Bio July 2006

Here are the facts. This is what's happened so far. Are you sitting comfortably?

The Devilrock Four formed in early 2003, they had a bunch of cracking songs already on the table and two songwriters delivering them. Lucky they found one another huh? . And it was lucky they found Jamie to drum. God he's as good as anyone you've ever seen But more of that later So, with the songs and the musicianship (an ugly word evoking technology and tabs and frowning and stuff- but it should be noted immediately that these boys can really play). The Devilrock Four had a big head-start on most bands right from the off.

Early on they played the usual scabby venues where live music is reluctantly booked but not especially encouraged, you know the sort of places. The ones where the person in charge has to check to tell you if there's a PA. The "OK ... um ... I'll try and fine somebody who knows" gigs.

That period - a kind of free band practice sometimes stumbled on by some delighted onlookers- lasted about five minutes as word spread that there was a rock' n' roll band in town Alive and kicking .and not THAT interested in their hair and I'll tell you what ... good-looking to boot

By the middle of 2003 The Devilrock Four were already a stunning live band. They just came out of the practice rooms that way. And they've only gotten better and better, and us in the crowd, we look at one another and shake our heads because we honestly can't quite believe what's going on in front of us. (or sometimes behind us or above us depending on where Carl and Jonny decide to go when they leave the stage.

The first time I saw them I honestly believed instantly and firmly in a moment's epiphany that the Devilrock Four were the best in the land. Now sure I don't get out much so I had to consult other witnesses. They all corroborated and the more acts I saw after that, the more The Devilrock Four stood apart in a league of their own.

No-one was doing what they were doing, and what they were doing with spectacular skill and energy and a deserved and endearing self-confidence and arrogance was proving that there are still riffs, fantastic riffs, and tunes too, and they'd been floating in the ether unwritten, and unplayed. It just needed someone to get onto the case and The Devilrock Four have done it. Suddenly it was air guitarsville for you and me but what sort of thing are we talking about here?

First let's not pretend that a guitar.guitar.bass.drums rock'n'roll band is a new concept. The Devilrock Four are hardly experimental and are not working on a new shape for the wheel. Who... cares... the thing is this is still music which is a big surprise; because it's not unlike what Kiss and Aerosmith and The Clash and AC/DC and Thin Lizzy bestowed upon us around the time the Devilrock guys were taking their first breaths. Primo- quality surging rock suitable for cosy pub, or fuck-off-size stadium and that makes the band virtually unique at the moment. Because they're just so good at it. It's like all your favourite rock'n'roll bands have been decanted thoroughly and the mix served up as 100% proof rock heaven.

All that new rock stuff -all sloppy and be-drugged and "Man-do-I-look-like-Keith?" it was pretty much just a plod down the shops as far as I could see. My belief was afforded more credence , made more obvious when the Duke Of Windsor Hotel, (the place where rock happened for several years, the place you wanted to be) voted the Devilrock Four the outstanding band of 2004. Now that's some kind of feather in the cap. Then The Green Room (which is where you were if you weren't at the Duke) voted the Devilrock Four band of the year too. I mean, something was going on.

The home made EP was launched. And sold out. People bought cool badges and stole stickers and signed on to the mailing list. Onwards and upwards.

Premier Artists were impressed enough to take over the band's tour bookings. Shock records were impressed enough to distribute the first official release; the Livin This Low EP. And it elicited comments like these.

Longtime respected Journo Jeff Jenkins wrote in his Inpress column: "You know The Devilrock Four can cut it live but can they deliver on disc? Ooh Yeah!...Who will be the next Aussie rock band to conquer the charts? The Devilrock Four are serious contenders." In Beat Patrick Emery wrote: "Listening to this EP I felt compelled to raise my arm in a rock'n'roll salute and scream 'yeah'! with psychotic abandon. And that's gotta be a good thing." That's just the first few reviews. (One person thought it sucked but that's ok) Oh, and from Red Eye records in Sydney..."Ferocious debut 5-tracker from the Melbourne high flyers, chock full of the loudest rock you'll ever hear!" In Time Out it was enough to make the reviewer "proud to be Australian", and not a Socceroo in sight.

You can read all that stuff elsewhere on the website, the press, the opining. I'll take a big leap fast forward, past the tours to Adelaide and Sydney and provincial towns salivating for some decent rock'n'roll and the TV stuff etc and onto this year.

The band got signed by Zatzit, the new label branching from the SEE creative media group ,the brainchild ... the lovechild of the legendary James 'The Hound Dog' Young. He wanted to sign them on the strength of the CD they made AT HOME. He knew he'd found his band. Seeing the gigs just confirmed what he'd suspected He'd really found his band

This year an album has been recorded -at Sing Sing with Matt Voigt who amongst many achievements engineered the Kiss/Melbourne Symphony Orchestra record from a few years back. Need I say more? The guy's good. He saw the band, and he had to be involved.

So September will see the first Zatzit/Shock release.: the single Don't Throw It Away with several bonus tracks which won't be available on the LP, and that nuclear baby is going to be released in January 2007. Single ... album ... have a nice summer.

Enough for now. Check the photos and the sound-bites and send the Devilrock Four a "herogram", and ask them how they can do this so dirty without alcohol or drugs. I dunno, cos they're not wasted maybe? Cos rock'n'roll is the core of their lives around which the other stuff of life orbits barely attended to.

But look, most of all ... if you haven't yet ... see them play. Trust me This is a true story. And it's hardly started.

Dub July 2006

Born - 17/06/76, Tasmania

Previous Bands
Drone 1997-1998, the Rubs 2000-2001, the Bloodfarts 2002

Influences
AC/DC, Joe Strummer

Favourite Gig
AC/DC, Rod Laver Arena

Gear Marshall jcm800 100w head, '79 Fender Stratocaster, '06 Fender Stratocaster, '78 Gibson Les Paul Pro, Fulldrive 2 overdrive pedal

Born - 15/9/1979 Scottsdale, Tasmania

Previous Bands
The Lightning Strikes, 2006-Current, Pantyraid 2003-2004, Process of Elimination 2001-2004, The Bastard 3 1999, Rogue II 1998-1999, 20 Dollar Dogs 1998 ,Corkcharge 1994-1997

Influences
Aerosmith, The Cult, Cheap Trick, The Hellacopters, Gluecifer, Radio Birdman, AC/DC, Sparta, Mark of Cain, Mudhoney, The Afghan Whigs.

Favourite Gig
The Hellacopters - Metro, Sydney 1999

Album of the Month
Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen

Gear Marshall JMP 1976, '89 Fender Stratocaster, '86 Fender Telecaster, '04 Gibson SG Standard

Born - 6/10/1977 London, UK

Previous Bands
Rapdance Coolparty - 2004, The Bloodfarts - 2003, The Lucky T's - 2001-2002, Lazy Mary - 2000, Spambadger - 1998-1999, The Rubs - 1998-1999, The Triantulopes - 1998, Three Hand City - 1996-1997, Clutch Life - 1994-1997, Clog - 1993-1994, More Than Pets - 1993

Influences
Archers of Loaf, Gluecifer, Dinosaur Jnr, Radiohead, Hellacopters, Tom Waits, Swervedriver, No Doubt, You Am I, Entombed, Aphex Twin, Melvins, My Bloody Valentine, Danny Elfman

Favourite Gig
Radiohead, Rod Laver Arena Melbourne 2005

Gear
Fender Jazz Bass, black Geddy Lee signature series Peavey session series bass head Dunlop gain/pre-amp/D.I pedal

Previous Bands
Fez Perez 1999-2002, Luxedo 1997-1999, Just 1996-1998

Influences
Zombies, Ventures, Kinks, Calexico, Supersuckers, 60's film soundtracks

Favourite Gig
Calexico, HiFi Bar Melbourne 2003, dueling pedal steel!!

Gear
Pearl Kit, Zildjian Cymbals