Galvatrons Interview

We just picked the brains of Johnny Galvatron, front man of The Galvatrons. One of the excellent Artists featured on Rock Sampler #001. Since forming in August, 2007, in Melbourne, Australia – Johnny and his band mates have been making waves both in their native land and over here in the UK.

The band’s first taste of mainstream success was with the release of their debut single, When We Were Kids. It was released by Warner Music Australia on May 3, 2008. It was the number one most added track on radio in Australia for the week 19 – 26 April 2008. They played the Big Day Out, Meredith and Cherry Rock festivals in summer 2007/2008 as well as Download Festival in the UK. They then played in the UK alongside The Police at London’s Hyde Park where they were evicted from the concert after allegedly singing Metallica songs loudly in the room next door to Sting.

In October 2008, The Galvatrons were support act for Def Leppard and Cheap Trick during Def Leppard’s Songs From The Sparkle Lounge Australian tour. Alongside this tour, the band headed its own national tour known as the Robots Are Cool tour. Since then The Galvatrons have been playing shows and recording their recently released debut album Laser Graffiti. Their debut is an awesome collection of genre bending rock that combines styles and influences ranging from 80’s video games, sci-fi movies and the usual topics of girls and parties.

We recently spoke with Johnny Galvatron to find out a little more about this off the hook party band and what makes them tick!

Galvatrons

Rock Lifestyle (RL): What is The Galvatron’s vibe, what are you guys all about as a group?
Johnny Galvatron (JG): We’re a sci‐fi rock band from Melbourne Rock City. We play synth heavy rock n roll. We’ve been touring around the world non‐stop for about 2 years. Sometimes we sing about girls, other times robots.

RL: Please tell us the story and circumstances that led to The Galvatrons forming as a band?
JG: I was ghost writing for Australian pop stars and electronic acts before moving away to start my own group. I took everything I’d learnt about synths and modeling keyboards to my lifelong obsession with rock music. Found the rest of the band in the typical way. A combination of meeting other bands, scalping dudes from bands and meeting other musicians who were working in supermarkets. There’s always at least one guy in a band who’s worked at a supermarket.

RL: What have been your highest and lowest career points so far and why?
JG: Highlight was playing Meredith music festival in Australia. It was our first festival and only our 20th gig. Played on the main stage at 9 o’clock at night because we were quite hyped at the time. Played a great show and was probably one of the highlights of my life. Low point was on the
weekend when our booking agent accidently booked us to play in a restaurant in a shopping
mall. We played it anyway. Gotta get paid…

RL: Describe a typical Galvatrons live show?
JG: Lot of action. Lots of hair. Lots of rock moves. Huge amounts of guitar and keys. A little sprinkling of shredding and a dash of double kick. No burlesque dancers as of yet but we’re working on it. I heard a band in Germany sacrificed a goat live on stage, we’re trying to incorporate that. We had a dude ski onstage once in full snow gear but I don’t think we organized that. That might have been a one off.

RL: There is a story going round that back in 07/08 you played a festival tour in the United Kingdom alongside The Police at London’s Hyde Park and you were evicted from the concert after allegedly singing Metallica songs loudly in the room next door to Sting. ‐ What is the story behind this?
JG: Yeah that happened, flung out into the public by Stings henchmen. It was a culmination of things really. We’d slipped the rider kids (Volunteers who bring the bands drinks and towels and such, usually between the ages of 16 and 18) a six pack of beer and they’d repaid us by bringing us all the vodka, gin and beer left in other band rooms. It was getting a bit out of control. Plus there were about 10 girls without passes in our room and everyone was smoking some bad granola. The finale was Boz our drummer banging the double kick pattern to Blacken on Stings wall. He thought Sing would dig it. Knock knock… hello?…. Get the fuck out.

RL: You seem to be really influenced by the 80’s and 80’s pop‐culture –how did your sound/style come about?
JG: A lot of the films and cartoons I watched as a kid have amazing power metal music running through them. I guess that’s where the whole concept of the group comes from.

RL: What can newcomers to The Galvatrons expect from your debut album “Laser Graffiti” ?
JG: A bit of an adventure, a few girls, a party in the middle and the end of the world on the last track. It’s a tour de force.

RL: What track on the album do you think works as the best starting point for a potential new Galvatrons fan and why?
JG: The First Starfighter. A song about the movie “The Last Starfighter’ Incorporates sci‐fi,
videogames, shredding and a choir erupting in the middle section of the song as the space ship
explodes. If that sounds shit to you, don’t buy the record.

RL: If you could work with any producer in the world – who would you like to work with?
JG: I really want to work with Stan Bush who wrote many songs for the original transformers movie in 1986. I’ve been trying to get in contact with him for a while. Give me a call Stan!!!

RL: If you could open for any band, alive or dead – who would it be and why?
JG: I’ve already done it! We toured Australia and NZ with Def Leppard and Cheap Trick. Playing stadiums every night was out of this world. One night Cheap Trick walked out to 20,000 people and Rick said, “Good evening! We’re called the Galvatrons!!’ I cried a bit.

Galvatrons

RL: Why do you think 80’s culture, fashion and the music style has had such a hit revival recently?
JG: Because its theatrical. It is larger than life. There was a large movement of bands who sung about the everyday through the 2000’s now people want the opposite.

RL: What do you do to relax and cut loose when you aren’t writing music and playing shows?
JG: I’m writing a novel at the moment which I’m really enjoying. I write for other artists sometimes just for a change. I’m a massive videogame nut. I studied videogame coding and design at Uni. I’ve got a degree. I’m basically a scholar.

RL: Australia produces some excellent rock bands, what is the scene like out there for a young, up and coming band?
JG: There are different scenes for different cities. Melbourne has quite a varied scene with a little bit of everything. Sydney is more electronic and fashionable, Perth and Adelaide and quite modern rock scenes. Not sure about Brisbane…. I think they’re all drunk on XXXX.

RL: What one piece of advice do you wish you had been given when you started out?
JG: All the sex and drugs are in dance music now.

RL: What can we all expect to see/hear next from The Galvatrons?
JG: We’re here for a good time, not a long time.