Melbourne’s mighty Meanies recently unleashed hell with their brand new LP, It’s Not Me, It’s You, which came out via Poison City Records earlier this month.
To keep the good times rolling along, the band have announced a swag of new tour dates, which are set to kick off at Melbourne’s classic punk haunt The Tote next month.
As Australia’s foremost masters of punk rock, we decided to get the one and only Link Meanie to share the band’s top five tips for young Australian punks.
1. Don’t listen to me
No explanation necessary.
2. There’s nothing wrong with making money out of your music, as long as that’s not the driving force
Why are you making money? Are you doing it because you love music? Are you doing it for the right reasons? Or are you just doing it to be famous and to make a quid, which is fair enough if that’s what you want to do.
But I think it’s pretty soulless, with your Australian Idols and your Voice and all that. It leaves me so cold and there’re all these predatory producers and fuckhead panels giving naff advice to people from their mainstream perspective.
If you really believe in what you’re doing, fucking just do it from the grass roots. Go around and play. I’ve always believed in that.
3. Don’t compromise your music for success
We were never on the big labels, but I’ve seen and heard it happen to other bands on bigger labels. Lots of horror stories about bigger labels and bands not prepared what to do what the label wants and then bands ending up in limbo because they can’t release records because they’re signed to these fuckin’ labels.
We were lucky enough to just be on Augogo who believed in us and let us do what we want musically, so we didn’t have to worry about that.
4. Don’t turn away from success because you think it’s not punk
There’s people who I love who at times probably had that attitude, really good people. And probably it was just an instinctive thing. Maybe they thought it would affect their creativity if they had success, I don’t know.
As long as you’re going in with your eyes open and everything is clearly laid out on the table, why not make money? Why not improve your station in life? As long as what you’re doing is pure.
5. If you think going on Australian Idol or The Voice is an option for furthering your career, give it up
There’s no real easy way to success and you have to put in the hard yards. There may be a chance with those shows but I don’t think it’s an organic way to do it. I think the struggle is what shapes you as an artist.
The tough times and the good times is doing that shit and then BANG – you’re there. All these kids are kind of expecting to do this amazing music and they haven’t had any experience. They’re just kids. I think part of becoming a good artist is experience.
The Meanies National Tour Dates
FRIDAY OCTOBER 2 – THE TOTE, MELBOURNE
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3 – NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB, SYDNEY
SUNDAY OCTOBER 4 – CROWBAR, BRISBANE
MONDAY OCTOBER 5 – TYM GUITARS, BRISBANE
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6 – ENIGMA BAR, ADELAIDE
