BATS magazine

The Lost Weekend Festival is coming to Brisbane in March for it's very first year. Just looking at the lineup gets us incredibly excited and the knowing fact that the it is now an ALL AGES event is more than enough reason to support this newborn festival. 

The lineup sees a refreshing array of local and international acts that sets this festival apart from the more common dance festivals this summer. 

plus Brisbane locals: DZ, Toy Balloon, Last Dinosaurs, The Gin Club, Little Scout, Blank Realm, No Anchor, Nikko, The John Steel Singers, Oh Ye Denver Birds, Buick Six, Tape/Off, Do The Robot & Bigstrongbrute and lots more!

Thanks to the promoters of the festival, we have a double pass to giveaway!

TO WIN: simply email win@batsmagazine.com with the subject as 'THE LOST WEEKEND FESTIVAL' and tell us something you've lost and what you would do to get it back.

The Lost Weekend Festival will be held at the Brisbane Riverstage and The Botanical Gardens on the 6th and 7th of March. Tickets are $150 for both days. The prices of 1 day tickets vary. For more information and to buy your tickets please visit The Lost Weekend Festival website here.

On saturday night, Ball Park Music launched their new video clip for their song SEA STRANGERS with support from The Rocketsmiths and the Indigo Kids. It was a whimsical night reminiscent of a primary school fete with a bake stall, face painting and balloons left right and centre. 

You can watch the video clip now on Youtube:

Here are a few photos we took on the night.

Thanks to AXXONN we have [2x] DOUBLE PASS + a copy of their brand new LP to giveaway!

To enter, simply email win@batsmagazine.com with the subject as "BELOW THE DEAD ONES" along with your full name.

What were the reasons behind putting your LP on cassette tapes? I know my walkman is long gone...
Cassettes are beautiful objects; I loved them a lot when I was younger and still do with the memories still being fond and vivid. Back in 1989 I got a Walkman and ‘Smash Hits ‘89’ on Cassette, on it was the Mötley Crüe single ‘Dr. Feelgood’ I listened to that endlessly, re-winding and listening again and again until soon after the tape was completely stuffed, since that Christmas I’ve always loved tapes and always loved Mötley Crüe so it’s only fitting that I have a few cassette released throughout my career (we’re also cheating a little as they all come with a download coupon for the mp3’s).

How will this LP compare to the one you released last year?
This Cassette is about embracing the underlying drone held within most of our tracks, teasing it out like an untamed beast whilst trying not to let it bite you and then letting it loose at the most inappropriate time through a few too many distortion pedals.

What was the recording process like for this LP? What's it like recording with
local Brisbane label Bedroom Suck Records, is it very DIY?
Basically this album came together why I (Tom) was in San Francisco over the last 4-months of last year. I had a bunch of stuff that needed to be brought together sonically, I moved in with a guy Scott Arford (a super prominent sound/video artist for like the last 20 years) who had the most amazing studio chocked full of insane analog gear, he threw me the keys to his studio and said take it for a drive, at first I thought I can’t touch this expensive analog hardware, but soon temptation got the better of me (and the cold weather) so I pretty much turned it all on at once (it heated the studio up considerably) and got to work making what I feel are some of my most accomplished drone orientated tracks to date.

Bedroom Suck Records, fucking awesome dudes and perfectly DIY, I am super stoked that these tracks are being put out by Joe and not some schmuck who wants to make a quick buck but someone who has a genuine passion for the sound AXXONN creates. Joe embraces everything that is awesome about DIY, the choice to make something unique and on a personal level, I’m super into this release and 110% behind Bedroom Suck Records!

What can we expect at the launch next Saturday?
A ridiculous amount of amplification, a smoke machine, a small spotlight and more distortion pedals than you could poke a stick at in Tyms Guitars. But all that aside, some big heavy euphoric sound to nod your head to…

Where can our readers get their hands on the cassette after your launch?
The best bet is to support Bedroom Suck Records direct by hitting Joe up on their myspace (http://www.myspace.com/bedroomsuckrecords) and he’ll get one to you ASAP and probably with a big smile, failing that you can go to Rocking Horse or www.axxonnband.com - but definitely hit Joe up first.

What are AXXONN's plans for the rest of the year?
AXXONN has some rad international supports coming up in Brisbane with ISIS and HEALTH, both fantastic bands from Los Angeles. Then we hit Japan for a couple of festival slots in Tokyo. Mid year sees our debut full-length LP coming out in the UK so from then onwards AXXONN will be on the road with tours in the USA, EU, UK and then back to the USA. We pretty much won’t have time to breathe from July onwards. But man I will miss Brisbane…it’s the best city in the World!!


And lastly, what's it like to share your band name with one of the leading manufacturers of Patio Furniture?
As it happens I dig the shit out of patio furniture, I mean there’s been numerous BBQ’s I’ve attended where it’s become the basis for the bonfire, keeping everyone warm, why wouldn’t you be proud? I mean I wonder if they’re David Lynch fans too?!

AXXONN play The Step Inn next Saturday February 13 w/  Blank Realm, Heart Flew Like An Arrow and Per Purpose. Tickets are $5 on the door.

AXXONN will also be supporting HEALTH at The Stepp Inn on Thursday Febuary 25.

we have a double pass to giveaway to the Brisbane show of the HEALTH national tour!

To enter, simply email win@batsmagazine.com with the subject as "HEALTH" along with your full name. - this is event is strictly 18 plus - winner will be notified by email -