We play a groove laden blend of funk, punk, hip-hop, reggae and straight up heavy rock. We just released our 2nd E.P “Enter The Motivational Sasquatch” & backed it up with a 7 date tour in March & April that saw us play shows in NSW, VIC, QLD & ACT. We’re now in the midst of a 17 show east coast tour called “Ignore the big scary dinosaur & get on the bus” to promote our new single “547”.
What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
I grew up in a pretty musical household. I didn’t get sung nursery rhymes to sleep it was Chuck Berry, Little Richard & The Beatles. So music was always there. When I was 3 or 4 I would break into acapella renditions of “Johnny B Goode” or “Labamba” in crowded shopping malls, public transport, family get togethers or anytime I was bored.
You must answer this question honestly or we steal your rider. What and where was the first gig you went to?
It was a show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre called “Legends of Rock” with Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley. I was about 10.
Your sound has been described as funk, punk, hip-hop, reggae, progressive rock which is a mouthful. Do you think your sound has a particular genre influence?
Over the last few years we’ve been calling it Funkcore. But generally speaking it’s all about the FUNK!
You have played many of the old school Sydney venues over the past 6 years (including the much loved fire hazard The Hopetoun) do you have a particular favourite quirky venue?
I’d have to say the Graythwaite Nursing home… I love turning the amps up to 11 and seeing those dentures come flying out. Plus it’s always a treat when you rupture a colostomy bag, always knew there was a reason I got a sub-octave generator. Who says bands don’t give back to the community, I’m a philanthropist me! That or the Old Manly Boatshed.
What kind of show do you want to put on for your audiences?
You can expect to receive large doses of the Funk in all its creamy glory. We have Ryan on Vocals who ends up looking like an enraged Ribena berry covered head to toe in his secret purple sauce, Dean on guitar takes the stage as the human chessboard… he dares you to take his bishop, through transcendental meditation I summon the spirit of the world renowned Luchador, El Demonio Picante de Agrandamiento de la Próstata & our drummer Sebastian has pretty hair.
With your first self titled EP release having a clip played on Rage and the release of Enter the Motivational Sasquatch are you working towards a debut album release?
Haven’t planned that far ahead… We’re currently on the road until September promoting our new single “547”. Then we’ll be doing all again in November, so we’ve got our dance card pretty full until the end of the year. We’ll definitely be releasing something new early 2013, but what exactly is still undecided.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
Before every tour I travel to Holbrook and take residence in the land bound submarine. Where I fast for 40 days & 40 nights. On the 41st day when I gaze upon the first rays of the sun I partake of a sacred elixir made from fermented pickled onions, K.Y jelly and just a hint of cinnamon that allows me to traverse through the spirit realm. There I meet Vornobshynfas, the half leopard half salamander shaman. He is the ancient keeper of the funk. He reaches into his ear and pulls out his magic bubble pipe. He then blows the sacred bubbles of funk all over me while reciting the ancient shamanistic texts of Funkadelic in Portuguese.
If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the bill, how many people would you let in and what features would it have ?
It would be called Xenufest, it would take place on a modified DC10 aircraft as it circled the globe bands like Bad Brains, Rancid, Fishbone, System of a Down, Skindred, Dead Kennedys’ (with Jello), Tool, Infectious Grooves (with Rob Trujillo), Mr Bungle, Discharge, Black Flag, Slayer, Half Pint, Public Enemy, Buju Banton… & seeing as this is a real possibility of ever happening, it just so happens that the galactic overlord Xenu, granted me the powers of necromancy & I can summon…Pantera, Snot, Sublime, Nirvana, The Clash, 2pac, Biggie, ODB, Eddie Cochran, The Beatles & Bob Marley. With Bill Hicks as the M.C. Taco Bell would cater the event.
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with? Tell us why?
Rolf Harris. 3 words “Wobble Board Solo”!
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
Using a salad fork for eating soup, machine washing a “hand wash only” garment, waiting outside of primary schools in a trench coat, not bringing a towel to the gym, leaving the toilet seat up in an all-female share house, urinating in the pool, drinking milk after the used by date, eating spam within the used by date, urinating in the bath, passing the dutchie ‘pon the right hand side & not the left, urinating in the kitchen sink cause it’s closer than the bathroom, passing wind in an elevator , flying a kite at night, forgetting to flush the toilet after #2’s, ending sentences with prepositions, leaving a cinema before the credits are over.
Where we can see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
You can get hold of our E.P “Enter The Motivational Sasquatch” from Waterfront Records, JB Hi-Fi or iTunes
We’ve also got some free downloads on our site & FB page: www.thesidetrackedfiasco.com or
www.facebook.com/thesidetrackedfiasco
Catch the band live at one of the following dates and venues:
Thursday 5th July 2012- Port Macquarie Hotel, PORT MACQUARIE – NSW
Friday 6th July 2012 – The Armidale Club, ARMIDALE – NSW
Thursday 12th July 2012 – Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood MELBOURNE – VIC with Hack
Friday 13th July 2012 – The Pub, BENDIGO – VIC
Friday 3rd August 2012 – The Squatters Arms, ADELAIDE – SA with Guilt Free
Saturday 4th August 2012 – Worldsend Hotel, ADELAIDE – SA with The Pursuit
Friday 10th August 2012 – The Pacific Hotel, YAMBA – NSW
Saturday 11th August 2012 – The Brewery, BYRON BAY – NSW
Friday 17th August 2012 – Dicey Riley’s, WOLLONGONG – NSW
The Acid Monkeys (e.p launch) with Form One Planet
Saturday 18th August 2012 – PJ O’Reilly’s, CANBERRA – ACT
Friday 24th August 2012 – The Townie, Newtown SYDNEY – NSW with Five Coffee’s & Mung
Saturday 26th August 2012 – The Old Manly Boatshed, MANLY – NSW with Monks of Mellonwah
Thursday 30th August 2012 – The Beer Garden, GOLD COAST – QLD
Friday 31st August 2012 – University of LISMORE – NSW
Saturday 1st September 2012 – Ric’s Bar, BRISBANE – QLD with Hack
