As band names go, Megastick Fanfare at least has the originality thing covered. The name was suggested, jokingly, by a friend of the band and it’s stuck. It’s not just a joke however, the band opens each show with a piece of music, a fanfare, unique to that performance.
“We try to write something new for every show though we have recycled a couple. We have been on a writing break while we have been recording our first release so there a whole bunch of ideas we’ve been holding back on. There’s one song we’ve never played that we really wanted to record but it doesn’t look like we’ll have the time. I’d like to turn that into a fanfare but we’ll see.“
The five-piece began in high school and are now wowing audiences across Australia. In high school I used to hang around with musos after school and listen to them jam. Listening to Megastick Fanfare reminds me of those golden hours, even to the point of evoking the smell of the pides we ate afterwards. Mmm… Kusbasili.
“It’s pop melodies over experimental textures. We all pretty much do our own thing. Someone will start playing the instrument they feel like playing and we’ll all join in. There normally isn’t much need for someone to direct, and when there is, it’ll be someone different every time.”
Sydney radio station FBI are hard at work promoting local bands, a function that is absolutely required in today’s radio world, where mediocre mainstream pap is put on high rotation and celebrity gossip is the order of the day. Megastick Fanfare have been on the receiving end of this publicity boost and it has given them a shiny view of the Sydney scene.
“The music in Sydney is great. Lots of bands trying different things, it’s really exciting. We’ve had a lot of support from bands and venues ever since we started last year which has made things a lot easier. We are starting to get more people coming to our shows I guess fbi is to thank for that.
Megastick Fanfare will be playing at Spectrum on the 23rd of May, with Made In Japan and Ghoul. They will also be playing the Come Together Festival at Luna Park on June 6th. The band is currently in the last stages of producing their next release so there will be fun and surprises at the upcoming shows.
“We haven’t played for about 2 months, though it feels like 2 years, so expect an explosion of suppressed energy. Hopefully our release will be done by July. We’ve been recording it ourselves so it’s been a lot of work, but it’s coming together. We’ll be gigging as much as we can in June.”
Be sure to check out Megastick Fanfare at Fuzzbox May 29th @ The UTS Loft Bar.
For a taste of fanfare check out
http://www.myspace.com/megastickfanfare
Illustration By Steven Bachmeyer
