FRENZAL RHOMB
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UOW, Friday, November 8
Tickets: Unishop on 02 4221 8050 or bigtix.com.au
Frenzal Rhomb will be relying on muscle memory when they perform this Friday night at University of Wollongong, says lead singer Jay Whalley.
The Australian punk rock band are about to embark on one last tour before they head back into the studio to record their next album.
Lead singer Jay Whalley says it’s difficult to rehearse because the band members are living in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
‘‘I rely on the memories of the crowd to fill in any blanks I might leave in the vocal department,’’ he says.
‘‘It kicks in after doing it a thousand times.’’
The legendary band formed more than 20 years ago and have toured in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Israel and Taiwan.
Back then, it was easier to rehearse because the members didn’t live in different cities.
‘‘We rehearsed once before Big Day Out this year, and that was eight minutes,’’ Whalley says.
‘‘If it looks like I’m being inclusive and handing the mic over, it’s because I’ve forgotten the lines.’’
The singer is looking forward to performing at Unibar because of its crowd.
‘‘Good vibes, good crowd,’’ he says.
‘‘We always have fun shows at Unibar, it’s always good there.
‘‘The best thing about our band,
I reckon, is that it’s good fun for us. ‘‘That’s more important than getting everything exactly right, having a nice time for the crowd too.
‘‘It’s going to be a hoot.
‘‘We try and make the tickets not too expensive so if we play badly, you haven’t wasted all your money.
‘‘In reality you’ve wasted three drinks.’’
It’s been almost three years since their last album, Smoko at the Pet Food Factory, came out and entered the ARIA charts at No14.
Along with Jay Whalley, fellow punk rockers and band members Lindsay McDougall, Tom Crease and Gordy Forman have been making demos and throwing around ideas for their next album.
Their press release says it will feature ‘‘several new theses on drugs and their relationship to the new political climate’’.
But in reality there are no guarantees about what themes will emerge triumphant by the end.
‘‘Is that what it said?’’ asks Whalley.
‘‘We usually write about 100 songs ... for each album. Then we whittle them down over the course of time to 15 or so.
‘‘So when you talk about themes it’s quite difficult.
‘‘Entire themes and theses are thrown in the bin long before the album gets made.
‘‘Hopefully midway through next year we’ll be recording.’’
The band are hoping to return to Colarado, where they recorded their last album at the legendary Blasting Room Studies with Bill Stevenson.
‘‘The people there know what they’re doing, they made it sound really good,’’ he says.
Whalley says, ‘‘hoot may not be guaranteed’’.
Doors open at 7.30pm.