Benny Doyle, Journalist

Matthew Everett, the voice of Orphan Ann, takes five to fill in the gaps regarding what’s been happening for the band over the past six months.

Adam Hole, one half of six-string performance duo Monster Guitars, makes his obsession clear – “Without my guitar, I am nobody.”

Novocastrian roots ensemble Benjalu are in the midst of their biggest headline run of dates, and as Ben Gumbleton says, it’s all in the name of good times.

“The band make-up is only two members, but the sound is massive. It’s physical, it’s confrontational, and we’ve had so many people just love it."

There are nods to ‘90s trance and ‘00s minimal, while techno elements from both decades make sure that everything is kept honest.

Yes, it’s twenty years since the heyday of grunge, but the old boys have done an admirable job of maintaining that genre’s legacy.

“We had a [barney] just before our Melbourne show actually because there was a mix-up with our setlist and we had to change it around. But five minutes later we’re over it and it doesn’t matter."

"We’ve been together now as a band for getting on to three years, and I can honestly say that this is the best incarnation that Gaps and I have been involved with."

"With reggae part of the staple of being from New Zealand, for us to be invited from over here is a massive buzz for us."