As a group of underground Melbourne musos, the Preston Skate Massive (PSM) have remained quiet in the background of a busy music scene – choosing instead to fill High St, Preston with droning synth, guitar and blitzing drums that barely hinder the noise of the daily traffic that makes the recording process tricky.
1. PSM formed ten years ago as a local Ballarat band (Liquor Open) as a means to get their music out of the house and into the local music scene. Roger Turner, Ben Cavender, Tim Anders, Adele Yeoman and brothers Leigh and Glenn Briody began frequenting Grainery Lane, helping prolong its unforseen demise in 2006. After the fall of Grainery Lane and its predecessor the Bridge Mall Inn, the group moved to Melbourne, where their live shows became bigger, incorporating more guests over the next six years to forge what would become the Preston Skate Massive in 2012, with Jesse Bach (Psypher) and Daniel Wyatt (Soffmaw) added to the lineup. They now take on a collaborative style of production, recording mostly by building a collection of our own ideas and others. With these ideas, plus the late night downhill longboarding, it became a way of life and our music today brings this idea to the stage.
2. They like to tune into the fringes of music, Sex Mob, Mr. Bungle, David Byrne, Twelve Tone Diamonds, Tool, MF Doom, Estradasphere, Bill Withers, Weather Report – too many to mention. One thing they all agree – you can’t help but like a solid performance. Also, the core of the band has been locked in music spaces together for near ten years. It’s hard not to get inspired by each other’s ideas.
3. Preston Skate Massive draw from a diverse range of performers, from the sweet jazz stylings featuring Melody Moon, funk and groove fusions from Tim Anders, and hip hop rhymes to open your mind featuring Soffmaw. PSM uses the energy of the collective to make the types of songs that entertain the performer as well as the viewer.
4. Preston Skate Massive released their debut self-tilted EP in September 2013 and have two new singles (Cake Def and Open Your Eyes) ready to release for the upcoming string of shows around the inner Melbourne suburbs. Titled ‘The Vagrancy Tour’,meaning to take their wandering in music for the last two years into the inner north venues where PSM doesn’t have a home yet, and hopefully find a nice place to rock the bass, get it all up in ya face and hopefully it doesn’t end in a can of mace.
5. As the apartments move in and planning ministers attack with more approval of these monstrosities, pubs suffer. Noise complaints have seen personal attacks on us such as being sprayed with a fire hose in the Bar Open courtyard from the angry overlords above. But the music scene is strong and will always continue. The Preston Skate Massive wants a new venue in Preston, the clear amount of talent in this suburb alone deserves a gathering place.
THE PRESTON SKATE MASSIVE play Cherry Bar on Monday June 16, Bendigo Hotel on Thursday June 19, the Evelyn Hotel on Sunday June 22, Bar Open on Sunday June 29, Laundry Bar on Saturday July 5, and Bar 303 on Saturday July 12).
