The invasion and consequent success of Aussie musicians overseas is looking pretty damn healthy at the moment.
From the likes of Melbourne’s very own Courtney Barnett making her US television debut, to the ever-expanding contingent of homegrown talent appearing on international music festival lineups, there is a surmountable amount of justification to wave the Aussie music flag with pride.
The most recent Australian act to step up to the plate and belt a home-run is the heavy-hitting Aussie hard rock group, Twelve Foot Ninja, whom have just been announced as this year’s ‘Best New Talent’ at the coveted Revolver Golden God Awards, as The Music reports.
Regarded as ‘the only hard-rock and heavy-metal award show’, Twelve Foot Ninja join other Golden God 2014 winners like rock’n’roll queen Joan Jett, who was crowned this year’s ‘Golden God’ winner, as well as Guns ‘N’ Roses who received the ‘Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement award’ – clearly, our boys are rubbing shoulders with the big dogs.
The honour bestowed upon the Melbourne outfit is devilishly prestigious, edging out the likes of: Deafheaven, Scar The Martyr, †††(Crosses), Heaven’s Basement and Issues to claim the newcomer award. Want to know the best bit of all? The outcome was not decided upon by a panel of industry professionals, but a public vote of the fans themselves, adding emphatic credibility to their victory.
The band ecstatic with their win, instantly took to their Facebook as they declared their gratitude “We just won a fucking Golden Gods Award! Thanks everyone for voting & supporting us… This is for you.”
(Image: Twelve Foot Ninja. Source: Facebook)
No strangers to fan appreciation, this isn’t the first public display of widespread crowd adoration thrown Twelve Foot Ninja’s way.
In 2013, as a call of arms to their legions of admirers, the band crowdfunded over $52,000 to create a video for their single ‘Ain’t That A Bitch’, which might we add, is a world crowdfunding record for a video that smashed predecessors, Eskimo Joe.
This recent bout of critical acclaim couldn’t arrive at a more fitting time, the band riding off the rouse of praise from their debut headline tour of Australia, taking to their website to label the roadshow “a f*cking outstanding first national tour!” “We just won a fucking Golden Gods Award! Thanks everyone for voting & supporting us.”
The ball continuing to roll, Twelve Foot Ninja have just embarked on their very first headline tour of North America, which will witness their all-out free-for-all of Aussie prog-metal in no less than 22 locations.
“The States have bigger opportunities, so we’re really just following the opportunity more than anything,” said guitarist Stevic MacKay in a recent Tone Deaf interview. “We have to give it a good crack while that interest is there.”
With full kudos to their fans, Twelve Foot Ninja and their ‘Best New Talent’ gong now gives them the best ‘crack’ they could hope for in the US and a heartwarming example of what impact true fandom can have upon a band’s bourgeoning success.
As a victory lap, re-visit Twelve Foot Ninja’s $52k mini-epic for ‘Ain’t That A Bitch’ below.
