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By tom, September 7, 2010 9:06 am

OH NO, Jay Z and Beiber are on their way to a show when a rogue meteor obliterates their stretch limo along with the hearts of a billion 10 year old girls. There’s only one Brooklyn based rap group who can suitably fill Beiber’s sz 7 Nike Dunks and that’s Das Racist, but unfortunately Heems and Kool AD seem to have misplaced their hype man, Dap (Don’t you hate it when that happens).  If you’re into Nintendo, call and response choruses and hoverboards then you should definitely watch the video to find out whether Das Racist can find their man in time for the show, but if for some weird reason you aren’t into any of these things, just watch it anyway for the lolz.

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By tom, September 3, 2010 9:00 am

As Big Sound slowly approaches it’s hard not to get a little excited. I’m a huge fan of any type of musical extravaganza that decides to call Brisbane and more specifically Fortitude Valley it’s home. Apart from the Laneway Festival there is really scant opportunities to drink and play pool a short walk away from a large gathering of great bands. If that’s not a massive pro in favor of Big Sound then I don’t know what is. What I do know is that you should stop by their myspace and lend your ears to the sounds of 4 of Brisbane’s brightest young musical upstarts. I am of course talking about Last Dinosaurs and here at Peny Lane we love when hometown boys made good. I got the chance to sit down with the lads and talk a little about what they’ve been upto, Big Sound 2010 and Bruce Willis’ bald head.

The Drums were recently described as “Joy Division goes to the beach”. How would you describe Last Dinosaurs? That’s a very difficult question to answer! I think we have a few different sounds, at least on the EP. Every song on that has a different feel about it, whereas with the Drums’ album every song has a certain underlying surfy aspect, which I loved about it. Maybe after our album I’ll be able to give you a more assured answer!

I ask this because of my fondness for all things Swedish and also because the Hives would have to be the best act I think I’ve ever seen live, but Last Dinosaurs happen to be a part of the Dew Process Label along with bands such as the Hives and the Shout Out Louds. How does it feel to be in such esteemed company? It’s great, if not a little scary sometimes. It’s just great to know that people out there that have the power to promote your music are actually willing to fork out for us. When I look at the roster of artists and see that the vast majority of them are full-time musicians though, I still think we have to step-up to reach that next level. Analogies aren’t my strength, but we’re like the promising footballer that comes on to play the last few minutes of injury time, if you get what I mean.

Last Dinosaurs just recently played at the Splendour in the Grass festival. Considering the band is so young, how does it feel to make the big step up to festivals such as these? Splendour was so amazing; it definitely surpassed our expectations in every way. I remember Sean telling me that it was his dream in life to play alongside the Strokes, and I guess we sort of did that, haha. But then we also got to meet Albert Hammond Jr. after they played, which was just so good!

I know I certainly have a few, but do you have any interesting Splendour stories you would like to share in the name of entertainment? We have a few good ones, but the thing I personally found so entertaining was how uninhibited our guitarist Lach was in going up to talk to all these famous bands. The rest of us would be tucked away in a little corner plotting how we can say hello to Two Door Cinema Club like little kids going backstage, and then next thing we find out that Lach’s been hanging out in their dressing room for a good 15 minutes discussing guitar pedals with them or something. The same thing happened with Grizzly Bear!

The band are quietly powering through a number of shows in promotion of the Back From the Dead EP. Any tips for survival on the road? You definitely have to provide your own entertainment, like a good book to read. And you have to pack your own toiletries. That’s really important. It’s really incredible how the value of toothpaste and deodorant just skyrockets when all but one member of the band forgets to pack their own. So that can cause lots of issues!

Honolulu has been getting flogged on JJJ. Do you ever feel certain expectations/pressure with all the recognition and kudos you’ve been receiving? (All deserved of course) Yes, it’s definitely daunting. The feedback we’ve received from the EP has been so great, it’s scary, but at the same time exciting, to think that all the people who bought it and liked it will be eagerly awaiting our next record. Let’s hope we can live up to expectation!

Last Dinosaurs are supporting Powderfinger on their farewell tour and I couldn’t help but notice you’ve got 2 gigs lined up in lovely Townsville. How will you be spending your Townsville experience? To be honest, I have no idea what to expect from Townsville. Hopefully we’ll get a couple of hours a day where we can go off and explore the place and pick out the best restaurants!

Unless you count Jurassic Park, dinosaurs have been gone for a very long time. How do you think the human race will meet its extinction?  Gigantic asteroid or as a result of the 2012 Mayan prophecy? Ill also take any other suggestions. If you look on our MySpace you’ll see that we are firm believers in the 2012 apocalypse. Well not really, but it’s pretty ‘cool’ to think that the end of humanity is only two Christmases away. If I had my way though, it would be great if the world ended in an epic War of the Worlds style alien invasion. That would just be so cool, until we all died.

Following on from the last question. We’re all doomed; who do you call to save our proverbial bacon? Bruce Willis or Ghostbusters? Definitely Bruce Willis. But I’d try to maximize our time together so I’d probably say something like, “Bruce, we’re all going to die anyway. Let’s have a nice meal together, and afterward I can stroke your bald head until we get blown up.”

So why not open up ITunes and buy a copy of the band’s “Back From the Dead” e.p to go with that Big Sound ticket you’ve already no doubt purchased and support some of Australia’s finest local produce. If the world is ending in 2012 you may as well spend the cash, and if we all met our demise to the sweet sugary sounds of Last Dinosaurs well that would just be ironic.

Last Dinosaurs play at The Artisan Gallery Outdoor Venue on Thursday September 9 at 10.30PM as part of BIGSOUND LIVE 2010.

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By tom, August 31, 2010 9:00 am

Life getting you down? Money’s too tight to mention?  Well kids, I’m here to help. Sometimes all you need is 3 to 4 hours of solid youtubin’ to reassure yourself that as long as somewhere out there, somebody is posting videos of cat’s playing keyboards, you’re going to be just fine. Im pretty much a veteran of procrastination and every Wednesday I’m giving something back to the people. Tune in every week for ‘Tom’s Guide to Time Wasting’, where you can see the weirdest and wackiest videos I’ve managed to find from the deepest and darkest depths of the world wide web. Live life but waste time my friends.

Director Andreas Nilsson is undoubtedly Sweden’s number one purveyor of all things creepy and Nordic. It’s also safe to assume that Nilsson much like most small children of Scandinavia must have been subjected to some kind of mind scarring, ritualistic rite of passage involving icy forests and ghosts of Vikings past. There’s just no other way that his sort of unusualness/creativity can be explained. His new clip for Yeasayer’s track “Madder Red” is just plain weird, though where I come from weird actually translates to awesome. The video documents the loving relationship between all American babe Kristen Bell and her cute but deformed companion ‘Bommel’. Here’s hoping that this video kicks off a new wave of puppet related music videos or even some puppet related TV in the future. Is that so much to ask? If you’re not convinced that Bommel could fill the shoes of Taylor Momsen, press play and prepare to be converted to the way of the puppet.

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By tom, August 30, 2010 7:42 pm

I must admit, I don’t really know all that much about South Australia, leaving me without much to go on for my interview with Adelaide’s Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! Though after buying their album ‘Sea Priest’ my lack of knowledge meant nought, because if Adelaide can give birth to a band as good as these guys then put me on a Jetstar plane and I’ll become the city’s number one fan boy. These 5 guys and one gal are one of our great southern land’s hardest working and most promising bands and are bringing their monolithic tech pop to Big Sound. In the lead up to this year’s event I got the opportunity to quiz the band’s leading lady Caitlin Duff about their upcoming visit and Tom Jones collaborations.

Hate to do it, but I just can’t help myself, what’s the story behind the name? I suppose the most simplistic way of describing how our name came about would be that it was the best from a list we compiled. Previously we were called ‘Noraneko’ which was when we were fresh out of high school, doing covers of Interpol and playing at the same venue each week. I suppose we decided to change our name in an attempt to change the direction we were heading in. Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! was just about the most catchy, highly punctuated and outrageous name we could get away with at the time. The more glamorous story is that it comes from a captain calling out to his crew on a ship called ‘Santa Rosa’ in a desperate attempt to stave off the pirates surrounding them.

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! Have changed remarkably in regards to their sound since their early beginnings. What bands have influenced the your sound? The aforementioned Interpol was an obvious early influence. These days, and with the direction ‘Sea Priest’ ended up going in we’d be more likely to conjure up sounds like ‘Battles’, ‘Cocteau Twins’, ‘The Strokes’ and ‘Land of Talk’. A pretty mixed palate, but in a band of six members, the odds of our music tastes all lining up were pretty slim from the word go.

BIGSOUND is about appreciation of all things music. At what point did you realise that music was what you wanted to spend your life doing? Or has it always been that way? Having joined the band later in the piece, I’d say that after my first few sessions with the band I began to realise that the music we were making was beginning to become a really important part of my life. I never really wanted to be a musician to begin with, but after being surrounded by such passionate people – not just in the band, but in the industry as a whole – I soon realised that it is really something I could happily spend the rest of my life doing.

According to my research, the band has described itself as “Monolithic Tech-Poppers” though media has coined the band as ‘Doom Pop’. Do you think Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! Are Doom Poppers or Tech Poppers? Both sound equally as gnarly in my opinion. They are equally as gnarly, and I think that’s why I’ll remain a fence sitter on this dispute. If I went into technical detail about the way we write, I’d say that the guitars and synth generally lean in the tech pop direction and the drums and bass have a distinct doom pop vibe. The operative word always being pop, and we’re definitely not afraid to admit that.

You guys did a small run of dates through May and June to promote the Sea Priest album. How do you think the shows went? We were all blown away by the support for that tour. It didn’t hurt being supported by the talented ‘Deep Sea Arcade’ boys, that’s for sure. Coming out of the studio and into touring again, we were hesitant to assume that anyone would be interested in what we had been doing, but we came away with a renewed sense of pride in the work we’d been doing, which is never a bad thing!

I’ve never been to Adelaide before. What do Adelaidians do for fun? We’ve got pandas now! Before that we would sit around playing playstations and watching The Simpsons. We also drink a lot of wine (thank you Barossa Valley and McClaren Vale) and go to shows. It’s a really nice place to live! We even managed to coax our guitarist Nathaniel over from Melbourne. MELBOURNE! Can you believe it?

What can we expect from Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! In the not too distant future? We are just itching to get back into the studio. We’ve got a few gems up our sleeves that we’re really keen to lay down. Hopefully, if time and money permits, we’ll be unleashing some new stuff some time next year. We’re also hoping to see some of the world before we grow old and stop enjoying ourselves. So that will be something we start working towards soon. Closer to home, we’ve got a national tour lined up with ‘The Seabellies’ which we’re really looking forward to.

Now for the token weird question. The catchiness of the single “Little Cowboys, Bad Hombres” comes from the intertwining of voices between both Caitlin and David. Name two artists (living or dead) you would like to see duke it out in the time honoured tradition of Tom Jones and that girl from the Cardigans in a vocal duel?

I have always wanted to know what Roisin Murphy and ‘The National’ would sound like. It would sound like the beginning and end of a crazy house party, that’s what!

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! play at The Zoo on Wednesday September 9 at 11.30PM as part of BIGSOUND LIVE 2010.

If you would like to join in on the festivities head on over to www.bigsound.org.au for any other info and all ticketing purchases. We also have three double passes to giveaway to the event, to win email peny@penylane.com with BIGSOUND in the subject line and one of them could be yours.

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By tom, August 19, 2010 9:08 am

As the excitement of election day looms ever closer you may be wondering, much like myself, how to best waste your vote. If politics just aren’t your thing and you’re finding it difficult to decide whether you’re all for Gillard and her lack of ear lobe, or Macho Man Tony Abbott, then maybe you should consider erring towards the novelty side of voting and siding with the more interesting of the candidates. In the past this definitely would have been a valid option, but unfortunately in 2010 our two prospective leaders share the entertainment value of a brown paper bag, which leaves us nuisance voters without a leg to stand on and missing Mark ‘Loose Cannon’ Latham terribly.

So, as the non-excitement of election day draws near let’s relive the exploits of our wildest PM’s and the songs that may or may not have inspired their hard-living ways.

3) Kevin Rudd
Kevin 07, K Rudd, Ruddmaster Rudd. The man may be gone but I for one won’t be forgetting my little buddy Kev any time soon. This is the politician who instead of taking all my hard earned, thought that by giving me enough dosh to buy a brand spanking new flat screen he could save the economy. Success or no success, I got a TV, and that’s what really matters. Every time I sit down to watch The Mighty Boosh in high definition goodness, I’ll spare a thought for the man who’s time with us was cut short way too soon. Don’t be sad Kev, everything’s going to be A OK, and if you fall, I’ll pick you up…I’ll pick you up.

2) Malcolm Fraser
Former Liberal leader Malcolm Fraser served as Australia’s prime minister from 1975-1983. Having reached the highest echelon of Australia’s political ranks, one would be right to think that your hard partying days are effectively over. This certainly wasn’t the case for our most ambitious PM in the partying stakes. I think I speak for most when I say that we’ve all been there. What was intended to be a quiet night out with a few drinks and only the best of intentions almost always turns into a hazy night of epic proportions in which all memories seemingly disappear into a black hole. Well, old Malc went to this extreme level of drunkenness and beyond in Memphis, Tennessee, who after a hard night out on the turps awoke in a seedy motel notorious for drug dealers and prostitutes sans pants and sans memory. Cue obligatory Poison anthem.

1) Bob Hawke

Every now and again there comes a leader that inspires a nation and shows us all that if you put your mind to something, anything is possible. Bob Hawke, who after years and years of gruelling training, achieved a feat that single-handedly put Australia on the map. Yes, it may impress you to know that Mr Hawke set the Guinness world speed record for drinking a yard glass of beer (3 pints, 1.7L) in 11 seconds. Needless to say, Bob rules, so next time you’re feeling like the world is against you and all your goals seem out of reach, just remember Bob and don’t stop believing.

So where does this leave us? If you’re like me and you find yourself standing at the ballot box this Saturday with a frown that can’t be turned upside down, wondering where all the political rock stars have gone, just remember these 3 bad boys of Australian politics and make your vote an irresponsible vote.

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By tom, August 9, 2010 2:21 pm

Ekka Shmekka. Everyone worth a dime knows that the best thing about Ekka time in Brisbane is the return of the Depot. Let’s take a look at your options. You can go to the Ekka, pay $10 dollars to put plastic balls in a clown’s mouth (Weird?) and catch a new strand of bird flu off that weird 10yr old kid you were paired with on the Mattahorn OR you could go to the Depot, put $100 worth of drinks in your own mouth and catch a new strand of bird flu off a babe you met whilst shaking your thang to DMC on the dance floor. It’s a no brainer. The Depot is king, and as proof I’m sharing my top 5 most treasured Depot memories to educate all those who were a little too young to experience the magic.

5) It’s 3.34 am and you’ve got that familiar longing for a whole lot of kebab. Well, it looks like Anna Bligh and a bunch of fun-killing politicians have effectively ruined any chance you have of slipping out for a quick deep fried treat? Wrong. It’s 2005 and you’re at the Depot, the sky’s the limit. While this doesn’t relate specifically to The Depot, it does however bring back memories of a time when people could do pretty much whatever they so pleased. Hell, you could even smoke in there. They were the best of times.

4) Nothing goes with danceable alternative music and beer better than 80’s era video games. Long before that game in the foyer of Rics (Which I think is there as a ploy to steal gold coins off those who have consumed a few too many jugs) The Depot was supplying the kids with not only a place to sit and regain your sea legs but also a great way to meet a new and more often that not good-looking friend. For it has been scientifically proven that people who go to the Depot are 80% better looking than those in other clubs, and that’s no lie.3) Drinking beer out of a big bottle is tough. I’m talking Ramones level tough and the Depot used to understand this. Where else could you get ridiculously and reasonably priced tallies? Maybe at the Shamrock (The Step Inn for all you younguns), but unlike at the Shamrock you probably wont get Hep C at the Depot. Even for those who prefer a sweeter, stronger beverage, you were always going to get more bang for your buck at The Depot. You could go out, drink like you’re in a Chumbawumba video and still have enough money leftover to buy sauce to add to your modest, student rice dinners.

2) Carpet in clubs is a must in my books. Despite the smell (which I think adds to the vibe) I know that there is absolutely no chance that I will lose my footing spectacularly and ruin any slim chance I had with any of the good looking folk nearby. Navigating the carpeted main areas was easy, but when the time came to make use of the bathroom facilities things got real. Real hard. The bathrooms that were lovingly cleaned and repaired mid week would without fail have been ruined by over eager patrons. If the fifth sink wasn’t missing and at least one toilet stall destroyed on every given Saturday then the patrons just weren’t trying hard enough.1) Let me set the scene again. It’s around 11pm, Saturday night. I make my way into the Depot after sufficient pre drinking, and what’s the first thing I do? Head on over to the DJ and request Motley Crue, Kickstart My Heart and with a nod of the head from the always generous DJ, I would make my way to the dance floor. Within a couple songs, happiness washes over me in an awesome wave, and I’m safe in the knowledge that whatever bad 80’s song I request, it’s probably going to get played.
This is the real beauty of the Depot. Whoever you are, whatever your disposition, you can expect to be welcomed with open arms into your own personal playground to dance, drink, vomit and fall over. So dreamy.

Hire a babysitter, leave your cat at home, crush a goon sack and meet me where the sweat descends at the Depot Reunion, Club 299 in the Brunswick Street Mall from 9pm this Tuesday and create some Depot memories of your own.

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By tom, August 5, 2010 10:08 am

Woodford is a glorious place. Where else on Earth would you be able to spend a lazy Sunday morning lining up for a sausage sizzle outside Smithy’s IGA, listening to a portly kid with nothing but his guitar and faithful canine friend singing all the Train songs you can handle whilst trying to earn a buck for his local scout troop. Not in Brisbane that’s for damn sure, and its at this moment that I feel safe in the knowledge that for 2010, Splendour in the Grass is going to be just fine. All the trademarks of a normal Byron Bay Splendour are there, plenty of dirt and trees; a fine selection of tie-dyed clothing, mid strength Smirnoff’s and fist pumping bogans as far as the eye can see. Yep. Just chuck in an extra day, change the state and it’s beginning to look a lot like Splendour.So this may sound a tad diva-ish, but I don’t do camping. I mean I really thought I could do it, but due to my massive camping fail I feel it’s wholly necessary for me to remove the picture of Bear Grylls from my Facebook profile. I foolishly thought I could match the man and his great nose in survival stakes, but in reality I failed miserably. Who would have thought that masculinity alone doesn’t make for a quick and easy tent construction. Add to that complete darkness, a torrential downpour and the very real threat of a mudslide of South American proportions and you’ve pretty much got my first night at Splendour. I’m just glad Bear wasn’t around to see me slipping and getting airborne after losing it completely on a drunken trip to the shower block. A face full of mud, rock n roll!

Thursday came and went in a hung over haze but Friday finally arrived and the time had come for the many punters to start seeing some return from their 450 dollar deposit. I was on my lonesome for much of the day due to me getting all drunk and biblical on the Wednesday night and destroying both my normal and backup phone. No phone made losing friends a regular occurance as navigating the entire festival area proved quite challenging. Being hungover and alone makes for a pretty lacklustre day so the lol’s are at a minimum. On an interesting note, a friend of mine disproved the theory that if you roll underneath the tent towards the back of the Mo Rockin’ Wine Bar you don’t actually end up in Narnia, but you do find an empty back area perfect for any bathroom emergencies. Store that in your memory banks for Splendour 2011; it could save your life.

Friday Highlights

Foals- Gnarly set. Everyone left the Mix Up Tent contemplating growing their fringes just that little bit longer, even the guys with rat tails.

LCD Soundsystem- Another highlight for me but because of my wild ways and alcohol soaked stomach I couldn’t quite get into the swing of things. It’s hard being 6’2 and trying to dance hung-over, so give me a break.

Midlake- They have beards and one guy plays a flute. Need I say anymore?Saturday? More like Strokesday. This forgettable introductory sentence pretty much sums up the general feeling shared by a large portion of the festival’s attendees. Using my festival intuition I decided to beat the crowd and stake out a spot directly in front and as close as possible to avoid any potential disappointment. Whilst I feel for all those who couldn’t get in, it was all the temporarily unlucky folk on the inside who were forced to endure Wolfmother. I say temporarily, because once the lads from New York sauntered on stage they proceeded to put on a performance nothing short of stellar. Shout outs go to Albert Hammond Jnr and his steezy white suit and beard combination.

Saturday Highlights

Gypsy and the Cat- The Nova listening population need a new MGMT. I’m predicting these guys will answer the call, hopefully they wont commit career suicide with their second album though.

The Drums- Front man, Johnathon Pierce is an interesting guy. Think of Morrissey but with the spirit of jazz all up in him (I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use a Mighty Boosh reference).

The Strokes- Were gnarly-ish. So gnarly that from here on in I’m stealing Julian’s vocab and claiming it as my own.

The time had come for drastic measures. First off, bathrooms are magnificent things, especially for males. The brushing of teeth, bathing and relieving oneself in pristine white porcelain filled rooms is a priceless moment of joy in otherwise tough economic times. By now the bathroom facilities of Marshall C weren’t pristine. They were frightening and had even managed to achieve urban legend status around the campgrounds. In fact im pretty sure some thoughtful camper or campers inadvertently opened a portal to Hell in toilets 1 and 4 of our toilet/shower block. So it was decided that it was completely necessary for me and another friend to undertake a desperate preening mission to find some neighbouring campgrounds as far away from toilets 1 and 4 as possible. After being reassured by a friend that she was not in fact taking me deep into the countryside in order to murder me, we finally made it to a random camping retreat. Feeling a little more badass than we actually were, we grabbed our towels and stealthily made our way through the grounds and utilised the much cleaner and nicer facilities. Still feeling totally badass we were ready to face the final day of Splendour and headed back to our own camping grounds to do as a lovely gentleman camping nearby recommended and get shitfaced.

image courtesy of Splendour in the Grass

I made my way towards the G.W McLennan Tent with a spring in my step in anticipation of a potentially awesome and intimate set from ex Verve front man Richard Ashcroft. What soon followed was possibly the most entertaining 5 minutes of the entire festival. To put it bluntly, Richard Ashcroft LOST. HIS. SHIT. As the first song came to a close the man who once compared himself to Jesus destroyed an innocent tamborine before turning his skinny English rage on a confused photographer up front. Having thrown the tantrum of all tantrums, Richard crashed threw the Splendour office like a giant angry cat, never to be seen again. CUE VISUAL:

Dick my friend, I’m sure the Verve royalties have long since dried up and you’ve probably got bills to pay, so maybe acting like a total douche and sacrificing your appearance fee wasn’t quite the best idea mate. Well-played though sir. Well played.

Sunday Highlights

The Vines- I’m pretty sure Craig Nicholls is legitimately insane. Next album please.

Passion Pit- Inspiring some embarrassing dance moves from yours truly.

The Pixies- It was a little disappointing seeing the crowd leaving en masse after Mumford and Sons, but those in attendance were treated to a solid performance from an iconic band that soldiered on despite feeling the effects of extensive touring. Yeah, you best believe im talking to you Ashcroft.

It was at about 6am that I and all my camping buddies decided to end the sleepless pain and make a run for it before the throbbing mass of humanity decided to return from whence they came. I had a date with the Oporto breakfast menu in Brisbane and as a result we thought it was best if we just made the quickest escape possible. This meant that the tent, which had become our humble abode for the past few days had to be sacrificed to the sun gods of Woodfordia. Who knows if our tent will still be there waiting for my return in 2011 but as Bear Grylls is my witness I’ll be back ready to try and reclaim my manhood in a blaze of camping glory.

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By tom, July 23, 2010 10:30 am

My recent interview with New Young Pony Club got me thinking about the trials and tribulations of the record label Modular. Not only did these thoughts lead me to the horrible realisation that I’m 5 years older and 5 years uglier, but also to the fact that my once favourite genre (Nu-Rave) has pretty much made like a banana and split.

Whilst the crazy fluoro cycling shorts associated with Nu-Rave have deservedly gone to hell along with Freddy Krueger and Justin Beiber, the flagship band of the genre and Modular staples, The Klaxons, are very much alive. The band have taken the first step of a potentially triumphant return by releasing the video for their first single “Echoes” off their as yet unreleased 2nd album.
Have a listen and remember the good old days of 2005 when it was somewhat acceptable to spend a Saturday night at the Mustang Bar drinking beer straight from the jug. Ahhh nostalgia.

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By tom, July 20, 2010 9:00 am

British Indie bands are like Mogwais. Confused? Well friends, let me explain. Mogwais are lovable little creatures with a tendency to multiply rapidly when combined with water or fed after midnight. If you were to feed said Mogwai after midnight then you’d probably wake up to find your once charming new pet has turned into a not so loveable gremlin (This is bad). How are British Indie bands like Mogwais I hear you say? I’m not too sure either, but dang, there’s a lot of them. Whilst New Young Pony Club fit into this category, I think it’s safe to say they’ve got that little something that helps set them apart.

The band burst onto the scene in 2004 as Modular’s new wunderkinds and won over audiences everywhere with shimmering pop gems such as ‘The Bomb’ and ‘Ice Cream’. It’s been a little while between albums but they’re back, and with the help of a lovely phone operator named Wendy, I managed to catch up with guitarist and lone dude of the band Andy Spence for a chat.

Parklife 2010 will be New Young Pony Club’s 3rd visit to Australia. What is it about us that makes the long flight and shitty plane food worth while? You keep asking us to coming back basically. We love playing somewhere like Australia where everyone welcomes us so much. All the shows are always done well and despite the flight, it’s always well worth a visit. Plus the weather is always nice. I’m walking in the park at the moment near my home in North London and it’s raining all the time. So even bad Australian weather is exciting to me.

Are NYPC like the Stone Cutters? Or is there a way I can join the club? Its funny you should say that, but were thinking of starting a club, kind of. Nothing like a fan club, but a way the fans can have access to the music, and in the future this is the only way you’d be able to hear the new stuff. Bands have to be more creative in this day and age and we know we have to find ways in which to survive rather than making another album that no one would be interested in.

Your debut album ‘Fantastic Playground’ came out in 2005. Did you find the whole process of putting out your new record any easier the second time round? It was much harder really. The first album was fun and we were just enjoying it, we were having a good time and everything was just working. But then once we achieved some success it became a lot harder with all the public scrutiny, almost like living in a fishbowl. But it was a complex album that came about due to tough times. We were less relaxed but we got there in the end and that’s why the album was more complex I think.

“The Optimist” seems darker in comparison to “Fantastic Playground”. Any particular reason for the change in direction? We didn’t feel like that anymore basically, things weren’t the same. You can’t make music if you aren’t feeling like you were back then. I think the problem with bands these days is that they feel that they have to do the same thing to be seen as successful. We don’t set out to make an album in a specific way, if you’re a musician or any kind of creative person you have to follow what feels right creatively and not what you think will keep you being successful.

Lets pretend that all the songs on “The Optimist” are your children. Do you have a favourite? Or is that bad parenting? It’s quite an astute question really because that’s kind of what its like. I have different favourites on different days, but if I had to pick one it would probably be ‘Lost A Girl’. That’s the one that always makes you smile, makes you feel alright. Having said that you have to care for them all though, they’re needy too.

NYPC are 5 years and 2 albums down. Has there been any band discussion on a potential name change, something more accurate? That’d be really obvious wouldn’t it?

Experienced Older Pony Club maybe? Not that I’m saying you’re old or anything. It’s an idea; people don’t change their names though do they? That band ‘Young and Free’ never changed their name; ‘Old and Free’ doesn’t sound right, so we’d have to go for the acronym maybe, NYPC or something. It sounds a bit more respectable, you know what I mean, maybe well go for that.

Do you ever Australiafy your band rider? I guess we just get Aussie versions of English flavours, not very exciting. What Australian delicacies should we get?

Bubble O Bills, that’s all you need to say, they’ll know what you’re talking about. Bubble o Bill’s? (Confusion ensues)

It’s a delicious combination of a hard chocolate back with rainbow ice cream and the bubble gum ball nose. It’s pretty amazing. Ok we’re getting that on the rider definitely. The problem is we never get a freezer or even a fridge so it’d more than likely melt before we got back there. I’m interested though. Well have to see if we can get a fridge or something so we can make it happen.

Now to finish with something obscure. I’ve been to a whole bunch of gigs in my time, and I’m dead keen to see the Back to the Future Marty Mcfly double knee power slide. Seeing as you’re the guy with the guitar, what are the chances? Double knee power slide?

Yeah, that was a whole lot of adjectives. I think you can pull it off though. I’ve got faith. Umm, I don’t think ill be pulling that one to be honest. I tried a back flip in rehearsal the other day but I smacked my bass player in the face and we had a fight, it’s all good now though. Tahita’s pretty active on stage though so maybe she’s the one most likely to pull it off. She’s all about the moves.

The back flip sounds pretty promising, I’d be down to see that. I’ll give myself some proper room next time and have another go, that was the problem the first time around, but I think it’s best for everyone involved if we leave the acrobats to the new New Young Pony Club.

New Yong Pony Club play Parklife this year at Gold Coast Parklands, 25th of September. Tickets are on sale now.

Comments (0)

By tom, July 3, 2010 10:00 am

My recent interview with New Young Pony Club got me thinking about the trials and tribulations of the record label Modular. Not only did these thoughts lead me to the horrible realisation that I’m 5 years older and 5 years uglier, but also to the fact that my once favourite genre (Nu-Rave) has pretty much made like a banana and split.Whilst the crazy fluoro cycling shorts associated with Nu-Rave have deservedly gone to hell along with Freddy Krueger and Justin Beiber, the flagship band of the genre and Modular staples, The Klaxons, are very much alive.The band have taken the first step of a potentially triumphant return by releasing the video for their first single “Echoes” off their as yet unreleased 2nd album.Have a listen and remember the good old days of 2005 when it was somewhat acceptable to spend a Saturday night at the Mustang Bar drinking beer straight from the jug. Ahhh nostalgia.