Skyscraper Stan And The Commission Flats
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Skyscraper Stan And The Commission Flats

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“You’re feeling a little wobbly but not too much and the barrier between you and the audience completely disintegrates at that point and you can usually kind of open up a dialogue and have a really good laugh.

“I used to overdo it all the time. I try to stick to about three pots before you get up. Once you get up you’re allowed to have a few drinks on stage. So you’re walking a fine line, particularly with solo shows because if you trip over a little too far you can find it quite hard to communicate.”

But Stan Woodhouse, frontman of Skyscraper Stan and the Commission Flats, hasn’t yet established the winning beer ratio formula for playing a major festival slot. Fortunately the band’s playing its first one at Queenscliff Music Festival, which’ll give him a chance to do some much-needed-laboratory-standard-beer-consumption analysis.

“It’s going to be a terrifying trial and error situation,” he explains. “It’s going to be tough because I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to take alcohol on stage at Queenscliff. It’s going to be good for reigning in the band. We’re all quite fond of a tipple.”

Anyone who follows the local pub music scene in Melbourne would be familiar with Skyscraper Stan and the Commission Flats, one of the hardest working bands on the scene, fronted by one of the most lovely and longest-legged blokes around (and we now know the ratio of beer filling those long pins – about 0.33 per cent at any given time).

But in the past year something a bit magic has happened to Woodhouse and co. They got good. Really good.

“We used to be an awful band,” he chuckles. “The band is sitting in a spot now where we’ve played enough gigs together between Victoria and New South Wales and bouncing around. We sit together a lot nicer than we ever have and we’ve reached a point where we can relax and enjoy it. We’re not worried about anything anymore. We can just play the songs, which is absolutely fantastic.”

Woodhouse finds it really difficult to classify his music, but gives it the slightly tongue-in-cheek label of ‘troubadour rock‘n’roll.’

“I landed on ‘troubadour rock’n’roll’ because I’m a huge fan of lyricism. I really like words. I grew up in a very wordy house, my mother is a novelist. I always liked reading and poetry. I was writing that kind of thing before I was writing music. A lot of the songs are very story-based or exploring a theme,” he explains.

“I don’t know if I have an individual musical influence. I’m not really sure. I listen to a lot of music.”

As a result of his wide-ranging tastes, his own music varies wildly, with rock, blues, psychedelia and country all making appearances. When he’s had a shit day you’ll find The Drones in his earphones, but on a good day it’ll be the New Orleans Jazz Vipers.

The band has an album due out sometime in the first half of next year (one who supported the Pledge campaign will get one in the next few weeks) but there are plans to drop a few singles before then.

“It’s so varied. I’ve given the full album to a few people like family and stuff and even my grandma likes it, which is interesting,” he laughs.

“I really want to release it but I know I have to do it properly. It’s so frustrating. I’ve never made an album so I’m not sure how you’re meant to feel but I’m incredibly proud of this one. I’m really excited about the next couple of singles.”

The first single, released on the band’s Facebook page, is called Chief.

“It’s a jaunty little one, I really didn’t like it so much when I wrote it, but after taking it to the band they really brought it to life, particularly Oskar, my cousin.  

“He plays lead guitar in the band and he’s just going from strength to strength. He’s still so young. We started learning guitar at the same time and he just outstripped me so quickly and he takes the enormous psychedelic solo in that song. It’s hugely dynamic and it brings the whole thing together.”

If their recent sets are anything to go by, the crowd in Queenscliff is in for a bloody good time. The band put on a blistering set at JamGrass festival in Melbourne, so much so that everyone completely forgave the fact they’re not even remotely a bluegrass band.

The small detail that the gig was on Halloween and Woodhouse was wearing a head-to-toe Lycra harlequin costume and full creepy clown face makeup may have helped, though it’s not something he plans to repeat any time soon.

“I discovered afterwards that so many people come up to you and say, ‘Wow you guys are just Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’ and it’s like, ‘You just put the image to the music you wanted, we’re nothing like that.’ It’s so funny. You don’t want your music to become about your costume, that’s what I discovered at Jamgrass.”

Costume or no costume, don’t think that means crowds at Queenscliff aren’t in for something super special.

“We’ll put on the full six-piece spectacular. There won’t be any harlequin suits or makeup, well, you never know, never say never, but we’ll put on a full show. We’ve never played a big festival before. We’re just all very excited.”

BY ISABELLE ODERBERG