There are plenty of things we already need to spend our precious little money on, so it’s nice when someone comes along and says, “Hey, you know what? Have a free gig on us!”
It’s even better when that gig features a one-two punch of the country’s must-see punk bands: Dumb Punts and Wash.
This month, the bands will join forces for a free double-header at beloved Newtown haunt Leadbelly, courtesy of gig series Brixton Broadcast, and the pairing couldn’t be better – especially when we’re getting it for the bargain price of nothing.
First up, we score Dumb Punts, who are quickly becoming one of the leading bands in a rejuvenated Aussie punk scene, warping ’80s Aussie influences into vital slices of backyard rock. 2016 brought with it a breakthrough seven-inch released on Drunk Mums’ label Pissfart Records, a support slot with US champs Guantanamo Baywatch, and sold-out shows with none other than Dune Rats and Skegss.
The Melburnians rounded out the year by scoring triple j feature artist honours and winning a slot at the Lorne leg of Falls Festival, with triple j honcho Richard Kingsmill proclaiming of their huge single ‘Space Waster’, “I’ve listened to this four times in a row now. It’s not often a song makes me do that.”
Joining them will be the emerging Byron trio Wash, who impressed on arrival last year with their debut effort Point Of View, a sharp menace of an EP that channels the buzzsaw swamp punk of The Horrors in their earlier years, with the production force of The Pinheads’ Jez Player and Straight Arrows’ Owen Penglis behind it.
Honing their craft with a year of touring, they’ve kept busy since, dropping their dark and dirty sophomore EP Don’t Touch Me last month and joining forces with Dumb Punts to release a new split cassette This Could Be Good, out now through Pissfart Records. With the two bands fresh out of the studio, we can’t wait to see what’ll happen when they share the stage.
All up, it’ll be a damn good night of some of the finest noise Australia has to offer, and the latest in a global run of free shows thrown by lifestyle brand Brixton. Having already brought Brixton Broadcast to Melbourne last year with a lineup packing bands like Beaches, The UV Race and Ausmuteants, they’ve clearly had their eyes and ears on our local punk scene for a while.
“I do think we are seeing a real resurgence of punk, and it’s showing its face in all sorts of places,” says Adam Warren, Brixton’s director of marketing. “But the scene in Australia has been strong for a long time – we seem to always find Aussie bands that we love and hope to get to work with down the road sometime.”
The series may be darting off to LA next, and then Berlin, but all signs point to ‘yes’ for more Aussie Broadcast gigs in the future – and they’ll be carrying on with the theme of hurting the eardrums rather than the hip pocket.
“We all remember the time we first had our face melted at a live show, and that stays with you forever,” says Warren.
“And if we can give that to people – great bands at great venues, for free, then we’re all better for it.”
Brixton Broadcast, featuringDumb Punts and Wash, happensFriday March 17 at Leadbelly in Newtown.
