WHY I LIKE BRIDGEMARY KISS…
by Jake Stone (Rolling Stone, The Brag, SMH Metro)
“I don’t care what people call us; I just want to be good” says impish UK ex-pat singer/guitarist Brett Ramson. “I want people to sing along to it, and relate.”
Bridgemary Kiss from Sydney’s Northern Beaches teams propulsive punk energy with classic Britpop, and an infectious sense of swagger and fun. Despite being barely out of school, they’re still the most promising rock band I’ve seen in a long while.
Ramson, guitarist Andy Cleland, bassist Lachlan McAllister and drummer Harry Mills formed the band at high school, and in 2007 they caught the attention of Hombake Festival creator Joe Segreto’s. He suggested they enter the Hopetoun Road to Homebake competition, and that’s where I first saw them live.
They weren’t your average Monday night band - their parents had made T-shirts, and they had songs. Sloppy, gritty, noisy punk-pop songs about girls, with an irrepressibly charismatic singer in Ramson - though still in high school, BMK easily won, playing Homebake alongside Operator Please, and established acts Josh Pyke and Cut Copy. Their idiosyncratic sense of anarchic fun and chutzpah saw them touted by Sydney Morning Herald as a band to watch in 2008.
In 2008 Bridgemary Kiss supported Red Riders, The Mess Hall, End of Fashion, Bluejuice, Dash and Will and UK band The Futureheads nationally. It proved to be a turning point for the group. “Mcay and I have been friends since year five” explains drummer Harry Mills. “...Brett since year seven, Andy was in the year above us. We’re brothers.” After their experiences in ’07 – ’08, the four friends feel like a band; a gang of lads. “I don’t feel like a kid anymore”, says guitarist Andy Cleland.
I programmed their song ‘Riot At Brighton’ as a guest on Triple J, and Sydney’s FBi radio had put their demos on rotation. Things got serious, and the band decided to record their debut EP with producer Jonny Wilson of Faker, Starky and Speak & Spell records. The resulting set of taut, biting pop rock blows the doors right off their previous work. EP release date TBA.
Over four new songs McAllister and Mills’ set an explosive charge under Cleland’s slurry post-Nirvana melodies, while Ramson dissects relationship politics with the brash wit of his forefathers in The Jam, Pulp and Blur. “Funny that every one is different, but essentially the same…” Ramson jokes, “…even if it’s a different girl.”
On Mary Hinge Ramson cleverly mixes throwaway smut with lines like “Too cool to notice, too high to care; she looks high maintenance playing with her hair”, while the band power through the soundtrack to a classic teenage house party.
“Its catchy music, but everyone agrees that it has to have some ball-sack” says McAllister. “Bands these days are all doing the indie thing” Mills interjects, before Cleland finishes his thought “…but we like to play loud, have fun and be funny! We like to get our groove on.”
“…And we like to drink in Manly!” laughs Ramson. They fall about laughing.
I’m glad to introduce Bridgemary Kiss from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, a group of friends who embody the delinquent spark that great rock and roll bands are made of.
THE RUBYS FIRST BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA - 4 MORE SLEEPS
One year ago, on a lonely Wednesday evening at a forgettable Collingwood pub, The Rubys played their first gig. Twelve months on, the three scrappy-looking lads have under their belts better songs, more gigs and are infecting Melbourne audiences with catchy, raw, stomp rock n roll pretty much weekly. So to mark the milestone of reaching the ripe old age of one, The Rubys are celebrating with a birthday party! With around 40 gigs down over the previous year and a wildly raucous live set, there has been a lot of jumping around and beer consumed so this Friday at the Old Bar will be no exception. Expect some wild blues-driven sets by The Volatiles and The Bellows to warm things up, and the boy’s favourite two-piece The Cheats bringing it all home. 8:30 start, $8, Party hats provided.
Hope to see you down there and we can all rock out!!
Just letting you know, my EP "Imaginary Mind" has finally arrived! It can be bought from my website for $10, which is found on my page, and along with that i have also uploaded two songs from it! So please have a listen if you have time, would be great to hear what you think!
Sorry for another comment, I just wanted to let you know that PART 3 of my New Track Previews has been released, titled: 'Some Days'. If you have a free moment, you can listen to it at the MySpace Page!
The Full Version will be available on my next Mixtape, 'The Intern'.
Also, I have started a FACEBOOK Fan Page, so if Facebook is now more of you're thing, feel free to join up!
Hi guys, thanks for the add. Check out the HOT photos of Bridgemary Kiss at the Grinspoon concert at the Factory Enmore, we also have Wolfmother at the enmore
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