Roses for the Damned will flash you back to a distant time when hair was big, guitars where “V” shaped, and the name “groupie” was a symbol of status for hot chicks around the globe. But don’t think that you’re doomed to see an 80’s knock off band. These guys are totally original and give young, modern spin on their classic rock and roll influences. Not to be missed. Rock out with them the 13th of May at X&Y in Brisbane.

SO, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR FORMATION AND WHAT IT IS THAT BRINGS YOU GUYS TOGETHER AS MUSICIANS?
Roses for the Damned pretty much started after our drummer Lucas was informed that some long-haired kid called Angus was looking to form a band. A guitarist was found a month or so after Angus and Lucas started jamming together, and so Roses for the Damned became a 3-piece band. Bassists are always difficult to find, so we ended up recruiting Linc, who was playing in another band at the time. Our original guitarist left about a year later, so we then asked Lewis to become our guitarist, and we haven’t looked back since! The main thing that brings us together as musicians is not only the fact that all of us contribute towards the music-writing process, but we simply enjoy being in each other’s company and have lots of fun performing the types of music that we all enjoy.

IT’S OBVIOUS HOW INSPIRED YOU ARE BY 80’S HARD ROCK. WHERE DID THE OBSESSION WITH THIS SOUND BEGIN?
We were pretty much all brought up with it as kids, and as we starting picking up our own instruments of choice, we all wanted to perform within that genre; though we also do experiment with a multitude of others. We owe it to our parents for introducing us to the best kind of music there is!

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCES?
We believe that the crowd is the greatest asset in any performance. One of our main strengths is utilising the audience and involving them within the music we play. Crowd participation makes the performance much more enjoyable for the band, and allows the audience to contribute.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS WITH THIS PROJECT? WHAT DO YOU GUYS HAVE IN STORE FOR US IN THE FUTURE?
Our goals as a band for Emergenza are to get through as many rounds as possible, put on the best show we can and to have fun while doing it! We have a really awesome show coming up for you guys.

WHAT LED YOU TO ENROLL IN EMERGENZA?
We applied for Emergenza because we wanted to be involved in something that could generate significant publicity for us as a band. We do gigs up and down the Sunshine Coast, but we never really get the opportunity to perform and be noticed down in Brisbane. Emergenza gave us this opportunity, and the extra services that you guys provide (such as band promotion, and even this interview) really makes the experience worthwhile and enjoyable in the lead-up to our performance.

WHAT PART OF THE FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST?
We are really looking forward to playing at a new place and to new people, as well as the opportunity to compete in such a great competition. But most of all, we just want to have heaps of fun!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL SET YOU APART FROM THE REST OF THE BANDS AND HELP GET YOU TO THE FINALS?
Our ability to create really catchy originals will be a key contributor to whether we enter the finals. We get requests at most gigs to play certain originals, and the crowd always seem to participate even though they might not be familiar with our originals. Hopefully the judges can't get our songs out of their heads, and are singing along with the audience!