Editing Bitter Defeat

[[image:BD4.jpg|right|thumb|''Bitter Defeat'''s debut performance, [[Nivara Lounge]], 17 August 2018; Manning, Thompson, Shirlow, Brockelsby, White, Duggan]]
[[image:bitterdefeatposter.jpg|right|thumb|Poster from ''Bitter Defeat'''s first gig]]
''Bitter Defeat'' began as a lo-fi solo recording project of [[Rob Shirlow]]. They took their name from a song by Brisbane band ''Kitchen's Floor'' (who played in Hamilton in soon after, in July 2016). The initial recording by ''Bitter Defeat'', called ''Superior Avoidance Tactics'', appeared on BandCamp in June 2016. Subsequent songs appeared on the website sporadically, with ''Better'' released in January 2017 and ''Hummer'' in July 2017. 

A live band was initiated in early 2018, which went through several line-up changes before settling on ''Shirlow'' (vocals), [[Julian White]] (also of [[The Scones]], [[Kitchenette]]; bass), [[Sam Brockelsby]] (ex-[[Ancient Tapes]], [[Elephant Facelift]]; guitar), [[Ben Manning]] (guitar), [[Ian Duggan]] (ex-[[Spatula Death]]; casiotone) and [[Kathryn Thompson]] (drums). 

Their debut performance was on 17 August 2018, supporting [[Landlords]] and Auckland band ''Swallow the Rat'' at [[Nivara Lounge]]. The recordings from the gig were released on BandCamp on 19 August as [[Live Beneath a Gravel Streak]]. The following week, the band played [[Circle Jerk 2018]] at [[The Meteor]], with their full performance being uploaded to YouTube. Following this time, other early gigs included the [[3rd Annual HUP Xmas Party]] in December 2018, and support for ''Hamish Kilgour'' in February 2019. 

After a hiatus of several months due to an injury to their drummer, during which time ''Brockelsby'' left the band, ''Bitter Defeat'' returned to the stage on 27 June 2019 to support ''John Davis'' (ex-''Folk Implosion'') at ''Nivara Lounge'', with [[Dean Ballinger]] filling in on drums. With this lineup they also played Nivara Lounge with ''Repairs'' (Auckland), ''First Move'' (Palmerston North) and ''Flogging a Dead One Horse Town'' (Tauranga) on 16 August, and with [[The Wilberforce's]] and ''Swallow the Rat'' at ''The Wine Cellar'' in Auckland on 17 August.

Following the return of ''Thompson'' to the band, they supported ''The Bats'' with [[Matthew Bannister]] at Nivara Lounge on 6 March 2020. In early April 2020, the band were booked to record their debut EP, but the session was cancelled due to the nationwide lock-down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the early demo for ''Superior Avoidance Tactics'' was released on the compilation [[No Sound: A Nivara Lounge Fundraiser]], organised by ''Shirlow''. They eventually made it into [[The Porch Studio]] on 1-2 August, and released their debut single ''Light that Shines'' on 31 August 2020. The song charted at #9 on Dunedin's Radio One countdown, and was played on BBC Radio Wales. On 23 October, ''Long Lash'' was released with a video made by [[Kat Waswo]]. 

On 7 November 2020, the band played at the release of [[In Thrust We Trust]], an album to support their former drummer [[Dean Ballinger]]; they released the song ''Street Light'' on the album. Late in the year they played gigs with ''Nuggiz'' (4 December), ''Princess Chelsea'' (5 December) and at the [[4th Annual HUP Xmas Party]]. On 22 December, their second video (and third song) as a band was released; a re-recording of 2017s ''Better''.

The band started 2021 by releasing their debut EP [[Minor Victory]]. A release gig was held [[Nivara Lounge]] that night, also featuring [[The Scones]], [[The Changing Same]] and [[Sam Kimber-Bell]] (all bands featuring members of the ''Lumee Spuds'' cricket team). Gigs in 2021 included support for Francisca Griffin (ex-Look Blue Go Purple) on 24 April and support slots for The Chills in Gisborne, Mount Maunganui and Raglan in May.

In December 2022, the band released the song 'Sugar Blind', as a teaser to the EP [[Terrific Effort]], which was released in March 2023. On 23 December 2022, they played at [[Last Place]], supporting [[Grok]] with [[Broadcast State]]. In 2023, they have played again at Last Place, and Auckland venue UFO with ''The Fuzzies''.

==Published Articles==
*''Bitter Defeat Interview'', [[Hamilton Underground Press]], 20 August 2017 [https://www.hamiltonundergroundpress.com/features/bitter-defeat-interview]

*''Bitter Defeat Interview'', [[Hamilton Underground Press]], 6 February 2019 [https://www.hamiltonundergroundpress.com/features/bitter-defeat-interview5330826]
*''I Cant Believe it's Gotten this Far'', [[Hamilton Underground Press]], 11 September 2020 [https://www.hamiltonundergroundpress.com/news/i-cant-believe-its-gotten-this-far]
*''Freaky eyelash an inspiration for Hamilton alternative band Bitter Defeat'' by ''Mike Mather'', Stuff (23 Oct) and [[Waikato Times]] (27 Oct 2020) [https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/123187722/freaky-eyelash-an-inspiration-for-hamilton-alternative-band-bitter-defeat]
*''The Victor Shall Drink Champagne'', Gisborne Herald, 5 May 2021 [http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/entertainment/20210422/the-victor-shall-drink-champagne]

==Releases==
*[[Minor Victory]] EP, 2021

*''Superior Avoidance Tactics'' appears on the 2020 compilation [[No Sound: A Nivara Lounge Fundraiser]]
*''Street Light'' appears on the 2020 compilation [[In Thrust We Trust]]

==External Links==
*[https://bitterdefeat.bandcamp.com/ ''Bitter Defeat'' BandCamp]
*[https://www.facebook.com/bitterdefeat/ ''Bitter Defeat'' Facebook page]

*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne4zvAkLdfg ''Bitter Defeat'' at ''Circle Jerk 2018'', YouTube]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnWx6JbXMPE ''Long Lash'' video, 2020, YouTube]

[[category:bands]]