This is KBS. She is a bad-ass singer who uses the mic stand like she would a man.
Kate is also the co-captain of the ROCKDOGS (a footy team comprised of Melbourne musicians) who are playing the Megahertz (a team of radio hosts) in the Reclink Community Cup on Sunday 25th June *all Sprinks are required to attend*. She’s played the music since she was a wee one, starting in the choir and ending up a Melb rock KWAIN. I’m interviewing her backstage right now and we are both three beers and four shots deep so hopefully this makes sense..
Firstly, can I have your shirt?
Yes. It is sweaty but here.
Ta. I heard you were a Qantas choir kid?
Ha, yes I was! I was front and centre in the Australian Girls Choir for a few years, and then Qantas came along with their campaign wanting cute kids. At the time, I was in year 12 and was the womanly shape I am today – so they would only let me in the HUGE group shots like the one at Queens Canyon and another in LA. We sang at Disneyland too, that it was pretty rad. Choir was fun, but I was naughty and used to sneak out after rehearsals and go to Goo at the Metro in the city. It was a great segway into uni life!
How did that go?
Uni was excellent. After I finished my degree, I went travelling Eastern Europe. I heard working on the super yachts was ‘fun’ so after a festival in Bosnia, I made my way to France where I got a job on one. I thought it would be all amazing parties and an ace experience, but it was closer to being a slave. I had to windex the floor boards every morning, dust air vents with a cotton tip and crap like that, plus my existence had to be invisible. If I fell overboard no one would have noticed until the canapés needed to be served. I absolutely hated it. Anyway, turns out they thought I was a different Kate from Australia when they hired me.. buzz kill.
So what happened?
I was sitting there with the bogan engineer absolutely depressed and just suddenly yelled out of nowhere ‘What the hell am I doing here – I’m an artist’ and he just looked at me and said ‘Well, why are you here?’. So I quit, went to London and lost my mind discovering more art and music than I had ever done in my life. From there I came back to Melbourne, did post-grad in theatre-making, wrote theatre shows, started playing footy then started a band. It was a very fruitful time!
Fave gig you played?
One of the best gigs was the 2am slot at Public Bar when we all got naked. I was playing in a G-string and fishnets and the crowd all ripped off their clothes too. Another time at The Tote I locked a group of hot 19yr old boys in the band room and lubed them up with glitter, mascara and Passion Pop. When I was ready, I let them out and they carried me like Cleopatra onto the stage
If you were going to join any band in the world which would it be?
Kathleen Hannah from Julie Ruin is the bomb. She’s dead set amazing. No holds barred, political, interesting.. a total inspiration. Her motto: “You might as well do whatever the fck you want cos people will criticise you anyway”.
What can we expect from the Community Cup?
Enthusiastically average football, great hair and a sick line-up of music and streakers.
