Punk's Not Dead: Frenzal Rhomb

“Do you know I heard that our Not So Tough Now album that we released either in ‘94 or ‘95, [actually 1996] is about to go gold. How’s THAT! It’s only like 500 records off it going gold. We really made it.” Jason ‘Jay’ Whalley of Frenzal Rhomb laughed down the phone line.

A Gold Record, or 35,000 unit sales, might not mean shit; even Casey Donovan’s debut album went three times platinum. But let me do the maths for you. 13 years after release, for Frenzal Rhomb’s album Not So Tough Now to go gold, that means an average of seven copies have been bought every day since it was released. And that’s more than you’ve sold.

“I might go and buy all 500 just to get the gold record. I think it’s hilarious. I laughed out loud when I heard that,” front man Whalley said.

Putting out albums since before most of their fans (and their current bass player) could see over the counter at their primary school canteens, Frenzal Rhomb have led the country in a punk rock stampeed which has seen ten releases and spanned the better part of two decades.

Away from the glitz and glam of gold records, the band that offended a nation, recently wound up their Boys Are Back In Brown tour, their first brutal assault across Australia since late 2007.

“It ended in a big huge heap of sweaty disgusting bodies,” Whalley reminisced. “We sold a lot of Fritzl Rhomb t-shirts which I found surprising because it’s possibly the one t-shirt that you shouldn’t wear outdoors,” he added.

After a two year silence, the announcement of a tour seemed to elicit two responses from the public. The first was ‘Shit yeah! Frenzal are touring! Where’s my sleeveless Worlds Fuckdest Cunt shirt? Sheryl, get me another Woodstock, it’s time to party!’ and the second, ‘Frenzal huh, are they STILL alive!’

“I was surprised,” Whalley admitted. “Even our manager called up after a few weeks in when he was looking at ticket sales and he asked, ‘Why do people still like your band? Why do they come along?’ I was like, thanks for the support man. Makes me feel good.”

Sure it might make you feel like the kid that gets picked last in P.E., but he has a point.

Why DO Frenzal Rhomb still sell out venues? 15 years after releasing their debut album Dick Sandwich, how can they still be SO popular that they can make a living from selling Austrian cellar crime shirts?

“There’s an element of nostalgia I guess, because we’ve been doing it for a long time. But there seems to be this core audience of 17 to 24-year-old, no teeth dudes that seem to really enjoy it,” Whalley considered. “They get on the train at the end of the train line, they make it to town and they come and see our band.”

With a hardcore, enthusiastic, sweaty-as-hell following and a successful tour recently tucked under their belts, Frenzal set poised for a new onslaught. So how bout a new album Jay!

“We were talking about it just the past few days. We sold so many t-shirts on tour; why not facilitate selling more t-shirts. We realise that we can’t actually do that without having some reason to tour and the only reason to tour really is if you make something that’s new,” Whalley said. “So I think we’re going to record a new record which should take only around five years to finish.”

Set the date in your calendars. 2014 will be the year of the Frenzal.

“The fans at that album launch could have been born in the year 2000. Isn’t that terrifying?” Whalley laughed.

“The only thing that we’re lacking really is songs. I think once we get that aspect of it nailed down then it should move and progress quicker,” he added.
And the album isn’t the only thing on the horizon for the front man. He let the Dwarf in on a little secret. Whalley and his partner are expecting their first child sometime in the next nine months.

“I’m a little bit concerned though that when the kid gets to 13 or 14 and finds all the old Frenzal rhomb records and challenges me as to why he cant swear in public. I just have this feeling that he’ll have no respect for me at all,” Whalley confessed. “But maybe that’s a common fear for all fathers.”

Recently announced to play the Sounds of Spring festival taking place in Brisbane, the father-to-be gave us the run down on who he will be sharing the stage with.

“Australia’s premiere heritage act the Living End, I added that little bit in, Australia’s greatest songstress Josh Pyke, Shihad, another great heritage act, Butterfingers, Earthboy Children Collide, you know all that modern music that I don’t really understand,” he said.

“The Fauves are playing so that’s very exciting as well as Brisbane’s own Christian rockers Rhubarb. Actually I don’t know if they still are Christian, were they ever Christian?” Whalley considered.

Regardless, Frenzal Rhomb is back baby. Now if we all band together, maybe the new album will reach gold in less than 13 years.

Frenzal Rhomb play the Sounds of Spring Festival with loads of other great bands on September 26 in Brisbane. Head to moshtix for tix and more info.

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