Interview by Kris Peters
After championing the cause for Australian music for almost a decade via their weekly radio show, Rock Hard With Phil & Tish, the two co-hosts have decided to take the next step in their evolution, putting on the first-ever Rock Hard Festival in Adelaide.
For two nights over October 10 and 11, Woodshed at Royal Park will host Aussie rock legends The Poor, headlining both nights with a selection of some of this country's hottest emerging bands such as Audio Reign, Karly Jewell, The Dreadful Tides, Ablaze, Avalanche and more.
Not content to help grow and nurture homegrown talent over just the airwaves, Phil & Tish have decided to give the band a bigger platform from which to show their wares in the first of what is hoped to be a long-running annual concert event.
HEAVY recently sat down with Phil & Tish, who were understandably a bit nervous with their roles as radio hosts/interviewers reversed.
"We have a radio show on PBA FM every Wednesday night," Phil explained, setting the mood. "It's been going for about seven, eight years and is called Rock Hard with Phil and Tish, and we try to rock."
"Yeah, PBA FM every Wednesday night," Tish reiterated. "We are 9pm Australian Central Standard Time, and we are your local insane metalheads. We're very much a variety show of heavy and hard rock."
We bring up the excellent line-up and ask what their selection process was when deciding who to book.
"We picked all bands we have relationships with over the journey," Phil measured. "We're fans of… I mean, The Poor… I was 14 when I got into them, and Skenie (vocalist) was the first interview I did where I actually reached out to someone that I grew up enjoying their music, and I thought I'll shoot him a message. I thought, I'm gonna fire a shot and see what he says, and a couple of weeks later he came back, and he said I'd love to have a chat, and I chatted to him for about an hour on the show. Because I'm such a fan - and when you're 14, they're like larger-than-life rock stars - and to think he's having a chat on our show probably opened up the courage for me to approach other bands and stuff that we've loved. Literally every band that we've got on this festival are just great Aussie bands, and we're so stoked that they've agreed to play."
In the full interview, Phil and Tish shared insights into their planning for Rock Hard Festival, emphasizing their commitment to showcasing Australian talent and the challenges they faced in curating a lineup that reflects their personal relationships with the artists. They expressed excitement about the festival's potential, particularly with the inclusion of local bands and the overwhelming interest from musicians wanting to participate, as well as the scheduling of two nights of live entertainment and the reasonable ticket prices.
They highlighted the festival's unique offerings, such as a special beer crafted by Beer No Evil and the decision to have The Poor headline both nights. We discussed the significance of including acts like Audio Reign, who were the first band interviewed in their studio, as well as their radio show Rock Hard and how and why they got into a radio career based in music, plus more.
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