If ‘partying with rock stars’ is an entry on your bucket list, the Dune Rats can help you cross it off.
Describing the Dune Rats is a bit tricky. From their musical style to the way they dress and act in public, the Brisbane trio tend to just do whatever they feel like. They're inclined to flip-flop between carefree and careless at the drop of a hat, but regardless of this chaotic nature the Dune Rats are one of the most hard-working indie bands the country has to offer.
The band consists of three lads in their 20s who, despite their history of colourful antics on the road, met under fairly ordinary circumstances roughly four years ago. “I met Danny [Beusa] in the Valley in Brisbane, then met Brett [Jansh] crossing the road, and then we all started a band together,” explains drummer BC Michaels with a straight face.
Over the next couple of years, the Dune Rats refined their signature style – guitarist Danny likens it to “Beach Boys meets Ramones” – by playing shows along the east coast before gaining momentum and taking off overseas. “Our first show was in Brisbane, second one was in Sydney, and got taken on our first tour by DZ Deathrays, our friends,” says BC from their hotel suite in Malaysia. “[We] got a sweet booking agent, got booked a bunch of shows with other sick bands around Australia and started heading overseas in between. And here we are in Kuala Lumpur.”
Their run in Asia follows on from an extensive tour around South Africa, the UK, and select European destinations. This in turn came not long after their trip to the United States, where they had the fortune to play at the SXSW festival in Texas. Of course, being on the other side of the globe didn't stop the boys from leaving havoc in their wake, including but not limited to getting cuffed and jailed, commandeering a small country town pub, and even having a coconut hurled at them. “It was in Liverpool, when we first got to the UK,” recounts Michaels.
“One of our friends was coming into our RV and she started yelling at him outside the window thinking he's trying to break in. Then he said she was racial profiling him, and she started putting on Tupac and blasting it from her windows, then threw a coconut at us, asking if we're hungry. It just exploded on the road.”
Amazingly, the boys have never missed a show nor have they ever sustained any serious injuries as a result, although Michaels laughs as he says: “Danny's got a sore leg, sciatica or something, his groin hurts”.
Though their shows abroad have all wrapped up, there's no rest for the Dune Rats yet. As soon as the boys get home, they'll be straight into promoting their upcoming self-titled debut album, produced by Woody Annison at Melbourne's esteemed Red Door Sounds Studio, which is set for release June 1.
As expected, a national tour will come with the album's release. However, the boys have sweetened the deal by offering fans who have pre-ordered the album the opportunity to “have a coupla frosties” with them during a pub crawl pre-party before every show; given their habit of getting drunk before going on stage, they felt it was only right to bring their fans along for the ride and give them the proper Dune Rats experience.
Fortunately for their underage fans, the Dune Rats have something special to make up for them missing out on the pub crawl — the chance to support them on stage and join them in their self-proclaimed quest to “play music and fuck shit up”. The Dune Rats will be handpicking local high school bands for each of their all ages shows in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. In yet another show of their blokey camaraderie, Michaels states that the only real criteria for selection is being “little legends”.
In spite of the knackering levels of effort they've put into their run overseas, Michaels ensures they'll be bringing their A-game to the national tour – there's no intention to tone things down for the all ages crowd either. And for those of you still on the fence about whether to see the Dune Rats on tour? Well, they have one simple message for you: “Don't dog!”
Written by Simon Jun
Dune Rates Tour Dates
Thu Jun 12 - Mojo's (Fremantle)Fri Jun 13 - Amplifier (Perth)
Sat Jun 14 - Uni Bar (Adelaide)
Sun Jun 15 - The Grace Darling (Melbourne - all ages)
Thu Jun 19 - Karova Lounge (Melbourne)
Fri Jun 20 - The Corner (Melbourne)
Sat Jun 21 - Oxford Art Factory (Sydney)
Sun Jun 22 - The Lair (Sydney - All Ages)
Sat Jun 28 - The Zoo (Brisbane)
Sun Jun 29 - Alhambra Lounge (Brisbane - All Ages)
