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| Photo Credit: Paul Fraser @ Agressive Frog Photography |
You got to love punk bands, there is never any fake pretentious bullshit about them, and when you read the following facebook bio for Loud Goes Bang, you instantly have to add them to your “must see” list because you know they will be bat-shit fun live.
“We are generally pretty loud. We have a singer, two guitars, bass guitar and a drummer that hits those tubs like they stole his car. Three people sing, yelp and shout as back up to the guy out the front…sometimes it’s even in tune.
Besides having a huge amount of fun, we forged a sound founded in punk rock based around lots of energy, several bum notes, speed and volume…."
Loud Goes Bang has shared the stage with the likes of The Victims, The Hard-Ons, Mouthguard and Screamfeeder, but name dropping aside, these mates of 20 years just love to play music for anyone who wants to listen and have a shit load of fun along the way. And beer, we suspect there is a lot of beer drinking!
We are looking forward to seeing Loud Goes Bang at the Gold Coast leg of the Wallapalooza Festival and the guys say they are pumped to get amongst it too. We caught up with John and Paul at Burleigh Beach for the Wallapalooza BBQ Day and they kindly agreed to answer some questions for us...
Tell us about how the band formed, where you’re from and how long have you been together? Are you all original members?
Answered by John - Brendan (drums) and John (guitar/vocals) are brothers so have known each other forever. They became mates with Corey (bass/vocals) and Paul (vocals) over 25 years ago and then met Sam (guitar/vocals) more than 10 years ago before they started a band by accident in 2010 when they hired a rehearsal room just to give Corey’s new bass guitar a rattle. Four hours later they had written 5 songs and thought that they should keep going. The original 4 members grew to 5 with Paul in 2012 and the lineup has never changed. For some of us, this band is a reunion, for some it’s a homecoming, for some it’s an evolution of things that we started as teenagers but for me it’s simply the best thing I’ve done musically since I’ve been playing because it is really just 5 mates who hang out and play a few songs… Some guys have poker nights or golf days; we just get into a room, turn up amps and make heaps of noise. Over the years, we have all played in various bands including Fetish, One80Down, The Decoy Set, The Immortals and ITXASO but none of them really sound like what we do now.
How would you describe the band’s style and who are your influences?
Answered by Corey - In essence we don't have a distinctive style. All members have a range of preferred styles, or most often listened to music, which can be seen in the repertoire of songs written. If 2 words were required "guitar driven". Answered by John – Each of us contribute ideas to songs so we might be playing around with a new idea that I bring in that has a feel similar to The Clash, at the same time, Brendan’s coming in having been listening to Agnostic Front, Corey has a Hard-Ons song in his head, Sam has been jamming Helmet style guitar riffs and Paul has been getting deep into The Dopamines. It all ends up mashed up into our own blend that kind of ends up not sounding like any of them.
What inspirations do you draw on?
Answered by Corey - We are inspired by anyone who has the drive, and energy to have a go. Particularly those people that target endeavors where the reward may be no more than just feeling good and having fun.
Tell us about some highlights or low points of the bands career?
Answered by Paul - There have been multiple high points of the bands career. Having played with the Hard-Ons 2 twice in 8 months was a big thing for Loud Goes Bang as we all grew up together (with the exception of Paul as he is still growing up as he still sniggers at a fart) listening to the Hard-Ons and going to their shows. Celibate Riffles was also a great moment for the band as they too were another band we have followed back in the day. Low points I think are very few if any... Maybe Brendan our drummer would say Paul falling into his drum kit a number of times during shows would be a bit of a pain in the ass. It is hard to find low points as we are a band of mates who have had friendships for 20 years plus and all share a love of hanging out and music.
Are the songs a collaborative effort or does the band have a main songwriter. How does the music affect the lyrics and vice versa?
Answered by Paul - All the Songs by Loud Goes Band are originally born from an idea from an individual in the band and are hashed out and sculpted in rehearsals with everyone adding their own ideas. But it is a given not to suggest any drum ideas to Brendan as he will offer a fellow band mate a look that pretty much says "Shut up I’m the drummer, I'll put together what I want". Ha ha
How would you describe the evolution of the band’s sound?
Answered by Sam – I think the band’s sound has grown more eclectic within the punk rock spectrum. That’s not to say it’s finely nuanced and not a wall of sound, but we’re trying arrangements and ideas that we wouldn’t have early on. Probably just the natural progression as we keep learning to play together.
What’s different in the music industry today compared to when you first started and what would you do differently if you where just entering the industry today?
Answered by Sam – There seems to be less support for live and local these days, amongst our demographic at least (read: middle aged). This equates to a smaller window of opportunity where you need to bring the full package upfront rather than evolve with your peers. Answered by John – It sounds like a cliché but I feel technology has been a double edged sword in our industry. On one hand it makes everything very easy to access, but on the flipside, people seem less committed to taking a punt on watching a band or buying an album when they can check out a 30 second grab before making a decision.
Which of your song/s are the most fun to play live, or which songs are you most proud of?
Answered by Brendan – “Monotony”, “Six Strings and Singles”, “On and On”, “Maryborough”
What should we expect from the band in 2015, or what’s the plan for the band moving forward?
Answered by Brendan – Hopefully we will get around to recording at some stage and beyond that just gigging and getting a few more big supports.
Name some of the bands you grew up listening to?
Brendan – drums: Too many but The Ramones, Hard Ons, Slayer, Kiss
Corey – bass/vocals: The Ramones, Buffalo Tom, Screamfeeder, Fugazi
Sam – guitar/vocals: Celibate rifles, Prong, Pitchshifter, Rollins band, helmet...
Paul – vocals: The Clash, Midnight Oil, The Damned, TISM, Op Ivy, Belly full of warm stuff, The Radiators, Australian Crawl, Sex Pistols, Ah the list could go on forever.
John – guitar/vocals: Black Flag, The Ramones, FUGAZI, Husker Du and Screamfeeder. I got AC/DC’s “Back in Black” at age 5 which set me on a path of loving heavier music early on.
If you could play in any other band, who would it be?
Brendan – drums: The Beatles and The Ramones
Corey – bass/vocals: FUGAZI
Sam – guitar/vocals: In James Brown’s band.
Paul – vocals: The Bumbos, or a band with little musical talent as I am pretty shite at music.
John – guitar/vocals: I don’t really have any aspiration to play with another band except maybe the kid’s band we have mused with (The Bumbos). I guess I’d like to do some really stripped back country stuff by myself just to really test myself.
Who did you see at your first ever concert?
Brendan – drums: Noiseworks @ Twin Towns (age 14)
Corey – The Ramones (Festival Hall January 1991 – interesting to note that Brendan, Corey and John all went to this gig together)
Sam – guitar/vocals: Midnight oil at Boondal in early high school
Paul – vocals: Midnight Oil @ the Spit when I was 9
John – guitar/vocals: Noiseworks @ Twin Towns (age 12). But then I saw V. Spy V. Spy at Expo 88 when I was 12. They amazed me with their uncompromising sound and attitude. I saw The Ramones in Jan 1991 (with The Hard Ons and New Christs) and then FUGAZI in Nov 1991 and knew that I had to play music.
What album do you have on repeat in your stereo/ipod?
Brendan – drums: I’m always listening to different stuff everyday so it could be a Ramones album or Agnostic Front or Morbid Angel
Corey – bass/vocals: I use random play
Sam – guitar/vocals: The Nation Blue “Protest Songs”
Paul – vocals: The Copyrights. and The Dopamines on shuffle.
John – guitar/vocals: Blueline Medic “The Apology Wars” and Sugar “Copper Blue” make a regular appearance. “Heart Is a Phantom Limb” by The Nation Blue is always a “go to” song.
In your opinion, which local or Aussie band/s should we be watching out for, or who do you think are genuine standout’s at the moment?
Brendan – drums: Wolfpack, In Death, Crooked Face, Shandy
Corey – bass/vocals: The Go Set
Sam – guitar/vocals: Watch out for DANZA, genuine standout Violent Soho
Paul – vocals: Four Zero One Four, The Go Set, Crooked Face, The Bumbos.
John – guitar/vocals: Locally there are great bands like Army of Champions, Four Zero One Four, Crooked Face and heaps more. Australia wide, I really like Freak Wave and Lincoln Le Fevre.
