Lock up your chemistry sets, The Descendents are coming to town!
The Descendents, long-standing pillars of the skate punk community, are returning to Australia for a highly anticipated tour, and they're bringing some punk rock heavyweights along for the ride. Joining them on their Australian tour will be The Bouncing Souls (who have recently celebrated their 20th anniversary), Aussie punk rock veterans Frenzal Rhomb and Bodyjar, along with local supports in each city.
They’ve been together since 1978, but this is only their second time in Australia (the first being in 2010). This comes as no surprise for long term fans, as they have gained a reputation for their lack of touring over the years. “We don’t really tour all that much,” frontman Milo Auckerman admits, “and when we do it’s just a handful of shows, so we try to make sure each one is really special.”
When your lead singer has a Doctorate in biochemistry and spends his days undertaking research assignments for a U.S.-based biotechnology firm, you can be forgiven for not finding the time. Actually, Descendents’ tours are normally scheduled around Milo’s vacation time, of which there is very little.
The Descendents are known for their sneaky concoction of caffeine fuelled rebellion and hardcore love songs. And the energy? Well, between the four of them, it's not uncommon to go through 18 pots of coffee a day. Coffee plays a big part in the lives of the Descendents, and was immortalised on the 1996 album Everything Sucks with an homage entitled 'Coffee Mug', featuring lyrics like: “I don’t need no booze or drugs, I just chug-a-lug-o my coffee mug.” You know these boys are serious about their brew.
This tour is an important one for Auckerman for two reasons. The first is to make sure the fans get the show they’re hoping for. “I had some issues last time we were in Brisbane,” he admits, “so this time around my top priority is to make sure these shows go off, in a way that reflects well on the band.”
The second is that this tour sends a message to aging rock bands that you’re never too old to tour. “I just turned 50,” Auckerman says, “so I take this as a challenge! I’ve got to show people that you can be 50 and still rock out.”
The Descendents play the following shows in Australia with Bouncing Souls, Frenzal Rhomb and Bodyjar:
Wed Feb 06 — Eatons Hill Hotel (Brisbane) (w/ The Disables)
Thu Feb 07 — Big Top Luna Park (Sydney) (w/ Irrelevant)
Sat Feb 09 — Festival Hall (Melbourne) (w/ Game Over)
Sun Feb 10 — Metro City (Perth)
