The Red Paintings

Church Dundee, Ward Road, June 23

Australian/UK prog rock outfit The Red Paintings are in Dundee tonight on the latest stage of their Deleted Romantic world tour.

The orchestral art rockers were originally formed in Geelong, Victoria, by lead vocalist and songwriter Trash McSweeney on guitar, sequencing and samples.

With a revolving line-up across the globe it’s Trash who drives all the band’s musical and staging concepts.

They’re known for their confrontational and intensely themed performances, incorporating elements of theatre and art, often dubbed “orchestral sci-fi art rock”.

Band members dress in elaborate themed costumes, ranging from geisha outfits to aliens and more recently, sea creature/Neptune themes.

They employ elaborate and eccentric stage props to support their shows, varying from statues, giant robots, and children’s toys to literary and Tim Burton-themed props and self-made video projections.

The band are renowned for inviting members of the audience and local artists to paint on blank and human canvasses during their shows to reflect their own feelings in the live music set.

In other words, each live show is a truly unique experience.

Trash said: “I had a vision, an idea for a show that was a simulation of a forest with tree creatures. I’ve always been into the art performance side of music. This is how I tell the stories in my songs.

“People love Red Paintings and because of that they are helping to keep the band surviving.

“This band really explodes on stage,” Trash promises.

The loyalty of their followers means The Red Paintings’ debut studio album was produced almost entirely on fan donations.

“We did a pledge campaign for the album and it was one of the most successful ever,” Trash says.

“The fans kept giving more money to it, people really wanted it to happen.”

The Red Paintings often ask audience members to paint during their productions.