Perth Music

British India, Dukes Of Windsor, Bluejuice, The Panda Band, Red Jezebel, Harlequin League, John & The Inverarities plus a special DJ surprise.

Sun 23rd November on the lush grounds of University Of Western Australia, Hackett Drive, Nedlands.

Gates open 2.00pm – 9.00pm.
All Ages Welcome.
Licensed Area 18+ Only ID Required. No BYO. No Pass outs. Good food - good times - good toons

General Public Tickets (Strictly Limited Capacity) go on sale 9AM Thurs 25th September.
Available from:
BOCS www.bocsticketing.com.au 9484 1133, 78 Records www.78records.com.au 9322 6384, MOSH www.moshtix.com.au 1300 GET TIX and Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au

DISCOUNT – Student Prices available for a limited time on campus from UWA Student Centre ph 6488 2269, www.guild.uwa.edu.au. ECU Mt Lawley. Central TAFE Leederville. Murdoch Uni.

We have 2 double passes to give away!! Just email perthmusic@gmail.com with VROOM in the subject line along with your name, age and mailing address.

Hailing from Perth, Bravo Inferno are a new rock/pop band making music that they love. Bravo Inferno are energetic one song, cruisey the next, and are absolutely always passionate. Featuring sensational lead guitars and catchy heartfelt lyrics, Bravo Inferno are a band you’ll want to crank up loud and sing along with.  Guitarist Glen Strindberg caught up with Justin Middleton for this exclusive interview.

I asked Glen to give us a little bit of a history of the band and how the members got together to create Bravo Inferno. “The band got together with Lee (McDonald, vocals) and myself jamming in a tiny lounge room for about a year on some ideas. We decided we wanted to create a sound that we liked. We were not looking to break musical boundaries, we wanted to create music that would excite us. Something we would enjoy listening to time and again.”

“After recording our EP ‘This Balloon‘ it became obvious that if we were to push this musicial gamble further we needed to get some other musos in on action. After looking for the right people for the role Wayno (Clayton, Drums), Gardy (Mike Gardiner, Guitar) and Christy (Fok, Bass) joined with thier own stlye and influence, hence Bravo Inferno exploded onto the scene.”

Asked what bands have had the most influence on the band and your music, Glen replied “There have been many bands that have influenced our sound. All of us “Bravo Inernites” have different bands we like. Interpol, Maximo Park, Foo Fighters, Powderfinger, Frans Ferdinand, Kings of Leon and many more. Currently Vulture St by Powderfinger is rotating in the car stereo.”

I asked Glen to list his top 5 Perth bands of all time. “Mmmmm tricky one. All time Top five Perth Bands would have to include Birds of Tokyo, Jebediah, Kill Devil Hills, The Dirty Secrets and John Bultler Trio. For thier musicianship and stage presence.”

Glen says “Live shows for us is about sharing with people what we hear every week at practise. Solid catchy songs with exciting lyrics. When we play live to 5 or 500 people we want them to feel that we are giving our best.”

“Crowd interaction does mean a lot to us. Crowds respond to being acknowledged. We aways make an effort to mingle before and after the gigs to show our appreciation and to hear feedback. Lee always give his 110% to the songs and the crowd when on stage. All you have to do is look and see the sweat dripping off us in the first few songs to realise how hard we work to entertain. We jokingly have said we need roadies to run out and mop our brows after each song.”

Asked whether he had to give up alcohol or playing music for 6 months Glen replied “Haha is that a trick question? Give up Alcohol without a doubt. You get the same high playing music and watching total strangers nodding their heads to your songs than anything Alcohol gives you. Plus theres no hangover in the morning and no beer gut!”

Bravo Inferno are playing the following gigs coming up:
Friday September 19th at the Railway Hotel
Saturday October 11th at the Rocket Room
Friday November 21st at the Hyde Park Hotel back room

For more info visit www.myspace.com/bravoinferno

Saturday 16th August 2008
Amplifier Bar, Perth
Trial Kennedy
Mere Theory
Grim Fandango

It was a cold night in Perth that saw a healthy crowd descend upon The Amplifier Bar to see three exciting bands put on a show that felt more like a local gig than a touring show. Parking next door, the music was pounding and I regretted running late but luckily the line outside was short so it took no time at all to get inside. Local rockers Grim Fandango were on stage as I entered but there was no sound. Everyone was running around looking a little stressed out and a little angry. Just then the band announced that even though it was half way through their set, the guitarist had blown the amp and could not go on. Quite ironic that an amp was blown at The Amplifier.

The crowd gathered closer to the stage as Adelaide’s Mere Theory started playing their no nonsense rock that exploded onto the audience. The bass player had everybody watching him as he violently started swinging his bass around him knocking over speakers, almost hitting lead singer, Chris Mellow, and just looking like he was out of control. Apart from that craziness the band did a great job entertaining all that were there with solid rock music. And it turned out later, after I saw him walking around with a walking stick, that the bass player was blind. Not blind drunk, but actually blind.

The whole place was buzzing as Trial Kennedy jumped on stage and got straight into showing everyone how good their debut album, New Manic Art, is. The band did a good job in trying to get on the local crowd’s good side dedicating three separate songs to three separate local bands, in Calerway (calling them great mates), Gyroscope (calling them the best band in Australia) and Karnivool (calling them cunts, as a joke). The big crowd pleasers were Neighbours, Colour Day Tours, Sunday Warning and The Great Escape. It was a fantastic gig and Trial Kennedy impressed everybody that was there, hopefully there will be many tours by these fellas very, very soon.

An unprecedented 23 bands from the University of Western Australia will be fighting it out in the National Campus Band Competition (NCBC) this year. The bands are competing in NCBC heats throughout August, with the winning bands playing in Semi-Finals across Perth against other Western Australian universities and TAFEs. The State Final will be held in early October, featuring the cream of this year’s crop of campus bands, and the winning band will walk away with over $2,000 in prizes.

NCBC, now in its 19th year, is the largest live band competition in the southern hemisphere. The competition showcases up-and-coming bands to wider audiences and has helped launch the careers of acts such as Eskimo Joe, The Vasco Era and Jebediah. Last year’s competition saw WA band Will Stoker and the Embers take out the national title, while Black Market Babies, the top UWA band, played alongside Karnivool and Bluejuice at the UWA O’Day concert this year.

Competition between the UWA bands has got off to an early start, with an online ‘People’s Choice Award’ poll showing some clear leaders before the heats have even begun. And, with genres ranging from Indie Rock to Shoegaze/Psychedelic, Alternative/Fusion and New Age Folk Electronica, the 2008 UWA NCBC heats are set to be some of the most entertaining and diverse live music shows in Perth.

The four UWA heats will take place at the UWA Tavern on August 8th, 15th, 21st and 22nd; all at 3pm. Entry is free (18+ ID required). For the running order and details of the bands playing, check out www.guild.uwa.edu.au.

Final Dates
Semi # 1 – Fri Sep 5th Railway Hotel
Semi # 2 – Fri Sep 12th Swan Basement
Semi # 3 – Fri Sep 19th Rocket Room
State Final – Sat Oct 4th Hyde Park Hotel, backroom

Prizes:
The winning band will receive $2000 worth of gear from Kosmic Sound, plus 2 days studio time from Sumo Sound Studio and all the backline needed for studio recording from Lounge Backline. All other prizes can be viewed online at the NCBC West Myspace (www.myspace.com/ncbcwest)

Sunday 3rd August 2008
Fly By Nightclub, Fremantle
Birds Of Tokyo
Abbe May & the Rockin Pneumonia
Harlequin League

It was that time of the year when Triple J made the journey over to the West for a special Live @ the Wireless performance by a fantastic group of WA bands. Birds Of Tokyo have just released their sophomore album Universes to a fantastic reception and to get ready for a national tour they played a special afternoon gig to lucky fans. Abbe May is loved by almost all WA music lovers as well as Triple J and she has had a fantastic year playing festivals and her own gigs all over town. Harlequin League are building their reputation as strong up and comers and have their debut EP coming out at the end of this month. All in all it was a great selection of WA bands to represent WA on the national stage.

After a bit of a delay in letting people in to the Fly By Nightclub (due to apparently getting sound check just right for the radio) and a introduction from Triple J’s Rosie Beaton, Harlequin League jumped on stage to a growing audience. Visibly excited about playing a high profile gig the boys were intent on proving their worth. Great guitar work, fantastic energy and even double drumming was a perfect start to the afternoon as more and more audience members crept closer to the stage and started bopping along to the rockin tunes. Itchy Heart and Bones were electric highlights of the set as the band garnered plenty of new fans who must be eager to see how big this new band will get.

A short break was followed by Abbe May and The Rockin Pneumonia arriving on stage to an appreciative applause. As the first song started Abbe started to sing but no sound was coming from the microphone. This continued for about 3 minutes, followed by frantic sound guys trying to figure out what was going on. A few loud screeches of distortion finally ended the song with a disappointed look and a laugh from Abbe. The sound was then finally fixed and the band rocked into their set. Abbe May has one of the best female voices in Australia and she had it on perfect display this afternoon. Some great blues songs filled the newly renovated Fly By Nightclub but a lot of the crowd were young music lovers that might not have had the patience to enjoy it. As Abbe May and The Rockin Pneumonia walked off stage the electricity in the room lifted as the band all were there to see were up next.

Rosie Beaton was on stage again to introduce the band of the moment and get the radio guys ready to press record. Ian Kenny and band walked on stage with confidence but mentioned that they “had never done anything like this before where a show was recorded live and they were shitting themselves”. Starting off with crowd favourite Broken Bones, the Birds Of Tokyo were intent on making this a show to remember. Plenty of songs were played from the new album Universes as well as a good sample of songs from Day One with the crowd singing along to most songs. Getting ready for a huge national tour it was obvious the Birds Of Tokyo were in perfect form, from the thunderous drumming, the magic guitar and bass combos and Ian Kenny’s powerful vocals. When this recording does come out on Triple J make sure you catch it.

Since their inception in 2007, Harlequin League have wasted no time in forging a reputation as one of the most exciting new acts to come out of Perth in recent months. This August will see Harlequin League cement their progression through the ranks with the release of their highly anticipated, debut EP We Used To Be Gods, Now We’re So Plain.

To celebrate the impending release, Harlequin League will be showcasing tunes off their new EP at an all-ages and absolutely free event as part of Triple J’s live @ The Wireless this Sunday 3 August, at The Fly By Night in Fremantle with Birds Of Tokyo and Abbe May.

With the debut EP being recorded by respected Melbourne producer Woody Annison (Children Collide, Red Riders, Rocket Science, Dardanelles), Harlequin League’s first official recorded effort represents a melting pot of influences. Mixing gritty post-punk with ambient undertones and channeling the eclectic pop of the UK new wave, We Used To Be Gods, Now We’re So Plain represents the next phase in Harlequin League’s career.

Sun 3rd August - Triple J’s Live @ The Wireless at The Fly By Night, Fremantle - with Birds Of Tokyo and Abbe May
Thur 7th August - Deville’s Pad, Perth - with special guests TBA

For more info visit www.myspace.com/harlequinleague.  Harlequin League’s debut EP to be released August 2008, on Good Cop Bad Cop Records.

On Sunday 27th July 2008, the world’s biggest live music event is coming to Perth!

The Global Battle of the Bands (GBOB) Challenge 2008 is hitting up every nook and cranny of Australasia to unearth the best band in the territory, so they can be flown to the UK to battle it out for the 1st prize of US$100,000. And GBOB is heading to Perth to dig up the very best in Western Australian talent.

The tyranny of distance will for the first time work in the favour of Western Australians. The reason being that the Perth Heat has been rated as not only a local qualifier, but also a Regional Final. Thus, the winner of the Perth Heat will not have to attend a secondary play-off to qualify for the Australasian National Final – they will go straight through to the National Final, held at the Hilton’s State Room in Sydney.

To add to this amazing opportunity, each member of the winning band will be showered with prizes, including a pair of the coveted Chuck Taylor Converse Shoes (a must in any musician’s wardrobe), a bag of goodies from Ernie Ball and a Fuji Z20 Digital Camera.

All Regional Final winners will be included in press releases to GBOB’s network of major music industry players and sponsors, which include Channel [V] and Triple M. Channel V will be broadcasting footage of the bands at the Australasian Final as well as following them to the World Final in London, and the winner of the Australasian Final will be featured across the Triple M network.

So bands, pay attention – US$100,000 and international fame could be yours. Don’t miss out on your chance to be the winner of the GBOB Challenge 2008. Just head to www.gbob.com, follow the Australia links and you’re on your way!

Register your band NOW for your chance to win the biggest band competition the world has ever seen.

On Sunday, 3 August, Triple J is getting festive in Fremantle with three of WA’s best live acts.  Local heroes Birds Of Tokyo headline a huge Live at the Wireless at The Fly By Night with special guests Abbe May, and Harlequin League. The Triple J live music magicians will be there to record the entire show with boisterous support from a few hundred lucky Sandgropers.

The best part is that it’s all-ages and absolutely free!   We’ve also got an esky full of drinks, and a fist full of VIP double passes to hang out with the bands (and Triple J’s Rosie Beaton) after the show. Be listening from Friday 3pm on Dools & Linda this Friday and all next week to find out how to get your hands on one.

This is gonna be massive, so get there early to nab your place.

Triple J Live at the Wireless
with Birds of Tokyo, Abbe May, and Harlequin League
Sunday 3 August 2008
Fly By Night, Fremantle
Doors at 2pm
Free and All-Ages

***Update***

Please note that because of the venue’s liquor licence, this event must now be ticketed. The only way to see this stellar line-up is by winning tickets by listening to triple j or signing up to jmail.

The first music festival of the summer has been announced with The Cruel Sea headlining the bill on November 29 at King’s Park.  You can expect to hear all your favourites including The Honeymoon Is Over, Black Stick, Better Get A Lawyer and This Is Not The Way Home. Get ready for an unforgettable night, it’s Tex and the boys’ first headline show in Perth since their hiatus a few years back and they’re sounding sharper than ever!

Co-headliner Ben Lee is no stranger to these shores. One of Australia’s most successful ever independent artists, Lee’s shows are famous for crowd singalongs to classics like We’re All In This Together, Catch My Disease, Cigarettes Will Kill You, and Gamble Everything For Love as well as hits from his acclaimed latest record Ripe.

Local hero Bob Evans has a new single and new album on the way and will no doubt combine some sneak peeks from this hotly anticipated release alongside faves from his ARIA award winning Suburban Songbook, like Don’t You Think It’s Time and Nowhere Without You.

Escape to the Park Schedule:
4.00pm: Gates Open
4.45pm: Abbe May & The Rockin’ Pneumonia
5.35pm: Kate Miller-Heidke
6.40pm: Bob Evans
7.45pm: Ben Lee
9.05pm: The Cruel Sea

Tickets on sale Thursday 24 July 2008 from Ticketmaster. Tickets are $70 or $80 . Ticketmaster pre-sale from 18 July.

Talented local Perth girl KNiKi is about to launch her second CD ‘Just…‘ on the 15 August 2008 at the Charles Hotel. KNiKi has been working with the legendary John Meyers (formerly Rose Tattoo and Chain) on the collaboration of the album.

KNiKi returns to her first love, the blues, in this her second CD. Her powerful, sultry come hither voice will take you on a soul touching musical journey. Come and join KNiKi for a ride you won’t forget

Tickets available now at Ticketmaster