Wednesday, February 27

Dicey Riley's

Tickets: www.oztix.com.au

As the name suggests, the aim of the Festival in Your Lounge Room tour is to create a festival atmosphere in an intimate setting.

Hard-rock guitar virtuoso Tristan "Trizo" Bouillaut, whose band Dead in a Second is headlining the tour, says it will give punters the chance to see a variety of new bands playing a range of musical styles.

"Festival In Your Lounge Room came from an idea that it would be great to do something a little bit different and also to help out new bands," Bouillaut says.

"The name says it all - we're trying to bring the festival vibe into a smaller venue with quite an eclectic range of musical styles.

"I felt like we needed to, instead of sitting back and complaining, to go and create it - and that's what we did. We don't have any backing or promoters, it's just sheer initiative to get up off our arses and do something.

"We're doing five cities with five to six acts per show, ranging from a DJ to acoustic acts, and of course Dead in a Second taking the hard-rock position."

Western Australian R&B revivalists The Arsonist will be touring with Dead in a Second and acts from each city will fill out the bill. For the show at Dicey Riley's, there will be Wollongong locals DJ Miki Mash, A Hill to Die For and Loki Hines.

"We weren't trying to put big names together, we're trying to showcase new bands," Bouillaut says.

"We thought, let's take a look at some acts in all the cities we're playing, and we picked the most fitting.

"It's hard these days for new bands to get out there. Gigs are limited and there's a lot of incredible talent in this country. So how do you stand out, how do you get on that bill?

"That's why I wanted to create this and I feel good about it."

For Bouillaut, who has previously had success with the bands Kill the Capitol and Thousand Needles in Red, it's also a chance to take his new band on the road for the first time since the release of their debut EP Maretimo last year.

"It doesn't matter the amount of promo you do and it doesn't matter the amount of releases you have, to build a band you have to get out on the road.

"You have to get off your arse and get in the van and drive interstate and play shows.

"All the bands that have got a great name now in Australia have driven countless k's [kilometres] up and down the east coast.

"I don't want to get into it too much, but we have become so used to having these overnight sensations from TV. I don't think any of them have sat in a car from Adelaide to Brisbane.

"It's doing it the old-fashioned way, but at least you earn your respect and credibility."