The founding idea for the Rebelles came from Rhonda and her husband, the band’s musical director and guitarist Bob B Rebelle. “We had this vision of a real live wall of sound backed by a rock’n’roll band smashing out amazing rock’n’roll tunes, punk rock attitude,” Rhonda says.
The pair advertised through word of mouth, community radio and flyers, eventually coming up with a pool of female vocalists to choose from. “We did loose auditions and we ended up with 15 members straight away,” Rhonda says. “So it just kind of went from there and we’re still amazed at the momentum we generated and the commitment to our crazy idea, and that people are listening and coming to gigs.”
The Rebelles started out covering a mixture of classic ‘60s girl group songs by bands such as The Crystals, The Shangri-Las and The Ronettes and rock’n’roll tracks from the likes of The Beatles and The Ramones (they even recorded a version of The Belle Stars’ 1982 hit The Clapping Song, complete with gang-themed video). “We try and bring these sounds together to show how closely related they are,” Rhonda says. “So the idea is really girl groups and related styles. We’re combining harmonies and heart-breaking lyrics with punk rock energy. We’re loud – our four-piece band rocks hard, and there’s 15 microphones on stage, so there’s a lot of loud energy.”
Eventually the group started writing their own songs, culminating with the recording of The Rebelles’ debut album, Go! Rebelle! The record celebrates the Phil Spector-inspired wall of sound while offering a contemporary spin on the gender politics of yore. “We’ve spent a lot of time singing ‘50s and ‘60s lyrics and one thing that we’re aware of – we’re modern women – is the irony of what we’re singing in this day and age,” Rhonda says. “So when we set out to sing original songs, we’re actually feminists, so quite a few songs were worked on with that in mind.”
As for logistics, organising a project with 15 female vocalists backed by a four-piece band is never going to be easy. But Rhonda’s background in secondary school teaching has provided her with the requisite skills to overcome the many logistical challenges. In fact, having so many members played an integral part in getting Go! Rebelle! released.
“We’re able to call upon singers in the band to help out in doing this album,” Rhonda says. “Some people have taken charge of costumes, or distribution, or promotion, fund raising, merchandise. So everyone has a role beyond their role as a singer.”
Rhonda cites the opportunity to play the inaugural White Night Festival in 2013 and sing with Dan Sultan at the Community Cup as particular highlights for The Rebelles. At the end of the day, The Rebelles is a gang with a sense of fun and enjoyment at its core. “It’s a passion,” Rhonda says. “No-one gets paid, obviously, because there’s too many of us to split fees. But we do it for fun, and rehearsals are a laugh, and friendships are formed and the community spirit is there.”
BY PATRICK EMERY
