Melbourne’s art-rock trio The Stiffys have released their new EP, ‘Art Rock Two’, and are about to embark on their massive, 18-date national tour, in 3D.
The hilarious bassist, Jason Leigh explains how The Stiffys came up with the idea to bring a 3D experience to their live shows. "For our last record ‘Art Rock One’, we started pushing the boundaries.
"So to continue pushing boundaries we thought we’d need to look a bit wider and start exploring other dimensions. We thought, 'why don’t we do something that no one else has ever done', which is to explore the third dimension.”
On arrival, fans will be given 3D glasses to get the full Stiffy experience. “We think of 3D as the forgotten dimension. We’re all about boundary-pushing art here at The Stiffys. It’s physically and emotionally demanding performing in the third dimension. Everything is so real and vivid,” Jason explains.“People may think that they understand the third dimension, but that’s because it hasn’t been explained to them by prolific artists, such as The Stiffys. I think once they come to the show and see, they’ll get it.”
Jason and the band have been hard at work maintaining their fitness for these demanding performances. “It’s good to come back in the middle of the week between shows and keep practising our drinks. There’s a phrase ‘piss fit’. If you were driving all the time you wouldn’t be able to drink. We like to fly so we can keep up our alcohol tolerance as much as we can. It’s good for the art.”
The Stiffys combine unique elements to their art-rock live performances that no other bands have even imagined yet. Combining boogie boards, crates of Passion Pop and their notorious space suits, The Stiffys have somehow managed to avoid any hassles from venues. “The Stiffys have long operated on a principle that it’s ‘easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission’.
"That usually works out okay, but the last time we played in Byron Bay the security guards had no idea this was happening and just kept screaming the words ‘PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE’ at us mid set. We haven’t been sued yet, so fingers crossed! It just highlights how poorly thought out our business model is,” Jason laughs.
The band has a defining love among their fans for the frugal wine of choice, Passion Pop. Unfortunately The Stiffys are yet to hit any kind of sponsorship deal. “We’re actually releasing a talk show featuring some heavy and unauthorised product placement, of which Passion Pop will be a part. There’s actually a Passion Pop backdrop, which is 3D. If you look at that on a screen the bottles will pop out at you.”
The band are staying true to the art and willing to sell out at any moment. “We’re very keen to endorse literally anything in exchange for money or just drinks really. We have no qualms on that.
“We actually set out a mission statement for our band when we first started and it’s still on Adam’s bedroom wall. The first goal was to become the biggest erection-based rock band in Melbourne. The second goal was to sell out. The third goal was to break up, the fourth to get back together and the fifth was to sell out again.”
The Stiffys Shows
Fri 23 Sep - Crown & Anchor Hotel (Adelaide)Thu 29 Sep - Workers Club (Geelong)
Fri 30 Sep - Golden Vine Hotel (Bendigo)
Sat 1 Oct - The Eastern (Ballarat)
Thu 6 Oct - Phoenix Bar (Canberra)
Fri 7 Oct - Captain's At Mariners (Bateman's Bay)
Sat 8 Oct - Rad Bar (Wollongong)
Fri 14 Oct – Plan B Small Club (Sydney)
Sat 15 Oct - Cambridge Hotel (Newcastle)
Thu 27 Oct - The Gov (Adelaide)
Fri 4 Nov - Workers Club (Melbourne)
