Something In The Water

Fri 15th May, 2009 in Features

A couple of years ago, filmmaker Aidan O’Bryan set out to discover why Western Australia produces such a fine pedigree of bands. The resulting documentary, Something In The Water, has far outgrown its humble roots. FasterLouder had a chat with O’Bryan about the film’s upcoming DVD release and whether there really is something in the water.

So, Something In The Water debuted on ABC2 this week. When you were making the doco, were you expecting it to have this kind of reach?
Not at all. When we decided to make the film we were just doing it because we hadn’t made a film for a while and we expected it to be just a little DVD release that a few music nerds (like me) and fans of some WA bands would be keen on seeing. Every time we talked about it we found out that more and more people wanted to see it. So we thought we’d put a bit more effort in and it just got bigger and bigger.

Time for some spruiking: while people can watch the film on ABC2, what added extras do they get by picking up the DVD?
The DVD version is the full version of the film that’s about twenty minutes longer than the TV version and has a few more tracks in it. The disc also has about two hours of extra interview footage with people like Eskimo Joe, John Butler, The Triffids, Dave Faulkner, Kim Salmon and about ten other people.

The film asks: “Is it the distance, the environment, the community or is there something else responsible for [Perth’s] sparkling talent pool?” Is there any adequate answer to that question – or just lots of theories?
I really think that there is an answer. We started out making the film and testing a few theories, looking for the element, or elements, that makes the difference. As it turned out, it was the whole story that was important. There are certain things that happened at certain times that inspired people or helped them out or gave them space or whatever and that’s what has resulted in today’s success. It sounds a bit mundane that the past shapes the present, but it has really been a unique set of circumstances in Perth that has brought the scene to where it is today.

What’s most frustrating about being a band in Western Australia?
Hard to say. I’m not in a band, but the biggest two issues for just about anyone creative in Perth are the conservatism of the place and the distance between here and everywhere else. Perth is very, very resistant to change and it’s starting off a pretty low base as a creative capital. Things are changing but only very slowly.

Compare Perth to Melbourne or Berlin or any other artistic hub you can think of and the difference is astonishing. Add to that the fact that we’re hours away from anywhere even if you fly and it reinforces all the things that make Perth Perth. It’s a great place to live if you make sure that you get to leave a few times a year. Otherwise I think you could go crazy knowing that the rest of the world is out there but just hard (expensive) to get to.

WA has turned out several bands that have gone onto mainstream – œpop’ success, while others maintain that local hero status. Is there a common trait that all WA bands share, regardless of where their music takes them?
I think that the vast majority (I won’t say all) of bands from WA that have any success, local or commercial, is that they’re doing it for the right reasons. People in Perth haven’t traditionally had any tangible sense of getting rich or famous being rock stars. I think that shows in their work and shows when they perform. And when good talent hangs around long enough it eventually gets noticed on some scale.

You recount that at Big Day Out 1994 there were no Perth acts on the bill. How long did it take for that to gradually turn around?
The 2007 BDO was called the Perth Day Out by a bunch of the Aussie bands on the bill because of the number of Western Australians on the tour. A couple even joked that they should get team jackets or tracksuits made up. The mid nineties in the Perth local scene were awesome, but I think the national recognition was a pretty direct result of the success of a couple of key bands.

Does being so far-flung build a certain resilience within WA bands?
I remember talking to a few bands from the US who said they thought they had done it tough when they started out. But they couldn’t believe how hard it would be to grow up as a band when there are so few places to gig in Perth and almost no way to tour without it costing an absolute fortune. I think that WA bands start out doing it tough and doing everything themselves. That gives them a toughness and an appreciation of things when they do get easier. That said, I think that’s very similar across most of Australia. Again something the US touring guys say is that they can’t believe Aussie bands pack up their own gear when they’re finished on stage and carry it to a little van or whatever.

Has the Perth music scene only grown stronger since you shot Something In The Water?
No, I don’t think so. I certainly don’t feel like the film has had any impact on the scene other than a few people who have seen it being more likely to get out to see a few local gigs. The scene over the last couple of years has had a few highlights and some successes for a few bands (Snowman, Tame Impala etc.) but there’s still a lack of venues. It’s still tough to make people over here take notice.

Like always, there is still stuff worth checking out and a lot of stuff more than worth a cheap night out with beers and your friends. The electro scene has been growing a lot more, which I think is largely a function of technology and access to new music and new ears from all around the world. Every now and then I get worried that the scenesters in Perth will become more concerned with fashion and what’s – œcool’. Perth has always been so far behind the trends from the rest of the world that they haven’t been that relevant here.

You can pre-order the Something In The Water DVD here.