Fremantle's original '80s nostalgia band, Oats Supply are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a winter leg warmer live show.
What started out in 2003 via the Newport Hotel's 'Classic Albums' series of live shows, the birth of Oats Supply occurred when a group of mates and music colleagues gathered to relive the music of their youth – the glorious '80s.Those involved had played with numerous local indie bands as well as WA juggernaut King Krush (a group who supported the likes of Simple Minds).
Plenty of fun banter ensured and before long the structure of Oats Supply began to materialise resplendent with wigs, tights and jackets to heighten the onstage theatrics.
Alter-egos were also born as each member developed a stage name and persona – Beau Raphael, Randy Estivez, Angelo Saxon, Scr-tommy Lee, Suspicious Jeremy and Silky da Haar – to deliver a show night unlike anything else at the time.
From there a fictional World Tour diary blog was developed, along with a mock social justice campaign: 'Top Shelf For The Bottom Rung', which supposedly delivered top-shelf liquor to the needy. Social justice never tasted so good.
Oats Supply have played over 500 shows during their run, including numerous charity balls, festivals, and community events. They were even flown to Bali to play with James Reyne, while another 'adventure' saw them assaulted onstage at Rottnest.
Lead singer sex-pot Silky de Haar explains this engaging backstory. "Fremantle's second biggest export, Oats Supply has delivered on its promise to make mediocrity mainstream. To put the 'under' back into underwhelming."
Here, Silky shares his five favourite Beatles. "Many times over the years we have been compared to The Beatles.
"In fact Red Symons actually declared we are bigger than The Beatles after an appearance on 'Hey Hey It's Saturday'."
5: John Lennon – had some talent no doubt, but his whinging and glasses selection ultimately impacted his personal brand.
4: Ringo Starr - was to drumming what Michael Flatley was to dancing, brilliant for the first three minutes then all tends to sound the same.
3: Paul McCartney – anyone who can smoke that many joints and still play in time has got something.
2: George Harrison - really can be seen as a revivalist manscaper in the hair excesses of the 1960s.
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Oats Supply celebrate '20 years at the top' with their winter leg warmer live show at Freo.Social (Fremantle) on 11 August.
