Women in Music (St Kilda)


Helen Smart

Helen Smart is a drummer who has been playing in bands since 1980. 

Helen's bands are as follows:

  • Autofax / Postpunk/Indie / Drums / 1980 - 81

  • Toxic Shock / Postpunk / indie / Drums / 1981 - 82 - Toxic Shock was a seven-piece all-female feminist rock band that started as as a rehearsal project for bassist Sylvie Leber and guitarist Eve Glenn. Lumbering under the uninspiring moniker of the 'Girl's Garage Band' prior the single's release, a new name would present itself after a late-1970s outbreak of illness caused by high-absorbency tampons: Toxic Shock.  Toxic Shock released their single "Intoxicated" in 1981. Members included: Sylvie Leber (Bass Guitar), Helen Smart (Drums), Vicki Bell (Guitar, Vocals), Cahsn Foley (Keyboards), Fran Kelly (Vocals), Eve Glenn (Rhythm Guitar)

  • The Right Furniture, fronted by Tess McKenna / Powerpop / Drums / 1982-83 

  • Buick KBT, fronted by Malcolm Hill (Originally Hoi Polloi, but changed name) / Soul and punk influence groove based indie / 1982 - 1988. *Helen left after 1985 due to tendonitis problems and Miriam Wilks took over drums. The band played a cool brand of Arty swamp and Skronky stomp and were a staple of classic St Kilda venues of the day such as the Seaview Ballroom and the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel. Playing alongside Venom P. Stinger, X, The Moodists, The Go Betweens (with whom they shared close history with), Laughing Clowns & more, whilst also supporting the Dead Kennedys on their 1983 Aussie Tour, who also played at The Venue in St Kilda.

  • Rococopops / Cocktail jazz and latin comedy mashup / Drums and vocal harmonies / 1987 - 1990 

  • Tess McKenna and the Shapiros / Indie songwriter / female vocal - Drums / Late 1990s - 2015

  • Sweet Virginia / Tess McKenna project - Patsy Cline tribute/Country / Drums / 2000 - 2001

  • Mrs Wainwright (Trish Anderson) / Alt Country / Drums / 2004 - 2005

  • Lucilles / Country / Drums / 2014 - 2015

  • Malcolm Hill and Live Flesh / Urban poet fronted by groove based backing band / Drums / 2015 - Current

"While the blokes still ruled to a great extent, I did see great female musicians in those venues, like:

  • Louise Elliot (Laughing clowns) blowing a hurricane on her sax, the very picture of cool professionalism, in the dark cave of the Seaview Ballroom downstairs.

  • Clare Moore with her shock of golden red hair burning like a fire behind Dave Graney in the Moodists, channelling every 40s femme fatale, chewing gum and blowing a tendril of fiery hair aside from time to time, her playing was mesmerising in its precision and use of space. 

  • Lindy Morrison (Go-Betweens), all long limbs and elbows with her blonde hair blowing in the breeze of her fan onstage. She was a big sisterly figure teaching me how to tune drums and other useful things. Both she and Clare used to dress up with dresses and heels while I never felt confident to play in a skirt until much later. I don’t know if it was deliberate but to me it made an important statement that in this culture where drums were still very much coded male, a female drummer shouldn’t have to cosplay as a male drummer. Lindy had a unique style and is still playing, I saw her play just last month (at time of writing). 

  • Cathy Green (*** *** or “Cough Cough”) Another drummer, now a bass player. Cathy was younger than any of us but had heaps more learned technique, so I was looking up to and learning from people both younger and older than me! I had a warmup exercise based on a *** *** song which the band called “the Cathy Green”.

Helen has played gigs at St Kilda music venues including: The Seaview Ballroom (Downstairs), Prince of Wales Hotel, The Venue, Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, Grosvenor Hotel.

"I lived in St Kilda in the mid 1980s. At the time, I was playing with Malcolm Hill’s Buick KBT and rehearsing in the upstairs “tower” room at the corner of Grey and Barkly streets (we used to pick up the key from the sex shop below.) It made sense to live in the area. Previously I’d been in Brunswick and Northcote (ironically, now the centre of indie music, but not then.)  Many of the people I was playing with and bands I was supporting were also in overlapping friendship groups so I was renting a room in a share house with Amanda Fox (of Honeymoon in Green) and two other people. After that I rented a flat in Avoca Court, Elwood, which was so close to Acland street it was basically still St Kilda."

Helen Smart, Prince of Wales Hotel, c.1983 - Source: Helen Smart

"I have fond memories of our practice room, the little “tower room” at the corner of Grey and Barkly streets. We used to pick up and drop off the key at the sex shop downstairs and you never knew what giant dildo or blowup woman would be in your face as you were doing so. The room was shared with the cosmic psychos and was really a mess. I feel guilty now thinking about it. We were so young and selfish. But the landlady was cool as she was just sitting on it to rent later as office space and the whole place would be reno’d anyway."

Helen Smart, c.1983 - Source: Helen Smart

"I played in St Kilda, mainly from 1982-1985 then I went off on my hiatus because of tendonitis brought on by trying to play too fast and loud. I think that was a bit of insecurity being a female drummer, always felt I had to bring the speed and power. I’d say that my favourite venue was an equal draw between the Duke of Edinburgh (small, friendly, everyone pretty much on the same level) and the Seaview Hotel (big, exciting, we got to support our heroes like Go Betweens, Moodists and Laughing Clowns)."

Buick KBT, c. 1983 - Source: Helen Smart

"I was brave or stupid in those days and would stay out until the wee hours going to gigs at the Prince, Seaview Ballroom and other venues and would walk home along the esplanade. Unless I was playing myself and needed to carry the drum kit, everything was in walking or tram distance.

We all loved Acland St, the cake shops and restaurants and The Galleon.@

Buick KBT, 1983 - Source: Helen Smart
Toxic Shock Article Buick KBT Review
Helen Cattanach Helena Ashton