Artist info
Genre
Rock, Punk
Sounds like
QOTSA, Fugazi, Iggy & The Stooges
band members
Johnny Watts - Vox/Guitar Red - Guitar/Vox Dan - Bass/Vox New drummer TBA
Influences
Buzzcocks, Magic Dirt, led zeppelin
Unearthed artists we like
Plastic Palace Alice , Boston Shaker , KSL , The Nice Folk , Schvendes , SUPERPUSSY , My Left Boot , The Watts , The Sips , Topnovil , Ouch My Face! , Actor/Model , Pinky Tuscadero , The People People , Richard In Your Mind , PLAYROOM , Devoted Few , Red Rival , Young & Restless , Bingo Steve and the Magic Markers , Babymachine , THE COALITION , Bracode , Tokyo Spares , Even People Know , Yanto Shortis , Running with Horses , Don Fernando
Website
Bio
The Watt Riot belt out high voltage, rock’n’roll tracks that are stained with the hard edge of post-punk & the grit of dirty blues. Forming around the shores of Wollongong back in 2005 the line up consists of Johnny Watts on vox & guitar, Red on lead guitar, Dan on bass & Trina on drums. They have been described as: “Harking back to the glory days of dirty Australian rock’n’roll.” Rusty Hopkinson – Radio Birdman / You Am I. The Watt Riot’s tunes are filled with blistering guitar hooks, screaming vocals & hair flickin’ rhythms. This band gets the punters tapping their hi-tops all over the dance floor & yelling for more! “More throat-tearing gutbucket, kickarse rock from Wollongong, jagged, ragged, uncomplicated, uncompromising, unpretentious guitar-chunking, scream-driven, four to the floor thump in the grand tradition of The Hard-Ons and Tumbleweed.” Michael Smith - Drum Media The Watt Riot has floored audiences at venues all over Australia including: Enmore Theatre (Syd), Gaelic Club (Syd), Annandale Hotel (Syd), Pony (Melb), ANU (ACT), Oxford Tavern (Wollo), Greenroom (Melb), Spectrum (Syd), UniBar (Wollo) & Hopetoun (Syd). The foursome has shared these stages with notable acts like: Eagles Of Death Metal (USA), The Answer (IRE), Betchudupa (NZ), Ivory Line (USA), Mess Hall, British India, Vasco Era, Legends Of Motorsport & 67 Special. “This is like hard as Boniwell Music Machine....it’s smoking...and what a cool name for a band...5/5” Jesse (The Devil) Hughes - Eagles Of Death Metal In March 2006 The Watt Riot released their debut EP ‘Nightmare on Love St’. Radio stations including Sydney’s FBi & Triple J played tracks from the EP. On Valentines Day 2007 The Watt Riot were Unearthed by Triple J with the track Rock’n’Roll. “Y’know how everyone uses ‘rock’ to describe something good these days. Like ‘you rock dude!’ or ‘that DJ set was totally rockin’, or ‘I’m gonna rock the mic tonight’ or even ‘Fallout Boy rock!’. Well, unless they sound like this song by The Watt Riot, they don’t really ‘rock’ at all. 5/5” Chris Scadden - Triple J The Watt Riot’s second release, a 6 track EP titled ‘Paint The City Red’ is due for official release through Soviet Records and Creative Vibes Distribution in November 2008. Working with Anthony The (Wolfmother, Youth Group & The Vines) at Velvet Sound and Al Wright (Motley Crue, Ratt & INXS) at 313 Studios, The Watt Riot’s live energy and boisterous sound has been captured once again. e: thewattriot@gmail.com w: www.myspace.com/thewattriot
Featured Artist
26
Feb
The Watt Riot
(- indie rock ,
- QOTSA ,
- Fugazi , ...
Illawarra, NSW
If this isn't rock we don't know what is. The winning track is even called 'Rock 'n'roll'! It's short, loud and makes you want to put your fist in the air.
The Watt Riot are the NSW winners of our Eagles of Death Metal competition. Find out more about this competiton and view the winners from other states. more » Listen to the interview (2mb)
What can the crowd expect when you hit the stage?
4 smiling faces and some Rock'n'Roll
What's your favourite Eagles of Death Metal number? Why?
Kiss the Devil - its got a good sing-a-long chorus and 2 step verses.
Wollongong has got a pretty healthy rock'n'roll scene. Tell us what it's like.
Everyone knows each other in the Gong rock scene, we are all mates, the only competition is on the golf arcade machine (Hytest are winning). You will find us most weekends at the Oxford Tavern. Bands like Hytest, The Pink Fits, Babymachine, Monstrous Blues and Superpussy are frequently seen in this venue.
What's the best thing about being in 'The Watt Riot'?
Playing loud rock'n'roll with 3 reasonably nice fellas.
...and the worst?
having to lug my darn drum kit around.... do we get roadies with this prize???
What have you got planned for the future?
head to the pub to celebrate with a few Jack Daniel's and Heinekens'. We are also recording our follow-up EP in late March. I think March will be a pretty good month!
Australian music is...
really good if it is rock/fuzz/dirty/loud/stoner/raw/ and comes from Wollongong or Geelong circa 1990-1999* (*generally..... but not limited to)
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Review
I don't kno...
I don't know why people are ragging this track. There's an undeniable rock n' roll attitude perched on some pretty simple but hard hitting guitar work. Not reinventing the wheel but definitely adding to a plethora of lessons on rock n roll. Jesse Hughes digs it - can't be bad.
