We're celebrating 5 years
On Saturday December 5, we'll be celebrating 5 years as a label (and 7 years as a collective) with a big show at Manning Bar. The first ever Bird?s Robe show was at Hermann?s Bar down the road. So it?s nice to come back to Manning Bar and celebrate where it all really started. This is where I met the venue booker Dave Batty and explained to him this crazy idea of bands being part of a collective. This is where I met sleepmakeswaves, I like cats, CODA, this is where Alex saw The Red Paintings, this is where bands like Anubis, Megastick Fanfare, Foveaux and super FLORENCE jam all cut their teeth. Let?s just go over a few comparisons. In 2011, we had a bunch of bands celebrating debut albums. Sleepmakeswaves released ...and so we destroyed everything. Tangled Thoughts of Leaving released 'Deaden the Fields'. Meniscus dropped 'War of Currents'. Solkyri released 'No House'. Mish released 'The Entrance'. Toehider released 'To Hide Her'. The past 12 ? 18 months have seen a bunch of amazing leaps and bounds. Anubis released their third album 'Hitchhiking to Byzantium' and toured Europe for the first time. Dumbsaint have released their second album 'Panorama, in ten pieces', soon to be followed by a film. Forstora released their crushing record 'For All That Will Save Or Destroy Us.' We Lost The Sea released 'Departure Songs' and toured with This Will Destroy You & MONO. Arcane released their first album in 5 years with 'Known/Learned.' Solkyri released 'Sad Boys Club' and toured Europe including Dunk Festival as well as scoring supports for Trail of Dead & Mew. They went over with Tangled Thoughts of Leaving who themselves released a new album 'Yield To Despair', toured nationally with 65daysofstatic, including Adelaide Festival, toured Europe and were licensed to Pelagic Records. Meniscus have lost a drummer, gained a drummer, played BigSound, Jungle Love Festival and hopefully again with the new music in 2016. The Red Paintings have played 120+ shows around the world and have a new album in the works ? they came back here to play Adelaide Festival with Mogwai, and toured with Trail of Dead around the country and their first visit to New Zealand in 9 years. Voyager ? released 'V' ? toured the UK, toured the USA for ProgPower alongside Evergrey, toured Australia with Dead Letter Circus and sleepmakeswaves, headlined their own shows and now have tours with Leprous, Nightwish and Epica coming up! Captain Kickarse and the Awesomes finally released ?Grim Repercussions? and played incredible shows along the east coast. Troldhaugen ? toured Europe with Alestorm, toured Australia with Vampillia, toured Europe again headlining and playing Summer Breeze Festival, before touring Australia with Alestorm. Toehider ? released 'What Kind of Creature Am I?', toured nationally, Mike Mills went to Europe to perform alongside DT?s James LaBrie and played shows in Europe for the first time ? plus let?s not forget that 'Wuthering Heights' cover. Or that ridiculously awesome song he wrote about me. Or the new EP 'Mainly Songs About Robots' featuring Dio drummer Vinny Appice! We?ve toured 65daysofstatic, Vampillia, This Will Destroy You, Trail of Dead?MEW! Oh and this band, this sleepmakeswaves. 55 shows in 22 countries. Their new album 'Love of Cartography' nominated for an ARIA Award, J Award, AIR Award, winning an AU Review Award, selling out shows in Warsaw, London, Barcelona, Budapest and Vienna ? and headlining the Metro Theatre earlier this year. This is pretty good right? So?I don?t know how much of this means anything to you guys, but to me, it means the world. All of this, for just one of these things to happen would have been a success. Now it?s just ridiculous. I always felt that Australia had world class music and these amazing people you?ve supported have been all the way around the world and enjoyed so many incredible experiences because of you. So thank you, so much, for everything. It?s not often we get to stop and reflect on all this but 5 years for the label and 7 years for the idea seems about right. So, please enjoy this incredible music & let these wonderful artists know how much it means to you. Thank you.