Frank Carter, the hardcore brat who once famously fronted the mid-2000s punk sensation Gallows, is back, heading to Australian shores with his new outfit Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes for a run of shows.
For his part, Frank seems reinvigorated by the new outfit, and looks to be champing at the bit to be back on the live stage, proving himself once again as one of the fiercest hell-raisers in music.
“This is the most violently aggressive punk-rock band I’ve ever been in,” he says. “It’s back to my hardcore roots. I’m back to claim my throne: the king has returned.
“When I pick a microphone and scream into it, I feel really good. I’ve never felt like I have so much purpose; I’ve never felt so hungry. I feel like I’ve got a license to kill again. For the last year, I’ve felt like a blade that has been getting blunter and blunter. This band has got me sharp again. I feel like a weapon right now. I’m going to do a serious amount of damage.”
Frank is obviously no stranger to immense live shows, whether his own or by other acts. So, with his relentless aggression still ringing in our ears, we’ve asked Frank Carter to run us through the shows that filled him with that burning desire to be on the live stage – the five gigs that changed his life.
5 Gigs That Changed Frank Carter’s Life
System of a Down, at the London Astoria
“This show was one of the very first gigs I ever went to. I remember standing at the front barrier of the Astoria right in front of Shavo and deciding at that moment that I wanted to be in a band. For a little while I even thought I wanted to be a bass player but then I quickly realised that playing an instrument wasn’t going to be an easy process.
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“This gig ended with a stage invasion and I remember rushing a security guard and getting up on the stage and being able to see such a different view of the venue and the crowd and feeling about 20 foot tall until I got put in a headlock by a security guard and dragged off the stage.”
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, at the Edinburgh Playhouse
“I have been a huge Nick Cave fan for more years than I can remember. Unfortunately, every time he had been touring in recent years I was always on tour myself and the dates never matched up. I was lucky enough to go and watch him play recently and when we arrived we had probably the best seats in the playhouse.
“Front row and centre of the main block of seats with a huge aisle in front of us that run right to the stage so we had an uninterrupted view of the entire show. Being able to watch a band of musicians that are so passionately connected to the music they are playing was inspiring and I won’t ever forget that night.”
Sleep, at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple
“I lived in New York for five years and while I was there I got to witness some incredible shows by some of my favourite bands. I saw Sleep play in an old Masonic Hall in Brooklyn. Pike walks out on stage the epitome of rock an roll. He stands there in front of the audience staring out.
“He is topless, holding a black Les Paul and he strikes the opening chord of Jerusalem and the sound is so loud that I can feel my heart rattling in my chest. At the same moment a video screen behind the band lights up with slow motion footage of a NASA space launch. It was one of the most badass ways to start a show ever. I felt like I was being reborn.”
Amy Winehouse, at SXSW
“I met Amy a couple times as Gallows was kinda blowing up and we were being forced to play at a lot of major music events where we didn’t belong. I felt lucky overtime we got a few seconds to talk as she exuded charm and charisma.
“I watched her play in the afternoon sun at a show in Texas at SXSW one year and she made that sunny afternoon feel like a tiny smoky jazz club in soho and i got completely lost in her voice like everyone else standing there.”
Rage Against The Machine, Milan
“I was lucky enough to be asked to play a few shows with Rage Against The Machine but the one that stands out was in a football stadium in Milan.
“I remember seeing them play Reading Festival when I was a kid and how it had a huge impact on me, but this time I was sat behind the stage about 50 rows up on my own and looking down through the transparent backdrop onto the stage and this insane crowd in a stadium and I just remember thinking “how the fuck did I get here”. It was a definite turning point for me, and I realised then that I wanted to play music forever.”
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes Tour Dates
Thursday 8th December – The Reverence Hotel, Melbourne – 18+ (Sold Out)
Friday 9th December – The Reverence Hotel, Melbourne – 18+ (Sold Out)
Saturday 10th December – The Brightside, Brisbane – 18+ (Limited Tickets Remaining)
Sunday 11th December – The Bald Faced Stag, Sydney – All Ages (Limited Tickets Remaining)
Tickets on sale through Destroy All Lines
