Interview: Snowman

Joe from Snowman
Interview by Leo Abbs

Introduce your band to the perthsounds public in one paragraph or more?
a dreamscape. Shards of glass blended with thick smokeyness….washy reverb drenched noise….manic yet miserable….hyberbollic warped stories of moments in our lives mashed together and pumped with acid….dark rythmic
mayhem perhaps?

You’ve been together for how long now? What is the best gig you’ve played? and the worst?
been together for 3 years.

It is hard to pinpoint the best and worst…there are certainly more memorable shows than others…we have had brawls breakout, we have played to 3000 people plus and then played to less thanfive within days of eachother. we have played dingey pubs in the middle of the desert to drunken miners, one of which glassed a man in the face and was arrested shortly after. We have also had the privelage of playing rather large venues with overseas acts.

The most memorable stage experience i have had personally was before Snowman existed. The first live performance that myself and Andy (vocals/guitar in snowman) ever played was for our school band in front of five hundred students and teachers. We went to a very strict religious school with rather warped beliefs…we were youngteenagers at the time and played noisey experimental trash music with filthy language. A smallscale riot started amongst the students when we were unplugged by the teachers. Andy was asked to leave the school that day for smashing a school guitar against a pole and inciting violence.

Of course, the big event is you are releasing an album. how was the >recording process?
It was satisfying…we recorded the album with dave Parkin at Blackbird studios in perth. we basically tried our very best to capture our live >sound and manic energy on record…we then went back and added layers of >noise and ambience and experiments with toys and instruments….dave encouraged us and was kind enough to allow us to push ourselves as far as
possible.

What are the songs like on the disc, compared to the mini disc?
Better…in a nutshell. There are far more colours and sounds and directions. The lyrics are far more personal and honest…the songs come from a far more interesting place. they cover more ground than the ep and the songs have more depth….basically there is no comparison.

What is your favourite song/s there and why?
>I am most proud of the more recent songs from the album…Smoke and>Mirrors, red River, The Black Tide, The Curse. These songs come from a very>real place and a very personal place. I get the most enjoyment from these>songs. It is rather difficult to listen to songs that youve written and>performed a million time sand recorded and heard a million times…the>songs tend to lose any relevance to you….they are only really the writers>song in the early stages (the writing) once the song has been released or>performed to an audience it is public property and is no longer a personal>thing…it is more of a window for the public/audience to perve on the>headspace of an artist.>>>

What do you plan to do after it’s released? Any plans to tour crazy places?
>yes..we will tour the country a few times first…then there are plans for>international touring mid next year. Hopefully we will travel to all>corners of the globe and confuse as many people as possible…>>>

You guys are rockstars? Do you have day jobs or music a full time gig?>
We don’t see ourselves as rockstars at all. We all have jobs to keep money>coming in..we are all living off the skin of our teeth….i teach guitar>and live off the dole….ross works in a factory….andy works in an office>for civil engineering firm and olga works in a cafe…the money doesnt give>us a cent…the band can barely afford to keep itself a float..there is a>general misconception amongst the public that bands lead a glamorous and>wealthy life….it is completely wrong…we are sleeping in hall ways and>eating very little. We are still writing music because it is an addiction>we must feed…not too different from a junkie i imagine.>>>

Going back to the start, tell me aboout your first experience as a>guitarist?>
The first performance i ever playedin front of an audience was for mys>shcool band…we played ‘Church on fire’ …i was 14 and going through all>sorts of hormonal changes…i was insanely nervous…i was to play a guitar>solo in the song…as i was approaching the solo i was even more nervous>until i literally hadf an orgasm on stage…for some reason my mind and>bodys reaction was to have an orgasm…from that day on i decided i was>born for rock’n’roll.>>>

Now, convince the perth public to buy your cd…why should they?
The perth public can do whatever they wish. It aint up to me whther they buyour record or not.

The Snowman self titled album is Out Sat Sept 23.

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Happy Birthday Gavin!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAVIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The long time local music fan and guitarist for walk-in dolphin celebrates his birthday today.

Perth Sounds wish you all the best Gav, and we hope that you have a great day!

‘You’re my friend
Your smile lights up the room’
Josivac

Live Review: Trees without Knees last show

LAMEFEST
Trees Without Knees, Burgers Of Beef, ZX Specky, The Doozers
Mojo’s
Thursday 24th August 2006
Review by Rohan Hewson

Lamefest: it was billed as a celebration of all things lame, and when it became known that the Trees Without Knees were breaking up, it became their farewell gig too. Well, in the spirit of lameness, I wore a colour-blind outfit to Mojo’s, and then managed to completely miss the Doozers… hey, sorry for being LAME, but that’s just how it goes sometimes.

ZX Specky play the kind of straight up punk Frenzal Rhomb don’t have the balls to any more… the highlight was probably the song ‘Morning Birds Fuck Off!’, which anyone in the crowd who’d ever experienced a monster hangover or drinking session could relate to. Oh, and their drummer played shirtless.

The Burgers of Beef played a pretty bog standard set. Of course, for the Burgers, ‘bog standard’ meant I was grinning like a loon by the end of the set… songs about the tooth fairy or vengeful DJ’s will do that. They can always be relied upon to brighten up a gig, even though frontman Chad was just about passing out from what he described as bird flu. At least he made it to the end of the set… that’s all that matters.

Trees Without Knees played their last set to about 20 people, and missing a guitarist. It’s always a shame seeing a perfectly good band split up, and doubly so when they play to an empty house. Most of the crowd were their friends, though. They didn’t go out with as much of a bang as they could have, due to playing as a three piece; however, they still got a decent round of applause for each song… that’s what friends are for.

Their music could be described as quirky alt-rock, influenced by bands like Pavement and the Fauves, changing tempo or key up to half a dozen times per song. They played some songs off their recent EP ‘Let Me Tell You A Tale’, and also some older material, notably ‘Trench Life’. I’d never heard the song before, but some of their mates (half of Roleystone, from what I heard) kept on calling out for it. They eventually played it last, and singer Andrew invited half the crowd up on stage to sing it… instead of him.

Naturally they were all so boozed they couldn’t tell one end of a microphone from the other, and it ended up sounding rather messy. I’m sure they thought it was special though, and that is what it’s all about. And they recorded a decent CD, which is more than many bands in Perth better than them ever get to do. Adios, Trees Without Knees… you will be missed.

Cd Launch: Mercurial

Mercurial Release Latest Recording –

Starting as a project envisioned by Brent Tunbridge several years ago,
Mercurial has slowly expanded to become one of the most unqiue and
refeshingly individual sounding bands in WA. The band release their latest
recording “August Design” on September 1st with The meaning of, tragic
delicate, seventyfive laydown and nix in support.

Beginning as solely Brent and his computer, Mercurial now includes James on
keyboards, Aaron on guitars, Sarge on bass, John on drums, with Brent taking
vocal and guitar duties. A focal point of a great many influences ranging
from Nine Inch Nails, The Tea Party and Deftones to A Perfect Circle,
Depeche Mode and Massive Attack,

Mercurial’s sound is difficult to pin down. At times heavy and at times dark
and moody, Mercurial’s songs traverse a soundscape as diverse as the
influences of the individuals who comprise the group.Mercurial follow no
trends, and with a stage show as quietly intense as their songs, the stages
of the city of Perth, and indeed the rest of Australia, should be prepared
or this band who are well prepared to forge new ground and lead the
alternative music scene into a grand new age when music and musicianship are
first priority and genre boundaries are comfortably blurred.

Mercurial’s CD launch is on September 1st @ Amplifier Bar, Doors open at
8pm, Entry $10 or $18 with the album. For more info check out –
www.mercurial.com.au or www.myspace.com/mercurialband

Random Cacti Promotions

Roy Zomerdyk // Lee Mayrene
0430 001 928 // 0408 950 075

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Live Review: Dave Mann Collective @ Freo Metropolis

Dave Mann Collective, Tourist, Howie Morgan Project
Metropolis Fremantle
Friday 4th August 2006
Review by Paul Speering

On Friday night, I decided to check out Fremantle Metro’s for a night of original music.

The first thing worth mentioning is the pure size of the stage; it must be a band’s dream to play on a stage that big! It made for some great stage antics, with guitarists and bass players jumping up on the drum riser to keep the stick bearer company all the way up there.

Howie Morgan and his Project were a great way to start the night. A cool, laid back mix of cruisy blues and roots, tied together nicely with a smattering of up-tempo tunes that kept the smallish but very interested crowd bopping away. There was one dancer especially who really, really got into them. Anyone who was there will know what I’m talking about. Technically, all three musicians were very solid. Howie has such a great voice, and had a great connection with his audience. One possible way to describe them is to imagine a nice warm lazy Sunday arvo in January, with the sun setting over the ocean… you get the picture!

Tourist, having not heard them before, I wasn’t sure what to expect and I wasn’t sure how they’d fit in with the two other blues and roots acts. They had more of an upbeat pop rock sound, but with elements of both blues and roots in their tunes. They certainly had the crowd up and dancing, which is almost always a good thing. By the time they hit the stage, the place had filled out nicely, with the dance floor population steadily increasing during their set, and passing that energy over to the band. Once again, it was hard to fault the musicianship, and the lead guitarist had the ability to launch into some great solos.. However, their sound was fairly commercial, and it wasn’t really anything that hasn’t been heard before. They also went significantly over time, and that cut short The Dave Mann Collective’s set. Not very professional.

What more can I say about The Dave Mann Collective that hasn’t already been said? They were simply superb, as per usual. However, due to the height of the stage, there wasn’t the same connection with the crowd as I have seen at other venues. But that was only one small negative. The introduction of a new member on keyboards to the ‘Collective’ was a surprise to me. Although he was highly competent on the instrument, and added depth to the sound, I can’t say for sure whether it’s a good thing or bad thing at this stage. Seriously, if you haven’t yet seen DMC in action, do yourself a favour. You will not regret it.

On a sour note, due to the previous band going overtime, and the need to get the shit cover band on, DMC’s set was cut short. Poor stage management was the culprit here. Overall, the music was great, with DMC and the Howie Morgan Project kicking arse.

New Band Profile for August – Chelsea Lights

Band Name: Chelsea Lights

Band Members: Matt Douglas (Vocals) Benjamin Dylan (Guitar) Paul Evans (Bass/Piano) Dave Fiora (Drums)

Influences: no defining one… R.E.M., Death Cab For Cutie, Jeff Buckley, Coldplay, The Cure, Whiskeytown, U2, Snow Patrol, Shins, Travis, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Stars.

Favourite Perth bands: The Avenues, The Preytells, Eskimo Joe, Shakedown, The Colors

Style: Have quite a bit of variety between our songs but we guess everything falls under the general umbrella of a big/sparse melodic pop/rock sound. We try to be as passionate and honest with our songs and transfer that onto the stage.

Where does your band name from: C’mon we need to maintain some kind of mystery… : )

Upcoming gigs: Gigantic single launch at the Newport on Sunday August 6th with Faith In Plastics and Sugar Army. Doors open 6pm and entry is Free!

Musicfan.com.au launch party at Swan Basement on Saturday August 19th with Grand Central, Razorlily and Blackmilk.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/chelsealights

MP3s: 4 demos can be downloaded from our myspace. The songs have evolved quite a bit since then (as will be heard on our EP due to be released later this year) but give a good general idea.

Contact Details: We love getting feedback and thoughts so leave us a comment or message on myspace. For bookings contact Ben at 1979@ozemail.com.au or 0408-909-2

Interview: 75 Laydown

NBT Finalists
Seventy Five Laydown

1. Please state bands names and positions.
Kris Harrison- Guitar and Vocals
Lee Mayrene- Bass
Barry King of Rock and Roll- Drums

2. Describe your band’s sound.
Well Xpress Magazine says its like fist to jaw rock and roll, and I’ve been told its like if metal and country got drunk on bourbon and had a child… we would be the sound it would make.

3. What do you think got 75 Laydown to this point in the competition?
Well the thing we like to do, and do well, is entertain. Our songs punch you in the face and our stage show is far from boring. And the thing most Perth bands tend to forget about is the crowd interaction, and we love to have an abundance of it in our show. So perhaps just being different to the other bands in the comp in these aspects made us stand out as possible Grand Final contenders.

4. Competitions can be nasty affairs, with all kinds of controversy and such. Have you seen anything controversial at the gigs?
I’ve seen bands bitch about where they were placed and act like spoilt children, there have been judges who I have felt were not acting professionally, we’ve almost been disqualified to keep the NBTs sponsors happy…. The list really does go on and on… But in all honesty I’ve been loving all of it, perhaps I get a twisted kick out of people getting their knickers in a twist over things that are seriously unimportant. More than anything, any controversy I’ve witnessed has amused me rather than pissed me off.

5. Which Perth band do you want to collaborate with most?
Jeez there are so many… I don’t know whether they would suit our style though, but I do have a lot of good friends in Perth bands who are ever supporting and encouraging us which makes me fuzzy on the inside. As for collaboration I really have no ideas who I would choose.

6. Could your band survive together on a long tour?
I think I would come close to killing Kris the Cowboy, and I’d say Barry might be driven insane. But Kris and I already live together… and we see Barry at least twice a week so I think we are all pretty used to the good and the bad aspects that we all have. But touring would be incredible. We are trying to line up just a weekend tour down south in the coming months… So maybe I’ll get back to you with the result then?? Haha.

7. Do you have enemies in this comp? Who?
I’ve had words with a couple of the bands that feel the need to bring us down a couple of pegs. But that’s usually people who don’t understand we are just having a bit of fun and giving the band a “love to hate” kind of persona that’s fun to rock to, some people take themselves way too seriously and that’s where all the troubles begin. And in the end it’s a competition… and we were competing… And when bands say “oh its just about the rock” well really… that’s a load of shit when you spend the time, effort and money on entering a competition… Of course you want people to watch you and praise you… and the free shit would be killer too!! But yeah… Fear of Comedy were particularly nasty when they took Kris joking the wrong way… Ironic if you read the meaning behind their name. And Mink Mussel Creek haven’t appreciated any of my comments relating to their band or their behaviour that I have made… But both these situations I could care less about because people really just have to relax… If they cant handle jokes or opinions they are going to find it much harder down the road if they are lucky enough to have more people paying attention to their bands.

8. Any thoughts on where will you end up placing?
Well we though we had a crack at the top three… But in reality it is an opinion based judging system so it was really up to the judges on the night. But just cracking the top seven out of 166 bands who entered was beyond awesome and I have personally never played in front of so many punters and industry folk before in my life so that was incredible anyway, win or lose, we gained more in 6 weeks than we have over the last year together because of this competition

9. The best thing about playing in this band is…
It is absolutely awesomely fun to be in… I mean, we put a shit load of work in our jam sessions and we work out or stage show and song order so we give the audience the best we can… And when I get up on stage suddenly I’m not nervous anymore because I can be the bassist from 75 and that’s different to the Lee I am in every day life. So it really lets me express another side of me I would never be able to without this band. And just being pushed by my boys to get better and faster and louder and crazier allows me to better myself really quickly too!!

Interview by Graham Knapp

Interview: Sinking Citizenship

John Forbes from Sinking Citizenship
Interview by Leo Abbs

Your myspace site doesn’t tell me your influences. So where does the sinking citizenship sound come from?
I the early days there were distinct differences between the three of our influences, Kristian the singer/ guitarist was influenced by the early eighties bands such as the Birthday Party and Joy Division, I (bass) was into my Chicago styled rock with bands
like the Jesus Lizard and Big Black, and Matt (drums) basically liked good music- he was the only one of us to really dabble in the electro scene and he liked everything in between.

At the risk of sounding literally like a wanker I would have to say our biggest influence
these days is ourselves ,because we’ve kind of struck on a sound that manages to capture all of our influences, but now our main inspiration is to expand on it and take it into different directions.

Which band gives you the shits and why?
To be brutally honest I think just about every band gives us the shits. I know it’s almost becoming a cliche these days but there is a real lack of bands taking risks with their sound, even in the underground. I don’t know what comes first, whether it’s the bands being scared of not pulling the crowds or the people not actually wanting to hear anything different, but either way it kind of makes things pretty bland. Having said that I’m sure there are lots of wonderful bands out there, it’s just I’m too lazy to search them out.

You guys are from melbourne, does the sport obsession get to you or are you a sports nut too?

I kind of like the way in Melbourne it’s alright to like sport and art at the same time, but I personally don’t give a rat’s arse about sport.

What makes you keep going as a band?
A combination of love for the music, a complete inability to contribute anything even remotely useful to the greater comminity, and an inabilty to socially function with anyone else.

How and why did this WA tour come about?
Some friends of ours came for a tour over here last year and had a really good time. We also actually all come from Perth so it was a nice opportunity for a free feed from our parents.

What’s the meaning behind the album title ‘delete then repeat’?
When ever I get asked this question I struggle to refrain from saying “whatever the hell you want it to mean”. Given the times I have tried answering it properly, I have failed miserably, so I might just leave it at that.

Who are your favourite WA bands and why?
The Scientists because they come from a slightly more dangerous time for Aussie rock. Wormfarm because no one will remember them and I don’t either because I only ever saw them when I was very drunk. The Gutterville Splendour Six because they moved over to Melbourne and became the Drones who I quite like. Snowman seemed pretty cool when I saw them too.

Have you been to Perth before? If so where are your favourite places?
Me mum and dads house because there’s free food. Karakatta cemetery,Cockburn, and the Vincent st entrance to the Mitchell freeway.

You seem to have a lot of top five lists. Have you seen ‘high fidelity’ and if so, who’s your favourite character?
The Jack Black character because it’s a lot of fun to be outrageously opinionated on your music preference.
Tell us why we should come to the gig.
Because if you play your cards right, you might be able to come back to my house and I’ll get me mum to make some free food.

http://www.thesinkingcitizenship.com
http://www.myspace.com/thesinkingcitizenship