If you know where to look on a given night, the city of Sydney offers some great “secret” shows in warehouse spaces around town, often free, and often (eventually) shut down by the cops due to noise complaints. And it’s on this Saturday evening where I found myself in a Surry Hills Warehouse, watching a band/project/supergroup I’d only heard whispers about. In fact I wasn’t even sure they existed.
Fashion Launches Rocket Launches (FLRL).
In essence, they’re a “supergroup” of local musicians, who seem to get together whenever they can and jam for a crowd, using heaps of cowbells in the process. While there is structure, they are in essence taking up the moment and doing as they please. As for the musicians themselves, they are apparently ever changing – most likely so they can continue to jam despite the lack of a member or 3.
In general, and tonight, the group is comprised of Kirin and Jules from most-likely-no-longer-together Mercy Arms, Daniel from Midnight Juggernauts and Jono from Lost Valentinos. Supergroup indeed.
It’s clear they don’t take this project too seriously, they’re in it to have a bit of fun and get away from the constraints of making a record what … but they are ridiculously damn good at having said fun – the hour or so of music they brought us tonight was pure hypnotising excellence … at times you were unsure when tracks finished and begun – at times ambient, at other times loud, infectious and dangerous rock and roll.
Beyond this I’m not sure what else to say. But if you have the rare opportunity, warehouse space or not, to check these guys out, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
