The Drones

There are at least three bands called The Drones: 1. an Australian rock band of the 2000's-2010's 2. a British punk band of the late 70s. See Drones 3. a British contemporary string quartet 1. The Drones were an Australian band active from late 90's/early 2000's to 2016 that consists of vocalist/guitarist Gareth Liddiard (1997–2016), bassist Fiona Kitschin (2002–16), guitarist Dan Luscombe (2007–16), guitarist Rui Pereira (2000–07) and was early bassist (1997–2000), drummer Christian Strybosch (2000–04, 2014–16), drummer Mike Noga (2004–14; died 2020) and keyboardist Steve Hesketh (2004, 2013–16). The early history and the first incarnation of The Drones was formed in Perth in 1998 and included a varied line up over the next few years. The mainstays of the band, Rui Pereira and Gareth Liddiard, had previously played together in The Gutterville Splendour Six with musicians in the original Perth incarnations including Warren Hall (Moth, The Gutterville Splendour Six) on drums and guitarist James McCann (Harpoon, Nunchukka Superfly, Lowdorados, The Gutterville Splendour Six). Steve Joines (The Kill Devil Hills, The Gutterville Splendour Six) replaced McCann when McCann relocated to Sydney. In early 2000, Liddiard and Pereira headed to the east coast of Australia. Initially they met with little success and endured tough conditions including an extended stay in a decrepit Victorian caravan park and sleeping on an old mattress found on the roadside. Guitarist Brendan Humphries (Sweeney Todd and His Elephant Men, The Gutterville Splendour Six, The Kill Devil Hills) was included among the first of the Melbourne lineups, and later Fiona Kitschin also from Perth was recruited on bass.