Headlining the Melbourne Flip-Out Festival and appearing also at Sydney’s own, noise-merchants Royal Headache have some medicinal treatment for your aches and pains. The guys are all set to tour with The Buzzcocks, to rock hard on the weekend and to avoid responsibility for anything at all times. We speak to Joe the bassist to find out more.
Music Feeds: You guys have a real mix of personalities in your band, but you seem to pull it all together so well. Your vocalist Shogun brings a punk energy to some really catchy songs, especially live. How did you all get together and what other bands have you been involved with?
Joe: I only got into the band cos the old bass player was quittin’ and I was the most persistently annoying person to want to join. The other guys have known each other forever, old punks. I only met everyone this year at shows around Sydney. I saw Shogun play in Nintendo Police one time last year and on the way home after the show with my buds I spent the entire time talking about how incredible his guitar playing was and listing bands I thought he listened to. I was completely wrong. He doesn’t know about this either, I was too scared to talk to him. He looked too wise for me. Everyone’s played in a million good bands that they’re maybe too shy to talk about? All I can say is Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, whattaband!
MF: You’re going to release some 7″s soon we hear. How’s that all coming along and who’s putting them out?
J: Our good buddy Nic Warnock, CEO of Rip Society Records is gonna be responsible. He’s hiding a hundred investment copies under his bed as soon as they arrive, hopefully late October.
MF: When I saw you at the Sando, you were the second band on but seemed to have the biggest crowd. It must be exciting to have a bit of a buzz going on and pull crowds so early on.
J: We play shows to twenty people sometimes. It’s exciting every time we play! That Sando gig was a friggin good weekend though!
MF: Was the band aware of your unnatural passion for Jon Bon Jovi before they took you on board? I hear you’ve even got a Slippery When Wet picture disc…
J: HEY! I’m only really into the first and Slippery, I haven’t had a chance do delve further yet into the unknowns of their discography. But man, play Slippery When Wet through a hissing amp all the way up, shit they’re almost as good as Lizzy! I think my Kiss/classic rock obsession reared it’s ugly head in the first ever conversation I had with Shortty, but we were both too pumped on the fact that each of us knew how good the Pointed Sticks were to care.
MF: What festival mayhem can we expect at Flip-Out? Fights? Drug taking? Oasis covers? Livin On A Prayer?
J: We might do a new song that we’ve been working on. That’s probably the closest the rest of the dudes will ever let us get to Livin on a Prayer; it has a friggin’ guitar solo!
MF: I hate trying to describe what a band sounds like, can you do us a favour and tell me how you’d describe your music?
J: Have you heard Teresa Screams by The Melvins? We kinda sound like that, but replace the screams for Melvins with Headache.
MF: Who are you most looking forward to see at Flip Out? Who should I readers make sure not to miss?
J: ZOND!!!
MF: What would you as an independent band like to see more of in Sydney?
J: More good bands and us playing inside the Friend in Hand… less Sydney swamp.
MF: Do you feel as though independent bands in Australia are starting to get more recognition?
J: Define independent… Eddy Current get played on Neighbors and Home and Away now so I guess maybe? That could just be the result of all of Dicko’s morning show name drops. Dicko is the prophet of Australian punk rock, gonna pass the message to the masses.
MF: What should we keep an eye out for from you guys?
J: Choreographed punk jumps! This is 100% serious!
MF: Is there anything else you want to talk about, musical political social whatever, anything you want to have a bit of a rant about?
J: KISS RULZ!!!
Well, at least he didn’t say ‘Jon Bon Jovi Rulz!’ For more info on Royal Headache, check out their Myspace page. For more coverage on bands playing Flip Out, click here.
