Red rockets rocking Melbourne

The Red Rockets of Borneo are a rock and roll band taking the Melbourne pub scene by storm.

With the release of a 10-track, self-titled LP just three months after their inception, they are playing a gig near you, and you cannot miss them.

Hailing from the backstreets of Melbourne's north-east, RROB have been doing their thing since late 2009. United by a compulsive urge to make uncompromising "gloves off, face slapping" rock and roll, the quintent gathered in an old deserted bank in Melbourne where they gave birth to this cheeky beast of a band.

The group is made up of JP on vocals, JD on guitar, Lez on the drums, and Greek-Aussies Fez (guitar) and Kat (bass).

They also have a shiny new (red) film clip, which has received almost 1,500 hits on YouTube.

RROB sight their main music influences to be At the Drive-In, Sonic Youth, The White Stripes and The Stooges.

You get the drift, they sound like a slap in the face; in a very good way though.

Chatting recently with Kat the bassist (Katherine Karvess), she best describes the group in one word as "tasty".

When asked what sets RROB apart from the rest of the party-rockers on the Melbourne scene these days, Kat assures me that, "We are five great friends who share a love of tight red pants - oh and energetic music."

Kat is of Greek decent and relishes in the fact that a lot of young kids in Greece are really into rock and roll and heavy metal music,
"I've heard that the kids in Greece go off to guitar-based music, which is great because we'd love to tour there one day".

While we were on the topic, I could not help but ask if she finds the band to be influenced in any way by her and Fez's Greek background (James Ferros).

"Not really, although one time the neighbour brought over some pastitsio and we had a really excellent rehearsal that night... Also, we do have a lot a fun; too much fun! I don't know if that's because a couple of us have Greek blood - it probably is actually! "

The band was entered in this year's Triple J Unearthed competition, which aims to unearth some of Australia's greatest unsigned bands.

Kat explains that it was great exposure for RROB and that they had a positive response from the general public to the songs.

"We didn't expect to win anything but were happy to have the songs up there and being listened to by a whole bunch of people who weren't just our friends".

The Red Rockets of Borneo are next playing live at The Espy in Melbourne on November 10.

Be sure to check them out. You won't miss them; they all wear very tight, skinny red pants.
www.myspace.com/redrocketsofborneo.