Gun Street Girls: taking aim

Sun 23rd Aug, 2009 in Features

“I did a tour over in Europe filling in on bass for The Double Agents and just had a ball,” enthuses ex-Dallas Crane frontman Dave Larkin. “I saw how amazing Europe was and why so many Australian bands just pack up their shit and go.”

Dave confesses he thought, “it’s taken Dallas Crane so long to never get here, I just wanna get back as quick as I can,’ then did to The Double Agents what any self-respecting rocker would. He lulled them into a false sense of security by organising accommodation at Nic Cester’s place in Italy before running off with a third of their band.

“I got the drummer Callum John Barter and I got the guitarist Dave Butterworth – now my bass player – and went, right, now you’re my band.” Thankfully, he assures me, “they were right into it.”

After Dallas Crane had ran out of puff, Dave had found new reserves and with his energetic new lineup in place he was ready. Considering the aforementioned European tour concluded only twelve months ago, the birth of Dave’s squalling new rock baby – Gun Street Girls – followed a pretty swift gestation.

Having experienced the contrived and convoluted route that a major label takes with the signing of a band Dave reckons, “Things turn around a lot quicker when you’re doing everything yourself, cause you’re not waiting on people. You know, we set our own deadline and we go for it. Fuck it. Let’s just do it; let’s put it down. They’re good songs, why stuff around?”

And so, the rocked-up trio started their own label Madderhorn, recorded their own record, took their own photos and made their own video. “Bloody oath,” laughs the new CEO, “multi-faceted. Talk to me, baby!”

While no long, expensive lunches and workshops were required to facilitate every minor decision — “and it did get like that [with Dallas Crane]; it becomes incredibly frustrating” — not everything involving Gun Street Girls inception was simple.

“A lot of our destiny was in our own hands – we didn’t have a label or manager to blame, it was ourselves. It means triple the work but if it pays off it’s going to be a lot better for all of us in the long run. And to be honest, it’s so much more fun and rewarding.” He reflects on the creative rapport he shares with Barter and Butterworth: “We’re pretty aligned on what we want” he says, “It’s good. Just having the guys – it’s a total luxury. Not just a great band [musically], but a great band outside the band as well. It’s pretty special.”

Love, love, love. But first, a bit of gut-wrenching fear?

“Absolutely”, responds Dave, as if incredulous that I would suggest he felt no trepidation. “It took Dallas Crane sixteen years to get where it was. It took a long time. I mean, I know a lot more now but, yeah, it did. It’s been pretty nerve wrecking the last few months… I’m feeling a lot better about things now.”
– œNow’ means they’ve got a few gigs under their belt — their first was in support of Even and Dan Sultan at the former’s annual – œXmas Even’ party, though he says, “We’re a much bigger and mightier band now” — they’ve launched the record’s first single, How I Roll, and are now on point to launch the entire, self-titled, album.

“We’ve just been stoked with the feedback, it’s been great” says a relieved Dave, laughing in disbelief. “And it’s moving a few in the shops, which is really surprising.”

I coyly enquire whether it’s the balls-out rock one might expect from a Larkin-driven project.

“Yeah, it is. It’s a hearty, heady little rock and roll show.”

And from here on in?

“We wanna be pumping out a lotta records, y’know, not just one every three years.”

Well, when you’re running the company, why the hell not, hey?

You can catch The Gun Street Girls on their national LP tour starting this month and playing at the inagrual Blue Print Festival in Victoria on September 20.