The Australia Day Weekend Fundraiser at The Reverence Hotel in Footscray is just around the corner and Melbourne outfit Ceres are one of the many bands offering up their time to play the event from which funds raised will be going to Oxfam and The Refugee Council of Australia. You can sort out single day or weekend passes now [Here]. Even if you can’t make it you can support the event by purchasing raffle tickets and score some great prizes. They’ll play the Saturday 25th January date alongside Luca Brasi, Damn Terran, The Sinking Teeth, Batpiss, Anchors, Stockades, Cavalcade, Outright, Regrets, Old Love and Sunbather. This week in The Hotseat we catch up with Tom Lanyon from the band to answer our questions. Expand this post to take a read of his answers and re-cap all the event details. Press play below to stream the brand new track ‘Middle Names‘ from the forthcoming album.
THE BASICS
Name : Tom Lanyon
Band : CERES
Job In Band : I sing and play guitar
Website Address : facebook.com/ceresband (yeah I know, facebook… we know)
HOME
Hometown : Melbourne
Hometown is best known for : Live music scene I guess? I feel pretty lucky to be in a band in Melbourne. So much is going on, and it’s just out my front door. Also and obviously, that Melbourne Star ferris wheel that lay dormant for about 5 years in that weird part of town is now up and running – haven’t dipped my toe yet, but I can just tell it would be a great day out and fun for the whole family, at an affordable price. (Full disclosure: I am not affiliated with the wheel in any way)
Best venue in your hometown : Probably the Reverence? I live in Richmond, so I got the softest spot for The Corner too. So maybe that? Old Bar is awesome as well. I don’t know. Let’s three-way tie it.
Favourite show you’ve seen in your hometown : I saw Sigur Rós play at the Palais down in St. Kilda years ago, when they were touring their Takk… record. It honestly blew my mind. Soulfood type shit. The first and last time I saw Thursday at The Metro was fairly life affirming too – you know the show where they played all of Full Collapse and the three other songs of theirs that are my favourite? Yeah that one. I broke my finger in “the pit” man, saw Geoff Rickly the next night standing out the front of the Forum, told him about, he didn’t care, I fell more in love with him. Life, oh Life.
Favourite show you’ve played in your hometown : We do an “annual” (we say annual, but we’ve only done two of them – but I guess it’s technically true) CERES Xmas Show in the Grace Darling Basement. That is always so much fun. We are on the floor, the roof is low, it’s super loud, sweaty, beer-y. We try to make it happen on the last day of work, so everyone is real pissed and ready to ‘get the party started’. Still pinch myself we get to do things like those shows. Soul food, Life oh Life, two-way tie etc. etc.
THE BAND
How did the band first come to exist? Rhys (who plays guitar in the band) and I met through mutual friends. The only time we ever hung out was when we were drunk. He was always like “Let’s start a band!” And I was all like “Yeah, sick!” But really I was like “Fuck no!”. I didn’t know him you know? Anyway, he lured me to a jam with his good looks. We did that. Needed a bass player, knew GY – he got on board. Needed a drummer, GY knew Frank – he got on board. Nothing too saucy unforch (as GY would say/write).
How long has the band been going? Almost two years I think? I’m not sure. Feels like foreverrrrrrr. Blink of an eye for some other bands I guess. It’s still fun though. We’ll stop when it’s not.
Any particular story behind the name? Oh boy. Nope. I was in the States and kept hearing about this non-descript, two-bit (sorry Ceres, CA) town out the back of LA. Seriously everyone I met was talking to me about it. It was weird. It would be like someone visiting Melbourne and constantly hearing about Frankston (sorry Frankston) or something, from everyone they met. As soon as I saw it spelt they way it is, it was burnt into my head. Got back home and Rhys said we needed a band name. Ceres it is. Wanted it to not be something, to stay as far away as Tears Of A Lonely November Rain Dream Poet or whatever bands are called these days. Turns out Ceres is a heap of things – Greek goddess, environmental park, town outside of Geelong, dwarf planet. Nice work Tom.
What’s your most recent release? Tell us a little about it… We are re-releasing our old mate ‘Luck’ EP with our new mates Hobbledehoy Record Co. It’s coming out on vinyl in January. Straight up dream come true seeing that thing spin and hearing something we did come out of the speakers. Real surreal. Real good. The EP was made in October 2012, so it is as old as the band. Seems to still have some legs. People seem to be into it still too – which always blows our mind. Still can’t believe people like our band really. Life you know? It’s good when it’s good.
Got a personal stand out achievement of your band to date? One-hundred and ten percent the new record we recorded – ‘I Don’t Want To Be Anywhere But Here’. We are pretty proud of it. Definitely a life highlight for me, let alone a band one. It was by far the most fun, most rewarding, most best thing I have done with poor excuse for a life. That’s coming out on Hobbledehoy too, hopefully sometime around March/April. We cannot wait for people to hear it, get let down by it, end up feeling indifferent, move on etc. JKs and all, but it could happen. Or, people could like it? Can’t wait to find out which one.
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously about playing it? I don’t think I have a moment where I was like “Yeah, I could do that. Let’s do that.” I always wrote songs. Played a few solo things back in the day, but mostly it scared the shit out of me and I wanted to Frisbee my guitar into the face of the two people who would’ve come to see me. That wasn’t why I wrote songs. I did it for a diary. Woosy kid sings sad songs, makes him feel better and sadder. Typical really. I think the rest of the band inspired me to start to take it “seriously”, though we’ve always called it a hobby. If it sucks we’ll stop. No fun, no band. All that.
Any particular band / album or song that you personally credit as a major influence? Growing up with an acoustic guitar, it was definitely pop-punk bands – New Found Glory, anything on Drive Thru Records I guess. Then that glorious day when someone played me ‘Screaming Infidelities’ by Dashboard Confessional, oh boy, that was the one. I wish I had a better major influence. One not so ‘emo’ you know? Hopefully we don’t sound that sad in our songs.
Your first band name, and what style did you play? If by band, you mean me in my room – then my first band was called Ever. Then there was Liars, then Gemma Loves Never (YEAH EMO!) and finally The One Out Loud. These were all one man bands, they all sounded the same – like a kid with a guitar ripping off The Early November, no one heard the songs thank fuck. They were all for me. I loved them one by one, but man, I’m glad they are gone.
Most prized music related item you own? I owned nothing but an acoustic guitar till I started CERES, so probably that acoustic guitar. Wrote some panty-melters on that thing for real. Now I own an electric guitar and a tuner pedal – and I eternally struggle with them every show. Take me back to the Gemma Loves Never days am I right??
When you’re not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing? Working. I am designer, so doing that. Or just, you know, dreaming about that Wheel…
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is… Never been on one – but I assume hurrying back to Docklands to get my mitts on some Wheel Time.
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is… Again, never been on tour – but I guess I’d missing the Wheel a bunch?
ON THE STAGE
When on offer, what’s your one must have item on the rider? Beer, beer, beer. The Espy just slaps an esky full of Melbournes down as soon as you start your set. It’s like heaven. If it’s a rider on a bar, I always end up feeling bad and never taking them. I usually pretend I’m not in the band, and just buy them. Trust me, it is REALLY easy for me to look like I’m not in a band.
Favourite place you’ve toured… and why? Does Footscray count? Or a Brunswick drain? How about the Wheelers Hill pub – one of the worst? We really, really need to sort out this touring thing ASAP. Sorry about this.
Most memorable show you’ve played? and why? Definitely the Annual Xmas Shows. See above for previously listed reasons.
Got a favourite song to play live? Probably the one where I sing the least? I get tired easy. Such a pussy. I need to go for a jog. I hate playing Burnley – which everyone else loves. It tires me out so bad, we usually play it last, so I am already bushed. It has this whiney chorus that just keeps going and going. But if you are into it, that is rad. Just remember I do it for you. What was the question?
Any embarrassing on stage moments come to mind? Me. Always me. I am ‘gear’ retarded and always screw something up. Almost once a show I kick a lead out and am not making any sound. I am basically air guitar-ing, but doing it wrong. Don’t notice till it comes to a part in a song that has only me playing. It is something I really need to work on. So lame. I tape that shit down and stuff, but, you know, pedals man.
Any pre-show rituals? Not really, probably just a whiskey on the rocks with Rhys to ease the pain.
What do you find is the hardest aspect of touring in a band today? To book a tour. Trying, trying, failing. My main man GY has taken the reigns, and I am so stoked he is doing it. It started to melt my mind. We’ll get there. Promise.
RIGHT NOW
Last song you listened to? iTunes says it’s ‘Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand’ by Primitive Radio Gods. If you haven’t listened to that song, do it. It’ll change your life if you let it.
Last album you acquired? I think it was NO BLUES by Los Campesinos – again, if you don’t know those guys, get around them. Such a great record.
Which band or album is currently on high rotation? Probably NO BLUES. Or I’ve been listening to that Mock Orange record Disguised As Ghosts for a while. Really like that one.
Tell us an up and coming band or artist you think we should go and listen to right now? We are at the bottom of the barrel, so I think every other band we have played with is ahead of us in ‘The Game’ – so I’ll just say a project called Slowly, Slowly by our Friend Ben Stewart – he plays in The Sinking Teeth and The Bellastrades too, they both rip – and to be honest, I haven’t heard any of Slowly, Slowly yet. But I bet it’s great. Ben is great.
What’s on the cards for the next few months for the band? Re-release the EP. Release the LP. Tour. It’s going to be good, real good.
IF ONLY…
You can pick any one album for your band to cover in full, what would it be and why? Under The Town by Holly Throsby. I love that thing so much. We could keep it mellow, but heavier still. Although I heard Kisschasy cover one of her songs off that record once, and yikes – me did not likey. So it’s probably all a bad idea.
You can pick any one band / artist to cover one of your albums in full, what would it be, and why? HOLLY THROSBY DO IT PLEASE. It would make my heart sing and my pants tighten. Also, so she can return the favour for our assumingly amazing cover of her record. Nothing in life comes for free Throsbo…
One band you wish you were able to see live but never had the chance? American Football. All day long. I would kill to see them play those songs live.
One venue you have yet to play that you would love to? The Corner. Have been going there forever, and always dreamt of it. It isn’t too far out of reach for us, and just around the corner from my bed.
The chance comes up to fill in for a member of a band for one tour, which band would it be, and why? Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers. I would play the triangle and do all the drugs and hump all the bitches. Or, more probably, just stand side of stage and try not to look like I don’t know how to dance. That’s a bad answer, but I saw them at Meredith and they were that good.
A headline tour overseas comes up, tell us two bands you’d take along to support your band. Probably our main he-bros The Sinking Teeth and Have/Hold. Love those guys guts. That ain’t happening anytime soon though, right guys?
PLUG TIME
Got any final words? First show for 2014 is the Australia Day Weekender Fundraiser at the Rev on Jan 25th. Stoked to be apart of that. Oh and that full-length, got to get that out.
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Catch CERES as part of The Australia Day Weekend Fundraiser at The Reverence Hotel. They play Saturday 25th January. Tickets are available [Here].
You can pre-order the ‘Luck‘ re-issue on vinyl via Hobbledehoy Records [Here]. Stay tuned for album pre-orders soon.
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For the fourth year running, the Australian punk, rock and hardcore communities will unite to present one of the most exciting and positive events on the live music calendar; the annual Australia Day Weekend shows, which raise vital funds for Oxfam and The Refugee Council of Australia. Hosted for the second time at Melbourne’s Reverence Hotel, the 2014 installment boasts the events most diverse line-up yet and will completely take over the much-loved Footscray pub for the weekend. Two stages will be rammed with the best of Australian live music on Saturday January 25th and Sunday January 26th.
With every band making the trek on their own time and money, these shows are a concoction of the most seasoned road warriors and promising new talent. From the exuberant, melodic punk of Luca Brasi on Saturday to the intelligent, dynamic songwriting of Lincoln Le Fevre on Sunday, wedge in local garage legends Batpiss, scuzzy punkers Damn Terran, the posi-hardcore tunes of Outright and Anchors, emo-rock from Ceres, alt-country courtesy of Ribbons Patterns, and moving guitar-driven punk rock from prized acts like The Sinking Teeth, Grenadiers, Initials and The Union Pacific. Other treats include the last ever show for Melbourne punk guys Cavalcade, ex-Canberra moody rockers Hoodlum Shouts in acoustic mode and an Oz Rock Covers Set by multi-city legends TNNL CNTS plus many more.
There’ll be Mexican food all night and a raffle of rad prizes donated by kind folks of Poison City Records, Blunt Magazine, Apollo Collective, Deathproof PR, The Reverence Hotel and heaps more. You can buy raffle tickets [Here].. even if you can’t make the show, or are from interstate.
The philosophy for these shows remains simple; to confront and contrast the negative attitudes harboured by many Australians on this national holiday. Previous years’ events have raised over $25,000 for these very important causes, which are now more significant than ever, in light our current government enforcing the cruelest refugee policy in our country’s history.
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