Graham Bergroth's Biography
1996 - I first started wanting to play music when I was about 9 years old and saw Crowded House’s ‘Farewell to the World Concert’ at the Sydney Opera House on tv and pretty much decided that I wanted to try to be like Neil Finn. My mother being ever supportive organised guitar lessons that I could have once a week at school. The next few years I slowly progressed learning music theory and a lot of Cat Stevens songs, as this was my guitar teacher’s influence. I grew up listening to my dad’s music collection so I got a good education of the history of music from these guys but had to learn off friends at school for the contemporary stuff.
1998 - In high school I temporarily stopped having lessons but when I started jamming with Paul Beaton I quickly got re-inspired. Paul was a handy guitarist and keys player and I was very much in awe of his skills at the time. He was starting a band with a drummer and they got me to play rhythm guitar. We had no singer and because I could play and sing at the same time I started singing. Paul had written a few songs and together we started writing some more. Pretty simple stuff but today I still rate some of those little tunes. After a little while I was keen to get a better singer in. I had a friend who went to school with us but was a couple of year levels below. Our parents were friends so we had known each other most of our lives and played football and baseball in the same team. This was Scott Hetherton. So by the time I was 13 I was playing alongside Scott and Paul who are the original members of the Quickfix. Scott proved to be a pretty useful musician. When he first came on the scene he could play flute and had the accolade of being awarded ‘Best Voice’ in the National Boys Choir. Flute is definitely a signature instrument of the band. You will hear it more than half of our songs.
2001 - For my 15th birthday my parents bought me my first electric guitar. It was a Les Paul copy that I could plug into a modest 40 watt amp but I was still pretty excited. I started guitar lessons again in an effort to pursue this passion.
2003 - Whilst in my last year of high school Scott, Paul and I went in the studio for two days recording 6 songs. The studio was Supersonic Recordings in St Kilda with engineer Brad Jackson. This is where the band returned every year until it closed in 2011. It was a little too ambitious in hindsight doing that many tracks in such a short space of time and I quickly learnt the value of quality over quantity. Scott had been playing guitar and Paul had become quite passionate about playing bass. Scott had also gotten a drum kit that year. This Pearl drum kit was pretty respectable for a beginner and after just three weeks Scott was better than our original drummer who then left the band. I sent CDs into record labels and only one ever replied.
2004 - It was not until I studied at Box Hill Tafe majoring in composition that I got a really good grasp on the music world and how difficult it was to have success. I vividly remember being there and one of the teachers asked ‘Who here wants to be a rock star?’. I put my hand up and the teacher said ‘I can tell you right now that most of you will drop out and the majority of those left will teach’. After one year, I dropped out. I was just so poor and I hated that I did not have good instruments like the other students but I learnt a lot that year. My intentions were to work for a year, get good stuff and return. I had a lot of great moments there especially meeting so many talented musicians and having them perform my songs. It is also where I met Chris Fielder. We got Chris in the band because he could do two things that we felt we needed at the time and that was play bass and sing. Chris performed on our next two recordings and is with us again today. Box Hill Tafe is also where I first met Tom Tuena who I have since collaborated with on recordings for the Supernaturals’ ‘Don’t Ask Why’ and the Quickfix’s ‘I See Roses’.
2007 – Business cards were produced – the tool of choice for shameless self promotion.
2008 – I had been working at the disability organisation Interchange Outer East for a few years and just got the opportunity to work on the adult program ‘Balance’. This is where I began the Supernaturals. I tried to assist in providing them with the full experience of playing in rock band. This year I wrote what I was hoping would be the Balance program’s anthem. The song was called ‘Balance’. Two versions of the song were recorded and they were released on the same CD. One version by the Supernaturals and one by the Quickfix.
2009 – The Supernaturals recorded a seven track album ‘Rock House’. The Quickfix also released a four track EP that features the best tracks I have ever worked on. Later that year the Quickfix had a lot of gigs finishing of the year with a tour of Western Victoria with the Supernaturals and Silverstakes. It was a lot of fun despite being a huge challenge.
2010 – The Supernaturals begin fundraising for a new full scale album with a gig at Belgrave’s Ruby’s Lounge and a Trivia night at Belgrave South Community House. The Quickfix recorded a song for Paul’s engagement to his now wife Libby.
2011 – The Supernaturals release the ‘FOREVER’ album at Ruby’s Lounge supported by the Quickfix and the Glenn Family Band. The launch and lead up to the launch is all captured on film and available to see on the Supernaturals DVD.
2012 – The Supernaturals released their DVD with a showing at Belgrave’s Cameo Cinemas and performance at Ruby’s Lounge supported by the Quickfix, Silverstakes, Tom Tuena, Peter Carr and the Glenn Family Band. After selling my property I upgraded all of my instruments in preparation for recording an album. I also wrote and recorded music for television.
2013 – The Quickfix album ‘Crossing Lines’ is released at the Tote in Collingwood where I also celebrate my 27th birthday. The album was recorded at Soggy Dog Recording Studio in Upwey. Supporting acts at the Tote include Pete Carr, Tom Tuena and Silverstakes. Due to Scott being in Darwin as an optometrist, Peter Carr plays drums on the album after performing with the Quickfix for the previous two years. Scott came back to perform at the Tote which was the first time the band’s full line up had performed together since 2009.
Now - I am now working on my ultimate album that corresponds with my book that I am writing. The book is called ‘90% TRUE’. Each chapter begins with ‘The Quickfix’ song lyrics and elaborates with a story from my life. There is a 10% margin for exaggeration but the interesting aspect is that you don’t know what is true and what is a stretch of the truth. The stories come with an accompanying sound track that features the very best songs of 15 years with the band.
