One electric guitar. One amplifier. Zero to five effects pedals (optimal is four). One kick drum, one snare, one hi-hat. Sometimes a crash cymbal. One tambourine. Two drum sticks (although a spare stick or two is always handy). If there's a PA available, that may be useful. Every so often a floor tom might be used, but only rarely.
These are all of the elements that Fickle Beasts require to bring their neck-snappingly energetic discordant noise-pop to your ears, creating a sound that lies somewhere between the sugar-fueled spazz-pop of Deerhoof and the dreamy noise-scapes of My Bloody Valentine. Less generously, they sound kind of like Sonic Youth but with only one guitar and without Kim Gordon (although some people might think that was a good thing... not us though, we love Kim). Someone even less generous again (ie: the band members) might describe them as two people who can't play their instruments as well as they think they can, making an ill advised attempt to mix Battles with Weezer.
Anyway, Fickle Beasts started out with sporadic shows in Brisbane's central suburbs at the end of 2006 / start of 2007 (in fact, they had a nine month break in 2007 with only one show - in Melbourne, no less - for no real reason). After this scattershot beginning the members realised that they actually really liked play Fickle Beasts songs, with the result of this being that the Beasts have stepped up the regularity of their performances in the ensuing time period. In the process have become a somewhat reliable source of strangely catchy noise, sharing the stage with acts ranging from Girl Talk (USA), Pikelet and Ned Collette through to local favourites Mary Trembles, Turnpike, Del Toro and No Anchor.
Right now the plan is to release some sort of EP / LP in early 2009 (although you know how these damn bands are with schedules). Originally it was supposed to be a small release with maybe 4 songs, but then it grew to six songs, now it's eight and there's talk of making it a 10 track album. This is what happens when you have a pretty decent little recording studio in your bedroom.
Oh yeah, we should probably mention the band members in here somewhere? As has been mentioned in this bio a few times already (but not expanded upon until just now), Fickle Beasts consists of two people: Pat Elliott on guitar and Cameron Smith on drums (and they both sing a little). These two kids met at some fancy school in Toowoomba in the dying years of the previous millenium, and moved to Brisbane at the start of 2001. After about being in maybe 4 or 5 bands together they settled down to just having Fickle Beasts. Strangely enough, they both play in other bands that bare very little in common with the Beasts: Pat plays in twee-poppers Little Scout, and Cam moonlights in epic indie-folk outfit Mt Augustus and pseudo post-rock band Buildings Melt (Cam also runs the DIY recording studio Incremental Records).
Fickle Beasts: Two people making lots of noise, sensibly.
These recordings were made at Incremental Records. 'A Battle Of Cool' is from the forthcoming 2009 debut release, while 'Apple Box' and 'Dennis, Are There Swords?' are from some demos made in 2007 (both will be released in new versions in 2009).
Online Now!
