Ethos

Noel Gallagher always seems to be complaining about something. This time, it’s for the right reasons…well sort of. He’s gone in to bat for one of Australia’s newest and most-exciting upcoming acts, Jagwar Ma. They’re great you should check them out! Well very similar to here in Australia, UK commercial mainstream radio doesn’t seem to support emerging acts. In fact, they’re barely even given a chance. For me, this is somewhat disappointing, yet comforting at the same time. I’ll try to explain this conundrum that I’m having.

Photo: Noel Gallagher

A strong ethos of mine is; “Music shouldn’t be forced on people, it should be discovered by people.” There is so much joy in blind discovery or researching a friend’s suggestion. It gives you a chance to build your own thoughts and story about the band. I love the points in time that are defined by records that you and your friends are listening to. It becomes a soundtrack to your life. People are too quick to judge when music is rammed down their throats on commercial radio. Plus, a song can definitely lose a few notches of cool when a band you like hits the airwaves of commercial radio. I’ve seen it happen too many times!

Photo: Jagwar Ma

I think the point Mr. Gallagher was making is that these emerging bands should be able to show their talents through avenues where people wouldn’t normally hear. I agree with this side of things also. Many promoters in Australia say this type lack of radio support for Australian acts is destroying the local live music scene. Michael Chugg explains that many Australian acts are forced into making a name for themselves overseas.

This strikes a chord with me as I remember playing a gig with the Temper Trap in early 2007 and seeing them perform to about 10 people. You could hear a pin drop in between each song. Now days, you’d be lucky to hear a pint smash on the ground amongst the thousands of punters. This is all because they went overseas and capitalized on some decent mainstream radio play. It seems they were one the few that crossed the great divide of commercial radio overseas. They came back to Australia being one of the most hyped bands with heavy Triple J play. Eventually they crossed to commercial radio here too. I say good on to them, but do you think they’re cool now?

New Times

In recent times, the Australian music landscape has seen some great new emerging acts explode onto the scene, and some go unnoticed. It’s hard to understand why certain bands make it and some don’t. Is it the management? Financial backing? A desire for success? The constant opportunities? Or just pure luck? It’s crazy to see a band such as Tame Impala, who played for years as The Dee Dee Dums in the small bars of Fremantle. Only to change their name, get noticed, and take the world by storm. Recently they were playing on the main stage of the Coachella and Glastonbury festivals. This is the kind of thing that makes me smile - seeing local Perth lads achieving such greatness. Woo hoo!

Photo: Tame Impala performing at Coachella 2013 

It can be hard to pin down the turning point or defining moment that spells success for a band. In some cases acts are just purely overhyped, and of course this will always ends badly if they don’t have the talent and material to back up the hype. The media obviously play a big role in shaping the word on the street and can make or break fresh talent entering the scene. The marketing machine of the music industry has a lot to answer for and while they sometimes get it right, they often miss the real gems. Too many people are concerned with the bottom line, instead of the base line. Not me; music is my life. My aim in writing this blog is to disregard popular opinion and give it to you straight. What is really happening with emerging talent in this country? There will be much more to come on this subject. Luckily for the much talked about Tame Impala, their music and live show have risen above.

Music is a way of Life

From an early age, music has been a big part of my life. Growing up around music, learning music at home and school, its fair to say I acquired calluses on my fingers from guitar strings as a young boy. At the age of six, I received my first electric guitar. I can still remember the smell of the fresh strings and leather as you opened the guitar case. It was this childhood hobby that has fueled a life long passion dedicated to the various aspects of music. It’s hard not to love everything about it: the genres and styles, the scenes, the hype, the equipment, the media and the fashion.

I can still remember attending my first live concert. Successful Perth band Jebediah had come to perform at our high school gym after class. It was a big event for the school and the anticipation was killing everyone. As we walked into the gym, it was dark, with a warm glow appearing from the stage. It was hard to find a good spot and we were waiting for what felt like the longest fifteen minutes ever. The band walked out, the lights went up, and the first chord was hit for their hit song at the time, Leaving Home. The crowd went ballistic! It was hard for me not to walk out of the show thinking this is what I want to do.

Well its funny how things work out; the tables turned from being a punter to being a rocker. Over the past six years, I have been part of a not too large, but fairly prominent Perth band. This has seen me perform in small to large venues across Australia, from the once-famous, gritty small room of the Hyde Park Hotel in North Perth, to the larger Australian festivals such as Big Day Out, Southbound and Homebake. It’s a thrill to hear your song on Triple J for first time and to think of the opportunities this provides for younger bands. Touring Australia is something that has to be done for young bands. I have experienced the Australian music industry from a variety of angles and have met many interesting people. I have never had the chance to write in the capacity to provide commentary, news and opinions on the Australian music industry as a whole, which is why I have chosen to talk about emerging talent and interests of the Australian music scene though Hound-Down-Under-Ground.