For years, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have been one of the most exciting and immersive punk outfits on the scene.
Known for their powerful tunes and raucous live shows, frontman Frank Carter is an unstoppable force when it comes to music, refusing to give up until he’s given his all.
However, in recent years, Carter has been leading the charge to ensure that fans don’t just feel welcome at his shows, but that they feel safe as well. Having been told by a female fan she didn’t feel safe enough to crowd surf, the rocker implemented a female-only mosh pit; an event that has become a feature of all subsequent shows.
Having wrapped up an Aussie tour supporting Bring Me The Horizon earlier this year, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are set to visit Australia next month in support of their latest album, End Of Suffering.
To celebrate these upcoming dates, we had a chat with Frank Carter about the new album, his Aussie shows, and how important it is to create an environment at shows that gives everyone an opportunity to be themselves.
Check out ‘Crowbar’ by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes:
Tone Deaf: So first up, you released End Of Suffering back in May. It’s been a pretty successful one so far, but what has the reaction from fans been like over the past few months?
Frank Carter: I mean, it’s been overwhelming. They’ve just really gotten behind the concepts, gotten behind the songs. It’s kind of scary for us. We did a tour like, kind of just before the album comes out, and people knew, people heard loads of them already. All the singles, just singing along as if they were part of the set, you know?
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And then we just toured it through the years, slowly, and one thing apart from that is that, yeah, people are just really behind the songs. Some songs are having a better reaction than songs that have been out for five years. It’s just wild.
TD: Then, of course, obviously it would have to be pretty vindicating having such personal songs having such a positive reaction from fans as well.
FC: It’s been really beautiful. You can never expect that to happen. It either just happens or you’re lucky. I mean, the album’s really really connected people, and that was the bottom line. It’s really great to do that, you know?
TD: This is probably question you’ve been asked quite a bit now, but how did you end up collaborating with Tom Morello on ‘Tyrant Lizard King’?
FC: I mean, as crazy as it sounds, he is my friend [laughs]. I literally just texted him, and was just like, “hey bud, I’ve just got this song, this album and I’d love to hear what you would put on it,” and he was like, “yeah, cool, send it over.”
He messaged me just before to say that he was working on the new album and asked if I wanted to sing on it, and I was like, “fuck yeah!” And I said, “but, also I’m working on a new album, do you want to play on it?” And we haven’t actually gotten around to his stuff yet [laughs].
Check out ‘Tyrant Lizard King’ by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes:
TD: Obviously that would have been a surreal moment for yourself because you guys had played with Rage Against The Machine, hadn’t you?
FC: Yeah, they’re good! We played a few shows with Rage. Obviously, they’ve been a huge part of my life.
TD: That would’ve been a pretty special moment to work with Tom Morello, but are there any other musicians on your list of dream collaborations?
FC: There’s loads. The number one is Denzel Curry, I’d love to write a song with that guy; incredible rapper. I think we both kind of have similar vibes and energy, so I think we could do something really amazing together.
That’s me as well, I always try and do things slightly outside of the box. When we go with collaborations, we usually work with people who would say “I’m doing similar stuff alongside you.” While that’s good, it’s much better if you can get someone legendary.
TD: You’re now gearing up to visit Australia next month. Folks here obviously know you as something of a frequent visitor to our shores, but what is it that keeps bringing you back?
FC: It’s one of the best countries in the world. It’s fucking beautiful are beautiful, the people are chill, the music is great, the food is next level. You guys just get music in a way that a lot of countries don’t.
For us, it’s one of those places in the world where anytime we have an opportunity to go to Australia, we’ll be there. Yeah, we just love it.
Check out ‘I Hate You’ by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes:
TD: It’s quite amazing to see how you’ve grown in Australia. You’ve gone from playing club shows in 2016 to arenas with Bring Me The Horizon. You seem like a humble guy, so is it hard to believe such a massive growth has taken place within just a few years?
FC: Yeah, it’s crazy. A lot of that was due to Bring Me The Horizon having the trust that if they took us on tour, we wouldn’t let them down, and put on a great show and give their fans something to really enjoy.
For us, we’re still trying to build these shows coming up. We’ve still got a lot of work to do. I really hope the people get behind it and come and see the new songs. We’re playing one of the longest sets we’ve ever played — tons of old stuff mixed in with these new bangers.
We’re having a lot of fun playing live, and that’s kind of the key for us is that the minute we walk out on stage it’s sort of like, “what can we do?” and like, “what can we get away with?” Like, “how long can we run over? How many songs can we play?”
Instead of writing a strict setlist, we’ve got a setlist where it’s got a few stars in there so there will be a run of like three or four songs that you know, then a star, then another two songs. When we get to the stars the boys are just listening to me. Then I just call it out over the mic, like “okay, here we go.” It’s good fun, though, just keeping them on their toes.
We got that from watching the Foo Fighters every night when we were on tour with them, and I don’t think I’ve seen them play a set list that was the same, ever. For a band of that level and the size of the shows they play that night, for them to constantly change their set list, it’s a bit mad. It makes you feel like you’re not good enough.
Check out ‘Lullaby’ by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes:
TD: You’re also playing smaller shows on this Australian tour, including an all-ages gig at a pretty intimate venue in Melbourne. How important do you feel all-ages gigs like that are for music fans?
FC: I mean, they’re everything to us. When you go on a tour with a band like Bring Me The Horizon, a huge contingent of their audience is younger and that was me when I was young. When going to those shows and watching those bands, being in the crowd and crowd surfing and discovering your favourite band. So for us, it was very important for us not to lose that.
Unfortunately when we booked the tour, we didn’t really realise that we booked mostly over 18 venues. We just left that in the hands of the promoter. The minute we realised, we set to work to basically just make it right and to give those shows back to the kids to say that, “we hear you, and we’re sorry,” and the last thing we wanted was to alienate anyone and to make them feel like they’re not welcome at our shows.
We’re all about inclusivity across the board, whether that be age, race, sex, gender, it doesn’t matter. Like everybody is welcome — we’re family. I think that’s why I’m most excited to get back because like, I’ve never played an all-ages show properly in Australia.
Sometimes it can be quite difficult to get there because you get there and the venues are all 18 plus or whatever. It’s going to be fucking fun, though!
TD: Your live shows also have a tendency to be rather wild affairs, but you’ve also been known for ensuring that your gigs are a safe space as well. What was it that inspired you to take such a stand?
FC: I think it’s just the changing of the times. The fact that I feel quite guilty I didn’t do it sooner. I have a responsibility. I have a platform and that comes with responsibility and I hadn’t been using that properly for a long, long time.
Now I’ve decided to really focus on that and make sure that when I am using my platform, I am using it for good and it’s a good positive change. The first little change I could enact, really, is to make sure that at least at my shows there’s a safe environment for everyone no matter your age, your race, your religion, your gender, your sexual preference.
Like, you’re welcome and not only that, you’re loved; it’s a real family. Once you’ve done that, everything just is better. We’ve been having some of the best gigs of our life because you just look out into the crowd and everybody is having a good time.
Surely that is what life is about, so that’s what we’ve been working hard to create. We’re getting there now, and it’s really special.
Check out ‘Devil Inside Me’ by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes:
TD: Did you ever receive any backlash for taking such a stand? It’s a noble cause, but I could definitely imagine that the ones who make these gigs an unsafe space might have pushed back somewhat.
FC: Yeah, I mean you rarely hear from them because the good thing about trolls is they live under bridges in the dark, so you just kind of leave them there. Unfortunately, yeah, you hear it more when you play at festivals in the wider world and a few things were brought to my attention when we played Reading when I said it, but that was just passers-by.
They were just happy to be offended by anything and completely miss the fact of what I was trying to do. They think that they hear the words like “this is a female-only pit,” and they get offended like, “I’m a man, what about equal rights?”
And you kind of just want to grab them and say, “shut the fuck up. You had your way for fucking two millennia, now let’s see what happens when we create a safe space and equality for everybody.” And honesty, anyone who is not willing to get on with that can get run over by us, it’s fine.
TD: Are there any countries that seem to take the safe space approach to heart more than others? I’ve noticed shows in Australia definitely have a bit of a “boys club” mentality to them at times, so it’s good to see that you’ve helped make things more accepting.
FC: Honestly, there is no country that is taking it on board more than anyone else. Everybody is just getting on with it. Talking to everyone about our fans, our crowds, other bands that you’re on tour with and trying to encourage them to make that same change.
A few people are like, “ah, nah that’s your thing,” and I’m like, “that’s absolutely not my thing, I don’t want ownership over this.” It needs to be a world thing, it’s not a band thing, it’s not a competition, and I don’t want recognition for it. I just want it to be the standard. So, for me, it’s just constantly about just reiterating how important it is and creating that change.
I know what you say when you talk about ‘boys club’ mentality in the rock world. The fact is that when you create that safe space, you give people the awareness of it, that’s literally all it takes. It’s about bringing the men into it in a way where they feel integral.
The first thing I say is to open up the pit, and you’ll see a bunch of dude just spread the room out and there’s a ton of testosterone and they push everyone back. Then I say “now you open up the pit and protect the pit at all costs,” because this pit is a safe space for women, and I’m like, “girls go in the mosh pit now,” and all the girls just pour in the gap and they’ve got the biggest smile on their face.
It’s bringing attention to the situation in a positive way and in a way they can understand, and they can make sense of it immediately. They can see the effect it has on their sisters, their partners, their parents. When you see that, that’s when it makes sense to them and they’re not scared of it anymore. They don’t feel threatened.
It’s sad that we have to talk to people like that but I think it’s much better looking if you kind of learn how to talk to people to get them on side. That’s what I’ve learned the most — how to talk to men, basically. I think you’ve got a platform of responsibility, and if you’re not using it for good, then you don’t deserve it.
If you’re in an all-male you have a duty to create a safe space for women in the rock world because it’s the only way it’s going to enact a change.
Check out ‘Wild Flowers’ by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes:
TD: When you look at things like ensuring gigs are a safe space, helping to normalise discussions of mental health, I’ve seen some fans refer to you as a real force of good in the music industry. Do you ever feel that way at all?
FC: I think that recently someone told me that — my girlfriend was the first person who pointed it out to me properly — she just explained to me a bit about my energy and the effect it has on people in positive and negative ways. Honestly, she’s the first person to ever explain that to me.
I don’t always feel like a force of good but I feel like a force of nature quite a lot of the time. The minute you understand that, you’re able to recognise, “okay, I have that power here, and I better use that for the way I fucking think,” because if I don’t, I’m failing everybody, and mostly I’m failing myself.
That’s what I’m trying to do now. I’m understanding my energy for better, and making sure that what I’m putting out is positive. I’m being a leader for the first time in my life. It might feel weird for people to hear that, in the fact that I’ve been a leader in bands my whole life, basically.
But now is the first time where I really feel like I am, and I’m accepting my position in the world, and I’m up to make some big changes. It feels really exciting.
TD: Do you have anything special in store for your Australian tour when it kicks off next month?
FC: It’s never business as usual in Australia. It’s one of my favourite countries in the world to play. I think we’re going to break out some songs we haven’t played for a few years. It’s just always just nice to give every country something a little special.
That’s the key, we try to work on that set list, and make sure that whatever we turn out is new for us and also new for everybody, so that’s what we’re working on at the minute.
Check out ‘Kitty Sucker’ by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes:
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes Australian Tour 2020
Thursday, January 16th, 2020
(with Eat Your Heart Out)
The Triffid, Brisbane, QLD
Tickets: Oztix
Saturday, January 18th, 2020
(with A Swayze & The Ghosts & Eat Your Heart Out)
Roundhouse, Sydney, NSW
Tickets: Ticketek
Monday, January 20th 2020
(with A Swayze & The Ghosts & Psychobabel)
The Croxton, Melbourne, VIC
Tickets: Oztix
Tuesday, January 21st, 2020 (New Show)
(with A Swayze & The Ghosts)
Wrangler Studios, Melbourne, VIC (All Ages)
Tickets: Oztix
Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 (New Show)
(Support TBC)
Altar, Hobart, TAS
Tickets: Oztix
Friday, January 24th, 2020
(with Young Offenders)
The Gov, Adelaide, SA
Tickets: Oztix
Saturday, January 25th, 2020
(with Ratking)
The Rosemount, Perth, WA
Tickets: Oztix
