[The following interview is transcribed from John Sekerka's radio show, Tape Hiss, which runs on CHUO FM in Ottawa, Canada. This month, John talks to Jason of Australia's Frenzal Rhomb.]

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As everyone knows a Fresnel Rhomb utilizes the different phase changes on internal reflection of the "P" and "S" components of an incident plane polarized beam; essential for lighthouses everywhere. It is named after noted French physicist Augustus-Jean Fresnel, who specialized in optics. But just what the heck is a FRENZAL Rhomb? Lead singer Jason cleverly evades that query, but goes on to babble incessantly on other weighty matters with a charming Crocodile Dundee accent.


John: This is a long way to go just to play some punk music.

Jason: Australians have quite a bad reputation over here for being very rude tourists, so we're going to try and solidify that relationship. We come bearing gifts of love and kindness.

John: You're keeping the exploding drummer cliché alive. How many drummers have you gone through?

Jason: We've gone through about twenty-five. We usually go through one every three months or so. They do tend to explode, or we shoot them, or we throw boomerangs at 'em, make them ride kangaroos into the desert, and they explode.

John: What is it about drummers anyway?

Jason: I dunno. It must be something primal about wanting to hit things for a living. The one we have now is especially handsome and talented, so I think he'll be sticking around.

John: Is that a big criteria for membership into the band?

Jason: Well as you can see from our press photos: of course. We're actually hand picked by our record company for our good looks and dancing abilities. We're the Australian version of the Backstreet Boys.

John: Do you do your own lipsyncing?

Jason: Of course. Obviously we have stunt doubles, but we try and do as much as we can ourselves. It's all carefully choreographed.

John: You're pretty big stuff back home, selling gold records and all.

Jason: Yeah we just got our first gold record, which is pretty funny cuz it was fundamentally attributed to the "f" word. Our parents were pretty happy. The reason we dropped out of school became apparent. We've made enough money over there that we can afford to come over here and spend it all.

John: This may be before your time, but what kind of an influence were The Saints on you?

Jason: They're a huge band! Radio Birdmen as well - they're definitely a big influence.

John: Is it true that The Saints were pretty well ignored before they went to England?

Jason: Yeah and when they came back, they were huge.

John: So you were like two or three at the time right?

Jason: Well yeah. My parents forced me to listen to it from the crib.

John: Where does the album title "A Man Is Not a Camel" come from?

Jason: It's an Australian expression. If you'd like another beer at a bar. You go up and say, "c'mon mate, a man is not a camel.' And hopefully he'll give you a beer.

John: How did you hook up with Fat Mike and Fat Wreck Chords over in North America?

Jason: We did a tour with NOFX in Australia. They liked us and put us on a compilation and released a seven inch for us. And then ignored us for a year or so. They really liked the last record, so they put it out.

John: How fat is Fat Mike these days anyway?

Jason: He's pretty slim. It's very disappointing actually.

John: That's too bad. I thought he was the biggest man in rock'n'roll.

Jason: I know. Gordie, our drummer, is the shortest man in rock'n'roll, and I'm the skinniest man in rock'n'roll, but Mike is nowhere near the fattest any more. Quite unfortunate.

John: How's your North American tour going?

Jason: Surprisingly well. We thought we'd be chiefly ignored.

John: How did you hook up with Canada's notorious punk bandits Chixdiggit for this tour?

Jason: We met 'em when they came out to Australia. We took 'em out to the casino and got'em all fucked up. Now they're looking after us.


....tape hiss....


PS: check out the hidden track on "A Man Is Not a Camel" for another possible origin to the name Frenzal Rhomb.



(C) 2000 - John Sekerka