Bassist Johnny O’Donnell begins by reminiscing on the band’s coming together back in 2006 (yes, that is more than a couple of years ago).
“I answered an ad in the local street press musicians wanted section, and that’s how Ryan (Miller, singer) and I met,” he explains. “It turned out that we both had a penchant for Luchadore masks, purple body paint, motivational Sasquatches, gas masks and being tarred and feathered. Oh of course we also have the funk. In fact, a funk so forceful it has the power of a small pony.”
Kicking off with that level of quirk, one could assume that life on the road is one crazy party but O’Donnell counters that notion, suggesting that STF are relatively party-free during their touring stretches. While they take their music seriously, they seem to be embracing life as a band with a huge sense of humour. “For the most part we keep it pretty sensible,” he says. “We generally keep the partying to on stage – unless there’s a rider. Of course then it’s black tooth grins all around.” Sambucca fans?
There’s a fine line between playing enough to be noticed and playing too much and creating an apathetic audience so why have the band chosen to hit the road so hard lately?
“’Cause the road talked back; should’ve known its place! Besides it’s still the best way to get your music out there, see the sites and meet some cool people. Yeah, and some not so cool. Jesus that sounds like an ad for Contiki tours or better yet the Australian army, just change ‘meet some people’ to ‘kill some people’.”
In the current climate of touring taking precedent over recording and the EP shuffling out the relevance of the album, STF are towing the populous line with an album not necessarily their biggest focus. They are, however, cobbling together some songs with the view of some sort of release next year, be that single, EP or LP. In true funk style, O’Donnell and his bass drives the creative process and song writing. “Most of the time I come in with the bones of a song and the other guys do their thing to flesh it out and bring it to life,” he says. “There are a couple of songs that have come spontaneously out of jams but that’s definitely the exception to the rule.”
The Sidetracked Fiasco haven’t avoided recording altogether though. Two EPs, their debut self-titled and their latest, The Motivational Sasquatch, have made ripples in the giant pond of Australian up-and-coming releases and the band’s unique sound and explosive live show is helping to set them apart. Their unpredictable stage presence sometimes gives way to onstage chaos, never musically, but often energetically and the chaos, despite touring allegedly being a relatively sensible affair, has been known to trickle off the stage and into the corners of the venue and faces of the patrons. O’Donnell finishes up with a crazy little touring tale. “At the Worldsend in Adelaide I thought it would be a good idea to play a bass solo from the toilets, so mid song I jump off stage run around the crowd jump on top of some tables (which I nearly fell through) and make a B-line for the toilets,” he explains. “I got in there and kicked the cubicle door shut and crank out my solo. All’s going well until I try to get back out I’d kicked the door a wee bit too hard and it jammed and there’s no handle on the inside. I can hear Seb counting in the next song, so there I am fumbling to get the door open while still trying to play a passible version of the next song. Must of looked hell funny watching a Luchadore masked, bass playing fool lock himself in the toilet in the middle of a set.”
BY KRISSI WEISS
