live@drummedia.com.au
A GOOD WRAP
AS AMY MEREDITH KICKED OFF THEIR NATIONAL TOUR TO SUPPORT THEIR DEBUT ALBUM IN WA, DRUM GOT THEM TO KEEP A TOUR DIARY. BASSIST WADE OSBORN FILLS US IN ON DREAM RIDERS, FATMAN SCOOP AND CELEBRATION PANTS.
W
e flew over to Perth a day early to fit in some promo and vibe out in the sun before kicking off the tour at Settlers Tavern, Margaret River. The weather was amazing and days off for us are a rarity so we were pretty stoked we got to check out the west coast beaches for the first time. From now on all Amy Meredith tours will start with a free day, so we can relax and get ready for a run of shows First soundcheck of the tour ran smoothly, apart from a weirdo keyboard stand that I think was from the ‘80s. Onlookers would have seen what looked to be five monkeys standing around a piece of metal, bashing it and scratching their heads. Support band to the rescue and we are ready to play… well, we are all ready except Mrs [Christian] Lo Russo [vocals] of course. If I hear this guy whinge about his in-ear mix one more time he is going to get bitch slapped! Before shows, Cam [Laing, guitar] and I always make sure “Wadeo’s Bar” (named Wadeo’s Bar for obvious reasons) is stocked up enough to get us through the set. It’s the most exclusive bar in town, it only opens for an hour each night and the guest list fills up real fast. Wadeo’s Bar is a MUST. There is nothing worse than being thirsty on stage – and believe me it gets hot up there. We aren’t yet in a position to have our own personal bartender on tour, so a few vodkas and sometimes water for good measure gets us through an hour set. A four-hour drive under our belt and we were back at Cottesloe Beach where we were basing ourselves
meal and three coffees later it was Saturday afternoon and soundcheck time at Amplifier Bar in Perth. You could tell it was nearing the end of a busy week as we all felt and looked tired and worn out. All that aside, we have a job to do and people have paid money to see us play. Our energy levels soon increased when the club stopped letting people in as it was getting too full, we then realised it was going to be another great show. Knowing that we can sell out three out of four shows on the other side of Australia was such a surreal feeling. We’ve only previously been over there as a support band so we weren’t even sure if anyone was going to turn up to any of our shows – then this.
CELEBRATION PANTS
SUNNING IT
for a few nights. Since it was 27 degrees we made the most of the afternoon and hung out in the sun. Late Thursday afternoon we headed to the second show of the tour, which was at Mojo’s in Freemantle, probably my favourite venue of the tour. It was full of vibe and reminded me of a few places we partied at in New York. The people there were so nice to us and even heated up the ovens hours after they were turned off, so we could have fresh pizza for dinner. The backstage room was filled with all our gear, so we ended up eating the pizza and drinking our rider in the small bathroom/ cubicle attached. It was quite romantic. Just before going on stage we got word that the show had sold out. So we were pumped to get up there and do our thing. The beverages were flowing and everyone had a dance. Thanks Mojo’s ! Kosta [Theodosis, drums] aka ”The Lobster” (his sunburnt alter-ego) went straight home and slipped into his celebration pants. I’m certainly not judging the guy, because he’s bigger than me – and those pants do look fucking comfy!
also included assorted wraps. Now it doesn’t seem that exciting but to us that’s a career milestone and every musician out there who has ever laid eyes on assorted wraps in their backstage room knows exactly what I’m talking about. We were finally at a point where we got exactly what we asked for in our rider. As Fergie says, “I think tonight is going to be a fun night” or something.
After a fun show at Mojo’s we couldn’t wait to get to Mandurah Players for our next show. We arrived at the venue and were shocked when we laid eyes on one of the biggest riders in Amy Meredith history, which
When the crowd started dancing and fisting the air to the sound of Kosta doing line check we knew this was going to be a full-on show. The DJ played Fatman Scoop - Be Faithful and MC’d whilst we took to the stage. This made it feel more like a high school disco than a concert. I wasn’t sure if we could top the 2003 smash hit from Fatguy Scoop, but we certainly attempted to. Security were constantly coming on stage through out the set to carry out girls that were nearly passing out in the front row. If that’s not a sign of a good show then I don’t know what is! This show also sold out so it looked pretty squashy out there. The tour was definitely getting better by the show and this crowd definitely knew how to have a good time. Four litres of water, some carpet burn, a drunkenlyshaven beard, three hours’ sleep, a large Hungry Jacks
twitter.com/drummedia
Since we didn’t have any AA’s shows booked, we thought we’d team up with City Beach and do a free show for all the U-18’s who thought we’d forgot about them. Playing a short 30-minute set to 500 screaming kids was possibly the best way we could have ended the tour. These kids definitely know how to scream and if it weren’t for my moulded ear plugs, my ears would still be ringing now. Monday morning came around quicker than expected, which meant the first week of shows was finito. My suitcase is also suspiciously lighter which can only mean one thing – I’ve lost about ten pairs of undies and a few shirts, dammit! The hard work all seemed a little too much for Joel [Chapman, guitar], who passed out five minutes after boarding the flight home. Not even the screaming babies could keep him from getting some well-deserved shuteye. Don’t get too comfy mate – we only have one day off, then we leave for Queensland to do it all again... WHO Amy Meredith WHEN & WHERE Saturday, Factory Theatre; Wednesday 13 October, The Maram; Thursday 14, Wollongong University; Thursday 4 November, Cambridge Hotel; Friday 19, Factory Theatre
THE DRUM MEDIA 5 OCTOBER 2010 • 77 •