Q & A with Port Royal
Port Royal — Brisbane’s rock & roll royal family — are debunking any preconceptions about rock & roll in this modern era with their new antithetical single ‘Rock & Roll Is Dead’
Now with their new single ’Rock & Roll Is Dead’, these royals give a nod to everything that was loved about the likes of Jet, the Hives and the Vines in the early 2000’s rock revival while never straying far away from the iconic blues formula of the 70’s golden age of rock.
We caught up with these impeccably-dressed gents for a chin-wag...
Well, hello there Port Royal legends. You’re smack bang in the middle of the ‘Rock & Roll is Dead’
Tour… so how goes it so far?
Hello indeed. One of the craziest collection of days into weeks, I think we can collectively
agree, of all our lives. What we’ve experienced thus far is just the beginning.
I know that the whole ‘Rock & Roll is Dead’ title is ironic - so pray tell, give us rock fans some
insight… what makes you say that Rock is well and truly alive?
I think it’s the piss take that makes the song so great. The fact that people are out at shows
hearing the song and/or even listening to the song since its inception is enough to portray
the irony at hand. Rock & Roll is alive for as long as people are hearing it.
The song takes on a heavier meaning when you realise the legal shit you recently went through. I
know you probably can’t really talk too much about it, but how did the song then become a single for you, and did it take on a whole new meaning?
Hahaha that’s just part of the story, isn’t it? Nah look it was an eye-opening experience in
a lot of ways. I think we all agree it was an important learning curve, especially for me
(Lawson) as the primary songwriter. It has overall probably helped bond us closer together
as a band and give us a clearer vision of what we want going forward.
Last year, your track ‘Get Heavy’ ended up at #2 in the 4ZZZ Hot 100, sandwiched between
Flangipanis, and WAAX… which again, obviously, proves that Rock is not dead. How did that feel?
Oh that was nailbiting and exhilarating. We were on our way back to Brisbane actually,
having just completed a tour earlier in the year. We’d played the Gold Coast the night before
and we're hearing the final 30 countdown when we got reception. We were at one point on
the trip home thinking “oh fuck, we didn’t make top 100”, So it was a massive relief to hear
it come in at #2. By that point, we were back in Brissy. Very thankful, because that really
comes down to people power.
And lastly, you have impeccable dress sense. Do you get to visit many op shops while on tour,
and what are your tips for sourcing the best outfit?
Why thank you! Some secrets are best kept a secret! I must say Liam (lead guitarist) and I
(Lawson) have a habit of picking through ladies clothing! It always has that little bit more
style to it ;) . We also had custom colour coded outfits made up for the tour by a friend of
the band. Pegy Loves Ziga is her label, she handmade this beautiful outfits for us! Soon to
be unveiled.
Cheers guys! We’ll be seeing you back on the Coast when you play Solbar on June 9th.
Port Royal bring the 'Rock & Roll is Dead' show to Solbar on June 9th... mark it in the calendar as you don't want to miss it.