The Rions and Pacific Avenue are taking the UK and Europe by storm this month on a massive co-headlining tour. Hailing from Sydney and Gerringong, respectively, these NSW indie rock acts are ready to bring their energetic live shows to new audiences, venturing to music-mad cities like Glasgow, Newcastle, London, and Berlin.
To mark their first international venture, Rolling Stone AU/NZ caught up with The Rions’ Noah Blockley and Tom Partington, along with Pacific Avenue’s Harry O’Brien and Ben Fryer, to chat about their shows and what’s next.
And both bands certainly have a lot to discuss these days.
The Rions have been dropping several new singles, including “Physical Medicine,” and “Sweet Cocoon,” ahead of their upcoming EP, Happiness in a Place It Shouldn’t Be, which arrives on September 27th (pre-save here).
Just today (August 28th), they announced their largest Australian headline tour to date, which will take them to Darwin, Cairns, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Margaret River, Fremantle, and almost everywhere in-between at the end of the year.
Pacific Avenue, meanwhile, recently featured in our ‘Future of Music’ series, recognition for their quick ascent to the top of Aussie guitar music.
“Two nominations at the 2023 ARIA Awards for your debut album? Pacific Avenue are flying out of the traps… the rising alternative rock band deliver a fresh yet nostalgic sound with strong hooks, while their energetic live show is a sight to behold,” we praised.
Check out their fun conversation below, which takes in tour life, habits, superhero movies, and much more.
Find tour information for The Rions and Pacific Avenue here and here.
Pacific Avenue interview The Rions
Pacific Avenue: Knowing the boys are big on the movies, we’ve got a little bit of a theme. So, three of you get Spiderman abilities, but you have to choose someone not to get it. Who’s it gonna be that misses out?
Noah Blockley (B): It’s gonna be me or you, Tom.
Tom Partington (P): We’re the least athletic, that’s for sure.
B: It’s probably gonna be me. I’ll have to take one for the team.
P: You’re Spiderman in my eyes, Noah.
B: Yeah, thanks Tom.
Pacific Avenue: Which Beatle would each of you guys be?
B: Oh, you know we have an entire document that documents what member of every group of four we are? So many fictional things.
P: It’s like three pages.
B: I can tell you right off the bat that me and Harley [Wilson] are John and Paul, Tom’s Ringo and Asher [McLean]’s George, and it fits pretty freaking perfectly.
Ben Fryer: Out of curiosity, what hobbits are you?
B: Oh, I don’t think we’ve done that. I’m gonna have to watch them on the plane so I can let you know, ’cause I haven’t seen them.
Harry O’Brien (O): It’s a tough watch. I tried to watch it with Ben when we were flying to Europe, but I didn’t get through the first one.
B: Alright, well you and I will watch it. We’ll sit next to each other.
Pacific Avenue: So Noah, if you lose your voice on tour, who would take over from you in the band?
B: I think that Harley has the most knowledge on all the lyrics, and he’d be able to sing it alright. But, I dunno I’d probably just call up Harry as a last minute thing.
P: Do the double set!
Pacific Avenue: Who’s most likely to get lost in Europe while the rest of the bus is waiting?
P: It’s Noah, it’s definitely him.
B: Is it me? It would probably be me.
P: I think the most likely thing to happen is you’d lose your phone or something.
B: Yeah, but there hasn’t been a time where I’ve been missing. Every one of you has been missing, except for Asher and me. So I could give you that too. You guys could get lost because you didn’t wake up.
B: I’m actually going to bring one of those little child leashes for you.
P: The little monkey bags. I used to have one of those.
Pacific Avenue: If you had to pick the perfect band out of the Marvel Universe, who would be in the band?
P: I think it’s got to be Hulk on drums.
B: I think Tony Stark’s charisma has to be the front man. He’d be able to shred on the guitar, and he’s, you know, charismatic up front, so he’s singing. I would say that the bass player has to be someone chill…
P: I feel like it could be Doctor Strange?
B: Yeah, I was thinking that, but they’ve gotta be groovy. Maybe Black Panther? I’m just thinking about T’Challa grooving it, that would be sick. For lead guitar… who’s got intelligence?
P: If intelligence is coming into it, I think Doctor Strange.
B: I think Doctor Strange could shred. He was a neurosurgeon.
P: He could also open up a little portal at the neck of his guitar and get someone else to play other notes so he can shred with his other hand.
B: Actually, you know what, I’m gonna say no Hulk on the drums. He’ll hit ‘em too hard. I’m gonna say that T’Challa and Killmonger, the villain that kind of turned good at the end of Black Panther 1, they would work together.
P: But classically, they’re enemies.
B: Yeah, but think about his music taste in the movies?
P: True, the soundtrack of those movies is great, but I think Hulk would go crazy. Like, if he’s angry he’d go wild.
B: Yeah, that’s fair. Alright, that’s what we’ve got: Black Panther on bass, Hulk on drums, Doctor Strange on lead guitar and your frontman is Tony.
Pacific Avenue: Dom had one for you – who would win in a fight out of Pacific Avenue and The Rions?
B + P: Asher.
B: Who would take on who? I think Jack and Asher would have to fight.
P: No, I don’t think so. I think Ash is gonna have to go against Harry, because he would have much more reach on you. You wouldn’t be able to land a punch on Harry. You’ve got to take Jack.
B: I can punch the hardest.
Pacific Avenue: What are you most excited about for the rest of the year?
B: I’m excited to release our new EP, Happiness in a Place It Shouldn’t Be, coming September 27h!
The Rions interview Pacific Avenue
The Rions: We’re starting off with a bit of a classic. If you weren’t in a band, if you weren’t Pacific Avenue, where do you think you’d be?
Ben Fryer (F): Before I was doing the band, I was actually doing lifeguarding, and then I was doing concreting on council, so I’d say I’d most likely be there. Although I did drop out of an education degree, so who knows? Could’ve been a school teacher, I’ll leave it open.
Harry O’Brien (O): I was doing a degree in sound engineering, so I’d like to think I’d still be trying to record bands or in some sort of music space if I wasn’t playing.
The Rions: Alrighty, which band member out of the Pacific Avenue crew has the weirdest habit on tour?
O: I mean, I do heaps of vocal warm ups just before we go on, so I’m probably pretty annoying, taking up the bathroom to do vocal warm ups when everyone else is just trying to get in there.
F: I’d almost say that it’s me – and sorry guys, because you’re gonna have to deal with this – but I’m a snorer, so [you] won’t be getting much sleep on the bus.
O: Oh yeah, it’s terrible.
The Rions: What’s the best venue or city you’ve ever played?
O: One of my favourites was when we supported DMA’S in London at the Roundhouse, which was really, really cool. I think it was our first show internationally. We never get nervous for shows anymore, but for this one, just before we went on, no one was talking to each other, and we were just like, “I really just want to do good at this.” So many of our influences are from the UK. The audience knows what good music sounds like, so that was one of the most beautiful venues I think we’ve played.
F: I reckon what made it nerve-racking was knowing that a lot of our favourite bands had played there in the past.
O: Yeah true, like [Led] Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and everyone has been through there. It was really cool.
The Rions: If you could put yourself in any fictional world and have the abilities or characteristics of the main protagonists, what would you choose? For example, if you were in Harry Potter, you would be a wizard, if you were in Star Wars, you’d be a Jedi. And you can choose your powers within the limits of like, not being too insane, but you have to deal with everything that comes with that.
O: I think for Dom’s sake, we’re gonna have to say the Harry Potter world. What do you reckon Ben?
F: Well, I’ve thought a little bit about this before. I reckon my all-time favourite superhero is Batman. He’s had some pretty tough fights, but who doesn’t want to drive the Batmobile around?
P: He also has the childhood trauma of his parents dying, and you know, all the rest of it.
F: I mean, Harry Potter?
The Rions: Which city are you most keen to play on our UK/EU tour?
O: We’ve never done the Europe side. We’ve done the UK a lot. So I’m really keen to see what Germany and Berlin is like, and the Netherlands as well. But I think London is probably still going to be one of the best for me, I think it’s like one of the biggest shows we have on tour. What about you Benny?
F: I’m kind of torn between London and Manchester. London, because I’m really looking forward to it and it’s gonna be a massive show, but also Manchester, because I have a bit of family coming to that show.
O: And Glasgow is so sick. We went there last time with DMA’S as well, and the further north you go in the UK, the more rowdy and the more into it the people are. [It’s] really hard to understand what they’re saying, but such good energy.
The Rions: When we’re in the UK and Europe, what’s one extracurricular thing you want to do? Is there somewhere you want to see, something you want to drink, something you want to taste?
O: If we have time, I’d love to go through Paris. I’ve never done France. There’s a few beautiful little spots we’ve been to in the UK, like Notting Hill (if we have a day off) is super beautiful. There are markets that close off the whole street, and there’s beautiful restaurants.
F: I’ve had this on my list every single time I’ve gone, still haven’t managed to do it yet, but I want to go visit a castle.
B: I went to one when I was in the UK last year. Incredible.
O: Anything you guys are looking forward to?
B: I’m keen for Manchester. I’m massively into football, anything Manchester United, so I want to go to [Old] Trafford. I think it’s the top of my bucket list, it has been for 21 years.
O: Who’s going to win the first game of FIFA on the bus?
B: Me, are you kidding?
O: It’ll take me a couple days to get into it. I’ve been training.
B: I’ll teach you my tips. We’re gonna spiral into a conversation for hours if we don’t stop now.
The Rions: What are you most excited about for the rest of the year?
O: [We’ve] got new music coming real soon, and [we’re] working on a record we’re gonna be putting out next year as well!
P: Are you gonna get in trouble for saying that?
O: Nah, don’t think so! I’m also excited to listen to Happiness in a Place It Shouldn’t Be, that’s gonna be the rest of my year.
