FRENTE

From the beer soaked carpet of the Punters Club in Fitzroy to massive stages the world over, Frente have won hearts and taken no prisoners with singles such as ‘Ordinary Angels’, ‘Labour of Love’ and their acoustic take on New Order’s ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’.

While the world was celebrating all things grunge, Frente’s blend of alternative and folk pop set them apart to listeners the world over. The honesty of the performances and recordings, plus the thoughtful quirky riffs and structures of the songs drew logical comparisons of Simon’s guitar work to some of Jonny Marr’s work for the Smiths and Dave Gavurin for the Sundays. Vocally Angie’s presence was, at the time, truly unique; an Australian female singer singing in her native accent, rather than adopting the American vernacular of the day.

If locally some corners picked holes in the videos for ‘Kelly Street’ and ‘Ordinary Angels’ for being a little too sweet, it seemed there was no such stigma for the band internationally. In the footsteps of seminal indie-pop bands such as The Triffids and The Go-Betweens, Frente left the country to find the recognition that had eluded them in their success in their hometown. They were invited to tour extensively with some of the biggest alternative artists of the day, including Everything But The Girl, Ween, The Beautiful South, Crowded House and Alanis Morissette.

In their absence, it seems that the respect and kudos have grown. As new generations discover them for the first time and their peers take another nostalgic listen to the songs that they fell in love, broke up, and started over with; Frente continues to mean something to many.

This show will have a support act, Felicity Cripp. 

Australian songwriter Felicity Cripps Band has just released her second album under ‘Felicity Cripps Band’ entitled Chasing Volcanoes – a heartfelt offering, shimmering with nostalgia and psychedelic tinctures. The album’s title pays homage to the late volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft, a couple, who’s life’s work and philosophies also align with the album’s main themes – the search for meaningful connections with the world around us and portals into other worlds. Recorded and produced by Nick Huggins (Dirty Three, Jess Rebeiro, Jen Cloher) at Resting Bell Studio on Wada Wurrung country, the record was created over four years, throughout the murky days of a global pandemic, the birth of Felicity’s first child co-owning and operating an iconic arts institution – the Theatre Royal Castlemaine. Felicity Cripps Band has shared stages with Don Walker, Models, Robert Forster, Rob Snarski, Lindy Morrison, Angie Hart and more.