We’re trying to put on the best live shows that we can and bring together every element of excitement that we can find for an hour of energy and make sure everyone’s dancing – Dan Briffa

According to their bio, ‘ Rogerthat are a band that could have come from just about any era.’ I dunno about that, but Jesse Bailey (vocals), Lachlan Leckie (bass), Jimmy Young (guitar) and Dan Briffa (drums) have certainly delved into every era and picked the good bits for themselves.

Strutting along the precipice of reggae, funk and seventies psychedelic rock without actually falling in, they are skimming the top of each pool to create some raw and energetic sounds they can really hang their hats from. And shit, these gorgeous boys don’t muck around.

Since recruiting Dan to bash the drums for them they have been screaming around the country in their tune mobile—‘We’ve decked the whole thing out with beds and all the gear sits in it…good thing it’s just four guys in the van, ’cause it gets a bit messy,’—playing with darlings of the Australian music scene: Spiderbait, Butterfingers, Custom Kings and label-mates The Beautiful Girls to name but a few.

After a slogging away for twelve months, their reward was a slot at their local Big Day Out which was especially sweet for Jesse who celebrated his 25th birthday on stage.

A reported 3500-odd strong crowd shook their arses to a few gems from 2006’s Chasing The Sun EP, as well as copping an earful of new tracks from The Vanilla Gorillas . Even for a hands-on, hard-working group like this one (bass player Lachy does all their artwork), I get the impression when speaking to Dan that they are kinda freaking out at the attention.

‘It was so amazing. The tent was so packed and the response from people after a song was just so loud and so freaky, it was like, ‘Holy shit,’ an incredulous Dan tells me. ‘And [fans] are going, “Hey Daniel how you going?” And I’m going “Oh god, I’ve got to get behind the drums—give me my security blanket! It is overwhelming—I get nervous talking on the phone!’

Happily, the boys have had a few mentor-types around to calm the nerves.

‘The Beautiful Girls are [a band] that we were following around and playing with. They’re putting on a really great show and being really professional and I get really nervous, so it was good to chat to [them] before the gig. They helped us feel more comfortable.’

I can understand that The Beautiful Girls were a complimentary choice as headliners, but tell Dan I found it sort of weird that they got the gig supporting Alabama 3 late last year at the Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom in Melbourne. Rogerthat performed to a lackluster crowd, but still put on a tight, musically impressive show that was second only to Devlin Love’s heartbreaking a’ Capella rendition of Strange Fruit in the Alabama 3 encore.

Dan wholeheartedly agrees: ‘I’m influenced by all this different stuff and then we have to play this show with this so-called acid country rock—I was quite blown away by the way they conducted their show. And that girl! She was the most amazing singer. That was unreal. I’d never heard anyone sing like that before. And she’s gorgeous too…I was like “Oh my god – I’m in love!” ’

Anyhoo, gorgeous girl aside I want to know what Dan thinks has changed in Rogerthat since he got behind the kit. While the whole ‘biz’ thing might get Dan running for the cover of his bass drum, talking tunes inspires a more confident tone. ‘There’s more dynamic now. We’ve been listening to so much seventies music— The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Cream – so we’ve been incorporating that into our music. [But] listening to the ‘Chilli Peppers and rockier sort of bands, I think that’s coming across too…’

With a new East Coast tour about to kick off with Amsterdam’s Sun Fire Souls (no, Black Rhythm Market Co, we haven’t forgotten about you) Rogerthat are set to release The Vanilla Gorillas in Europe at the start of March. Hopefully they can drum up some interest for when Sun Fire Souls return the favour and have Rogerthat sleepover in their hometown. Dan muses, ‘We might add a couple of songs from Chasing The Sun to bridge the gap between the last record and this one. There were so many good songs on the last record it would be a shame to not show the transition between us all and the band. The songs are still alive so we’re not going to ditch them now.’

And as for the upcoming dates, now that they’ve cracked the Big Day Out, surely it’s 5-star all the way for them now?

‘I don’t think so! We’ll be crashing in the van for most of the time. Hopefully we’ll be able to go to the beach and see all our friends.’

And what can punters expect?

‘We’re trying to put on the best live shows that we can and bring together every element of excitement that we can find for an hour of energy and make sure everyone’s dancing.’ Sounds like a plan, Dan.

ROGERTHAT EAST COAST TOUR DATES:

21 Feb 2008: Wollongong: Oxford Tavern Hotel w/ Sun Fire Souls
22 Feb 2008: Wyong: Chilli Lounge Grand Hotel w/ Sun Fire Souls
23 Feb 2008 Mona Vale: Mona Vale Hotel w/ Sun Fire Souls
28 Feb 2008: Newcastle: Newcastle Uni w/ the Fumes
29 Feb 2008: Leichhardt: The Bald Faced Stag w/ Sun Fire Souls
1 Mar 2008: St Kilda: The Espy Front Bar w/ Sun Fire Souls
6 Mar 2008: Geelong: Barwon Club w/ Black Market Rhythm co & Sun Fire Souls
7 Mar 2008: Fitzroy: Evelyn w/ Black Market Rhythm co & Sun Fire Souls
8 Mar 2008: Bendigo: Golden Vine Hotel w/ Black Market Rhythm co & Sun Fire Souls
28 Mar 2008: Brisbane: The Step Inn w/ Transport
29 Mar 2008: Byron Bay: Great Northern