Friday

The Patch

Tickets: www.oztix.com.au/ $12 at the door

Supporting another band can be bittersweet for young musicians trying to make a name for themselves.

On one hand there is the chance to meet and learn from skilled artists, but on the other, playing to a crowd where half of them are just killing time before the main act comes on can be disheartening.

This is something Adelaide band City Riots has learnt during the past few years.

The indie musos have opened for several big names including British India, The Living End, Gyroscope and Smashing Pumpkins. Vocalist and guitarist Ricky Kradolfer says while it was often a challenge to get the audience enthusiastic about their music, the experience has made them a better band.

"It can be a lot to take on the chin sometimes, to go all that way to play to 30 people and it can be a bit rough, but you just have to keep doing your thing, he says.

"You see how professional other bands approach it and you just have to make sure you have a really good live show to make sure when people are watching it they really enjoy it.

"If people can go tell two of their friends that they saw the most awesome band last night called City Riots, that's more beneficial than getting played on radio because nothing's more potent or believable than your best friend telling you to check out a band."

But now City Riots is embarking on their first headline tour to celebrate the release of their debut album Sea of Bright Lights.

While Kradolfer says it has been a bit daunting, the chance to do their own thing is fantastic.

Though the four piece has been together for almost five years, they took their time recording their first offering, partly because opportunities to tour with great bands kept coming up and partly because they wanted to give themselves time to find their sound.

When they first started, Kradolfer thinks they were more influenced by bands they were fans of, such as Bloc Party and Razorlight, but moved towards an independent sound as they matured as songwriters and musicians.

"We are really focused on having a unique sound of our own, so that when people hear us they know it's City Riots and don't think it's one of five other bands they've heard before."

Kradolfer describes their sound as dreamy, jangly and indie pop.