Caligula (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 in Sydney, Australia |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Caligula is an Australian musical group that originated in Sydney in 1989, recognized for their electro-rock style during the early 1990s. They produced a single studio album titled Rubenesque (1994), which reached number 13 on the ARIA album charts. Throughout their career, Caligula supported tours alongside bands such as Depeche Mode, Pop Will Eat Itself, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Ride, and Headless Chickens. The band reunited in 2017 and resumed releasing new tracks starting in 2021.
History
Caligula was established in Sydney in 1989 with members including vocalist Ashley Rothschild, guitarist James McKinnon, drummer Dave Macken, keyboardist and backing vocalist Jamie Fonti, and bassist Sean Fonti, alongside founding members Dave Ross and Mitchell Foley. During 1990 and 1991, they put out two EPs and later compiled these into an album called Got One.
Their first full-length album, Rubenesque (1994), featured the track "Tears of a Clown," a rendition of a song originally by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. This single climbed to number 24 on the Australian singles chart and received extensive airplay on stations like Triple J and Triple M.
After Rothschild left the group, Caligula disbanded. Subsequently, the Fonti brothers created the band Primary with vocalist Connie Mitchell. Currently, Rothschild fronts Panic Syndrome and Graveyard Rock Stars and serves as an instructor at Big Music Studios located in Crows Nest.
In 2018, Caligula reunited to open for Pop Will Eat Itself during their Australian tour dates.
Albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Got One |
|
- |
| Rubenesque |
|
13 |
EPs
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Caligula |
|
195 |
| Got One |
|
- |
| The Bluff |
|
96 |
| I.C.U. |
|
55 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "Check Point" | 1992 | - | The Bluff |
| "Tears of a Clown" | 1993 | 25 | Rubenesque |
| "Roundabout" | 1994 | 64 | |
| "So Fine (Why Can't You See?)" | 139 | ||
| "Fuzz" | - |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are held each year to honor outstanding achievement and creativity within the Australian music scene. Caligula earned a single nomination.
|- | 1993 | Caligula | Best New Talent | |-