AFTER five years of playing Aussie pub-rock covers, Newcastle’s The Perpetrators will soon head into the studio to lay down some original tunes.
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The band formed after a spontaneous New Year’s Eve performance of Born to Be Wild at a backyard party hosted by local drummer Donny Annecchini.
“From there we just started jamming, Neil joined the band and we were known as Too Grey Ohh,” guitarist Anthony Hunt said.
“We basically played 2KO music and just did backyard parties, weddings and that kind of stuff.”
The line-up has changed over the years, along with the name, it currently sees Neil Meyrick on vocals, on guitars is Hunt and Mat Wojko, Dave Knee is on drums and Daryl Metlcalfe plays bass.
“It’s like AC/DC meets boogie rock, meets hard rock. It’s sounds like a bunch of old blokes playing rock’n’roll,” Hunt said.
Being in The Perpetrators, Hunt said, was all about having fun.
“We are old and grey and we have a bit of fun, but it’s just about playing music and having a bit of a laugh,” Hunt said.
“It’s Aussie pub rock, it’s Newcastle pub rock, but a bit self deprecating.
“There is huge crazy guitar stuff. Mat used to play in Thunder Monkeys and he is a mad lead guitarist.
“He was living in the States prior to joining us. I sent him a message, cause I knew he was coming back, ‘come and join the band’.
“He goes off … we do a cover of Boogie Woogie by AC/DC and he does a five minute guitar solo.”
The band broke out from parties and began playing pubs. They have built a following in locations up the Hunter Valley and in Tea Gardens.
“We have a great following up there (Tea Gardens),” Hunt said. “We play there four or five times a year.
“We do Anzac Day, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, that kind of stuff. It goes off.”
The band slips in a couple or original tunes when they play as a cover band.
“We started writing our own stuff … we have 10 songs that will be recorded,” Hunt said.
They will record with Geoff Mullard at Rock the Nation Studios, in September.
“We will bang it out in three days,” Hunt said. “We don’t want it overproduced but want a big sound.”
The plan is to release the recording, which has the working title Behind Bars, in October.
It will be released on CD and digital platforms. They plan to launch the recording on October 27 at the Hamilton Station Hotel where they will perform with Whisper, and The Meantime.
Follow The Perpetrators on Facebook: facebook.com/theperpetratorsofoz