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Acquiescence.
Acquiescence will be one of the final events for the Fringe and promises a full day's worth of bands, visual art, live performance, DJs, electronica and dance from a hearty cross section of talented SA artists. It's a diverse lineup, nicely reflected in three of the headline bands: Special Patrol (melodic pop), Virgin Black (operatic dark metal) and Ungkas (tribal rock).
"It's great to have variety in music and arts, because people may be exposed to styles of music that they wouldn't otherwise have had the opportunity to see," enthuses Ungkas' frontman Karl Roberts. "They might find something that they have been missing out on."
"It's just nice to go somewhere and know that something throughout the duration of the day will be a surprise," opines Virgin Black vocalist Rowan London. "Whether it's realising that one does actually require talent to DJ or that performance art isn't just a load of wank, or that bands aren't merely full of people who need to grow up and get a job; something will surprise."
"It's a great opportunity to see what else is out there," suggests Special Patrol's guitarist Damien Holland, while colleague Kate Bailey describes it as "A melting pot of creativity - bring it on!"
"I've always viewed Adelaide as a haven of non-exclusivity in respect to sub-cultures and in turn a people who embrace talent unconditionally, revering it over stylistic comfort zones," explains London. "There are pros and cons to a 'buffet' style event and some come up quite soulless, but I think there's a tangible human touch to the programme that should be evident on the day. I know the directors have aimed at the upper echelon of each genre in terms of success, but more importantly [it's about] attitude and creativity."
The bands all had their own reasons for lending their support to the event. "It's a great opportunity to perform during Adelaide's most thriving cultural period," Bailey explains, while London explains "We were fascinated to see what the view would be like from beyond our faithful black-clad brethren and dark, cultish mire."
"What we thought was cool about Acquiescence is the fact that it showcases local original artists," Roberts emphasises, "and gives them the opportunity to be seen by people who might not go out to see local acts on the weekends. Being part of the Fringe, it has been given a higher profile and better publicity."
Of all of the acts on the bill Virgin Black are perhaps the
least mainstream, but London's not worried about how they might
go down with a crowd more attuned to the likes of, say, The
Gels or A Tribe Is Forming. "It comes down to whether people
are willing to get into our headspace or not," he shrugs, with
a chuckle. "It's hardly toe-tappin', beer-chuggin', crowd surfin'
music. It's a voyeuristic look at everything we are as frail
humans and I hope people will respond to that... I believe that
the audience for the most will be there with readiness to absorb
all manner of unique art."
Meanwhile, good things are happening for Virgin Black: "Most excitingly, a couple of us may soon be flown out to Los Angeles to rehearse with other musicians for a special one-off performance in Leipzig, Germany, for a DVD release," London enthuses, "possibly - hopefully - in the church which Bach played in for 27 years. He is now buried there. No pressure or anything!"
 Special
Patrol are on the up-and-up as well: "We're off to Melbourne
again in a couple of weeks," Bailey explains, "and playing at
Indyfest in Canberra a few weeks after that, and our debut album
is very, nearly ready, so that's soon to be released, followed
by a national tour, followed by a gig at the Adelaide Cup, followed
by World Domination..."
"Sometimes we loose sight of our roots," Mayo sighs, tongue very firmly in his cheek. "You know, when you're touring one weekend a month it's easy to forget where you're from..."
While Acquiescence is a celebation of South Australian talent, it also marks the final hurrah for Ungkas, who have made the surprise decision to disband.
"That's sad," says Special Patrol's Myles Mayo when I tell him of Ungkas' split. "I'm glad I'll get to see their final crack. Let's hope it's more successful than Don Bradman's farewell." "We can only hope they'll go out on a high," Bailey adds. "I hope I catch their set," nods Holland.
"What a way to go!" Roberts exclaims. "We've been playing gigs pretty flat out over the last few years, and as much as we have enjoyed doing so, due to lifestyle changes, we have decided that this is the best thing for all involved. We wouldn't like to be producing a product if our hearts aren't in it 100%, but hopefully all our friends and everyone who has ever enjoyed an Ungkas show will turn up for the send off. Last chance to dance, kids!"
He also sounds very positive about the future: "I'm singing in a band named The Jonestown Syndicate, featuring ex-Full Frontal Lobotomy members, which is more of the metal/hardcore kind of sound, and we all will be doing various other projects."
Should audiences expect any farewell surprises on the day? "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise!"
Andrew P Street
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Acquiescence kicks off at noon on Sun 14 March at Higher Ground on Pulteney St.
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