When you think of public servants, you probably don’t picture being killed by a desk or stealing stationery, but the Dept of Rock is a whole other beast.
This is the after-hours version of the public service, where staid public servants step out from their cubicles and rage against the machine, musically speaking.
Dept of Rock is a battle of the bands competition for Federal and ACT public servants – folk, ska, blues, punk, pop, rock, whatever – and entries are now open.
If you need inspiration, take a look at last year’s winners, heavy metal band Machinery of Government (pictured).
Underneath the make-up, piercings and tatts, are servants to the public.
These musos spend their days working at various portfolios including the Australian Tax Office, Department of Home Affairs, and Australian Bureau of Statistics.
By night, however, these Dept of Rock champions plug in their amps and cover Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law”, re-naming it “Taking It All”, about raiding the stationery cupboard.
Please note: they did not actually steal from the stationery cupboard.
Their energy-packed set included the lead singer showering the ecstatic crowd with post-it notes and pens.
Need more inspiration? They also covered Motorhead’s “Killed by Death”, changing it to “Killed by Desk” (a dark homage to the office).
Dept of Rock is open to all genres and all abilities – even this desk-bound journalist had a go as a lapsed public servant (bands need a majority of public servants, so I scraped in).
Along with a couple of ex-public servants from the Department of Industry and Department of Veterans Affairs, we rocked out to AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”, modified to “Dirty Deeds in Scope Creep” (that uncontrolled expansion in a project).
We did not win. We are not bitter.
The whole point of Dept of Rock is to have a laugh about frustrating bureaucracy and to nurture musical talent, while dispelling stereotypes about “boring public servants”.
If you’re a muso who prefers performing original songs rather than covers, that’s fine. Last year’s winners, Machinery of Government, penned a cheery song called “Death of Freedom”, based on George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen eighty-four.
Good times.
Dept of Rock has morphed into a massive event, attracting national media attention and the Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke, who regularly attends and even performs with his Labor caucus band, Left Right Out.
Now in its fourth year, the event at Smith’s Alternative sells out every single time and raises money for local charities.
The concept came about when old school friends Nigel McRae, owner of Smith’s Alternative, and Leanne Thompson, madam secretary of Dept of Rock, were chatting about the many local musos they knew who worked in the public service.
Dept of Rock was born.
Since 2023, the annual event has showcased more than 60 bands from about 50 different government entities.
Let’s rawk! (as soon as that ministerial is drafted).
To enter Dept of Rock’s 2026 Public Service Battle of the Bands competition at Smith’s Alternative visit: deptofrock.com.au Registrations close 20 September.
