Area-7 (also known as Area 7) are an Australian ska punk band. Formed in Melbourne in 1994, they have released four studio albums, No Logic!, Bitter & Twisted, Say It To My Face and Torn Apart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2000, Bitter & Twisted was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Rock Album in the World.[1]

Area-7
Area-7 in 2018
Area-7 in 2018
Background information
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
GenresPop-punk, third wave ska, ska punk
Years active1994–present
LabelsZomba, Jive, Shock
MembersJohn "Stevo" Stevens
David 'DJ' Jackson
Charles "Chucky T" Thompson
Andy Gardiner
Paul West
Dennis "Ocker" O'Connell
Warren Lenthall
Aaron Schultz
Dean Gilboy
Past membersWalter Eskdale
Ivan Downey
Rohan Pacey
Alistair "Albags" Shepherd
Toby "Tobias" Dargaville
Chris Meighen
Dugald "Doogs" McNaughtan
Matt Sanders
Craig Selak
Dan Morrison (deceased)
WebsiteArea-7 on Myspace

History

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Area-7 was formed in 1994 by members of Madness cover band Mad Not Madness. In 1994 four members, Ivan Downey, Dugald "Doogs" McNaughtan (keyboards), Charles "Chucky T" Thompson (guitar) and Dan Morrison (drums) left the group and began to write their own songs. In 1994, Area-7 self-released a cassette titled Demo Tape 1994 featuring 4 tracks. Alistair Shepherd (sax), Toby Dargaville (trumpet) and Rohan Pacey (bass) joined in 1995 and the same year released their debut studio album No Logic.

In 2000, the group released Bitter & Twisted, which at the ARIA Music Awards of 2000 was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Rock Album.

In October 2001, the group released Say It to My Face which peaked at number 36 on the ARIA charts.

Whilst AREA-7 has never "officially split", since 2005 the band has been playing "when they feel like it" or as they put it, "for special occasions".[citation needed]

Drummer and founding member Dan Morrison died on 1 December 2020.[2]

Discography

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Albums

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List of studio albums, with selected details and peak chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[3]
No Logic
  • Released:1995[4]
  • Label: Moon Ska Australia
Bitter & Twisted
  • Released: March 2000
  • Label: Trademark (TM007)
6
Say It to My Face
  • Released: October 2001
  • Label: Trademark / Jive (TM012)
36
Torn Apart
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Shock (A7003)

Extended plays

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List of extended plays
Title EP details
Demo Tape 1994
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Independent
Road Rage
  • Released: 1997
  • Label: Independent

Singles

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List of singles, with selected peak chart positions
Title Year Chart positions Album
AUS
[3][5]
"Bitter Words" 1998 59 Bitter & Twisted
"Second Class Citizen" 1999 29
"Start Making Sense" 2000 37
"Bitter Words" / "Himbo" 67
"Leave Me Alone" 2001 38 Say It to My Face
"Individuality" 90
"Nobody Likes a Bogan" 2002 46
"Big Issue" 2004 92 Torn Apart

References

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  1. ^ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  2. ^ Cashmere, Paul (1 December 2020). "R.I.P. Dan Morrison of Area-7". Noise11.com. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Discography Area-7". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Area-7". Myspace. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  5. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 17.
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