Mistletone

Ben Montero photo by Hannah L Brooks

Ecstatic Melbourne throng Montero are coming to Sydney to launch their new single Passions at Goodgod Small Club on Thursday, June 20. Montero is quite the supergroup, led by comic book/video artist, songwriter and frontman extraordinaire Ben Montero with long time collaborator Gerald Wells on synths, Geoffrey O ‘Connor on guitar, Guy Blackman on piano, local producer Robert Bravington on bass and Cameron Potts (Ninety Nine, Baseball, Brighter Later) on the drumkit.

They’ll be joined by homies Early Woman, a new and swaggeringly catchy collaboration between Hannah Brooks (ex Young Professionals, St Helens, Spider Vomit) and Ben Montero (Montero, Treetops, Geoffrey O’Connor band) with Bobby Bravington on bass and Caitlin Perry on drums. This will be Early Woman’s first tour outside Melbourne, after a string of hometown dates with Love of Diagrams, Scott & Charlene’s Wedding, Lost Animal and Peak Twins. Brooks and Montero began working together soon after meeting in 2012. Considering their contrasting musical backgrounds it’s an unlikely paring, but one that works — Montero brings out Brooks’ bubblegum, while she brings out his nicorette. With big choruses, Bjorn and Agnetha harmonies, glam stomp and pleading funk, Early Woman make a distinctive raw attack on classic pop.

Openers are Drown Under, another must-experience new group featuring the Sydney scene’s enfants terrible: Jack Mannix (Circle Pit), Sarah Davis (Whores), Dean Adam (Housewives), Laura Hunt (Ghastly Spats) and Matt Nev (Snotty Babies); all of whom share a love of Germs, Fang, Hole, Flipper, Suicide, Royal Trux and other ne’er-do-wells. Circle Pit DJs will start your night right; DJ Marcel Whyler (buzz kull) will make it end in (joyful) tears.

An epic devotional, Passions is lifted from Montero’s forthcoming debut LP The Loving Gaze, due August 16 on Mistletone / Inertia.

MONTERO – PASSIONS SINGLE LAUNCH:

THURSDAY JUNE 20 @ GOODGOD with Early Woman (first Sydney show), Drown Under + DJ Marcel Whyler (buzz kull) + Circle Pit DJs. Tickets $10 at the door, doors open 8pm.