They are the band that goes bump in the night. They are Spaulding, a collective of horror punk and rock music-makers. Come take a walk down the dark hallway as we get to know them a little better.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. How are you and what are you up to right now?
Hi Amanda, I am doing quite well … Busy at the moment working on the preparations for our string of upcoming shows – outfits, accommodation and alcohol all needs to be accounted for.
Your band has quite an interesting “mascot”. Where did Dr Spaulding come from?
No one is truly sure of exactly where Spaulding came from. We happened to come across him in an abandoned wool mill midst the corpses of his fallen woollen brethren. Over time we have come to learn that our intergalactic overlord has come from the deepest, darkest pits of an alternate universe, his home planet destroyed by his kind’s own malevolent gluttony and corruption.
It looks a lot like something you’d see in a horror movie. Are you a big horror fan?
One of the first films I ever remember seeing was A Nightmare on Elm Street: the scene where Heather Langenkamp’s character, Nancy, is being dragged around the walls, smearing blood behind her has served as one of my earliest childhood memories. Since then I have been a fan of the macabre, horror and things dark and campy.
You’ve got a show coming up in your hometown with Witchgrinder. Are you looking forward to supporting them?
Yeah definitely. Spaulding’s first show was actually with those guys here in Warrnambool, and we shared the stage with them a few months back in Melbourne. They are really great guys and shows with them are always a blast.
And then the next day you’ll have Creepshow Halloween Festival. That seems like a big gig to have the day after. Have you played that festival before?
It will be our first time playing Creepshow. We actually got asked to play a while back now, and then the Witchgrinder show popped up, and we definitely weren’t going to turn it down.
I imagine the morning after may be a bit rugged, but none of us have ever let sleep deprivation (or a hangover, for that matter) stop us from smashing the stage the day after … It will be good practise for when we embark on a tour, I guess.
What can audience members expect from your sets?
Those that have seen us before know exactly what to expect … Those that have not can expect a high energy show with a kick-ass punk attitude. We always try to have a lot of fun with our shows and encourage our audiences to do the same.
You guys seem to make a lot of tongue in cheek jokes and references, especially with your EP titled Super Fun Good Value EP. Do you think it’s important to let your personalities shine through in what you do?
I think that is the most important thing anyone can do in anything. Spaulding is not a band that conforms to trends or jump on bandwagons. We do what we like and feel that our music and live shows prove that.
Now that you’ve got the EP out of the way, what’s next for Spaulding?
We are going to play this next run of shows then take a bit of time to write some new material and try and spread our plague to some towns that have not yet been graced with Spaulding’s presence.
When&Where: Your Break, Warrnambool – October 24