Beast Feast Focus: La Bastard

Answered by: Ben Murphy — Guitar

What five words spring to mind when you hear "Oz rock 'n' roll"? Iconic, dark, lo-fi, energetic, drunken!

Why do you think some Aussie rock bands find more success overseas than on home turf? Australian rock'n'roll has such an iconic status in Europe — bands like Beasts Of Bourbon, The Scientists and Radio Birdman are cult figures. Europeans just seem so excited by our esoteric sound, and always keen to hear more!

What's your favourite Beast release and why? Shifting Sands' Beach Coma is great — such a different beast to Geoff's work with SixFtHick. Love the understated mood, and the contrasts within the band, between male and female vocals, between electric and acoustic guitars, are fantastic.

What to you is the greatest Oz rock song and why? Maybe it's just 'cause I saw them again recently, but Dirty Three's Everything's Fucked is pretty quintessentially Australian in its execution — beautiful, but rough around the edges.

What are you most looking forward to about Beast Feast? Getting to say thank you to Seb, the man that's done so much to champion independent Australian music in France for so many years!

Beast Feast is on at The Tote on 19 & 20 Feb.