Rock 'n roll band The Cavemen have been kicking around Auckland for the past year, building up an impressive live reputation and working towards recording their heady DIY sound. UTR caught up with the band to get their back story...
How did you guys form?
We met each other in detention way back in '08 where we formed a band cause we though it might get us chicks and beer. It worked. But we've been playing shows for a little more than year now. Our first show was at Lucha Lounge in April of 2011.
For those of us who haven't heard you before: how would you describe your sound?
Our music is pure, wild rock 'n' roll. It's for the lonesome, the outcast, the degenerates of society. It's Elvis being played by drunks and cretins. It's four guys who know four chords, busting out face melting tunes.
What are you influenced - music or otherwise - by at the moment?
Beer, Babes and Black Sabbath! At the moment we are mostly influenced by bands like The Gun Club, The Sonics, The Cramps, The Gories and Flat Duo Jets; Rough and raw rock 'n' roll. We usually cover some of their songs in our set. For us, rock 'n' roll is salvation from the daily grind of work or school, and being up on stage feels more real than anything else we do.
What are you guys working on at the moment?
Getting drunk and stealing a bandmobile. Working on any new material that comes up. Trying to get people to stop billing us as Thee Cavemen.
We have been recording some rough demos on our four track tape recorder, and we sometimes sell CDs of them at our gigs, but we are looking at spending a week recording properly out in this barn we found in the backwoods of Waiheke island later in the year.
You've been a member of the Auckland music scene for a while right? Tell me a little bit about how you've seen the scene here change and what you think of it right now.
We haven't noticed much of a change since we've been around, except that there aren't as many underage venues around these days, which is a shame cause high school kids are fun to play to. There are some cool dudes and chicks out there though. We've played a few gigs at Snake Pit which have been really fun, and places like Lucha Lounge always seem to have cool bands on. We just need more places like that, and more people to come to them for there to be a healthy scene.
What other New Zealand bands are you digging at the moment?
Drab Doo Riffs, Las Tetas. We have also played a lot of gigs with our friends The Mysterians who are a bitchin' band.
What do you think of the New Zealand music scene and industry more generally? Do you think it's healthy? Do you think the industry (Music Commission etc.) is supportive?
The New Zealand music scene is too small and there aren't enough opportunities to make an impact or a living. You gotta go overseas to really make it. It's fun, but the audience is too small here. We haven't heard of this commission thingy. Can we hustle some bucks out of it?
What are you working towards in 2012?
Stocking up on beer in preparation for the Apocalypse. Putting on more wild and trashy rock 'n' roll shows.
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If in Auckland this weekend you can catch The Cavemen alongside Poor You, Poor Me and Two Cartoons from Dunedin at Cassette - more details below.
