Perth Rocks Festival is happening Sunday, 15 September 2024. Steph Jewell got to speak to some of the bands ahead of the festival to get to know them and what they are all about. For her next interview she spoke with Anth Nekich (vocals and guitar) of hard rock Melbourne based trio, WARBIRDS. Joining Anth on stage at Perth Rocks are band mates Luciano Alvaro (drums) and Danny Slaviero (bass and vocals).
Steph: Anth, thank you for your time today. It is looking like beautiful weather this weekend, have you been to Perth before?
Anth: I have been to Fremantle years ago, but this will be the first time for the band coming across. We did initially have a three-show tour lined up for The Rockpit 12th anniversary in early 2020 but unfortunately COVID lockdowns put an end to that.
Steph: Please tell me about the WARBIRDS origin story, from the early days to now?
Anth: WARBIRDS first started around 2010-2011 jamming with a few old band mates in a 3-piece format which I loved and stuck to ever since. In 2012 the first line up was locked in recording an ep etc. There were numerous lineup changes over the years to keep the band going and this one was locked in only a year ago when drummer Luciano jumped on board for the UK tour. Danny has always been a great mate and filled in for us over the years and still is lol! The 3 of us actually played in a band called Moments Apart together when we first met so the chemistry had always been there.
Steph: How long have you been playing music for yourself, and how has your music evolved over that time?
Anth: I started playing guitar many moons ago! I come from the Van Halen school of guitar and the usual great bands of that time. I ended up falling into the singers role searching for a singer which we never found. There’s no definitive genre of rock that I stick to…if an idea sounds good then we play it, so our songs are pretty diverse. Also, different members that I’ve had in the band also have an impact on the style it feel the songs have. It’s always evolving.
Steph: What are you working on, behind the scenes, and what does 2025 look like for WARBIRDS?
Anth: I have a bunch of ideas and songs I wrote during lockdown which are waiting to be looked at later this year. Definitely looking forward to getting back into the studio and getting the next album under way.
Steph: What are some of the career highlights of WARBIRDS so far?
Anth: WARBIRDS first international Tour of the UK for our album is definitely the highlight, especially after being locked down for so long.
Steph: How would you describe WARBIRDS sound, for anyone who hasn’t heard of you before?
Anth: Melodic hard Rock with a diverse sound and songs.
Steph: That sounds pretty great! How did you guys become involved with Perth Rocks?
Anth: Teaming up with dear friend and now new manager Sean Bennett of Raging Bear Artist Management. He’s a great man that has always been in my corner, both personally and professionally, he loves WARBIRDS!
Steph: What can fans expect to see at Perth Rocks?
Anth: Plenty of emotion and passion coming from three blokes from Melbourne…leaving it all on the stage!
Steph: Who are you most looking forward to checking out on the lineup?
Anth: Our great mates and also three piece legends Ragdoll, who are as funny as they are talented! Also stable mates The Silent Deeds and local rockers Amberdown.
You can catch WARBIRDS and all the other awesome bands playing at the Perth Rocks Festival on 15 September 2024 at Port Beach in Freo. Grab your tickets here. For more information, check out the Perth Rocks Festival on Facebook or Instagram @perthrocksfestival
You can follow WARBIRDS on Instagram: @WARBIRDSRock_ | YouTube | Facebook | Spotify | Bandcamp | Website
