Front End Loader
Recorded & Mixed by Branko Cosic.
Recorded at The Prince Of Wales Hotel, Brisbane on the 17th of January, 2015.
Starting out in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst, Front End Loader’s music has been described as spiky and strange, the perfect thing to impale the lovely vocal harmonies they make and an even more appropriate complement to a dress-sense kindly described as ‘bizarre’. Over the years it’s carried them through six full-lengths, eight EPs and innumerable songs with titles such as “Weak As Piss” or “4 Star Heritage Arsehole”, which you’ll hear in this set. Unlike most Australian musicians of a similar vintage, Front End Loader never had the good grace to give-up. Their most recent album, “Ritardando” was released on their own Weeping Anus records and, in an embarrassing and somewhat confused gesture, took home the best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album ARIA award for 2011. None of the band could afford -or probably could’ve been arsed, even if they did have the cash- to turn up and instead sent their slightly more industry friendly mate Lindsay from Frenzal Rhomb with these words: “As you were … please carry on … we mean you no harm. We will continue to write Rock Music that we enjoy, play shows when and where we can, and record and release this music as our time, money, and circumstances permit. None of these activities concern you so please, move along, and let us never speak of this again”.
The Vasco Era
Recorded & Mixed by Matthew Dever.
Recorded at BIGSOUND Live, Brisbane on the 7th of September, 2011.
The Vasco Era emerged from Apollo Bay in 2004 and quickly staked their claim, doing the hard yards in the musically crowded city of Melbourne. Since the turn of the millenium Australia has seen more than its fair share of hard-rocking blues bands, but few have reached the heights or had the staying power of The Vasco Era, standing alongside Wolfmother and The Vines as blues-rocking heavyweights. Following the road to rock stardom, the band released two full-lengths with Universal Music, but in the end shrugged off the industry shackles to release their third album independently, in 2011. As an independent, self-titled release should, it ground down the gloss and chiseled back the glamour, leaving behind a raw and honest record that is the band’s truest document to date. They’ve taken some time off since then, but when they do play together, it’s with that same rawness and honesty in mind. The kind that is essential to making proper blues rock.
Airing details: Originally via Zed Digital, 8-9pm, Friday 17 April 2015. Show production and engineering: Branko Cosic.