Tequila Mockingbyrd are super psyched to be playing at one of the top venues on their list of stages to play. They’re selecting the crème-de-la-crème for their set list this go around and may even have a new song up their sleeve for this gig to ensure they’ll put on a good showing for the judges. But, don’t worry. They would never let down their loyal fans. While you’re waiting for the big night, see what Tequila Mockingbyrd has to say about their journey so far in the festival and what may be in store for the finals at The Hi-Fi on December 8th.

SO, DO YOU THINK YOU'RE READY FOR THE BIG NIGHT?
We’re so excited to be playing at The Hi-Fi Bar. We’ve got a wish list of venues we’d love to play and The Hi-Fi is right up there. We’ve been practising hard hoping to do ourselves justice and rock that stage!!

WHAT’S THE BAND DOING TO GET READY FOR THE FINALS? REHEARSING MUCH?
Definitely rehearsing, but also taking some time to practice our craft individually. We’ve organised our own online ticket sales to leave as little excuses as possible for our friends and supporters to not be there! It’s always exciting to be preparing for a big show, and we get more excited with each passing day. And a little nervous!

WHAT, IF ANY, CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE TO YOUR STAGE SET-UP OR YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCE WITH THE FINALS IN MIND?
We’ve re-evaluated our song choices, keeping in mind the size of the venue and what songs will really carry up to the balconies of The Hi-Fi Bar. As the set is fairly short we’ve had to be very selective, choosing songs that will best portray our diversity as songwriters and musicians, and of course the ones we think the crowd will enjoy the most! No room for fillers! So it’s looking like it’ll be the “greatest hits”. We may also be unveiling a new song especially for this gig!

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE BIG NIGHT?
We set the bar high for ourselves, so we won’t be satisfied unless we perform at our highest standards. On the day, we will probably to be walking bags of mixed emotions! Overwhelmed, excited, nervous, anxious but prepared to give our all. It should be a good show, and we’re excited not only to see some quality bands but also to get on that stage and really show the audience and the judges what we can do!

WHAT EFFECT DO YOU THINK WINNING WOULD HAVE ON THE BAND?
It would be a huge validation for us and incredibly rewarding to be able to represent Victoria in the finals in Sydney. It would also mean we'd be heading out for our first interstate performance which is a huge step in the right direction, but one that we definitely feel we're ready for. Of course, you never start bands with the pre-conceived idea that you will be incredibly successful or win exorbitant amounts of competitions, but winning this round would be a huge pat on the back for all of us and truly inspire us to keep doing what we do. Even if we don’t get through, the fact that we succeeded to the state finals is still an achievement we’re very proud of, and we’ve been lucky to meet some really great people along the way!

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE FESTIVAL SO FAR?
ANY FUNNY ANECDOTES FROM YOUR PREVIOUS SHOWS OR REHEARSALS LEADING UP TO THE FINALS?
After our round two set in the Gershwin room, Estelle partook in a celebratory Jaegar Bomb (as is our custom in Tequila Mockingbyrd) only to have most of it splash down her front. Unfortunately for her, it was then time to pose for a photo! So now there is a very questionable photo of the three of us with our lead singer sporting a suggestive stain on her top… Rock and Roll. We’ll get her a bib next time!!! Speaking of customs, every round our drummer Josie has whipped up a music-themed cake and this round will be no different! It’s good to know that if we never succeed as a band there is a future for us as bakers!

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT PLAYING THE HI-FI IN MELBOURNE?
All of us have seen some amazing live acts at The Hi-Fi, and for us getting to perform there it is a great honour so early in our band’s journey. The venue itself is incredible and we’re looking forward to performing for a big audience and to belt our songs to the back rafters!

WHAT IS GOING TO SET YOU APART FROM THE OTHER BANDS AND SECURE A WIN FOR YOUR BAND?
Unconsciously, the fact that we are all female sets us apart from majority of the other bands, however we are not relying on this fact to win us votes. We’re all hard workers and we all aim to be the best musicians we can be both individually and collectively. The fact that we are a three piece gives us a very raw sound so we like to write songs to emphasise this fact. We also try to keep it catchy so that everyone can get into the groove even if it’s their first TM experience! If all else fails, we got CAKE!!!

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO BANDS THAT ARE CONSIDERING SIGNING UP FOR THE FESTIVAL NEXT YEAR?
The hardest thing about these competitions is the temptation to look at what other bands are doing and to get disillusioned. To any bands considering this festival: know who you are and what you do, and do it well! Work hard to be the best band you can be and enjoy the whole experience! To be completely honest, we were a bit sceptical about entering a battle of the bands comp at the start, but it’s been a really fun experience for us and we’ve got a lot out of it, so if you’d like the chance to meet a heap of other bands that you might not normally cross paths with and play at some really cool venues, we’d definitely say it’s worth a shot!!

IF YOU HAVE THE DESIRE TO SHOUT OUT TO ANY OF THE BANDS OR SAY ANY THANKS, DO SO HERE:
There are a small group of people who we can always rely on to be front row, singing our lyrics and it’s to these people that we would like to give a shout out to – DYL-Dogs, Emma, Spec, Brian, The Statholis Clan, Shredmaster General Mr. Richmond! We hope to do them proud in the final and give them, the audience and the judges a show to remember! Thanks also to all the Emergenza crew for running such a tight ship! We’ve put on shows before and making sure everyone turns up on time, sticks to their time slot etc. is no mean feat!!!!