The vest time of their lives
STRAP on your favourite hi-vis vest and boil the jug — it’s time for tea with Australia’s favourite degenerate punks, Frenzal Rhomb.
Frenzal — Jay Whalley (vocals), Lindsay “The Doctor” McDougall (guitar), Gordy Forman (drums) and Tom Crease (bass) — first emerged from Sydney as part of the early-1990s pop-punk explosion, courting controversy with their profane lyrics, questionable cover art and wild on-stage behaviour.
They soon found themselves touring with bands such as The Offspring, Bad Religion and Blink-182, and went on to release popular albums including Not So Tough Now (1996), A Man’s Not a Camel (1999), Forever Malcolm Young (2006) and Smoko at the Pet Food Factory (2011).
Despite being arguably the most hospitalised band in the world — like that time in 2013 when surgeons discovered a pig tapeworm egg in Whalley’s brain, or in 2015 when Forman shattered his arm stage-diving — in 2016 Frenzal somehow managed to chalk up 25 years together.
They celebrated by releasing the best-of album We Lived Like Kings (We Did Anything We Wanted), featuring 25 of their mostloved not-quite-hits including Never Had So Much Fun, Mum Changed The Locks, We’re Going Out Tonight, Punch In The Face, You Are Not My Friend and You Can’t Move Into My House.
In May last year Frenzal Rhomb released their ninth album, the top-20 hit Hi-Vis High Tea, claiming that “just like a ninth child to a religious family, they’re really getting good at it”.
Described as “a concept album about a whole bunch of different concepts”, Hi-Vis High Tea features 20 songs — despite clocking in at just more than 30 minutes — recorded by producer Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag) at The Blasting Room in Colorado.
Now Frenzal Rhomb have announced a new run of dates across the country to keep riding the Hi-Vis High Tea wave, including a show at Hobart’s Brisbane Hotel from 8.30pm next Friday (January 19). They’ll be supported by Launceston bands Bennylava and The Prickly Grapes. Tickets are $34.70, for bookings go to www.oztix.com.au