Australian punks Glitoris exploded into our consciousness a couple of years back with their uncompromising anthem ‘The Policy’ and we’ve been hooked on their ferocious, no-holds-barred hard rock assault ever since. Mixing naked contempt for a failing system with glam-rock absurdity, the quartet of Keven 007, Malcolm, Andrew and Scott challenge insidious issues such as violence against women, police brutality and the persecution of indiginous people in the form of thunderous floor shaking, pulse-racing bursts of sonic protest.
Since the release of their debut LP in 2018, the band have been on tour around Australia and beyond, electrifying audiences with shows that led to them being named ‘Hard Rock Live Act of The Year’ at the National Music Awards. The Slut Power Sessions captures one such performance, from their hometown of Canberra, recorded during two sold-out Covid-era shows in June 2020.
We’re delighted to bring you the UK premiere of the mini-album, and asked the band to share some of the musical experiences that shaped their sound.
Keven: The drizzle of Classic FM and Radio National in my kitchen and car must seep into my brain and start some sort of chain reaction of ‘thoughts’ and ‘feelings’. If I had to name drop I’ll say these ones: Bowie, Freddie, Tim Curry as Frank n Furter and the entire Rocky Horror soundtrack which I have had on vinyl since 1983, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, anything Mike Patton & Maynard do, I’ve been trying to sing like that since I was 14. My first true loves were Madonna, Whitney, Mariah and Meatloaf.
Malcolm: I love musicians and bands that are able lose themselves and transcend with the song when they play and or sing. Players like Hendrix, Flea, Nik West, Mojo Juju. That are sincere and dedicated in the delivery of their songs that its magical to watch and gives you the listener so much…. And that wasn’t really the answering the question of musical influences, but I spent too much time writing my answer that it will have to be the answer.
Andrew: It’s difficult to pin influences down cos they come from everywhere and anywhere. Guitar-wise I’m a big fan of Hendrix, Tom Morello, Brian May and Dave Navarro. One of my faves is Daron Malakian from SOAD. I love how he moves from playing staccato notes in Arabic scales into massive drop-D chords. He’s got all the metal, riff and lead chops and can make 2 notes sound phenomenal. He’s the player I’m most drawn to as a guitarist and as a performer. He also writes to the song and plays off what Serj Tankian is doing rather than plays over everything.
Scott: Piggy-backing off of Andrew, I have a lot of varied influences that have directly and indirectly influenced and fed into my playing and approach to playing Drums, especially in Glitoris. I love the unapologetic and power infused grooves, juxtaposed with elements of funk and a spectrum of dynamics by Brad Wilk (Rage Against The Machine). I grew up savouring the arrangement and delivery of Drum parts in typical punk rock, nostalgic emo fashion from the mid 2000’s by Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy) (a full disclosure about this very open and indulgent admission here! haha). Along with Spencer Smith (Panic! At the the Disco), Bob Bryar (My Chem) and of course Travis Barker (Blink 182). Generally speaking, I’ve always been a fan of Sheila E; undeniably she’s a powerhouse and trail blazer for female drummers everywhere, along with Cindy Blackman and Patty Schemel (Hole), her documentary, “Hit So Hard’ is a must watch for any alt rock / punk rock / grunge enthusiast. All of this wouldn’t be complete without adding Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix) and Keith Moon (The Who) either, I love the free expression, big fills (ALL the sextuplets) and Drumming tones from the 70’s. This performance is perfectly iconic to include here, a notable take back to a WILD display of rock n roll theatrics when Keith added a little too much gun powder in his Bass Drum.
The Slut Power Sessions – Live at The Basement is available now on vinyl and digital download via Bandcamp
Introduction by Paul Maps
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