On the eve of their first EU/ UK tour, the Melburnian band talk touring, their new album, Out of Character and their upcoming show at the Brunswick Ballroom.
“I am up to everything right now” Bad Bang’s lead vocalist and guitarist, Shelby De Fazio proudly admits. She’s not even remotely wrong. Some of the bands are currently travelling interstate, others are moving house, she just turned 30 and all the while they are trying to prepare for their first overseas tour.
The mere thought of it all makes my body ache, but for De Fazio, she is taking it all in her stride.
Bad Bangs – European Send-Off Party
- 6 September 2024 (Friday)
- Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne, VIC
- Grab tickets here
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Bad Bangs, one of Melbourne’s finest live performing acts, have been playing the city’s many traps for the better part of a decade now. Given this, the band which consists of De Fazio, Sophia Lubczenko on guitars and vocals, Tim Ryles on drums and percussion, Gab Portocarrero on bass and Jackson Dahlenburg on keys and synth are more than qualified to tackle live performing overseas.
Going on tour in support of their “grittier” second album, Out of Character, the band always intended to make a statement with this record.
“I think genre wise we’ve still managed to expand ourselves into anything although the spirit of the album harnesses our live energy. We were lucky enough to work with an amazing engineer, Paul Maybury. He [Paul] knew what we were going for right away so there wasn’t too much back and forth in nailing the tones and sounds.”
Recorded over the course of four days, De Fazio describes the whole process as being “organic” and “laid back.”
“It was recorded in a big, beautiful studio with plenty of interesting vintage gear to tinker with. The construction and writing of the album were very collaborative and evolved over some time. Consecutive days in the studio also made for its own ecosystem to really get in the zone which is always a super magic space to melt into.”
Additionally, as the first album was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, this time round the band could have more fun with it. “I guess the experience on the first album kind of drummed in a weird sense of anxiety around recording. So this time, we made sure in the lead up we all had early nights and a balanced diet to ensure good health coming into the studio… so very rock and roll!”
The album’s title was created by Lubczenko while they were throwing ideas around. “In some ways it mirrored our first album Character Building, but it was also a bit of a departure from that period. Thematically there’s a bit of that going on – I guess covering more ground than your classic angsty heart-string songs. Thematically it feels more out of character than the typical predecessor Bangs songs.”
As for their EU/ UK upcoming tour in support of the album, De Fazio says this has been “a long time in the making.”
In speaking on their years of grafting through Melbourne streets, De Fazio added “It feels like we’ve been bubbling away for a long time, building something of our own unique following in between different scenes so it feels rewarding to have the support to get overseas at last! The internet is a funny thing – it’s always so flattering when people comment nice things on YouTube or order stuff off Bandcamp to be shipped overseas – we’re so chuffed to be connecting with those people in real life after such a long time!”
The band also have big plans for this tour, crafting a diverse setlist which they hope will give the fans everything they want. “It’s a real mix of do-wop, country, psych and punk – all of which garner different kinds of engagement. The heavier pockets of our gigs are so fun at the moment! Songs are really starting to evolve and it’s always such a buzz to feel the crowd getting around that too. Wild Mess is turning into quite a psych/kraut jam song, it takes a different turn with every gig, while Hips and Contest seem to be constantly increasing in BPM.”
As for the gigs they are the most excited about, the band are particularly excited about Spain and Portugal. “Our booker is from Portugal and proves there’s such an appetite for garage/psych/punk there!”
As for their plans for the road, given the band are travelling to Europe at the tail end of summer, they hope they can find some sweet swimming spots along the way. There are also plans in the works for a Nintendo Switch tournament in the van, so De Fazio is just waiting to see how much tension that creates in the band.
But as a last hoorah before they take to the skies, the band are throwing a gig at the Brunswick Ballroom, a gig that De Fazio is calling a “big bonanza of a show”. With a stacked lineup including Back Pocket, a Fillmores reunion and local heroes Hooper Crescent, it’s all looking very promising. So, buckle up.
Bad Bangs are playing their European Send Off show at the Brunswick Ballroom on September 6. Tickets can be accessed here.
