Pittwater Life March 2023 Issue

LAUNCH: Garry
(far right) and
beaches-based
punk rockers
RUST.
A new spot of RUST
More than 18 years spent in a punk
rock band can be something of a
rollercoaster, but nothing like the
surprising rollercoaster ride that RUST
front man Garry Campbell sings about,
on a track from the Narrabeen band’s
sixth album, to be released in March.
“We played a gig in Munich a few years
ago and identical sisters who were longtime
fans travelled across Germany to
attend,” Garry explains. “We’d never met
them and it turned out they were both
blind. They stood at the front among a
raucous crowd and sang all the lyrics.
“They then followed us to a festival
held in Blackpool, and said they’d always
wanted to ride a rollercoaster but had nobody
to take them, and asked if we would.
I took them on twice, had ice cream with
them afterwards and they loved it.
“I wrote a song about it for the latest
album afterwards and they were stoked
when we told them.”
That album, ‘Double Denim and a Bottle
of Bleach’, gets its official launch at
North Narrabeen Surf Club on 18 March.
Starting at 4pm, local bands The Buddz,
4 Barrel Hemi and The Darrans will provide
support slots, with ska and reggae
tunes playing in between bands.
“It’s really a bit of a party for our local
friends and followers, as we don’t play
on The Beaches that often,” Garry said.
“We’ll play a mix of the new tracks and
old favourites.
“It was a COVID album really, and so
we didn’t get to iron out the songs live
as we normally do, but for some reason
people in-the-know, who have followed
us a long time, think it’s the best we’ve
recorded.”
Expect an afternoon of explosive Aussie
rock ’n’ roll. But dig deeper and RUST
are not your normal skinhead punk
band. Covered in tattoos and sweat,
Garry thrashes around on stage with
every performance, but at 55 he is now
a grandfather, and has also been sober
for more than 24 years. And rather than
a bottle of Jack Daniels, he warms up for
gigs with an apple and a quick workout.
The band started almost two decades
ago with longtime members Garry,
drummer ‘Smurf’ and bassist ‘Ferns’
coming together from other punk bands
on the Beaches, to play covers of Rose
Tattoo, Motorhead and Radio Birdman.
After recording their first album, overseas
tours started happening and the
band have a big following in Europe, as
well as having toured the USA.
“We played to a crowd of 5000 in the
UK, which for a band like us which is
under the underground, is incredible,”
says Garry.
“We even had a fan propose to his girlfriend
in the UK. He told us he wanted to
do it beforehand and so we stopped playing
after four tracks for him to propose.”
While the original trio have remained
solid, RUST guitarists have been a pretty
fluid proposition throughout.
“It’s been like Spinal Tap with guitarists,”
laughs Garry. “We were a five-piece
originally, but we got interstate gigs and
the original guitarists didn’t really want
to leave the garage days. So we’ve been
back and forward between four-piece
and five-piece, and even a six-piece when
old guitarists have been back to visit.
“It’s almost like a footy team mentality,
and when reserves are on the bench
we’ll get them on to play. There’s never
been any animosity, our guitarists lives
have changed and they’ve run their
course with the band.”
The current line-up has no intention of
stopping anytime soon.
“No year has ever been the same and
no show has ever been the same. I don’t
know how long I’ll keep doing it, but I
try to keep as fit as possible. I put myself
through the wringer on stage, but I like
that and want to keep doing it. As long as
I’m enjoying it, that’s what it’s all about.”
– Rob Pegley
*Album launch at North Narrabeen Surf
Club, 4pm on 18 March; tickets eventbrite.com
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