Hey there, my name is Michael Tramonte, but I am better known as Monte. I play bass guitar and sing a lot in The Delta Riggs. We are a high frenetic rock n roll band that loves to play live and give it everything we have. We love what we do and we love doing what we do with each other. We will be your new favourite band soon so get in early and come see us on this tour.
What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
My earliest memory is playing in a punk rock covers band about 10 years ago. We would basically play Rancid, Blink, Unwritten Law covers and throw in a couple of our original hits about jerking off or something else vulgar. We were 17 year old adolescents mainly playing house parties. I used to love Nirvana and I guess that’s what inspired me to play guitar, I tried to emulate Kurt for a long time.
You must answer this question honestly or we steal your rider. What and where was the first gig you went to?
Honestly the first show I remember going to autonomously was to see MxPx and No Fun At All in this church/ auditorium in Logan, QLD. I was with a couple of my pals and I remember having the best time ever jumping into people.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parent’s record collection and why?
I never really stole records from my parents, they weren’t really big into music but I have since changed that. I used surf films to find music when I was young, hence the big punk influence in my formative years. My music taste grew as I did and now I have quite a diverse taste and interest.
What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?
I lost my iPod so nothing. I’ve been digging Father John Misty, Cloud Nothings and the new Spiritualized album for newer stuff. I’ve also been getting back into 90’s alternative a lot – The Lemonheads, Nada Surf, Pavement etc and I never get sick of The Replacements.
How do you find new music?
I generally just fall into it, I like what I like and am not conducive to change. I have a few friends that I like to get new music off. Otherwise I’ll just scour Spotify lately and make killer playlists. You should check out my “Nothin But Net” Playlist. It rules.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
Not really to be honest. We all usually get together, have a bit of dinner and a couple of beers and meander onto the stage. It’s a very relaxed approach until we are actually playing the show.
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?
I have always wanted to go to Reunion Island (French settlement off the coast of Madagascar) so I would host it there to give me a reason to go. I’d keep it low-key around 2k-3k people only and accommodation would be inclusive – I’d have tree houses built for it. As for food a South American Parilla would be the feature cuisine. It would be a free love festival too. No dickheads allowed. It would feature the following – Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom petty & The Heartbreakers, Weezer, Phoenix, The Replacements, Spoon, You Am I & Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with?
I’ve been getting big into Icehouse again lately so I would potentially go with Iva Davies. He just writes great songs and they are back out touring again which is cool. Luke Steele could be interesting too, just to see what would go down.
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
Life. We are the Soundtrack to your life. We can cater to any of your moods; whether you are feeling for a tearjerker or a kick in the teeth punk song.
Where we can see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
We have just finished off the NSW leg of our tour with Money For Rope and it was dope. This week sees us in Melbourne then the week after up in QLD. We would love to see your smile in the crowd. Check our online portals for all information.
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