Crashpalace

keyboard - Dean Thomas

bass - John Kelly

drums - Peter Constantinou

The future which Melbourne group Crash Palace is facing is one every band

dreams about. After slogging around the traps for several years, a demo they

recorded caught the ear of their now-manager, who summoned them to America,

secured an international record contract, sent them into the studio and laid

plans to launch them internationally. That's about to happen, but before it

happens Crash Palace are enjoying dusting off the cobwebs playing low-key

gigs around Australia, their first in a year, their first under their new

name.

It all sounds like a dream come true, and is, but the year Crash Palace have

spent making that dream come true has meant hard work, and a lot of

commitment, to their music and each other. Being in a rock band, dreaming of

an international career is one thing. When that potential manager comes out

of the blue and tells you it's yours to have, but you have to leave your

comfort zone, your friends, your fans, everything and put it all on the

line, it's a huge leap of faith to take. Most people take it step by step.

Sometimes not all the band members survive the journey. The decision was

harder for some members of Crash Palace than others. But they all made it.

They used to be called. Paradime. One by one they'd taken up their place

around singer/guitarist Marcus Maloeney - bass player John Kelly, drummer

peter Constantinou, lead guitarist Jeremy "Jezza" Taylor. When keyboard

player Dean Thomas arrived to become the last piece in the jigsaw something

clicked into place. It didn't take a man with a big cigar to come along to

tell them they had 'something'. When that man came along he came in the

shape of Geoffrey Schuhkraft, who like the Crash Palace-to-be, had cut his

teeth in the backroom of the Australian music industry, but in more recent

years has worked in America, developing the contacts that now come into

place on Crash Palace's behalf. Schuhkraft heard Paradime's demo, recognized

that 'something', offered to become their manager, and arranged for the

group to go to America.

In the studio, recording their album for Trauma Records (home of Bush and No

Doubt) the group was presented with a huge challenge. Their producer also

heard that 'something'. He felt there was 'something more'. He challenged

the band to put aside the songs they'd been playing for several years, the

songs which had won them their manager and contract and their American

adventure. Their producer encouraged the group to make a new beginning. They

took the challenge. The songs they've recorded, the songs they're playing

now, are the songs they then sat down and wrote. When they were finished

Paradime was completely gone. They had became Crash Palace.

What isn't gone is the apprenticeship they served as Paradime. Over and over

Australian groups have shown that the thing they have over their

international contemporaries is that they can really really play on stage.

Australian bands have to cut it on stage. Crash Palace come from that

Australian music tradition. When the whole world discovers this group most

Australians haven't even heard of they will straight away hear and know that

Crash Palace are Australian.

What do they play? If you wanted to find a group that summed up the

post-grunge era of rock, you'll find it in Crash Palace. They play with that

energy and sincerity which won rock back its heart in the grudge era. Tucked

inside that energy are the kind of melodies commercial radio will fall over

themselves when they eventually hear them. In front is a Michael Stipe-frail

lead singer, with considerable presence. It's no accident that this dream

come true has fallen in their lap.