Hailing from the gutters of West End, Lords Of Wong play hard and party even harder.
The Wong boys take their partying very seriously, rarely seen without a cigarette or alcoholic beverage in hand. Sometimes, though, their play hard lifestyle takes its toll. When they relocated to picturesque Maleny in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland to record their new album, vocalist Jimmy fell ill, although it didn't stop him from partying.
“I lost my voice before recording and then I just kept drinking and smoking. But the other boys put the backbone of the songs down,” Jimmy says.
In true rock and roll fashion it's their experimentation with drugs and alcohol that inspires them most. Case in point is 'Club Bistro', the seven-minute title track from their new record.
“We were inspired by the landscape, by LCD and whiskey and marijuana and that helped us to write this very long song, very long Wong song.”
Don't let the partying lifestyle fool you though. The Wong boys take their craft seriously. Initially beginning to record in November 2012, the Lords took some time away from their work before returning to make sure it was just right.
“I like our recordings to be a bit raw, so I think we've taken off a bit of the extra stuff that we did when we over produced it. It was nice to have a break from it and go back,” Jimmy says.
Following the current trend taken up by other local bands, Lords Of Wong will release 'Club Bistro' on vinyl in November. For them, it's less about being in vogue and more about the tangible memory a record offers.
“We've put the other recordings on CD and we just thought it would be something special for us to hold onto when we're old men. It's a bit of a collector’s item. It's something good to hold onto.”
Celebrating the eclectic mash-up of music styles in their old stomping ground of West End, Lords Of Wong will play the Block Party, officially closing this year’s Brisbane Fringe Festival.
“We do get rowdy and we push each other around, all in good jest. We just do our thing.”
Lords Of Wong play the West End Block Party Sunday September 15. The day kicks off from 10am.
