Velociraptor, Buddha Bar, Sunday
This Sunday sees boots-and-all presenter Josh Pollard bring his regular Sunday Safari to the Buddha Bar, a smorgasbord of DJs, live music, including Punks Jump Up, Yolanda Be Cool, Sampology DJ set, Oceanics and Pirates Alive.
Velociraptor are just one of the acts lined up for Sunday. Mandy Nolan grabbed a moment.
You guys started the band with three members and now there are 12 of you; could you explain how this happened? After scientists were no longer allowed to clone sheep for ethical reasons they went underground and started experiments with raptors. They made many copies of the three of us, much like in the classic film Multiplicity, and we are the fortunate 12 that escaped the lab.
Do you have many disagreements in the way of musical direction in a band of 12? It’s a pretty easy affair generally; although we all like a lot of different stuff we are united by a love of garage pop in its many different guises so it generally all works out.
How does it feel to be considered the most-hyped band at the Brisbane Big Sound Music Conference alongside artists such as Clare Bowditch and Mia Dyson? That’s quite an honour. I think it was mainly due to our show there last year, which was crazy. This year we returned to try to live up to the hype I think it all went pretty rad. Victory!
You have just released a new album; how are you feeling with the finished product? It all came together really nicely and it’s complete with some of the finest streetfighter-inspired artwork of all time!
People have applauded the band for being very entertaining to watch live because there are so many of you. Is the new record just as gratifying without having to listen to it performed live? I think they’re two separate things really and both are good, but the recordings allow the songs to be heard in a well-balanced pop way whereas live is all about taking those same songs and giving them a different life. Visual spectacle, surround sound, 4D-controlled chaos.
You have been described as sounding like The Hives, Herman’s Hermits and The Hollies. Are any of these bands big influences of yours? Who is your biggest musical influence? We’re all big fans of 60s pop and also modern artists who do their own variation on the genre so it’s a lot of artists like The Kinks, Black Lips, and Gerry and The Pacemakers that all make it onto that influence list. Classic good melodies are important when you’re making straight-up garage pop – there’s no production to hide behind really – so influence is often taken from a lot of bands across many genres outside of garage as well.
Sunday Safari at the Byron Brewery Buddha Bar on Sunday. Tix online at Moshtix for $25 plus booking fee.
