From gold albums, to aria award nominations, through to playing at just about every major music festival in Australia, Ska-punk rockers, Area 7 should be no stranger to any Aus live music lover. They are the band that refuse to die. Exploding onto the scene during the 90’s punk rock revival, alongside acts such as The Living End, The Porkers & Spiderbait, to name a few, the genre took over the airwaves and live show circuit as it forced it’s way back into the mainstream consciousness once again..
If somehow you aren’t familiar with Area 7 or are scratching your head asking yourself, what the hell is Ska-Punk, a brief introduction. Ska-Punk should be the most popular music genre in the world. Place a band of Area 7’s ilk into a folk festival, perhaps throw them into a bush doof or hip hop crowd, hell, wedge them smack bang in between Slayer and Slipknot and the result will always be the same. A crowd of people that grows in numbers with each song, skanking along to the infectious grooves that are impossible to deny. If music genres were people, Ska-Punk would be Van Wilder (Party Liaison). Ska-Punk gets on with everybody. It is inclusive, it embraces and encompasses all, it is happy, it is fun and it sure as shit knows how to party… It is exactly what the world needs more of right now.
What seems more like catching up with an old friend, than chatting to a perfect stranger, David ‘DJ’ Jackson, who plays keys for the band, is as warm and embracing as the music genre he represents. Pressing him on my theory of how this genre of music should be the most popular in the world, he has a laugh and shares the bands experience at playing Soundwave. In the signing tent, he had a 70 year old lady who grew up in England, rattling off all kinds of obscure second wave punk bands from the scene that he knew all too well.. Next in line was a young 14 year old girl experiencing her first ever live show beaming with excitement and new found love of the genre. Next up was a long haired, proper cliched metalhead with a phrase he has heard all too many times over his career. “man that wasn’t the kinda music I’d normally listen to, but jesus that was fun”.
He goes onto explain that he agrees that “the genre is under recognised and easily dismissed”. But rather than be jaded of this, he embraces it in his typically understanding nature. “People don’t have to listen to it, that’s cool. Just take it for what it is and enjoy yourself.”
Pressing DJ on the upcoming shows, he shares that while he has deep roots with FNQ, given his dad was born in Townsville and mum in Tully, he admits he has never once been to Cairns before and expresses how keen he is to get up and check the place out before their Hotter Than Hell and Edge Hill shows. He explained one of the joys of playing the smaller pub shows as a headliner like their upcoming Edge Hill Tavern show is the ability to push the boundaries just that little bit more than they can at a festival show. Recalling a gig at a small brewery last year, he speaks with fond memories and pride as he tells me the story of how they invited as many on the stage as could fit. As about 35-40 people of all ages jumped the stage, he loved seeing everyone’s smiling faces having a good time, “coz that’s what it’s all about.” Asking him if these kinda antics will be encouraged in Cairns, he says hell yeah, if we can get away with it. So if you are attending this Edge Hill show, then you should definitely take that as your invite, but just try to not to be ‘that guy’ and knock over their gear of course.
For the Cairns show, the band will be ably supported by Townsville’s rockabilly/punkabilly mainstays ‘The Vankeys’, who always know how to get the party started. Never passing up the chance to fit in a sneaky plug for a local act, I drop their name only for DJ to explain that they know The Vankeys well. So well in fact, they were even flying the flag for them to get the support slot, having played with them last year at Stones Corner. Do yourself a favour and get in early to make sure you check out these local lads who are going from strength to strength.
The following evening will see the band playing in Townsville alongside international acts, Everclear, Unwritten Law and local legends, Frenzal Rhomb and The Grates for the Hotter Than Hell festival. Tickets available for both gigs from the usual outlets and all shows are guaranteed to be as fun as all hell and a damn good time, so make sure ya get amongst it!. Unless of course you want to be known as the person that avoids a good time…
# Post Edit: It was brought to this young gentleman’s attention post article, that Cairns stalwarts ‘Swamp Donkey’ will also be joining the festivities, bringing their stupendous sounds of swamp noise rock to the evening for the Edge Hill show. Even more the reason to get on board for what should be a cracking evening!
Andy Parkinson
Townsville Hotter Than Hell Festival – Saturday 15th Feb Tickets
Cairns Edge Hill Tavern, Friday 14th Feb – Supports The Vankeys, and Swamp Donkey:- Tickets
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