About Me
PLAYING TIMES
Main Stage:
Offcutts - 9:10 - 10:00
Laura Imbruglia - 8:00 - 8:45
Cuthbert & Nightwalkers 7:00 - 7:30
The Russian Brides 6:00 - 6:30
Hotcakes 5:00 - 5:30
Midnight Hysteria 4:00 - 4:30
Raymond Js:
Richard in Your Mind 8:45 - 9:10
Death Mattel - 7:30 - 8:00
Hand Me My Jetpack - 6:30 - 7:00
Weir - 5:30 - 6:00
Melanie Horsnell - 4:30 - 5:00
NON. STOP. MUSIC.
Rather than allow for the generic spiel that you get from festival bookers, I thought I’d give a rundown of each band from my perspective. Reading back over this rundown it looks like I’m exaggerating, but surprisingly enough I mean every word.
OFFCUTTS
This fantastic band is surely going to top off a fantastic day. I first saw this band play at 1am in a small room in Darling Harbour. The walls were dripping with sweat, despite the ample air conditioning. The soul-funk-punk rock that screamed from that stage was enough to let me reconcile my differences and use the word ‘funk’ in a review of something I liked. It was the same feeling I got when I saw the Ground Components for the first time, or when the Greenhornes blew the White Stripes off the stage.
Their song, Break It, made it big in the JJJ Hottest 100 a few years ago, and to this day I include it on just about every party compilation. This is a band you will NOT want to miss.
LAURA IMBRUGLIA
I was quite excited when Laura agreed to play this show. I told my housemate and he said “Really? Her? Solo act near the top of a drunken bill?â€. I then had to explain how the lone acoustic act had been dumped in favour of a ridiculously awesome full band lineup, complete with songs that make me wish I could write better songs. Her debut album was one of the best in 2006, and I’m looking forward to seeing her play. Like, a LOT.
RICHARD IN YOUR MIND
It’s not often you see a crowd of people sit down for a band. Not because the venue have asked them to, not because the band has asked them to, but because it’s implied. I sometimes wonder about bands that I see – I look to the future and picture greater things. No other band I know has a more promising future than Richard in Your Mind. My projection must mirror that of someone in Philadelphia two decades ago, staring at a mesmerising Ween set, asking themselves how they got so lucky. I introduced myself and bought them a beer, and bought a burnt CD demo under the assumption that it would be worth something some day.
I’m not alone here – they won the JJJ Unearthed competition and recently opened the Sydney Big Day Out. If you’ve ever wanted to see a band and be transported to another time and space, this band is the answer.
HOTCAKES
Words cannot describe. You simply must just see for yourself.
CUTHBERT AND THE NIGHT WALKERS
You know when you hear a song on the radio, try to figure out who sang it but the bastard on the air never back announce? This happened 3 times with the Night Walkers. Their song ‘Red Frogs’ became an instant hit in my household. Once I tracked them down I downloaded all their songs and listened to them on the way to work, in the shower and on my regular visits to the Queen. I met the band on the film shoot for the clip of said song, which I feature in for about a quarter of a second.
The band have about 10 members on stage at any time – glocks, keys, guitar, vocals, bass, drums, and a choir of the lovliest girls this side of Ritaville. In the past 6 months they’ve played dozens of shows, and each time they come away with another fan or 5. Their country-twang meets Polyphonic Spree sound is one not to be missed. Well… nobody is to be missed on this lineup, really. I wouldn’t have booked them if they were!
HAND ME MY JETPACK
According to their bio, this band had barely stretched beyond the casual jam before being asked to support Jakob (NZ) at their Solace Album Launch. Following this they opened the 2006 Gerling Xmas Party, in support of Gerling and Dappled Cities Fly. Pretty good for a second show, isn’t it? Guitarist Joel Werner fronted the now defunct I (Love) Space, who were one of my favourite Sydney bands. Luckily, Joel is going harder in this band, and I can’t wait.
DEATH MATTEL
Death Mattel is the most underrated band in Sydney. Fronted by former young person Matt Downey, the band brings a dynamic sound of Devo meets Big Black, with the occasional swaying love ballad. Downey screams down the mic like a drunken socialist in Double Bay, mashing away at the keyboards in a blind fury channelling the ghost of Zak De La Rocha.
After a couple of reshuffles in lineup the band are set to make their return to the live circuit. Last year Death Mattel completed a world tour which stopped off in Germany, Norway, England and the USA. The shows are rumoured to have turned gay men straight, insulted Rebublicans and shook the foundations of Philadelphia.
MIDNIGHT HYSTERIA
I really dislike musical theatre. I mean, I like music, I occasionally like theatre, but the two mix like Blues and House music. Frontwoman Alexandra Sabastian loves it. Quite a bit. Luckily, she’s moved that love away from the performance artists and next to the pokies. Midnight Hysteria dispel the notion that you can’t have winning tunes and a 47 octave range in the same band.
The lyrics can get quite dirty, or sappy, but they do it so well I barely notice. Having only been gigging for a little while they’re making a nice little name for themselves in this town, and opening up the Matata stage at Keegstock is something you’ll have to get in early to appreciate.
THE RUSSIAN BRIDES
This is my band. I decided if I’m going to have all of these other fantastic bands on a bill I should give myself the honour of popping myself us the bill.
We’re pulling out the stops for this show. We’ll be launching our new EP, ‘An Ode to Jeremy Piven’, and we’ll have extended our traditional lineup to the point of lunacy. Basically, the 30 mins we’re on stage will be reserved for nothing short of a massive party. Balloons, cannons, special guests… it’s on for young and old. It will be the high point of my day, so I hope you can all get there for it.
WEIR
Like most modern friendships, I formed mine with Jess from Weir on MySpace. In fact, I still don’t think I’ve met her in person (does the phone count)?
Luckily, her band playing this festival should definitely make for an impressionable introduction. The songs remind me of a world wrapped in Radiohead’s B-Sides for The Bends – those of you in the know will see that as a compliment and know exactly what I’m talking about.
MELANIE HORSNELL
I’ve only seen Melanie perform once – and I was working at the time. The songs were instantly catchy, and I remembered many of them for weeks. Which is not all that common (as many gig goers will know). Melanie has a fantastic ear for a good song, and is sure to develop a larger following in 2007.
