Interview with Daniel Sanders. November 1999
How did the band come together?
Just through meeting each other at parties and through friends of friends.
Your favourite venue?
Personally, my fave Perth venue would be the Grosvenor Backroom. Just the stage
is nice and big, good for fuckin around on and the sound there is pretty much
beyond comparison. Loud and Phat but still relatively clear.
Are you pleased with the way your demo has been received?
Yeah for sure. Seeing as it was a simple cassette release, made cheap and sold
cheap with all our old first lot of songs with first take vocals etc, we were
stoked with how well it went. I suppose we look at it now and hate it just because
the content is all old and crusty but yeah at the time, it was great fun.
Biggest achievement for the band?
New things keep cropping up all the time. Getting supports I suppose is always
a pat on the back but yeah it'll keep changing. Campus bands finals this year
and last, supports as I mentioned, just having peers and mates telling you they
enjoy your music is really satisfying.
How would you describe gyroscope's music?
It's just music. Melodic, up tempo, positive, sometimes emotional and mystic.
Millenium Rock.
Who comes up with the lyrics and music or is it a team effort?
I usually come up with a riff or set of riffs, and a vocal harmony, then bring
it into rehearsals where we'll then add leads, bass runs, drums etc etc to it.
But in saying that, sometimes it all comes together through just jamming shit
and then it'll gel like that. I'll then go home and put lyrics to it but if
one of the others have a line they really want to put out, then i'll add that
into the tune. Very much a team effort lately which is nice.
What is the general message in your lyrics?
Most, if not all songs have the Positivity theme. Some are more based on personal
occurances, super natural theories, people and relationships etc etc.
Plans for the near future?
Near future consists of recording our debut EP in December of this year (1999).
Releasing it early next year (2000) and hopefully touring over east around April
2000 or so with the new disc. Also during that time, playing heaps of shows
and just working hard.
Where do you see the perth scene at the moment?
Right now at this point in time, it's ok. Venue wise is wierd as a lot have
bit the dust or gone for cover bands and shit. Band wise is great as right now,
there's some fucken great acts out there but yeah the "enough gigs for
everyone" factor just isnt happening at the present.
Where can it be improved?
Venues. Bands that are putting in the long hours in the rehearsal rooms to ensure
that they come out and deliver 110% each time should be out there rippin it
up. I dunno really. Overall, venues.
Who are your favourite local/interstate bands?
Locally, at the moment I'm really into Ballpoint. Great disc they've just released
and top blokes also. Umm PC Thug have always been a fave.. Fourth Floor Collapse
are a nice emotional sorta band (like Radiohead), Turnstyle are good. FSD, the
Dirty Whittler.. fuck I dunno, soo many good bands I cant think. Flagship are
good also. Fuck it, too many more to name. People should realise that Perth
has heaps to offer. Diversity is the key.
What would be your dream band/s to support?
Personally, Unwritten Law would be it. I know Zoran's is Millencolin or 28 Days
but seeing as we are supporting the latter, I suppose he's over the moon. Rob's
would be Smashing Pumpkins I guess and Brad's would be.. fuck i dunno. Elvis
Costello or something?
Best Release of 1999?
In all honesty here, I personally think Ballpoint 'Magnetik' is one of the best
releases I've heard out of Perth ever so that'd be up there. Great tunes and
compliments them with a great mix and sound quality.
Do gyroscope try to play gigs with bands from other genres?
Fucken oath we do. Perth is too small to cut yourself off. We'll play with any
band, regardless of genre.
Favourite local gig played?
When we supported Reel Big Fish / 22 Jacks. Just had the best time both onstage
and hangin out afterwards. All ages show's are intense fun.
Thanks heaps for doing this Daniel
cheers for that adam mate. keep up the good work.