Rick Dangerous & the Silkie Bantams. It’s the name of my new favorite band, a band I’ve never actually seen. I’ve just been told multiple times how good they are live, in concert, in the flesh. I’ve seen the photos, heard the stories from bun and Cam, read the electrifying reviews. They’ve only released two records, a self-titled EP and their latest, ‘Thrust Machine’.

This band is like a unicorn. A mythical creature you are not sure actually exists but if you ever saw it you’d be dumbfounded and shout to the world, ‘it is real and it is wonderful’. After a bit of coaxing I went out and ‘purchased’ all their music.

Now before I give you my verdict, I was skeptical. I know what I like, and will go back to the same bands over and over again. I’ll spin the same records constantly. I’m the stubborn Capricorn goat who won’t change and a band has to ‘wow’ me to ‘buy’ their record or go see them, you could say I’m picky.

At this stage Rick Dangerous and the Silkie Bantams mainly play small venues, pubs, clubs and bars. From the live reviews it seems to suit them perfectly. From what I’ve heard the lead singer mingles amongst the crowd, a regular punter. The rest of the band is dressed all in white suits as the ‘silkie bantams’, and as they are setting up on stage he disappears into a broom closet and emerges as ‘Rick Dangerous’.

He is dressed as an office worker, wearing a tie with short sleeve shirt, he carries a briefcase as he takes the stage, whips out his thermos and pours a cup of tea. He is now ready to become the ‘obnoxious’ thrusting, microphone-twirling leader of their self-described genre of music called ‘thrustcore’. Their website says they’ve “emerged from the seedy slums of southern Sydney”, they sell merchandise such as slippers, coffee mugs and a ‘personal item’, this is a band with a personality.

So, I’ve downloaded the music and what’s the verdict? Its catchy, its heavy, its driving and will suck you in. They remind me of the ‘Hard Ons’, its punk with a sense of humor. Watch the film clip to ‘ Bruja’ a riff driving extravaganza of an innocent trek through the woods turned drug fuelled dance, listen to ‘fucking phil’ where Dangerous wails ‘I like Phil better when he was on heroin’.

Then there’s the instant classic and crowd participating ‘The General’ with ‘grip, squeeze, twist, release’. I’ve watched the film clips, heard the stories, thrusted to the music, now all that is left is to see them in all their ‘thrustcore’ glory, I can’t wait.