DZ Deathrays and Polish Club have many things in common. Not only are they both three-piece bands that used to be two-pieces, but they’re two of the most innovative, fun and unique bands in the Australian music landscape. They’re all very nice dudes, too. Crowbar, in Leichardt, is also one of Sydney’s most unique venues. It’s a true-blue rock-and-roll bar, devoid of pretentiousness and brimming with charm. It was the perfect place for two of the best gigging bands in the country to come together, and for us at Best Before to have a chinwag with them.
‘Positive Rising: Part 1’ is the latest album from Brisbane-based outfit DZ Deathrays. As the name suggests it’s only the first half of a bigger project – having toured relentlessly for the last few years, they’ve worked on a wealth of content whilst on the road, touring both Australia and overseas. Crowbar was an opportunity to say g’day to some fans, and for both bands to have a go at DJing, spinning some new and old tracks for all to enjoy. DZ Deathrays rocked up in style, in matching grey suits, relaxed and snazzy.
“Playing shows is like our natural habitat,” Shane Parsons (vocals/guitar) related. “You get to hang out with your friends, go places, get free drinks… You do have to work! But it’s still pretty good.” Hanging out with friends definitely felt like the right way to describe the evening, too. The bar was heaving with rock fans as well as plenty of Sydney’s music establishment. In between stints on the decks and knocking back tinnies, DZ and Polish Club were in their element, chatting it up and having a grand old time.
Polish Club’s David Novak (vocals/guitar) shed some light on the relationship between the bands. “We share the same ethos: simplicity. We’ve known them for about four years now – when you both play the same kind of demographic, you kinda end up seeing each other quite often! But it’s a nice [relationship] to have… We’re not friends with too many bands. Maybe that’s a Sydney thing, that we’re not so chummy with other bands? It’s nice to be able to play a whole tour with DZ.”
Both bands talked about the importance of meeting fans and holding events like album launches, particularly in Sydney.“We’re gonna come out and hit the bars anyway,” DZ’s Simon Ridley (drums) laughs, “So why not invite the fans and people that would also like to get involved? And, you know, put on some cool new merch and everyone just get loose?”
Both bands agree that Sydney’s probably their favourite city to perform in. “Anywhere but Perth!” DZ’s Lachlan Ewbank (vocals / guitar) joked. “I mean, I’m biased,” Novak chimed in, “because we’re from here, and arguably the biggest shows we play are here. And despite what people say about Sydney, the crowds still are super, super fun. Brisbane and Melbourne are a different flavour of fun. There’s like a more communal vibe. People are a bit more willing to go see a band that they don’t necessarily know, but they know the venue and they trust who they’re booking, so they’ll check it out.”
Regardless of whether they’re performing with their usual instruments or hitting the decks for a DJ set, both bands love the energy and challenge of live performance. “Every time we come with a DJ set planned, the crowd’s not the one that you expected,” Simon from DZ said. “So, you’ve just gotta change on the fly anyway. Beyoncé, to Creedence, to Slayer? Whatever man, whatever. “Take On Me”, maybe?”
“Don’t oversell the term ‘performing’!” Novak laughed, before his DJ set. “’Performing’ is a strong term. But yes, there’s gonna be dance moves, and all that. 90% of time you spend on tour, you fucking hate. But the 10% is so much better than the lows, that it’s like a 50/50 at the end of the day, in terms of values. There’s never going to be a point where I don’t think that the performance part of it isn’t the best part of being on tour, because it’s the only time where you have that direct connection with people.
“Our shows are not like, ‘You shut up, we’re gonna play our songs.’ It might sound super cheesy, but it feels like a dialogue. People shout at us and you hear them, and it feels like a conversation rather than this one-way thing, which is a lot of what makes it onto social media. There’s never gonna be a point where I don’t find performing the best bit of it all.”
‘Positive Rising: Part 2’ will be out pretty soon, and the second half’s apparently even heavier, DZ Deathrays assured me. There’s new music on the way from Polish Club, too – “We have a couple of things going on right now, both of which are really dumb,” Novak teased. Plenty of stuff to stay tuned for, then.
Photos by Emily Mathison.