sideway // Antenna (Shogun of Royal Headache) w/ GUTTER PIG

The biggest show of the year at sideway featuring one of Australia's greatest living songwriters and voices. 

Joined by Sydney gabber-punk freak GUTTER PIG and local hc legends Loose Cannon. 

Get your tickets now.

Antenna is a new Sydney rock’n’roll band fronted by Shogun (Royal Headache). Playing punk mixed with soul, early 80s hardcore and a bit of Oi!, the music is hard, fast and honest.

Guitarist Amasaki and Shogun met whilst maggot in Melbourne years ago and discussed doing a punk band ‘one day’. Well, one global viral epidemic and several other bands later the blessed day is finally at hand. After a couple of years with The Sheets and having formed the Flying Nun-esque, Finnoguns Wake. Shogun returns to lead vocals with a new unit and makes the noise he knows best. This time with a restrained focus and having honed a tighter and tougher version of that familiar sound. ’Sometimes we sound like Youth of Today with Creedence Clearwater vocals. But sometimes it sounds like Cocksparrer fronted by Mary Poppins’.

Their s/t EP out now via @urgerecords is the frontrunner for release of the year. 

"The work of vocalist Tim "Shogun" Wall has seen no shortage of deserved acclaim since he came to prominence as Royal Headache's frontman in the 2010's, semi-accidentally securing himself a place as one of rock and roll's best contemporary singers. Since that band's dissolution late last decade, few have come close to capturing the balance between the disarmingly sincere soulfulness and irrepressible hardcore ferocity that makes him so unique.

But in Antenna, with their rabid and affecting blend of punk, garage and powerpop, he's found more than worthy foils to usher him back into the void he left. Their debut self-titled EP hits the ground with an untameable velocity in "Cubes" and "Don't Cry", songs that call to mind so many perfect canonical punk songs that they feel instantly familiar while remaining unmistakably them.

The tunes shine just as bright when the aggression is tempered slightly, and Shogun is given room to really flex his chops. "Lost" is a heady rush of exhiliration and heartbreak with its aching refrain; "what in God's name made me think you ever cared?" In another band's hands, songs like these could be hokey and cloying, but Amasaki (guitar), Mikey (bass) and Hugh (drums) do just enough to keep everything on the level, emphasising the emotional punch these songs pack, without letting them devolve into cheesiness.

It's a rare thing to hear earnest, heartfelt punk rock done exactly right, and Antenna have hit the sweet spot between uncomplicated and uncompromising right out the gate. It may be their debut, and "promising" is always a tempting descriptor, but in this case it's inadequate; it's Antenna Time, and deliverance is upon us." - URGE RECORDS

GUTTER PIG is the solo project from Ryan Durrington (formerly from defunct Sydney band Naughty Boys). For ****, pervs, freaks, and gronks.

https://lnk.bio/gutterpig

Loose Cannon sadly have had to pull out of this show.