Rocket to WAMI & DeVille's

New Sounds from Rocket to Memphis

Rocket to Memphis have been keeping themselves busy. Apart from their gigs about Perth, a suite of new songs have just been introduced to the RtM mix. These new numbers were introduced last week at the WAMI festival, with second helpings Friday night at DeVille's. I'll be looking forward to the new album!

There was plenty of good music on offer about Perth during the WAMI festival and fortunately the weather was fantastic. Those who had the chance to wander and investigate certainly would have been rewarded with something new and/or different. I personally was quite impressed with new young group Sisters Doll and will be interested to see how they develop in the next few years. Some great rockin' numbers for those with itchy dance feet...

However, RtM were the draw card for many in attendance at the Arts Centre Swampland Stage. They certainly did not disappoint, opening proceedings with their usual flare and groovin' swamp vibe. Traditional favourites included "Walking the Plank", "Zombie Rumble", and "Bad Girl" - the last being dedicated to the two youngsters at the front of the stage :) Particularly impressive was the performance of "Wolfman", with Voodoo Viv providing the sound FX for all to enjoy.

Without overlooking the traditional favourites, the highlight of the afternoon for most RtM fans would have been the new content. Some numbers fit very comfortably within the format of existing songs, such as "Ride to the Stars" - which has a similar feel and rhythm to "Walking the Plank". Another that I expect to become popular is the jaunty and smoky "Slapback". It was clearly enjoyed by the crowd on the day, and once again at DeVille's on Friday night.

I suspect that some other offerings may take longer to warm to as RtM stretch their style and play with some new sounds. I found "Swamp Guy" to be one such song, feeling a little disjointed at first as some of the rhythms became familiar. Other numbers such as "Roll On" may have suffered from the acoustics of the setting, feeling somewhat flat despite solid rockin'  beats and signature guitar work from Razor Jack. I expect the studio versions shall provide a much fuller sound that will make it hard to resist bopping away to. The atmosphere at DeVille's Friday night certainly provided a much better forum for all the new songs to be performed and hook you in.

Thanks RtM for keeping it interesting!

*Please note that all song titles listed here have been taken from stage announcements. My apologies to RtM and the reader if I've not gotten things exactly right!