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Frenzal play roaring fast-tempo punk rock. They're like Australia's answer to NOFX and their agressive style and awesome live shows have earned them a place on the world's punkest record label, Fat Wreck Chords! Having found notoriety in Australia after inciting a riot during their set at the Big Day Out festival, FR have gone from strength to strength ever since. They've now played shows with the likes of Blink 182, NOFX, Less than Jake, the Offspring and Propagandhi. Their latest album A Man's Not A Camel is available now on Fat Wreck...but it!
“How are you enjoying your time in Britain?”
FR: “Well, the country’s been wicked to us. The crowds have been great and people have really been getting into it. We’re really happy.”
“Do you have any plans to come back?”
“Yeah, we’re going to try and get back before the end of the year. There’s some talk of us doing a tour with the Mad Caddies so we might be back as soon as September or October.”
“Do you see punk becoming any more mainstream anytime soon?”
“How much more mainstream does it need to be? Tonight was amazing, there were almost 3000 people here...well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but don’t tell anyone! The scene doesn’t need to go any further than it has, but if it does, then that’s good.”
“What do you think about bands that have made it into the mainstream? Are they ‘selling-out’ the scene?”
“Well, my own personal experience of selling out in Frenzal Rhomb was when we played to more than one person and the anarchists called us sell-outs! It’s really hard to draw the line. For us, we’ve never changed our music and nor have Less than Jake, so it doesn’t matter how popular you are, it’s only when you change your music that you sell-out.”
“What are you listening to at the moment?”
“I’m a particular fan of the Bouncing Souls, they’re an awesome band. I’m also listening to Less than Jake.”
“What’s it like touring with Less than Jake?”
“They’re great guys. We’ve done about four tours with them and we know them really well. They’re some of the most honest and up-front musicians you’ll meet in your life. And they’re not rock stars either! They’re totally friendly and honest.”
“Personally I’m listening to a lot of emo at the moment. If there was one piece of advice you could give to a teenage guy about girls, what would it be?”
“Be honest and true to who you are, rather than trying to be someone else.”
“Who’s your favourite super hero?”
“Lex Luther…He’s not a super hero I guess, he’s an evil bastard but I have to pick him because of my name-sake.”
“If there was one super power you could have, what would it be?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I mean, what would you like??”
“Err, the ability to stop time I guess…people would call me “Time-Stopper Boy”, it’d be the best!”
“No! X-Ray vision man!”
“But you’d see through walls and bump into stuff all the time!”
“Noooo, surely you’d have a switch so you could turn it on and off!”
“I’m not sure…””
“Ok then, I’ll go with flying. Have you ever had a dream about flying?”
“No.”
“Wait for that, it’ll happen! Just think about it a lot and one day your sub-conscious will do it for you. It’s great. Flying in your dreams is great!”
“Ok, complete the following sentence; ‘Love is….”
“Love is simple!”
“What’s been the best show you’ve ever played?”
“Tonight. We’ve played big gigs and small gigs and everything but playing to a bunch of people, who as far as we knew had no idea who we were or where we were from, that reaction tonight, that’s what it’s about!”
“Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?”
“In the mirror! No, just doing the same thing. We’ll write new albums, move on, maybe change our style a little bit from the last album and tour a lot as well. Hopefully we’ll tour all over the world, rather than just in Britain and America.”
