GinGer: Raise The States.

GinGer play Festival Hall tonight.

For some time the support slot for the highly anticipated Incubus gig was hanging in the balance. Initially tipped as the domain of Jimmy Eat World, and vacated just as quickly, Incubus were without a date to the dance until late last week.

Having previously shared stages with the likes of Kiss on their last Australian tour, GinGer have gone and snagged themselves the coveted slot. Not band for a bunch of local lads.

“We just stuck out hand up,” bassist Alan jokes. “I’m hoping that means that when people hear out stuff they think it’s good enough to put us on. I’ve been told this is another situation where the band chose who was going to do the supports (Gene Simmons of Kiss chose the band for their support slot after hearing them in a radio competition). That’s what we were told, anyway. Jimmy Eat World didn’t confirm. We just sent a CD to the promoter.”

When did the band find out they had the gig?

“We sent a disc in a couple of weeks ago, and I heard there was still no one confirmed. It didn’t actually happen until late last week. They told us Friday morning. I’d though by then that it must have been already decided, and nothing was going to happen. I guess they’re just picking local bands in each city. It’s good for Australian music. Usually you see American bands and when they tour they bring other American bands with them.”

GinGer are also putting in a good word overseas for Australian music. Already regular visitors with a dedicated following through South East Asia, the band are looking further a field for their next port of call

“At this stage we’re hoping to get to the US. That’s the progression for us. We had a lot going in South East Asia, but we need a new release to take over there. The next stage is to the US, with a release or not we need to get into people faces.”

While the band’s earlier EP release Nothing Changes is certainly nothing to cringe away from, a five track demo the band have put together highlights an even more dynamic sound.

“I think what it’s always been is about writing really good songs. We’re just getting into something that’s a bit more focused. It’s more of a rock sound, maybe a little bit heavier, and more powerful. Not really powerful in a heavy kind of way, but powerful in having some kind of meaning behind it. The Nothing Changes EP has a couple of songs on it that didn’t really fit into the scheme of things, but at the time we thought they did. Looking back some of them were a bit confusing.”

Is there much of the bands older material in the set?

“We still play some of it, because we get on and people ask are you going to play this or this? I think some of them still rock live, so we’re using them.”