In the first instalment of her series 'What's Up Down Under?', Robyn introduces us to Australian surf rock outfit Skegss.
For refreshers week on the campus of my exchange university, Skegss opened the new Students' Union building. Whilst I’d heard of them before and knew of their most popular single L.S.D, I was excited to see some of their other stuff live.
Being this side of the world, I knew I would be able to see a load of artists who don’t typically come to the UK and it was cool that a pretty well-known Australian band were the first on my list and on campus. A+ for first impressions, Canterbury.
It was a really great night, the crowd were exactly what you’d expect from a surf rock band; I felt right at home. The set was interesting, with a mix of songs that were ‘mosh pit appropriate’ such as Spring Has Sprung, and Couch Party, as well as a number of other songs that definitely were not, yet people still tried. The gig was well catered for the energetic crowd and I walked out comparing the band to the likes of Slaves. However, many songs on their debut album My Own Mess appear really rather different and demonstrate the ‘chill’ surfer vibes with songs such as Road Trip.
I like the eclectic mix of tracks, and even the different styles explored within each song, with many having a mellow start before building up to the band's signature garage rock style. I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard at least a couple of their songs, particularly if you enjoy the occasional Indie Wednesdays at Bodega! I recommend delving a bit deeper into their work as they span over such a broad range of genres.
I’m lucky enough that on campus every Thursday night there is an evening of up and coming artists from ‘down under’ so I plan to keep you updated with some new bands from New Zealand and Australia so you can have new music to love before it gets too popular and stay a step ahead of all the newest trends.
You can follow the writer @robswalford on Twitter.
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