuse to hit up Bandcamp to take advantage of their decision to waive revenue on the first Friday of each, and ensure that 21st Century Ox get your full support.
Check out ‘Do Unto Others’ by 21st Century Ox:
