Busking’s in the Genes
It’s back to basics for surf-loving trio
FOR a band with almost 30 years’ experience, the three members of the Genes aren’t afraid to try new things.
The trio of surfers — Nolan Angell, Morgan Angell and Dominic Cuttcliffe — are embarking on an 18date tour where they don’t plan to step on to a single stage
After launching their musical careers by busking in Brisbane’s Queen St mall, the trio will return to their roots, busking along the east coast from February 20 to March 9 — hitting our own Bells Beach on March 7.
“We initially were going to do the normal sort of venues and all that sort of stuff to promote this new album, and we thought we’d try doing it different, because we had a bit of a play down at the beach a couple of months ago and it sounded fantastic,” Nolan Angell said.
“And we just thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to just do this down the eastern coast, and film it and just busk wherever we wanted’. We have always loved busking so we thought, what better way to promote this album than loading up the van with guitars, drums and surfboards, hitting the road and playing our music along the way, in cities, country towns, beaches and anywhere that looks like a good spot to play.”
For a band that progressed from busking in Brisbane to playing in venues with the likes of Midnight Oil, Crowded House and Yothu Yindi — the appeal of returning to street corners is simple.
“When we started going to see bands, the only way you could really see a band was at a concert,” Nolan said.
“There was a lot of mystery when you’d go and see your favourite band play.
“Nowadays, if you like a band you’ve probably seen 100 different clips of them on YouTube and people filming at their concerts.
“There’s not as much mystery as there used to be, for me. It’s exciting to be walking along the street and finding a band playing on the side of the road.
“Busking’s hard, but we love it because you can do whatever you want really, you can say whatever you want, there are no obligations for people to stay and listen, and there’s no PA, no sound check.”
Nolan is also open about the band’s possible ulterior motive for the unique tour.
“It’s definitely an excuse to go surfing and play music and promote the album at the same time,” he laughed.
The band will document its tour, uploading videos to YouTube and Facebook each day.
For Nolan, the social media approach is likely to reach more people than playing at a few small venues up and down the coast. THE GENES’ 12TH ALBUM DEAD STREET LIGHT IS SET FOR RELEASE ON FRIDAY THROUGH RUBBER RECORDS