Internationally renowned local band Hands Like Houses will return home at the end of this month for their first large-scale Canberra gig in 18 months.
On Friday 30 July, they will rock UC Refectory with support from Canberra hip-hop icon Citizen Kay, local act Hope Wilkins and Sydney-based Polish Club.
Hands like Houses bassist Joel Tyrrell told Canberra Daily the gig will be “very different” to their normal high-energy production.
“It’ll be stripped back and mostly acoustic with a few full band songs at the end, quite a different performance to what we would normally do,” he said.
While still “very much hurting” from the impact COVID-19 had on their 2020 touring schedule, Tyrrell said “it’s a good sign” they are able to put on a big hometown show again.
After a heavily disrupted 2020, Tyrrell said their Canberra show is a sign of recovery for the performing arts sector; “considering what last year was like for us as a band and how that disrupted and broke our business”.
Business built over a decade ‘decimated’ by Covid
Prior to Covid ruining their plans, Hands Like Houses had a big year booked in for 2020.
At the end of 2019, they recorded new music at Avoca Beach NSW. Released October 2020, their self-titled EP was the first time the group had recorded an album in Australia.
The plan was to release the album and tour Australia, the USA, the UK and Asia.
It was all going to kick off with a headlining gig at Download Festival, but that was cancelled six days out, at which point their plans started unravelling.
“That was the start of what slowly started peeling off as ‘okay, we might not be touring this year’,” Tyrrell said.
Following a typical album release cycle for a band of their ilk, Hands Like Houses had planned to recover the costs of recording and producing their costs on tour.
At the start of last year, they had 74 live shows booked across the world, but ultimately wound up playing two.
“We had more time here, but it did make it very difficult because we weren’t able to capitalise,” he said.
“We don’t have a lot of options; as soon as live touring is taken out of the equation not a lot of bands can survive.”
For Tyrrell and his band mates, the five-piece Canberra outfit have been working toward the common goal of having a successful brand and product for over 12 years.
“A business we spent more than a decade building is not there really until we can find another way of performing music, without our big international base,” he said.
Although quarantine-free international touring remains off the cards, there have been signs of recovery lately for Hands Like Houses and the Australian performing arts scene more widely.
While some of their shows booked in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide have had to be rescheduled for later in the year, at the start of 2021 they were able to get through four months of live performances.
For Tyrrell and the group, their large-scale Canberra gig “symbolises things somewhat returning to normal”.
2020 spent with ‘tight knit’ local music community
Having spent the last decade travelling the world, Tyrrell found himself spending most of 2020 back home in Canberra.
To make the most of his time in the capital, he stepped in as program manager for local industry peak body, MusicACT.
While still retaining a reduced role as committee member, Tyrrell said he was inspired to take on the role after being on the board for a while.
“That tied into when Covid first started; at the start of last year I realised I would be in Canberra a lot,” he said, “and I really enjoyed what MusicACT are fighting for here.”
Through that role, Tyrell used some of the industry knowledge and wisdom he has attained and his contacts to bring the local music community together by encouraging artists to go to one another’s shows and write together.
“The ability to have such a tight knit community is quite unique to Canberra,” he said, “It is thriving and we have a lot of amazing artists here.”
While supportive of initiatives like the ACT Government’s $800k Amp It Up! live gig fund, Tyrrell stressed the importance of having a vibrant, active local live gig scene with a host of artists and bustling venues.
“As a musician, I have a big worry that if there isn’t more resources and support put into the arts, we could get two years down the track and we don’t have any performers here in Canberra or any venues in the city,” he said.
“We need more action happening in the city but if we don’t have support for the artists in the first place, it doesn’t matter if we have venues to play.”
Hands Like Houses play the UC Refectory 30 July, 8pm; tickets via moshtix.
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