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ON THE COUCH WITH: Frenzal Rhomb

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ARTIST INTERVIEW

Access All Areas.net.au: Hey J, whats up man?
FR – Jason: Hey Ben, i’m doing pretty good today... thanks.

Access All Areas.net.au: Whats Been happening lately, i know you guys finished up a tour, much else been going on?
FR – Jason: Not really, we had the tour which was fun... i guess, we had a busy schedule which kept us playing, so it went well i guess. Lately i’ve just been spending time with my partner as she’s having my child so i’m excited for that & yeah... can’t really think of what else is going on right now.

Access All Areas.net.au: With the tour, was it difficult getting back together after the time off?
FR – Jason: Not really, we all play music ourselves in some form & when we have the band together we never rehearse we just hit the stage. We really didn’t find it too difficult to be honest, just got back & played our usual punk rock that some people seem to like... for some unknown reason.

Access All Areas.net.au: While on the tour, did you find the shows to go well for the band?
FR – Jason: We had some pretty good shows along the way & found the venues to be pretty packed with our usual fans there for the old times & favourite songs, but we also saw some younger kids so the crowd seems to be diversifying somehow.

Access All Areas.net.au: With the sets, did you find the crowds were responsive?
FR – Jason: Yeah, well we have the fans that have been seeing us for like 10 years at least now, so they were all there singing along & moshing, so we expected a reasonable crowd response & we got a pretty good one for a band that hadn’t played in about 18 months... so things went pretty good.

Access All Areas.net.au: You recently got back from a world trip i believe, how was this for you?
FR – Jason: It was enjoyable, i got around to many diverse countries & saw a lot of different places. I spent some time in Asia which was nice, spent a while in India which was an experience & then just made my way around until i ended back in Australia... was fun.

Access All Areas.net.au: Being in a punk rock band for 15 years or so now, with all the difficulties from media & lineup changes & other stuff, do you sometimes not want to be in the band... or do you just see it as a natural thing for a band?
FR – Jason: Yeah... sometimes it gets hard, i’ve definitely suffered from being in this band, but thats what being a punk is about. I feel we are meant to be this band & its showing still, the last tour we just finished up we sold all our shirts at all the shows & we are trying to figure out how to sell more shirts... the only way we’ve thought of at the moment is to do another Frenzal record... so i guess one will be coming soon.

Access All Areas.net.au: Really, so some new material should be expected in the near future then?
FR – Jason: Well... probably not the near future, we’ve just come up with the idea of the new record, we’ll take a while before we get to actually doing it, but i can say there will be another Frenzal record, mainly so we can tour & sell shirts again.

Access All Areas.net.au: Outside the band, do you guys do much?
FR – Jason: Well we have our things... our drummer Gordie is an architect so he works on houses & that, our guitarist Lindsay is a TV star now & i believe may be joining the Hi 5 crew if he continues his fame haha... our bassist has a remote control car club he’s in & will be racing soon... me, i do some furniture repairs & stuff like that, so we all have things we do.

Access All Areas.net.au: Coming up, the band is playing Sounds Of Spring 2009, excited to do this festival?
FR – Jason: Yeah, i don’t usually like festivals, but i believe this one is the best festival so i’m excited.

Access All Areas.net.au: Are there any bands on the line up you are looking to see?
FR – Jason: Yeah... i’d say The Hard Ons... The Foes... probably those 2 bands.

Access All Areas.net.au: Any idea of what the set will be like at the festival?
FR – Jason: Probably loose & loud punk rock, thats all i can say for now.

Access All Areas.net.au: With festivals, many good memories from any you’ve done?
FR – Jason: Not really, i’m not into festivals so i don’t consider them to be good, except for Sounds Of Spring... so that will be the highlight.

Access All Areas.net.au: With festivals, any tips for attending?
FR – Jason: I believe this sounds of spring with drinks & stuff there’s no lines & everyone just charges in to get what they want... so i’d say a helmet or a weapon may help in surviving the day, besides that drinking & just having fun always goes well.

Access All Areas.net.au: Any artists you’ve enjoyed playing with at festivals?
FR – Jason: Can’t really say anyone, but The Foes & maybe the Hard Ons at Sounds Of Spring will be cool.

Access All Areas.net.au: Favourite festival to play?
FR – Jason: Sounds Of Spring, can’t wait to get there & rock out.

Access All Areas.net.au: Whats coming up for the band in the near future?
FR – Jason: Not much really, i think we have a few shows maybe & then its just Sounds Of Spring & sometime in the near future the new record.

Access All Areas.net.au: Well J, its been a pleasure speaking with you, all the best & have fun at Sounds Of Spring.
FR – Jason: Thanks Ben, later.

Interview By: Ben Coby.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Jason Whalley (vocals)
Lindsay McDougall (guitar)
Tom Crease (bass)
Gordy Forman (drums)

“There rarely was a band that believed so deeply in rock’s potential for revolution, and there rarely was a band that didn’t care if they appeared foolish in the process” Christopher Cross (creator of the pink album with the duck on it)

Dispensing punk rock justice this October, Frenzal Rhomb release their new album FOREVER MALCOLM YOUNG, featuring odes to Johnny Ramone on Johnny Ramone was in a fucken good band, but he was a cunt (Gabba Gabba You Suck), predictive text (Predickle me this), master criminal Graham “Abo” Henry and the Caps Lock key on the keyboard

First song and video to be released from this masterpiece is the title track Forever Malcolm Young, where the just-short-of-great man is compared to gnocci (not linguini), single plugger thongs (not sneakers) and headphones (not speakers).

And for those who care only for value for money, the album comes with a bonus DVD!

If you’re still reading on, you must want some history. Here’s an edited version of all the biographical info you might find on wikipedia if you had an internet connection and didn’t have to rely on this medieval gestetnered old bio:

1994’s Dick Sandwich and 1995's Coughing Up a Storm set the stage for a lifetime of poor production standards and great songs, the likes of which Australian and international audiences lapped up! Fat Mike, owner of Fat Wreck Chords and member of NOFX, got his hands on a copy of CUAS when NOFX toured with Frenzal in 1996. Impressed with what he heard, he asked the band if they wanted to release something on his label. Frenzal accepted this invitation, releasing the 4 Litres EP. Fat Mike then forgot about them and the band attempted to negotiate a deal with a heroin addicted label mogul in the US, who never got around to signing a deal because he was in Mexico having his blood supply exchanged. Nevertheless, Frenzal Rhomb’s second album Not So Tough Now blew things up in Australia. Meet The Family was released in 1997 - their first album to come out in the US, and their first album with new guitarist Lindsay McDougall after original guitarist Ben Costello left to become a full time animal rights activist and second hand computer salesman. Meet the Family was certified gold in Australia, beginning a long line in awards, banners and trophies collected and stolen by the band.

The LP A Man's Not A Camel was released in Australia in March 1999 and on Fat Wreck Chords for the rest of the world. US and European tours followed with the likes of Blink 182, Less Than Jake, Vans Warped, and Toto

Without warning in April 2002, Lex Feltham left Frenzal Rhomb after insisting that Frenzal Rhomb should incorporate synth and guitar shaped keyboards into their work. He is now a DJ in Sydney. Renowned Adelaide remote control yachtsman Tom Crease stepped in as the new Frenzal Rhomb bass player.

In April 2003, the band released the long-awaited follow up, Sans Souci. The album was Frenzal's most critically successful to date (save for perhaps Coughing Up A Storm, Meet the Family, A Man’s Not a Camel or Not So Tough Now) and was hailed as a return to form after the dreadful Shut Your Mouth album, which we weren’t going to mention in this bio.

Jason Whalley and Lindsay McDougall also work on radio presenting Triple J's breakfast show daily from some god awful time of the morning until around about everyone else’s wake up time. Gordy makes picture frames out of bits of scrap wood, broken glass and his own saliva; and Tom sails the high seas of Adelaide on his Yacht. This is why Frenzal Rhomb never tour.

www.myspace.com/gofrenzalgo

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MY FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

Sneaky Sound System
It’s too hard to pick one, we love festivals. In no particular order: Playing the big Dance Arena at Glastonbury 2008, Main Stage Good Vibrations 2007, Splendour in the Grass 2007, Big Day Out 2009...I could go on and on.

What would be your Ideal Lineup?
One stage with David Bowie, Queen (we’d have to bring Freddie back from the dead), Daft Punk, The Cure, Bloc Party, Prince & Bon Jovi (yes, Bon Jovi). There would be DJ sets in between by Sven Vath, Boys Noize and me old mate Ajax.

Favourite artist you've seen at a Music Festival? Daft Punk, David Bowie & Bloc Party

What are your tips for attending Music Festivals?
Enter with an open mind and leave with a twisted one.