Welcome to Cop City, where the locals are nefarious and outrageous and the soundtrack to their lives is fittingly decadent and wild. Enter then Simon Carter, singer, lead guitarist and keyboardist of The Cops, the band that has provided us with a glimpse into this crazy town through their debut album Stomp On Tripwires.
“We’ve all known each other from the Sydney scene for quite a while. A few of us had played in bands together. I had some songs lying around and Beck got into them and pressured me into forming a band. I really wasn’t going to do anything with the songs at all. And then I asked some mates if they wanted to be in a band and they said, ‘yes’, luckily.”
It has been quite a year of firsts for The Cops – aside from delivering to us their first album, they are also the first, and as yet only, band to be signed to label Love Police Records and Tapes as General Manager Brian Taranto and Label Manager Andy Kent (You Am I) were mightily impressed by the sound and vigour apparent on the band’s demos and live on stage.
“We wanted to go on a label, but we had no idea we’d end up being the only band and the first band on the label, which was extremely fortunate for us. [We were] really excited. We’re having a ball.”
The public reaction to Stomp On Tripwires has been exceedingly positive. The record combines rock with electronica, disco and funk, all the while maintaining a raw and edgy sound that is skillful and enthusiastic in delivery. Simon acknowledges that the reception has been all that the band hoped for and much more.
“You never really know what’s going to happen when you put an album out, obviously, so to get such good reviews has been, ‘fucking thank god people actually got it’. We didn’t really know if they’d dig the way that the album goes from rock to electronic weird stuff. People are so in new rock these days that they might not get into that.”
Colourful characters abound throughout the songs, and it is through them that this world lives and breathes. Depravity, kookiness and instability are among the orders of the day. I ask Simon how these characters came into being.
“A lot of it is late-night television watching and there are a lot of crazy dudes around in the suburb I live in. It kind of dawned on me that it is like ‘Cop City’ in a way. I fucking hate concept albums; I can speak for everyone in the band that fucking concept albums are a big no-no, but it sort of is. Every character is a person in Cop City and it is about all the crazy shit that happens in a day in the life of Cop City.”
And of the 15 tracks of ‘crazy shit’, which one is Simon’s current pick of the bunch?
“I guess Street Panther is my favourite. Demented disco.”
The aforementioned track is a perfect example of the diversity you can expect between and within songs on Stomp On Tripwires. To successfully incorporate such an eclectic mix of style and sound is difficult, not to mention daring, but when it works it can rock your socks off.
Speaking of socks being rocked off, those that haven’t yet seen The Cops live can expect pleasure through pain – well, at least if you adhere to the following comparison:
“We jump around and have a really good time. It’s like riding a camel with chili stuffed down your pants. With really dumb 80s headphones on that have a radio built in…sweat bands and that kind of stuff!”
Finally, for a band that has released one of the best albums of 2004, I am curious to know who Simon’s favourite act of 2004 is. After a bit of deliberation, he settles upon Midnight Juggernauts.
“A band that we sometimes play with, Midnight Juggernauts has completely and utterly blown my mind. That’s the freshest thing I’ve heard in ages.”
It is fitting that the very same testament can be applied to The Cops many times over. Read FasterLouder.com.au’s album review here. You can also catch The Cops on tour with the Von Bondies here:
Thursday 21st October, Panthers, Newcastle
Friday 22nd October, Gaelic Club, Sydney
Tuesday 26th October, Heat, Perth
Wednesday 27th October, Fowlers Live, Adelaide
Friday 29th October, Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne
And on their recently announced Spring Break-Out Tour in November:
Thursday 4th, Great Northern, Byron Bay
Friday 5th, Troubadour, Brisbane
Saturday 6th, Troccadero, Gold Coast
Wednesday 10th, Oxford Tavern, Wollongong
Thursday 11th, Northern Star, Newcastle
Friday 12th, Spectrum, Sydney
Saturday 13th, Spectrum, Sydney
Sunday 14th, Newtown Festival (Headlining the Lennox Stage)
Wednesday 17th, ANU, Canberra
Thursday 18th, Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Friday 19th, Ding Dong, Melbourne
Saturday 20th, Rock N Roll Bowl, Adelaide
Thursday 25th, Fisho’s, Manly
Friday 26th, Bizzos, Carringbah
