The Mess Hall was an Australian blues rock, indie rock, and garage rock band from Sydney, formed in 2001. They initially consisted of Jed Kurzel on lead vocals and guitar, Justin Kurzel on bass, and Anthony "AJ" Johnsen on drums and backing vocals. They quickly gained a reputation as a live act and released a self-titled lo-fi album, The Mess Hall (2001), to distribute at live events. In 2003, they signed with Shock Records and released the EP Feeling Sideways (2003), produced by Matt Lovell and Chris Joannou. In 2004, Johnsen was replaced by drummer Cec Condon. They released a second studio album, Notes From A Ceiling (2005). In 2007, they signed to Ivy League Records and released Devils Elbow (2007), which won the Australian Music Prize that year. Their momentum continued as they supported the Foo Fighters' Australian tour and released a fourth album, For the Birds (2009). They performed together until 2011, when they amicably parted ways, but later reunited for a series of shows in 2015.
