The Red Eyes are a mighty Melbourne-based dub-reggae band, and they’re heading north for their fourth gig in Sydney since the band’s inception. Last year saw the Red Eyes travel our wide brown land promoting their double A-side CD ‘Prolific/My Kingdom’ bringing their authentic island sound to all and sundry. Anxious to hear from Australia’s chosen sons of the genre, I ran a little Q&A past King Charlie, the band’s producer and chief dub technician. 

I hear you’re playing a show in Sydney. Who is it with, when is it on and where is it to be held? 
We are actually doing two dates in Sydney with Rastawookie. One on the 6th at Manly Fishes and one on the 7th at Newtown RSL.  

I’ve heard great things about Rastawookie. How did you line up the gigs with them? 
I mixed them in Melbourne at The Espy in late 2005 and I knew we would work well together. When we came up to Sydney to support the Black Seeds in December we came up with the idea for the two shows.  

Is it your first time in Sydney? How were previous Sydney gigs or experiences? 
We have been to Sydney four times in past years. The band has always been well received. Supporting the Black Seeds and then coming straight back up to do the Peats Ridge Festival has definitely raised our profile. That was a highlight for sure. Great line up & vibe.  

How has the new single been going? Have any radio stations picked it up? Which tracks are being played? 
The new single ‘Prolific/My Kingdom’ has been selling really well at gigs as well as at local record shops. At one store in East St Kilda it has been outselling the White Stripes! Each of the tracks have been doing really well on community stations throughout the country and in NZ. We have also just started picking up airplay on Triple J.  

How is the album coming along? Finishing touches yet? 
We are about two thirds of the way through the album and I am really looking forward to getting back to Melbourne to finish it by the end of January. We’ve just got the fun parts to do now including samples and weird effects…then mix…then remix.   

How did you all feel after your first Aussie tour? Relieved? Didit feel like hard work, or was it just a run of good times? 
Touring with an 11-piece band always makes for an interesting time. There is a lot of hard work involved in getting us out on the road and keeping us afloat. It’s always a fun experience though – with so many different characters in the band it’s pretty easy to find time to party.  

What artists featured on your touring mixtapes? Mostly reggae and dub, or other styles? 
The guys are into a lot of dub and reggae but everyone has very diverse tastes. The horn players are heavily into jazz and have been introducing that into the mix. The guitarists and I are also into alt country acts like Dios Malos, Grandaddy & Sparklehorse. Some of the other guys are into electronic sounds like breaks and drum and bass so it’s always a fight to the death over the CD player. 

Any particularly memorable moments from the tour?
Our singer, El, falling off the stage at our first Brisbane gig and breaking his hand! He got straight back up and finished the show and afterwards was taken to hospital in agony. He finished the rest of the tour with his hand in a cast.  

When will we expect the new album to be released? 
Look out for it around august. We’ll probably have another album written and ready to record by then too.  

What lies ahead for the Red Eyes in 2006? Made any New Year’s resolutions? 
Finishing the album is the number one priority. We have some great gigs coming up including the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March (19th and 25th). El’s  resolution is to stop falling off the stage. We’ll see if he can stick to it! 


With rapidly growing popularity at home and across the Tasman, The Red Eyes are definitely an act to watch in 2006. Look out for their forthcoming album, and if you live in Sydney ITM reported that they are playing back to back shows with Rastawookie in Manly at Fisho’s on Friday 6th January and at Newtown on Saturday 7th January as well as in Melbourne at Fractured on February 10th.

Click here to read the review of ‘Prolific / My Kingdom’...