The Antics Roadshow Rages On
By Wil Clifford
February 27th, 2025
Back in high school media we had a whole project dedicated to dissecting the common ‘larrikin’ character type; nonchalant yet switched on, confident yet empathetic, often progressive and smart without the ass. It’s what every comedian on Channel 10’s trying to be; what Nick Cave was and now isn’t; it's the entirety of The Castle (1997).
In the turbulent political landscape we find ourselves in, where the Overton Window has shifted and centrism has become conservative-lite™, the larrikin has seen a bit of leftist radicalisation. They’re louder, bolder, more in touch with their morals than ever - The modern larrikin is a punk.
The Antics - Freya (vox), Perry (guitar), Alannah (drums) and Flynn (bass) - are larrikins to their core.
I got to chat with Freya and Perry back in October, shortly after releasing their debut EP via Rack Off Records.
“[We'd] just been putting shit down, trying to get takes we were happy with, and we eventually got some,” said Perry. “I think it was pretty close to when Rack Off said they were down to put it out. Yeah, just got it mastered. It was good to go.”
Spanning six tracks at 11 minutes, the self-titled tape condenses the quartet’s electric live show into a highlight package. Songs like Masked and Anthem are performed as though a crowd of hundreds are egging them on, you can practically hear Freya’s flying kicks and confident stage presence on the recordings.
“[For] Anthem, we were like, ‘let's make a song that's lighthearted and not so dark’, recalled Freya. “It's just my view of how much I love Melbourne and the quirky things I find about it, but also the things that are maybe a bit more tricky, like the weather, the cold and stuff.”
But The Antics’ talent for songcrafting, both structurally and lyrically, are best demonstrated on Berry 18. The track’s a love letter to the film Dogs In Space (1986), an examination of the late 70s local punk scene, Michael Hutchence and all. Formative as that era was for alternative music, the band is careful to recognise the shortcomings of that time in their admiration.
“It's about that punk scene and there’s a lot of issues with that, but it's sort of romanticised as well, the drug use and partying, the great shows,” said Freya.
Only reaffirming their strengths is Safer, a scathing examination of an inherent misogynistic world and the dangers fem folk endure because of it. The band is in full force, heavy as ever as Freya mocks;
“It’s just a joke mate \ It was only a fuckin’ joke”
“I feel like it's spoken about in the scene, but maybe not as much as it should be,” she said. “Always having to watch your back, be extra cautious, and just reminding people of that, because I feel like that can get lost sometimes and music's a great way to put that forward.”
Nighthawks was chock-a-block for their EP launch in October, with two incredibly reputable bands in Dilemmas and Silicone Prairie supporting. It’s an insane accomplishment given The Antics only came together in April, as Freya reflects.
“I moved from Sydney in Feb. I met Alannah first, met her at Old Bar,” recalls Freya. “I met Flynn on a night out at a gig as well, so it's just all kind of been on nights out and talking to people and finding out who's keenest. Havin’ a crack, yeah.”
It only took about two weeks for the band to form, spurred on by a mutual love of the classics; Radio Birdman and The Saints, anything fast and loud. Inspiration also came from the bustling punk scene around them, most notably the five-piece tough cunts, Scud.
“I actually saw them play the [Tote] front bar the first time I visited Melbourne,” Freya said. “I didn't know what The Tote was really, I'd just heard of it. Then I saw them play and I was like, ‘fuck, they're so sick! This is the energy I want to be a part of’”.
The Antics photographed by Ella Tubman
"I'm happy to go where the wind takes us, just keep going forward and creating, yeah…I can imagine myself being like 70 and the next generation of punks, like, ‘ah, what's this old cassette tape?’. That'd be cool." - Freya
The Antics played their debut show in May, supporting Scud at The Fitzroy Pinnacle. A couple weeks later Scud opened for The Antics’ debut headliner, funnily enough at The Tote Front Bar. After that it was Billiam And The Split Bills, then Cutters and Split System. Just four months into their existence, they were opening for American heavyweights Dark Thoughts.
Perry only needed one word to describe how they felt about the rapid ascension.
“Stoked.”
Freya elaborated.
“When we're talking to such an inclusive and passionate community, you just meet so many cool people, and then to have opportunities like that, I feel so grateful. I think we all do. It's great, it's fun.”
In the (long, long) time since talking to them, they’ve embarked on an interstate tour, brilliantly dubbed The Antics Roadshow; shows in Meanjin/Brisbane and Warrane/Sydney supporting Frenzee, including a few headliners on the way. Now they’re set for Flippin’ The Bird, a huge achievement for any band, let alone one that’s only just getting started.
“We just love seeing the community there and all our mates,” said Freya.
But despite the quick rise, by no surprise, The Antics haven’t lost sight of the thing that matters most to them.
“It's so cool when you just have fun. I feel like we work together really well and because we're all mates, everything's just fun.”
Listen to The Antics on Bandcamp and Spotify.