Perth’s local live music scene is about to explode back to life. With restrictions starting to ease and venues getting the chance to reopen, albeit with limited numbers & certain social distancing rules firmly in place, the race for bands to get back out and do what they do best is well and truly underway. One of the places that is leading this race is The Baltimore in Merriwa, a newly revamped music venue found nestled high in the Northern corridor of Australia’s most isolated city, Perth. Headlining this historic occasion is none other than four-piece rockers Electric State, who will be joined by Kobashi, Applebite & Command A Panda for a night of much needed live music & entertainment.
The Rockpit caught up with Electric State’s effervescent front man Rob Viney & drummer Bill Shaw shortly before the life we all knew as rock n’ roll suddenly came to an abrupt halt. The lighthearted discussion included the making of their latest music video for ‘we’re just blood’, what they band has planned for the rest of 2020 and the importance of supporting local venues… What we didn’t realize was that this was going to be our very last beer in a pub for quite some time.
Sean: Hey guys, great to hang with you. My first time seeing you live was at the single launch for ‘we’re just blood’ at Amplifier Bar earlier this year. What a great show that was!
Rob: Yeah, it was a crazy night. A huge thanks to everyone who came down to support us that night. We had some great bands on that line-up and a packed-out Amplifier Bar which made it even more special.
Sean: It was one of those “what have I just watched” moments because you were doing your best ‘Coyote Ugly’ impression singing while running up & down on the bar & doing shots mid-song. It was such an energetic set and to finish by dragging some unsuspecting fans up to join you for ‘we’re just blood’ was just the icing on the cake.
Rob: Yeah it was. And to get the megaphones out for each of them too was just an idea we had to get people involved… one things we always want to do during our show is to somehow get audience participation and get people chanting along. Sometimes I get out into the crowd with the megaphone but this time we thought we would get people up there with us.
Sean: We’re sat here in the Sixty30 pub in Merriwa right now and as this Corona virus takes hold and is looking to be a bit more serious than first thought, sadly your live video launch for the single has had to be postponed. I have had a sneak peak and have to say it is fantastic.
Rob: Thanks mate.
Sean: Tell me all about it – where did the idea come from?
Bill: Well, originally we were at our bass player’s (Paul Leahy) house for a Halloween Party last year and one of the people in the video came as a vampire so I suggested to Rob about the vampire theme, as it fitted with the title of the song and we carried on talking about throughout the night over a few beers and almost nutted it all out there and then….
Rob: …Then we did the single launch at Amps and there were a couple of filmy guys that I know and told them about the idea and that we wanted to do a clip. They had started up a new production company and were after material to film & produce so a big shout out to Kay Lux, Nathan Davey and also Matty Green – those three together have done a phenomenal job. They loved the idea and immediately wanted to do it, so we worked on a time to get it done and a date to launch but sadly due to this virus we had to can it.
Sean: Well, it is a good excuse to rearrange it once a bit of normality returns to the world.
Rob: That is definitely what we are going to try to do.
Sean: So where was it shot?
Rob: We shot it in a few different places; Fremantle Roundhouse in the tunnels, The Bassendean Hotel helped us out heaps so a big shout out to Emily down at The Basso…and a big shout out to the sound guys down at The Basso too. Michaela always does an amazing job there on a Friday night so a big thanks to her and that goes for all the venues that are finding it hard right now – Ian here at The Sixty30 and the guys at Amps too.
Sean: Sadly, tough times for all in this industry and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
Rob: It is a real worry. We certainly need to all get back out there as soon as this thing is done and with everyone itching to do it, we just need to go out there and crank it big time.
Sean: It does have a great look and feel to it, The Basso.
Rob: Yes, it sure does. They let us film upstairs and you will notice the stairway too – we were there about three days in all. We had to find a bathroom that was big enough for our guitarist Russ’s (Russell Christie) death scene and my weird scene with the bat [laughs]. So, to find a big enough bathroom is actually really hard to do because they all have so many friggin’ mirrors in these days so it’s really hard to hide the camera & the lights.
Sean: I missed you guys when you played The Sixty30’s Spring It On Festival but obviously saw you at the single launch and then again at Ashes of Autumn’s single launch at The Boston. It was also great to have you guys very kindly jump onto one of the shows for the Warbird’s Weekend of Chaos Tour, which we hope will still go ahead with what’s going on (These are currently being rescheduled for later this year – Editor). So how long have you guys been together?
Rob: We have only been around for about eighteen months in this incarnation. Bill & I are the newest members of the band and Russ & Paul were out there doing some shows early on.
Sean: What has the band got lined up to follow this single? Can we look forward to an EP?
Rob: Well, we’ve released four singles now as well as three video clips and there is another video clip in the works for one of our other tracks so if things pan out, we hope to be releasing another single sometime soon. We also hope to maybe drop another single around October time as well. Long term we are playing with the idea of doing a longer format but not too sure what we are going to do exactly just yet. We’ve got about five more songs we’ve been rehearsing but also while this pandemic crisis is happening, we are going to be doing an episodic type online show just to play our songs and keep in touch with everyone, put material out there so every few weeks there will be an episode of ‘Electric Noise’ going out with some chats & video clips.
Sean: I look forward to watching those. So, I like to ask some more general questions to find out a bit more about you & your influences so I’ll ask you both separately, if you could choose three musicians, dead or alive to join you for dinner, who would you invite?
Rob: God that is tough… Jeff Buckley first came to mind. I have got so many people that I aspire to be like… Chris Cornell is a real close second, but those two singers were just phenomenal. I’ve listened to so much of Soundgarden’s music that I think it comes out in our songs but I also think Buckley’s ability with what he could do with his voice and the differences in his songs, I mean ‘Grace’ was an incredible album when it first came out. So yeah those would be my choice.
Sean: You still have one more [laughs]
Rob: Oh yeah [laughs]… Eddie Vedder.
Sean: Nice – three new names to my restaurant guest list. Bill?
Bill: As a drummer myself, I would have to pick three of my favorite drummers. I would love to sit down with Ringo Starr purely because why wouldn’t you… he is just phenomenal. My favorite drummer, and I know a lot of people might ask why… I am a big Metallica fan and I know Lars is a bit old hat, but I would love to pick his brain and just sit down and have a chat with him. I think he would be a pretty interesting person. My third choice would be Thomas Lang, who is a session drummer and he is just amazing. I think I sent Rob a clip of him the other day… he just blows my mind as to how someone can be so good technically. He does drum clinics and is sponsored by Roland amongst others, but he is just absolutely amazing. He is one of those guys who plays a fifty-piece kit and has six pedals on the floor too. Phenomenal.
Sean: More new names – love it. So, Rob, what was the last album you listened to?
Rob: ‘Badmotorfinger’ by Soundgarden – It was the record I had on last night actually. I’m a big Soundgarden fan and there’s always an argument in my mind about which is the best Soundgarden album they released but I always tend to put that album on so I’m confused in my head which their best album is but that one was certainly the last one I listened to.
Bill: Probably the last full album I listened to was Killswitch Engage’s ‘Alive or Just Breathing’. That is probably the last one I listened to in its entirety.
Sean: We get so easily sucked into a world of playlists nowadays.
Bill: I am guilty of being stuck into playlists for quite a long time now.
Sean: Same here. I have been going through the Iron Maiden back catalogue recently – I am not sure why but started at the self-titled debut and now I am up to ‘Somewhere in Time’. So, I love to finish with this one – If you could be credited with writing any song, what song would you choose?
Rob: Far out. I have never thought of something like that before…
Sean: Bill’s got time to think of his [laughs]
Rob: He should go first this time [laughs]
Sean: Good point. Come on Bill [laughs]
Bill: Ah, Jesus… well, I will pick a Beatles song because everyone knows it and let us say one that we play in our set all the time anyway, so I’ll pick ‘Come Together’
Rob: I was going to say that one, man [laughs]. When you mentioned Ringo Starr before, and I have no actual proof of this as my folks always crap on about The Beatles but my Dad went to the same high school as John Lennon did in Liverpool because he is also a Scouser… I even have to watch my own wallet when I’m around my Dad [laughs]. But his claim to fame is that he went to high school with John Lennon and my mum was a VIP member of The Cavern. So, I was also going to say ‘Come Together’ because we play it in our set.
Sean: Don’t try getting out of it with your John Lennon story [laughs]
Rob: I have to give you another one?
Sean: Yes you do [laughs].
Rob: Ah, man… if we are going for money from royalties I will take ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ [laughs]
Sean: Safe choice. It has been so great to catch for a beer and a chat and hopefully things will get back to how they were sooner rather than later.
Rob: All I want to say is that when this all this stuff ends, and it will, think about all these people who are struggling in the industry. We just need to make sure that we smash out these gigs that we are going to have organized & planned. One big thing with Perth is that we have this amazing community of bands and we know so many and we all support each other by going to each other’s shows, so whenever this ends we need to get back out there and party on and that’s just any gig – get out there and fucking do it. I am already missing the live gigs now.
Sean: Wise words Rob. Lets just hope things will come back better than ever. Guys, I cannot thank you enough for your time and we really hope we get to see you back out there doing what you do best sooner rather than later.
Rob: Thanks mate.
Bill: Cheers Sean.
After hearing these words from Rob Viney, it’s almost fate that Electric State will be one of the first bands to start to lead to way for live music after the lockdowns & restrictions that have caused so much hardship & heartache to those in the hospitality, entertainment & arts industries. On Saturday June 6, the light at the end of the tunnel will hopefully start to look that little bit brighter – Editor
The Baltimore (The Sixtry30)
36 Baltimore Pde, Merriwa
Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 7:30 PM
Free Entry!
Event page
