THE RUM-BABA'S

The Rum Babas were an all-female rock band from Sydney. The Rum Babas hailed from Sydney’s southern suburbs, and they were formed in 1987. Band members were Sandi Novak (vocals, percussion) Janelle Novak (bass) Michelle Kerr (drums) and Kathryn Cann (guitar). The Rum Babas were a great live band who wrote great pop rock songs. Their sound was a blend of pulsating guitar rock with a flashy percussion beat.

They gigged at many of Sydney’s live venues and would also support The Divinyls and also Concrete Blonde. Sandi Novak had a unique voice which was a key element to their sound, as was the pounding percussion which she would perform – usually standing up front whilst singing! Great songs like ''Feel The Beat Of the Drum'', ''Heartbeat'' and ''Windscreen Hazy'' were killer live cuts and it’s a shame they remain largely unknown.

The band appeared on Triple J’s New Noise program on 27 April 1989. In search of success, The Rum Babas changed their name briefly to Jezebelle, before reverting back to their original moniker. They appeared on the Timberyard Records compilation album 'Rockin Bethlehem – The Second Coming' in 1990, recording the song ''Hearts On The Table''. In 1991 they released a 10″ vinyl EP titled ‘3 Good Reasons’ which was produced by Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley (who would later find international fame with Slayer, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith etc) and was nominated for an ARIA award for best independent release. Released on Sydney’s Timberyad Records it, if nothing else – preserved their distinct sound for all time, but their live sound wasn’t at all captured.

Reference: https://rockbrat.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/rockbrat-introduces-you-to-the-rum-babas/

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