Bayside Rolling

"I think this'll be our third one,” says Electric Mary frontman Rusty Brown, talking about his iconic band's appearances at Rock The Bay. “It might even be our forth, but we'll say it's our third for now.”

Despite his uncertainty about the number of Rock The Bays Electric Mary might have played, Brown is in no doubt that what we're talking about here is one of the best events Melbourne has to offer. More than the incredible line-up – Mary themselves, obviously, as well as The Beards and Engine Three Seven, plus a host of local bands – Brown is particularly chuffed about the old-school way people at the gig discover new music.

“It's such a great day for everybody,” he says. “It's also a great day for everybody to find new bands. That's not something that we're all accustomed to at this stage of our musical existence. Those seem to be days that were left back in the late-'70s and early-'80s, that's how you used to find new bands back then. At Rock The Bay, you've got three rooms, every type of band, there's something for everybody. It's a real kind of celebration of rock'n'roll. And, you know, if your ears need a bit of a rest, you just waltz outside and have a bit of a sit down on the beach in the sunshine. It doesn't really get much better than that.”

So does Brown approach a gig like this any differently to other shows? He doesn't really give an answer, but in talking about his band's formidable live performances, he does manage to reveal something of their philosophy. “I can tell you this now without any fear of retribution,” he says, “the one hour in the day that we get to be on stage is the best one hour of the 24. It doesn't really matter what happens during the day, it matters what happens between the first song and the last one. ”

A large bill such as Rock The Bay's must offer great opportunities for band members to enjoy the other acts – like some kind of rock geek heaven? “It's a great opportunity for people in bands to meet other bands and create a bit of rock community, if I can say that,” Brown continues. “The thing about the Gershwin Room is that the side door on the car-parking side goes straight onto the mixer, so I always open the side door and stand behind the mixer and get what he's getting. If it's a band I really like, I might sneakily open the door on the side of the stage where no one can see me and watch from there. I've done that before. Music is a great passion for me. I love to see other bands and meet new people and speak a whole lot of rock'n'roll shit, if people will let me.

“I really want to see The Beards, actually. I hope we're not playing at the same time. But I'll just make sure I get there a few hours early and just have a bit of a wander from room to room. I like to do that because it's great to see all these bands and maybe discover someone you really like, but it's also so I can get a feel for how the whole thing's going. Then I'll wander off and get ready to go on stage and take no prisoners.”

Electric Mary will be playing the following dates:

Saturday 16 February - Shed Rock Festival, Cannons Creek VIC (early show)
Saturday 16 February - Rock The Bay Festival, The Espy, St Kilda VIC (late show)