The Mark of Cain to Perform ‘Ill At Ease’ In Full as Part of The Eighty-Six Festival in Melbourne

August 8, 2023

Adelaide heavy rock crew The Mark of Cain are hitting the road in spring 2023. They’ll be playing a couple of best-of sets at Off the Rails in Sydney and Newcastle over the weekend of Friday, 30th September – Sunday, 2nd October. They’ll head to Melbourne later in October to perform their 1995 breakout album, Ill At Ease, in full at the Croxton Bandroom.

The show, which is happening on Friday, 27th October, is the latest addition to the program for Melbourne’s Eighty-Six festival – the majority of which is occurring on High St from Northcote to Preston, along the 86 tram line.

The Mark of Cain: Ill At Ease

Brothers John and Kim Scott founded The Mark of Cain on Kaurna country in Adelaide in the mid-1980s. The band’s debut album, Battlesick, came out in 1989 and The Unclaimed Prize followed in 1990. After recruiting drummer Aaron Hewson and signing with Chris Murphy’s rooArt label, the band entered the studio with Henry Rollins to record Ill At Ease.

The album came out in November 1995 and sprouted the singles ‘First Time’ and ‘LMA’. “This album became our watershed moment and helped firmly place us in the zeitgeist of that momentous 90s era in Australian music,” John Scott said in a statement regarding Ill At Ease.

“The record is unbelievable,” said Rollins. “It’s just one of the best things I have ever heard. I’m so proud to be involved.”

John Stanier (of Helmet, Tomahawk and Battles fame) had replaced Hewson in time for the band’s next album, This Is This… Gang of Four’s Andy Gill produced the album and provided guitar and backing vocals on a few songs.

The Mark of Cain will be joined at the Croxton Bandroom by Batpiss and The Maggie Pills. The gig is co-presented by Feel Presents. Tickets are on sale now.