Frenzal Rhomb have been playing 90s punk music since 1992 and show no signs of stopping. They’ve mastered the art of sarcasm and seemingly no topic is too touchy for them to have a good laugh at.
For many of us, our teenage years were defined by tunes like ‘Never Had So Much Fun’ and ‘Punch In The Face’. But let’s face it, Frenzal are getting old, getting brain parasites, getting jobs and wives. All of this doesn’t seem to affect the band’s status and their hell bent persistence on the Australian punk scene, though.
“We just got back from Perth, where we did four shows,” frontman Jason Whalley says. “It was really good actually! It was the first time that we played since the whole ordeal that I went through recently with having a disgusting parasite egg in my brain.”
For those of you who don’t know, Whalley was recently the victim of a parasitic egg that saw him knocked out of action for the better part of a year. Having full blown brain surgery might have put him and Frenzal on the back bench for a little while, but it hasn’t stopped them completely. Rumours have been flying around that they’ve been working on their next album.
“That is a pretty solid rumour. I mean working’s a stretch, but we’ve been…uh, well, you know…there’ve been songs.” Some of these tracks have already been recorded at the now infamous Pet Food Factory, but fans eager to get a sneak peak at what Frenzal have been up to will just have to wait. “Well, in my mind, when you see a band and you know the record, even if they’re fucked, you kind of fill in the blanks in your mind and make them a little bit better. If we start playing new songs then people will kind of snap out of it and realise we’re shit. And then they’ll just leave!
“But yeah, I was a little bit apprehensive about the shows at first. I was wondering whether my level of fitness – or my limited level of fitness – would be good enough. But I found out that even after brain surgery I’m still better than half of my colleagues, so that was encouraging! I think the other guys need it more than me.”
This is good news for everyone wanting to catch a show or two as they make their way around Australia, and Whalley’s typically tongue-in-cheek about what to expect.
“I think this show’s going to change the face of music. Music is literally going to change from here on after this show. Which will be pretty exciting because everyone will think they knew what music was, then they’ll see this show and just go ‘holy shit I knew nothing! This has completely changed my life and the whole world.’ But I don’t think that change is going to be a good thing.”
BY REUBEN DAVIS
Frenzal Rhomb play the Manning Bar on Friday July 12 with support Bloods and Batfoot! On Saturday August 10 the band play Mona Vale Hotel, support comes from Frank Rizzo and Coffin.
