Ground Components: theimportance of staying grounded

Mon 23rd Apr, 2007 in Features

“When you’d stop the song you’d make sure there wasn’t any gaps,” Indra Adams advises, “because then you’d hear – œfuck off, we want Muse!’ They’d just yell at you and stuff and then the next day you’d get these hate MySpace messages.”

Melbourne’s Ground Components are not the first band to have suffered from the curse of the support act, but Adams, the group’s bassist, sees plenty of positives from high-profile tours with the aforementioned British prog-rockers, as well as local heavyweights Powderfinger.

“I kind of felt as if the people that did want to see us, and there definitely was a big chunk, made their way up to the front really early and at least that was all we could see!” Adams assures himself. “Around the time that we were doing that tour so many people were buying our CD from our web site, sending us messages and stuff. We played to a lot of people; a lot of people hated but much more liked it I found.”

Australian audiences, it seems, have been getting their fill of Ground Components whether they like it or not. Last year the group, comprised of brothers Simon (drums) and Joe McGuigan (vocals and guitar), Dallas Paxton (keys), Adams and, just recently added, Robert Bravington (guitars), released their genre-meshing debut album An Eye For A Brow, A Tooth For A Pick to considerable acclaim. To capitalise on the success of the album and a new single taken from it, - œHands In The Air’, Ground Components are taking the show on the road. Adams gives an insight into the band’s touring schedule from, fittingly, the back of the touring van.

“We’ve done biggish tours before,” he boasts before consulting with the rest of the band, “but, yeah, this is probably the biggest. We’ve always toured a fair bit but this is one tour where we’re including Tassie and Perth in the one go…uh oh, I’ve just reminded everyone and everyone is going – œfuck!’ It really thickens out a tour; you cover a lot more ground than usual and it’s good to keep it nice and tight, all the dates one after the other. It feels productive or something.”

You could hardly accuse the members of Ground Components of being unproductive; indeed, a band’s gotta do what a band gotta do to get the name out there. Midweek shows in regional centres, anyone?

“It’s kind of tough to get kids down to regionals,” Adams laments. “It’s really good when the room’s small so it at least feels a bit packed, you know?”

But it’s more than just turnout, or lack thereof, that worries Adams. He points to the cancellation of a scheduled show with fellow Melbournites My Disco in Port Macquarie, NSW.

“Port Macquarie got cancelled because they were installing some Coke bar or something there. So they’ve got renovations and I don’t know what happened – it’s stupid. Beaten by a beverage, it feels great!”

With a live show that encompasses the energy of punk, the airs of classic rock, a screaming, shirtless singer and enough booze-fuelled mayhem to befit a pub rock tag, Ground Components in full-flight is a sight and sound not to be missed. And, even if you do conspire to miss out, there’s still plenty of good stuff going down in the GC camp.

“There’s some good things going on in Japan at the moment,” Adams announces. “We haven’t signed a deal or anything but it’s going to be coming soon. We’ll definitely head over to Japan by the end on the year. It’s just a fucking crazy place; it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Big in Japan or not, the band isn’t getting carried away with their ascent to the big-time. No, they just want to concentrate on touring and producing a quality follow-up album.

“Dallas wants to get Ronnie Spector (of 1960s pop-group The Ronnettes) on the album. We’re going to go to America and he’s just going to knock on her door. Dallas’ got connections with her, don’t you Dallas?” Adams asks the background noise. “His Aunty-in-law, um, twice-removed washes her dog. Connected!

“We’re pretty hooked up with the entertainment industry, Hollywood, all that type of vibe. Kirsten Dunst is going to make a brief appearance. What, she’s going to be on the album cover? Naked? Partly naked. Half. That’s the general vibe: get as many celebrities as we can on the next album…we’re not even going to be on it! Curated by Ground Components, that’s it!”

After Aussie hip-hop superstar Macromantics appeared on their debut album perhaps it’s not too fanciful for the lads to be aiming high. Australia certainly needs some bands with ambition. And it doesn’t end there. As a band that’s not afraid of the odd cover version – Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Paul Kelly, amongst others – this interview throws up a new and improved release option.

”[We might do a] a twenty minute hit record called – œTop 40 Medley’. Bring one out every week. That’s not a bad idea! I’m getting smiles, I’m getting thumbs up from every one in the van! They’re diggin’ it, yep, they’re clappin’.

Catch Ground Components, grounded as ever, throughout April and May:

THU APR 12 GEELONG National Hotel w/ Operator Please and guests
Tickets $10 on the door.

FRI APR 13 MELBOURNE East Brunswick w/ Operator Please and guests
Tickets $12 BF from East Brunswick Club box office. Ph: 9388 9794, or book online www.eastbrunswickclub.com.au

SAT APR 14 MOORUDUC Peninsula Lounge w/ Operator Please and guests
Tickets on the door

THU APR 19 COOLANGATTA Coolangatta Hotel w/ My Disco and guests
Tickets $10 pre/ $12 on door available from Coolangatta Hotel (Cnr Marine Prd / Warner St) 0755369311, www.coolyhotel.oztix.com.au, Sunflower Music (Pacific Fair Broadbeach) 0755381850, Head Hi Music (Burleigh Heads) 0755687568; Music Mania (Southport) PH: 0755911665

FRI APR 20 BRISBANE The Zoo w/ My Disco and guests
Tickets $12 BF pre-sale, $15 on the door.

SAT APR 21 BYRON BAY Great Northern w/ My Disco and guests
FREE SHOW!

TUE APR 24 PORT MACQUARIE Altitude w/ My Disco and guests
Tickets $10 on the door.

THU APR 26 WOLLONGONG Oxford Tavern w/ Goons of Doom and guests
Tickets on the door.

FRI APR 27 NEWCASTLE Northern Star Hotel w/ Goons of Doom and guests
Tickets $10 pre-sale from www.bigtix.com.au or $12 on the door.

SAT APR 28 SYDNEY Annandale w/ Goons of Doom and guests
Tickets $12 BF pre-sale, $15 on the door.

FRI MAY 4 BALLARAT Karova w/ guests
Tickets $8 on the door.

SAT MAY 5 HOBART Republic Bar w/ guests
Tickets $12 BF pre-sale, $15 on the door.

SUN MAY 6 LEWISHAM Lewisham Hotel w/ guests
Tickets $12 on the door.

WED MAY 9 WARNAMBOOL The Loft w/ guests
Tickets $5 on the door.

THU MAY 10 BENDIGO Sundance Saloon w/ guests
Tickets on the door.

FRI MAY 11 DUNSBOROUGH 3 Bears w/ guests
FREE SHOW!

SAT MAY 12 PERTH Bakery w/ guests
Tickets $10 pre-sale, or $12 on the door.

SUN MAY 13 FREMANTLE Norfolk w/ guests
Tickets $10 pre-sale, or $12 on the door.

FRI MAY 18 ADELAIDE Rocket Bar w/ Lady Strangelove
Tickets $10 on the door.

Ground Components’ An Eye For A Brow, A Tooth For A Pick is out now through Love + Mercy/Shock Records

**Photography by Daniel Boud : http://boudist.com/ URL