Gothic Theatre
The Grates
What’s the story?
What’s the plan with those 3 panicky kids from Brisbane, Australia? You know the ones what have had those few songs on the radio? You know those ones what they do… ah Trampoline, Rock Boys, Sukkafish, Message? Well you know those 3 kids? …well…
Fact #1 about The Grates.
Grates Patience (singer), Alana (drummer) and John (guitar driver) meet in high school doing winning lottery extreme joy faces instead of doing wednesday afternoon sport.
Fact #1 about me.
I enjoy driving BMX bikes.
Fact #2 about The Grates.
So these little childrens I hear made their own recordings in John’s fathers shed where he works with metals, and these stupid behaviour recordings gets high rotation on the national youth radio network Triple J. This song is ‘Trampoline’.
Fact #2 about me.
I speak 4 languages fluently and don’t touch the hair!
Fact #3 about The Grates.
So then these 3 do experiments with different ways to record and do lots of these east coast tours of Australia. Then lots of people start making enquiries like ’what’s the story with these 3 children?’ cos they had this other new song on the radio ‘Rock Boys’. Then following was ‘Sukkafish’ and just more of recent times, they have this fast ‘Message’ song appearing through the radio. This one time this girl requested it on the radio cos she said it makes her dog twist in a frenzy, and I was all like ‘Sweeeet! That dog is coooooool!’
Fact #3 about me.
How is Rocket?
Fact #4 about The Grates.
Well you know that band? Well the grates did some shows with them! As well as The Go! Team, Death From Above 1979, TISM, Rocket Science, Regurgitator, Wolfmother, Be Your Own Pet, the 5,6,7,8’s and those cool festivals ‘Splendour in the Grass’ and ‘Come Together’.
Fact #4 about me.
Once I took five minutes footage of the itchiest man in the world when I was in New York. True story, he must have took his shirt on and off 5 times at least. No kidding! I think this man was a heroin addict.
Fact #5 about The Grates.
These people have their E.P, ‘The Ouch. The Touch.’, released in Australia on St. Valentines day 2005 and then I hear this incredible story, what this can not be true, they put a bunch of this C.D. onto a pirate ship which sails this cargo to the U.K. and then these super heroes, what they call themselves ‘Captains Of Industry" release this C.D. in the U.K. in April 2005. ’The Ouch. The Touch’ is also set to be released in the US and Canada in the month of August.
Fact #5 about me.
During tours I wear chilli patches on the small of my back.
Fact #6 about The Grates.
It was about that time I filmed that itchiest man in N.Y. that the Grates were there too. This was their second time in the big apple. They had made visits to London, L.A., N.Y. and Toronto in March on their way to SXSW and on this occasion they were returning to these places on their way to NXNE.
Fact #6 about me.
No bald men! If you plan on coming to a grates show, wear a wig. Not their rules, mine. Anyway I gotta go soon. Ciao mi amore!
