Drunk Mums Bring Back Pub Rock with Plastic Tour
We chat to the band about Plastic, the tour and their visit to the home of the XXXX Bitter Angels.
Strip the cash, labels and cheap tricks from rock'n'roll, restore the reckless danger and what you're left with is the pulverising, barraging band that is Drunk Mums. Since the release of their debut thumper, 'Eventual Ghost', they've been placed at the forefront of an important musical plight — bringing pub rock back to the people. They hold the prodigious ability, through sporadic riffs and rock-heavy tunes, to create a sound so rough and rampant it can only be played in venues that serve 'tinnies' or 'tallies'.
With part Braithwaite, part Billy Thorpe, Jake Doyle on vocals, Dean Whitby on guitar, Adam Ritchie on bass, Johnny Badlove on drums and Isaac Forsyth on tambourine, the dynamics of Drunk Mums are quite extraordinary. They sweat VB, sport stubbies and singlets, and look like they've been been plucked from the pokies of the Cunnamulla Hotel. Look at them, and you'll either hold no expectations, or ones too wild to function. Listen to them, and you'll be blown away by the crunches, crazed riffs and corruptive melodies that transcend rum-pig-pub-rock, to something quite Bon Scott-esque.
Now, with a self-titled album under their belts, performance slots in just about every Melbourne watering hole and mullets to match, Drunk Mum's have a ripper new single out and a tour to complement. We chatted to Adam about what we can expect from Plastic, the tour and their visit to the home of the XXXX Bitter Angels (Queensland, obviously).
2014 - new single, new clip, same hairdos. How have things changed from the days of house gigs in Cairns to riding the high life in Melbourne?
First of all, Isaac shaved his head, so the hair is different. Can we move this along please (and stop talking about Cairns)? Height is the measurement of vertical distance and though our legs have grown from rigorous rock climbing, our outlook has yet to change. But the lack of Mi goreng is close to a blessing, acid shits are for the foolish and we moved on to well better sustenance.
Tell us a bit about how new tune 'Plastic' came about?
It's about Adam being drunk and thinking he was hearing something then finding out that the sound was coming from the little bit of plastic in a birthday card. It's pretty simple but we're sick of hearing people's problems in songs, tell me a story would ya?
Can you describe the crux of your sound? If I were to repeatedly call you a 'garage surf pop band' how strongly would you hit me?
'Garage surf pop' is not really something that describes us. We're just playing what we like, putting in the energy is what we want to see come alive with our music. A lot of people seem to try make music thinking about what an audience wants to hear and we have no time for that. We are definitely influenced by classic Oz rock, but we make our music.
What are the plans for the Queensland leg of the tour? A return to Cairns?
Nah, just Brisbane on Saturday, June 7. The only people that would probably watch us in Cairns are our parents and respective family members. We'll go there on a later date when we can arrive in separate helicopters.
Your sound is something pretty incredible on its own, but combine it with your live performance and you guys really become something else - stage convulsions, spitting, crowd surfing. How out of control can we expect this tour to be?
It doesn't just depend on us! Everybody has to get involved. We wanna see homemade fireworks, beer bongs, naked people, frothing at the mouth. We're too busy playing rock songs, I mean c'mon! Help us out would ya?
Any post-Plastic tour plans?
More kids, more Ceno payments. Get the kids to go undercover and play our shows for us while we sit on the patio drinking shandies and reciting episodes of Neighbours. Kylie era.
Finally, Drunk Mums the name? Is it so all those who Pirate Bay you get inundated with freaky, alcohol-fuelled, maternal-based pornography?
We are all actually middle-aged women with kids we don't want. We replace the baby with the bottle. Wine bottle that is.
Drunk Mum's are playing following dates at these fine pubs and drinking establishments for their Plastic Tour:
10/05 - GEELONG: The Barwon Club Hotel
17/05 - MELBOURNE: The Tote
24/05 - BALLARAT: Karova Lounve
25/05 - MELBOURNE: Cherry Bar
29/05 - SYDNEY: Frankie's Pizza By The Slice
30/05 - NEWCASTLE: The Small Ballroom
31/05 - SYDNEY: @ Tokio Sing Song / Live performance + Dj set till 4am
06/06 - BRISBANE: HOUSE SHOW (details posted closer to date)
07/06 - BRISBANE: Trainspotters
13/06 - WARNAMBOOL: The Loft
14/06 - ADELAIDE: The Edinburgh Castle Hotel
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