When bands begin, whoever the members may be, there is one thing that ensures greatness. Chemistry. It is very rare for four musicians to come together with the same vision, the same will to be original, without compromise. With talent, and the right chemistry to express that talent, the results can only be positive. Cockfight Shootout is one of those bands. To see them perform is to see four guys with passion for their music, who know each other’s styles and strengths, and truly love what they are doing.
Cockfight formed in June 2001, as an outlet for guitarist/vocalist Keelan, guitarist Mick and Bassist Slatts, who all wanted to play heavy, Black Sabbath drenched rock and roll. The philosophy of the group was (and still is) not to limit themselves in terms of genres, but to write and play the kind of music they loved. The three began the search for a drummer to complete the puzzle. After playing with two different drummers they finally found the perfect fourth member in 2003. Alan Barber. Al suited the cockfight sound immediately, and brought the band to a completely new level. With their line-up cemented, the performances have never been more energetic or more jaw-dropping.
To go back to the beginning, shortly after forming cockfight recorded a four song demo, of which they pressed 100 copies, handing them out to band bookers and venues. On the strength of the demo, many gigs followed, with the debut at the infamous Tote Hotel on the 26th of August 2001. The demo also won them a competition run by local radio station PBS FM.
Encouraged by the glowing reception to their first recording, Cockfight entered the studio again, this time to record a five song EP. Entitled 'something you don’t need', the EP was launched to a packed house at the Empress Hotel on the 6th of September 2002. The EP demonstrated their songwriting talents, and showed that their style is constantly evolving.
'They clearly have the songwriting smarts to take the next step' Inpress Magazine.
With the EP helping to spread the word, Cockfight have been racking support slots with bands such as MC5, Young Heart Attack, The Icarus Line, The Hellacopters, Blood Duster, Super Jesus, Killing Heidi, Giants of Science, Forte, and the list goes on. At the 2003 Livid festival in Melbourne, Cockfight Shootout were voted by Melbourne music lovers to perform on the PBS local and live stage, which they did, to one of the biggest crowds the PBS stage had all day.
The band release their last ep “Breed Until Broken” in September last year which received glowing reviews and received healthy national air play on youth radio network Triple J
Other releases include appearances on Ritchie Ramones 'Army of Rockers' compilation, and High beam musics 'Volume 3' compilation.
'They had us in a frenzy' The Age.
'Full of fat rock ‘n’ roll riffs and blistering guitars' Beat Magazine. 'The riffs are spiralling monoliths of volume and muscle' Sleazegrinder American online magazine.
Cockfight Shootout’s sound is unique. The combination of great songwriting, a will to be original, and the chemistry of four friends set this band apart. Due to constant playing and consistently great live shows, people are talking about cockfight shootout. The word is out, and the band are ready to give everyone a taste.
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