Boasting members from Blood Duster, Christbait, Legends of Motorsport, DernRutlidge and Pillow, The Ruiners are the latest incarnation of over 25 years in playing music. Bass guitarist Jason Fuller may have introduced himself as the “second least talented” member of The Ruiners, but has more than enough personality for the entire band. The Ruiners are returning to the line-up for River Rocks in November, and Jason told Forte that “we’re looking forward to rubbing cocks with Warped and Blacklist”.
Hey Jason, thanks for chatting. For our readers who haven’t heard your music before, how would you describe your sound?
I’d say we’re almost like a doom pop band. We play doom music, but we have more of a love for song. A lot of doom bands will just sit on a roof for forty minutes going on about how heavy they are. We’re not like that, because we like to actually have a song to play.
You’re playing at River Rocks in November, how does it stand out from other music festivals?
The best thing about River Rocks is that it’s curated by people who have actual taste in music. They don’t just play whatever the most popular thing is, and they can afford to put on bands they like. It just so happens that the bands they like are the bands all of us like. Perfect size, perfect amount of bands, and no bullshit.
With that in mind, what is your favourite thing about performing live?
Getting wasted with friends. We turn up and from the moment you walk through the door, people are handing you beers. When you get up on stage, you’re already half hammered. By the time it’s over, you’re crawling out. Other people might have more musical answers, but mine generally revolve around alcohol and having fun.
The Barwon Club gave us a raving review of your music. What’s the best part about working with venues who are so passionate about music?
That’s very nice. We’ve been playing at the Barwon Club for 25 years in different bands. We love coming down to G-Town. We’re from Melbourne but we’ve done more time in Geelong. We feel a bit local, and lots of our friends and bands we’ve played with are from Geelong.
What’s the music scene like in Geelong compared to Melbourne?
Geelong’s always been known as the dirty rock city. From back in the days of Magic Dirt, Warped and the Poppin’ Mommas, dirty rock has been a big part of that scene. Geelong might not be the biggest city but it’s had a huge influence on other bigger cities such as Melbourne. It’s really underestimated as a music town.
What’s in the future for yourself and The Ruiner?
We’re working on a new EP at the moment, and a new album coming out next year. There’s also a special vinyl version of The Ruiner’s self-titled album that will be built by KDS Designs in Geelong. The vinyl will be housed in a metal box which is welded shut. It’s a ridiculous package for no reason other than that it’s cool.
When & Where: Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong – November 11 & 12
Written by Steph Downing