Bass Players Need Not Apply

The Inspector Cluzo are the funkiest rock duo in the world. The French pair’s philosophy is summed up pretty neatly in their first single: ‘Fuck The Bass Player’.

“From the start, we said 'fuck the bass player',” laughs drummer Phil Jourdain. “We were playing in a band with seven members, and we went through several bass players. After that, we thought, 'ok, let's make it simple'. The main thing is always to make it simple. So we said, 'ok, we don't need bass'.

“There were a lot of people saying to us - really arguing the point - that you can't have a band without a bass player. And we said, 'that's stupid, we'll show you how you do it'. We decided it was really easy with two people.”

Of course, Jourdain and guitarist Malcolm Lacrouts aren't the first musicians to realise this - the colour coded White Stripes and Black Keys will come to mind for most readers. But while groups of their ilk tend to trade in bluesy rawk (the type of music that never really needed a bass player anyway), Cluzo flip the script with tunes drenched in funk and soul (the type of music that doesn't seem possible without Bootsy Collins on bass).

“The audience is really divided into two separate parts,” says Lacruouts of a typical Cluzo live show. “There are guys like you who are wondering, 'how are they doing this without a fucking bass player?' But there is another part of the audience who don't care at all. They just like the music, and they take it as it is.

“After the third song, we say, ok, we don't have a bass player; we make a big, long joke about it. The musicians in the audience laugh, and then it's finished. But the first and second song, people are really curious. We have a lot of guys coming up to the stage to see if I have a pedal to make the bass sounds. They're wondering how we do it. But that's only for the first three songs.”

“People laugh when we first come on-stage,” adds Jourdain, “because there are only two of us and we look like nothing. But then they hear the sound, and it's really full. It's full of all the frequencies. And then they really start getting into the groove. Then they sing with us, 'fuck the bass player'. We don't need any bass player.”

At this point, you might begin to wonder if a bass player stole one of the guys' girlfriends, or picked on them at school. But the Aquitaine duo has struck up friendships with some notable bass players, including Suicidal Tendencies' Steve Brunner, whom they toured with just weeks after forming in 2007.

“It was intimidating,” Jourdain explains, “because (Suicidal Tendencies frontman) Mike Muir is someone we have big admiration for. Big respect. This guy has been in the music business for years, doing his stuff. He's the kind of guy, like Jello Biafra, to hold up as an example. It's not exactly our kind of music, but he's an example.

“So we were intimidated, but he was a really nice person. Everyone in Suicidal Tendencies is, actually. The bass player, Steve Brunner, used to come on-stage every time we played 'Fuck The Bass Player'. He'd throw his hands up and say, 'yeah, I'm fucked'.”

From the beginning, Cluzo's live performances were something special. Even after the release of their self-titled debut LP, seeing these red wine connoisseurs in person is still the best way to experience their unique sound.

“For us, the CD is really different from the live experience,” Jourdain says. “We don't like bands who do exactly the same thing live that they do on the CD. We don't understand it. For us, a live performance is a secret moment - it's a confidential relationship you have to build with an audience. When we see bands who aren't trying to build that relationship, we say, 'well, why do they play live?'

“We belong to a group of bands like Fishbone who want to be entertainers. When audiences leave, we want them to say, 'wow, that was a good moment, I had a good time'. The CD gave us a chance to fix songs and melodies and smooth things over, but the live experience is rarer.”

The Inspector Cluzo play Amped NYE at Dreamworld on Thursday December 31. ‘The Inspector Cluzo’ is available now through MGM.

Blue On Blue

The past two years have been intense  for English synth-poppers Friendly Fires. It's no surprise then that drummer Jack Savidge gets his rest where he can.

“I'm actually in bed at the moment,” he informs us down the line, no doubt exhausted after 24 whirlwind months that’s seen the Hertfordshire band rack up a Mercury Music Prize nomination and considerable chart success with tracks like 'On Board', 'Paris', 'Jump In The Pool' and 'Skeleton Boy'. “I'm awake, but, just to warn you, I'm lying down.”

Warning noted, if not necessarily needed. Of course, Savidge is still adjusting to the attention afforded the band since the then-unknowns took home Single of the Week honours from The Guardian, NME and BBC for 'Paris' in 2007.

“There's been no one moment where it's hit home … I really try to avoid this term, but it's been an organic process. It's grown and grown, and everything that's happened to us since the release has felt right. There hasn't been a massive wake-up call. It's funny, it's hard to explain. It's so gradual that you don't really notice it happening.”

And then one day you find yourself lying in bed making calls to journalists on the other side of the world. It's just one of the lifestyle changes the band has been forced to make.

“A large chunk of all our lives is taken up by touring now,” he explains. “That's the major difference. You spend a large amount of your life on a bus with the same people for months on end. But nothing else has changed that much. None of us are terribly seduced by celebrity parties or anything like that. We're probably a bit too normal for that kind of thing. I mean, obviously some aspects of our lives have changed for the better - we're not living at our parents' houses and eating baked beans out of tins.”

That incessant touring took its toll on the recording of 'Kiss Of Life', a welcome addition to the recent re-release of their self-titled debut LP. Savidge's prominent drumming on the track has a primal, tribal quality; it seems like this can largely be put down to frustration.

“It took us so long … if something's taking ages, we tend to think, 'ok, that's not working, let's move on'. But this took so long because we were doing it on our days off from touring. It was just the odd day here and there, and sometimes it just felt like banging your head against the wall. There just wasn't enough time. We finally managed to get it done in June or something, and it turned out great, but there was a time when I thought it wasn't going to work.”

It's only a matter of time until 'Kiss Of Life' gets the high-profile remix treatment. In this, as in all things, the self-produced band retains complete control.

“We just choose people we like, really. We've had remixes done by a few fairly high profile people that we've rejected, because they turned our songs into loads of shit. We don't want that, so we don't release anything we don't like. You see some major label remix packages and they're awful. They're all the same people doing pretty grim electro house remixes. We want more control than that.”

'Kiss Of Life' is an obvious example of the band's ability to pen that perfect pop tune; the type you can't get out of your head and don't really want to. It's a far cry from the gang of 14-year-olds who formed all those years ago in the sleepy town of St. Albans to indulge their love of Mogwai - how did these self-confessed, former math rockers learn to stop worrying and love pop?

“I don't know! I guess it's just the biggest cultural thing … that sounds like bullshit, sorry. But I suppose listening to pop is the most satisfaction you're going to get in three minutes. If you listen to a really good pop song - like, I don't know, 'She-Wolf' by Shakira - all the strands are tied up in about three and a half minutes and it all works as a perfect little pop mechanism. I think that's what I find really, amazingly, attractive about it.”

Friendly Fires play Good Vibrations at Gold Coast Parklands on Saturday February 20. For the full lineup, visit gvf.com.au The deluxe edition of Friendly Fires' self-titled debut EP is available now through XL/ Remote Control.

Shake It Like A

Think Byron Bay and you no doubt think of sun, sand, surf, hippies, acoustic guitars and… '80s synths?

“No,” laughs Polaroid Fame's Zoe, who admirably fills the band's 'cute keyboardist' quota. “Most people, when they think of Byron, don't think of (synths) at all. I guess most people think of hippies and reggae and all that stuff. But there are a lot of bands coming out of Byron that are completely different. You know, look at Parkway Drive - they're a heavy metal band!”

Polaroid Fame are not a heavy metal band, but they depart just as radically from the Byron Bay norm. Led by frontman Frankie Kimpton (and originally known as The Frankie Band), it's unlikely any member of this quartet has ever even listened to a Jack Johnson CD. Rather, their sound gives away influences like The Cure, The Police and David Bowie; and hints at seminal Aussie post-punk acts like The Sunnyboys.

“I guess growing up in the '80s is one of our major influences,” Zoe volunteers. “We all love the '80s. I know when Frankie listens to music from that era, it feels like home to him. It reminds him of great memories and fun times growing up.”

The group has made their own 'great memories and fun times' since forming in 2005. Highlights include an early slot at this year's Splendour In The Grass, and support slots for The Galvatrons, Dukes Of Windsor and Bluejuice.

“(Splendour) felt really fantastic, actually,” Zoe remembers. “It was an amazing experience. At the time, it was one of our biggest gigs, and we feel really proud to have been on that bill. We told everyone that we headlined in reverse!

“More recently, we played on home turf at The Great Northern. We supported Bluejuice, and the crowd was just fantastic. They were all totally into it, so it was just one of our best shows. We were feeding off them and they were feeding off us.”

Having cut their teeth on these support slots - “to be honest, sometimes it is a struggle,” Zoe admits - the group is set to graduate to headlining status with their first album, 'We Live Your Life'. The eponymous lead single has already become a triple j favourite, and second single 'Face Off' is sure to follow suit.

The album sees the group reunite with ARIA-nominated producer Anthony Lycenko (of David Bowie, Elvis Costello and Pete Murray fame), with whom they worked on debut EP 'Another Place To Live'.

“He was fantastic,” Zoe exclaims. “He helped us out a lot! He's the most underrated producer, and he's a really fantastic guy. We called him 'The Chief' when we were recording, and when we were mixing down at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne we called him 'The Oracle'. We're totally up for constructive criticism and trying different things, so we worked well with him. We did try a few different things that didn't work, but we had fun trying!”

Taking a page out of Radiohead's playbook, Polaroid Fame has chosen to offer the entire album for just one dollar through their website (www.polaroidfame.com) until November 8. Yes, it's literally cheaper than chips. The decision sees the young band wander naively into a battle that has raged internationally about the 'value' of music in the era of file-sharing.

“Obviously, we feel it's worth more than that,” Zoe insists, “but we just want to get the music out there. We just want to get it into people's heads, really; we just want it heard. Everyone's into digital downloading these days, so it's nice and easy for them, as well.”

While the band may not make their first million from online sales of 'We Live Your Life', their commitment to touring (which, let's face it, is where the real money is) should enable them to leave their day jobs behind soon enough.

“We're juggling everyday work with our music at the moment,” Zoe explains, “but the boys like to surf, so that's a big interest outside of music for them too. I, personally, am the hugest dog lover in the world. That's my interest outside of music. The dogs go on holiday when I go on the road. They're very spoiled!”

Polaroid Fame play the Brisbane Powerhouse October 18; Miami Tavern's Shark Bar October 23; Great Northern October 30; and Bon Amici Café November 7. 'We Live Your Life' is available now on Chord Accord Records.

Posing A Fret

The Frets are one of Brisbane's hottest young bands, with no shortage of international admirers and plans to record an album in LA and Sweden.

ANDY WEATHERS ALL

You should never judge a book by its cover, especially when that cover is a pastiche of old pulp and sci-fi paperbacks that always promised more than they delivered. In the case of Andy Weatherall's 'Sci.Fi.Lo.Fi', though, it's safe to raise your expectations.

“I gave a graphic artist the compilation and said 'think naked women and Martians', and that's exactly what he did,” says Weatherall of the distinctive cover for his spin-off from Soma's Sci.Fi.Hi.Fi series. “The compilation is rockabilly, rhythm and blues, punk and post-punk mixed into modern electronic stuff. But it's not eclecticism for eclecticism's sake, you know? A lot of the tracks on there are quite sleazy, and that's what links it together. I just like sleazy, sexy music. I like dark music, but not horror movie dark - not blood splatter darkness, but shadows down an alleyway darkness.”

Like it or not, 'eclectic' is probably the best adjective one can use to describe Weatherall's career trajectory so far. From his DJ sets at Fabric to his remix work for New Order and Happy Mondays - via his recorded work as Sabres of Paradise and the rocking Two Lone Swordsmen - all the way through to his legendary status as the producer of Primal Scream's 'Screamadelica', Weatherall has been many things to many people … not that some record execs wouldn't prefer him to pick one and stick with it.

“There's loads of pressure to replicate 'Screamadelica', but you can't. That was like a big gang that were given a big laboratory to experiment with, and we were all sitting around pouring chemicals from one bottle into another. We were all there, and we all know what the chemicals were, but I'll be fucked if any of us can remember how to put them together again! And that's the beauty of it!

“Many people have tried to work out the formula for it, but they can't, because the people who wrote the formula have long forgotten it. It's weird, because that music really captures the era beautifully well, but it's also timeless. That's what makes it a great record. It captures a time and a place, but it transcends it as well, and still resonates today.”

Through a varied career filled with pop triumphs and indie acclaim, Weatherall has always had a wary relationship with popular culture.

“Sometimes the music of pop culture annoys me, but I love the throwaway nature of it. People go on about manufactured bands, but it's not a new thing. That's how it was done in the fifties! Pop music has always been manufactured and throwaway, and that's what I like about it. I like high art and low art, in every aspect of my life. I just don't like the horrible mid-range.”
Rohan Williams

Andy Weatherall plays Barsoma on January 13. 'Sci.Fi.Lo.Fi.' is available now through Soma.

The Scent Of

Local punks The Flangipanis formed one drunken night at The Jubilee; so it makes sense they'd find their way back to the venue (alongside Sydney City Trash, Casino Rumblers, Checkered Fist and more) for the Sideshow Valley. Besides, who doesn't love the Ekka?

“We do like the Dodgem cars,” drummer (and self-appointed 'lead songwriter') Hayden admits. “And we're officially challenging the Casino Rumblers to a fairy floss eating contest. It'll be tough, but I think we can take them. We can definitely beat Checkered Fist, because they're smaller than us. But hey, it's not about fairness, it's about winning.”

Hayden scoffs at media speculation that the threat of swine flu may keep people away from this year's Ekka. He'll be urging his band mates to take part in the festivities, and can't see what the fuss is about.

“I think I've got it anyway, so I'm safe,” he laughs. “I reckon I can go. I think one of the guys I work with has taken this week off because he's apparently got it, and I've been feeling like shit the last few days. I'm not keen to go to the doctors and find out. But my mum's a nurse, and she told me it starts off with a scratchy throat and a bit of a fever, and it can just be that, that can be all you've got, but then it can just take over all of a sudden. My mum actually said to go to the doctor.”

Ignoring his mum's request to see a doctor is just the latest act of rebellion for the drummer, who played a pivotal role in the genesis of risqué tracks like 'My Period Is Late' and 'Get Your Boobies Out'.

“For 'Get Your Boobies Out',” he remembers, “I hit (front woman and actual lead songwriter) Jodie up and said, 'we have to have a really good song about boobs'. This was about a year and a half ago. Just a fun song about boobs, y’know, just to see how many boobs we could actually see. Jodie rocked up to my house one day with her acoustic guitar and said, 'listen to this song!'

“We still have it on video camera, it was hilarious. Ever since, at every show bar one, we've seen no less than three pairs of boobs. Guaranteed. So it worked quite well. It took us by surprise, even. We got to see Christian girls' boobs, too, which was even more impressive.”

The Flangipanis play Sideshow Valley with Sydney City Trash, Casino Rumblers, Checkered Fist, Jack Flash, Thirdgear Burnouts, Wheat Paste, The Wayne Keys Show and more at Jubilee Hotel on Saturday August 15.

Si'l Vous Plait, Ma Cherie

The overnight success of Sydney electro-rock trio Art vs Science has come as a surprise to just about everybody. Everybody, that is, except the band themselves.

Rogue Squadron
Brisbane's rawest, sleaziest young rockers are about to go on hiatus. But fans of The Rogues don't need to worry, because their favourite band hasn't fallen prey to drugs, booze or loose women - guitarist Steve Moloney is just going to South America for six months.

“I've always wanted to go,” Steve offers by way of explanation, “so I just figured this was the time … at this stage I'm not going to be doing any work over there but if I run out of money, it may come down to selling myself on the street.”

Of course, six months is a long time for any group to be without their guitarist. Surely the rest of the band - who made their mark last year with debut EP 'Knuckles', a blast of rock imported directly from 1976 - is sad to see him go? “Nah, they're glad to get rid of me,” Steve laughs. “I said they could get another guitarist but they were keen to take six months off … I don't think they'd do too well without me, anyway. I'm the glue that holds the band together.”

Whether or not Steve's glue is responsible, the group's lineup has remained unchanged since a bunch of Brisbane State High students got together to kick out the jams and piss off the neighbours four years ago. “We get compared to AC/DC a lot, but I don't think we actually sound like them,” he says, apparently oblivious to the fact that they do sound a lot like AC/DC. “We're kind of eclectic in our tastes now. (Bass player) Reuben is the main AC/DC rocker; (vocalist) Jack likes his country crooners; (drummer) Tom's into his math metal; I take the more poppy, melodic side, but I don't think they appreciate it.”

Naturally, Steve would be remiss to leave town without a farewell party. And The Rogues … well, they know how to throw a farewell party. Steve's appropriately Mexican-themed Farewell Fiesta is set to feature appearances from burlesque performers The Rock & Roll Revue, a giant sombrero piñata and more tequila than you can handle. “I was sitting at work one day and I thought, hey, it'd be good to have half-naked women on stage. I got in touch with The Rock & Roll Revue and they were really keen, so they'll be doing 20 minute slots inbetween each of the bands to keep the sex appeal going.”

The Rogues' Farewell Fiesta hits The Zoo Thursday April 2.

The Pleasure Principle

The Veuve Clicquot Pleasure Ball is set to thrill Gold Coast party-goers with its wickedly weird atmosphere, decadent setting and generous helpings of flesh.

It's a step in the right direction, according to burlesque bombshell Mercy St Just. “We're becoming a little more accepting of these kinds of performances,” says the stunning Brisbane-based performer.

Well established as a professional Latin dancer and teacher, Mercy is no stranger to the art of seducing an audience, despite only recently emerging onto the burlesque scene.

“It's becoming more of a mainstream thing. I've seen a lot of burlesque in Europe, and I tend to see Australia as really quite young in a lot of ways, particularly in terms of how we look at our bodies and how we accept that. It's funny, the reactions you get sometimes. There are things I come across in Australia that I wouldn't come across in Europe, in terms of people being a little bit confronted by the human body on display.

“I think maybe Australia just needs to grow up a little bit. I mean that in a nice way … but you go to Europe and you see naked bodies advertising shampoo; there's full frontal nudity on the streets and nobody cares! It's just a little bit different here. It's a fantastic country, I love it, but it's just very different compared to other cultures.

“Burlesque, in particular, was born in America, so maybe they have a little bit of a heads-up in that regard. They have more of a history of theatre and vaudeville and, you know, the Ziegfeld Follies. Maybe they've just got a more developed culture in that sense, and maybe that's why Australia is a little bit behind.”

If Australian audiences are behind the times, then the stars of the Pleasure Ball - including a slew of body painted beauties; the 'boylesque' stars of Fez Faanana's 'Briefs'; Mercy St James and her partner, Sunday Lucia - will drag them kicking and screaming into the 21st century at the Pleasure Ball.

“As the French maids, Sunday and I will be there to keep people under control and generally keep the house in order,” Mercy reveals. “We have lots of little implements we use - feather dusters, riding crops, whips, that kind of thing - and we just go around and make sure everyone's having a good time and behaving themselves … whether that's badly or otherwise.”

Mercy St Just appears at the Veuve Clicquot Pleasure Ball at East on Friday May 21.

Infinity Inc.

Alexis Krauss was a Brooklyn school teacher and she would have been happy to stay that way. Or she would have been, if she hadn’t met Sleigh Bells mastermind Derek Miller.

You guys are a two-piece group with one live instrument on stage, but you generate so much energy. How does that work?
I'm actually a very calm, reserved person in my day-to-day life. I think it has everything to do with the music. It's very visceral. It's the kind of music you hear and you want to react to; you don't just want to stand and observe casually. Derek and I both love dancing. We love going to shows that are hot and sweaty and chaotic, so that's just the mood we try to create.

Performing live is nothing new for you, is it?
My father's a musician. It's all he's ever done his whole life. I started performing with him when I was five. I was singing at a really young age, so I've always been pretty comfortable onstage.

Did you have stage parents? Did they push you towards that?
No, I completely initiated it. I mean, certainly, growing up in a musical family, it wasn't foreign, but nothing was ever pushed on me. My parents were incredibly supportive, but they never forced me to do anything I didn't want to do.

Can you remember the first time you performed without your parents?
Yeah! I was Annie! I was in 'Annie' when I was ten. That was actually a big turning point for me, because after that I started auditioning in New York … From there I joined Ruby Blue, which was like a teen all-girl pop band. I worked at that 'til I was about 16, and by then I was sort of embarrassed and discouraged by the music business. I was writing music I was not passionate about, so I stepped away from the music business entirely.

Was there ever a point, when you were teaching, where you completely gave up on a career in music?
I wouldn't say I gave up on a career in music, but I would say I had no real interest in pursuing a career in music unless everything was right … I had no interest in fame or anything like that. I was really content doing what I was doing. If I hadn't met Derek, I would probably still be very content teaching fourth grade in the Bronx.

Sleigh Bells play Sunset Sounds at Brisbane Botanic Gardens and Riverstage, January 5-6.