YOUNG GUNS, BIG DRUMS

Three vital young drum GUNS spawned from the pop industry melting pot.

Article by Barnaby Gold

Three of Australia’s hottest young bands have just released new albums. While One Dollar Short has released their second full-length album, Thirsty Merc and punk rockers, The Spazzys deliver their first offerings in a competitive and constantly changing popular music scene. Barnaby Gold interviewed the drummers from all three bands, asking them about the role they play in their energetic music, the touring lifestyle, and their taste in drums.

Michael Smith is the drumming firestorm for One Dollar Short. The band has released two Eps, From the Start and Press and Hold and a highly successful full-length album, Eight Days Away, which was released in 2002. The band’s new CD, Receiving Transmission (which includes a bonus 11-track b-sides disc), is packed with energy-charged, melodic, punk-driven rock. Michael’s all-out drumming doesn’t let up. While playing with great power and speed, he also provides a supportive canvas for the songs of ODS.

Karl Robertson from Thirsty Merc has known three quarters of his band since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. Originally from Dubbo, NSW, Karl went to primary school with bass player, Phil Stack, and guitarist, Matt Baker, more recently meeting guitarist/singer, Rai Thistlethwayte. Though the band is only two years old, they have performed abundantly and eventually attracted the attention of Warner Music Australia. Their catchy, clever, and sometimes cheeky songs give them an original stamp and a very Australian attitude. With two identifiable chart singles, Wasting Time and Emancipate Myself, they now release their self-titled debut album. Through the different grooves and colours of the songs, Karl plays with authority and a strong commitment to the song.

A band conceived at a tram stop by three teenage girls in the rainy city of Melbourne, The Spazzys have attracted great attention for their punk attitude and energetic shows. They never do anything by halves. Their debut gig was supporting the veteran punk-rock girl band, Japan’s 5, 6, 7, 8s. More recently, appearing in the video of their latest single, Hey Hey Baby, is Marky Ramone of the famed Ramones. Whole-heartedly encouraging the band, Ramone has said to those who doubt their sound,

"I like it. I endorse it. F@#! you." The Spazzys have been likened to The Ramones’ little sisters with Attention Deficit Disorder. Ally chose the drums because her brother had shown her a few beats on his kit. An undeniable ‘drummer for the song’, Ally also penned several of the band’s first tracks, Paco Doesn’t Love Me and Marky Ramone. These and other punk rockin’ tracks are on their debut album, Aloha! Go Bananas, due for release in September.

So, what gear do they play on their records and for live shows?

Michael uses primarily DW drums, as he explained: "On the album I used my own kit, which is a DW: 22x18, 12x9, 16x14. We were having some troubles getting the tom sounds we were after so I also used some shallower DW toms that I borrowed from Damien at Billy Hydes. I had a lot of different snare drum options available for this recording. I had a Brady, some nice DW's and a Ludwig Black Beauty. I ended up using the Ludwig on all but three songs on the record.

"On tour I stick to exactly the same set up. In terms of cymbals and hardware I keep it to a minimum on the road. Two crashes and a ride. That's it. I use a DW 14x5 snare drum for live playing.

"All of my cymbals are Zildjian. I run 14" A Custom Projection Hi-Hats, a 19" Z Custom rock crash, a 20" Z Custom Medium Crash, and a 22" A Custom Medium Ride."

Karl’s weapon of choice is a Sonor kit.

"The gear I used for the album was basically the one kit: a Sonor Designer Series (standard sizes) with a steel Gretsch snare. I would vary the tom sizes depending on the track. On a couple of tracks we used a wooden Pearl snare that we borrowed from the engineer. This is basically the same kit I use on tour, unless we have to hire gear."

Ally spoke to me at great length about her prized 1970s Pearl Maxwindrum-set. While she had saved a pretty penny for her first pro kit, a close friend instead recommended reconditioning the shells of the kit her Dad paid $200 for at a garage sale. She uses a Pearl 14x6.5 steel snare drum that was given to her by Japanese punk drummer, Shoe San, from Teengenerate. Cymbal-wise Ally uses "wicked, awesome pycho trash UFIP cymbals!!!" Her set-up includes hi-hats, crash, and ride, with an extra crash in the studio.

In terms of musical study, each drummer has a different story to tell.

For Karl, it was playing in a range of musical contexts that helped him cut his drumming teeth.

"I grew up playing drums in the local brass band in Dubbo and also jamming with Phil [Stack, bassist] and Matt [Baker, guitarist] in various rock bands. In terms of study, I had lessons for a while at the start, but then I just taught myself by listening to albums. I think playing in lots of different bands growing up was probably the best learning curve for me."

Ally has always been involved with playing music. While she plays several instruments, including a couple of years learning the piano as a kid, the drums were the easiest for her to pick up. After her brother brought home a drumkit one day and taught Ally and her sister how to play some basic beats, Ally secretly practised on pillows before building the confidence to sit back on the kit to practise for real. From then, she learnt to play drums from listening and playing along to CDs. She credits Marky Ramone and Clem Burke (Blondie) as big influences. Ally calls herself a ‘grid drummer’, like Marky, a 4/4 solid time player. However, she gets out to see many live acts in Melbourne to get a visual on how other drummers shake it down. She cites Jaws from the Casanovas, Totty from the Powder Monkeys, and Toshi from Mach Pelican as some of her favourite local players. A big fan of melodies, Ally is currently inspired by country music, having seen a documentary featuring the music of Gram Parson.

Michael’s father is a jazz drummer.

"He studied at the conservatorium for 6 six years, so I guess that's what started me playing. When I was young I didn't capitalise on having a drum tutor 24/7, which is a shame. I never had any lessons, I am pretty much 100% self-taught. When I was growing up my dad would sit me down and teach me rudiments and stuff, but I wasn't really interested. All I wanted to do was save enough money to buy a double pedal and try to emulate Dave Lombardo from Slayer!

"My first band was a metal band. All I wanted to do was play the most technical and fast stuff I could. It’s funny, I listen back to our old demos now and laugh. The drummers who have influenced my playing are Dave Lombardo, Travis Barker, Stewart Copeland, and Dave Grohl. If I could play half as good as any one of those guys I would be stoked!"

On the song-writing front, the drummer in an original band can serve several purposes. As a timekeeper, they can provide a solid groove so the other members can thrash out and work shop riffs and melodies. As a co-writer, a drummer can have great ears for the song arrangement because they always listen to the melody and phrase their time around it. Then, of course, they may be composers in their own right.

Ally says that she writes most of The Spazzys' tunes. She writes on bass and also writes lyrics. She then gets together with guitarist, Kat, and bassist, Lucy, to jam out the songs, fleshing out the music with riffs, melodies, and chunky chords. Ally says that this band doesn’t go into the studio to write tunes. Instead, they rehearse and then polish the material by playing it at lots of gigs, laying it down in the studio after this process.

Michael plays a co-writing role.

"I can’t write my own songs. I have never really tried. I will work with whoever has an idea or riff. I really try to make the songs dynamic where they can be.

"It’s hard to be positive all the time, but that's something that I try to do. I don't always share a vision that someone else has for a song, which can be frustrating. If I can’t get into a song at first, I will just play a beat and hopefully let it work its way into something. I don't think we really have a set formula for writing songs in this band."

In Karl’s band, the singer writes with input from the other members:

"At this point in the band our singer [Rai Thistlethwayte] basically writes most of the songs, but we all have input and everyone is open to suggestions and ideas from each other. I keep a tape at home with ideas for songs or guitar riffs that I like to jot down, but generally, to be honest, they aren't that strong. It's something I would like to work on though..."

Touring is the roller coaster ride of fun and spills that accompanies the launch of an album. Every musician has a million stories to tell about their experiences playing heaps of gigs, partying, getting very little sleep, and meeting some amazing people along the way. I asked each drummer how they enjoyed the touring lifestyle and whether they could share a few stories.

Michael said, "Touring is great fun. It’s also a lot of work and involves very little sleep. I get all of my enjoyment from playing. If the show was crap or if we played crap, I will be bummed out. I hate walking off stage after a show and feeling like we played bad. I really hate it. Trent [Crawford, guitarist] and I put a lot of pressure on ourselves and the other guys to play well, so when it doesn't happen it’s shit. Haha. Preparation for the tour is usually minimal. I don't need to do a lot to prepare. I try and sleep as much as I can. That's about it."

Thirsty Merc is new to the Australian tour circuit. Karl said that, "The relatively small amount of touring we have done so far has been great. Of course, there’s times when we all need our own space, but we all get along pretty well. We've played with heaps of really cool Aussie bands too."

Ally lapsed into a fit of ecstasy as she talked about touring.

"It’s every Rock ‘n Roll kid’s dream come true… It’s the way we want to live our lives!" she said. But, with a cautionary tone, added, "Touring isn’t for everybody, though. Being on the road, constantly meeting people, drinking, and partying is heaps of fun. But, it’s definitely a challenge, and the bottom line is that the Spazzys are about making music and expressing ourselves creatively. The touring [lifestyle] is really a bonus. It’s the music that counts."

As for stories, it wasn’t such an easy task to draw them out of this crew. Perhaps, ‘what happens on tour stays on tour’. Well, with a little prodding, Ally had a Rock ‘n Roll tale to tell.

"We were at the Gaelic Club [in Sydney] and we were hanging out with Marky Ramone after doing the video that he was in with us [Hey Hey Baby]. He was telling us these awesome stories!… The [film] projector in the room broke down and while we were waiting for another one, Marky turned to me and said, ‘How about we throw this projector out the window?’ I just said, ‘YEEAAHH!!’ and he chucked it out the third floor window!"

Destruction seems to go hand in hand with some of the most infamous bands and touring stories. Michael had another classic.

"There are so many amusing stories to tell. The best one I have ever [experienced] would have to be when we were staying at the Medina in Melbourne. Trent and I were sharing a room. We came home kinda late, and we’d possibly had one or two beers after the show. Anyway, I’m sitting on the couch and Trent was taking a pee in the toilet with the door open. So I hear this really loud smashing sound, and Trent looks around the corner with a seriously guilty look on his face... He had slammed the lid of the toilet down so hard that it had completely shattered the entire dunny bowl! I was laughing so hard and when I asked him what he did, he said 'Nothing man, it was like that when I went in.' You had to be there or at least see the photos. Seriously funny stuff."

Karl, on the other hand was a much harder nut to crack. "There's a few funny stories... I'll just leave it at that…" he said.

What’s next for these guys?

The new One Dollar Short album, Receiving Transmission is out now on Festival-Mushroom records. Michael looks forward to more touring "then another album, for sure."

Thirsty Merc will have released their debut, self-titled album with Warner Music by the time of printing. Look out for their tour dates through September.

The Spazzys’ Aloha! Go Bananas is due for release on September 13th on Shock Records. Check it all out, especially the beats!