The Perfect House Party: DZ Deathrays

A step by step guide...

The Diamond Jubilee is fast approaching. Street parties and unnecessary but much appreciated days off will sweep the country in a haze of drunken national pride. With Australia’s long history of being a colony of the UK, who better to show us a guide to partying than thrash rock duo DZ Deathrays, who have signed up to play an exclusive gig on the 3rd June at Sailor Jerry’s Hotel Street venue on Charing Cross Road.

Hailing from Brisbane, Simon Ridley and Shane Parsons grew up playing gigs at peoples houses, trying to burst through their chaotic songs while holding back the chunky vomit. So let lead singer and guitarist Shane Parsons plan your extra long messy weekend – happy anti-Jubilee everybody!

Where To Host Your Party
I’d have to say a warehouse. They’re really good because people bring their own drinks so it’s kind of like their drunken destiny is in their own hands. It’s not like they can run out of money. But a house party is pretty good as well, as long as the neighbors aren’t total pricks and shut it down.

Who To Put On The Guestlist
Probably not family…probably just an open house. After parties are always good, especially when people want to kick on after a gig when they’re already hyped up; want to get out and so something to wind out the night out until the early morning. So, maybe just people from a show and have an after party would be cool.

What Music To Play
I’d play rock music then slowly get it into more dancey stuff. Not too much of one thing…not too much dubstep. Maybe some Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and some Black Sabbath and ‘Zeppelin.

What Live Band To Put On
The dream would be Andrew WK. Who would you put on at a party?
Simon: Ohhh, there’s this band we saw in Japan once called King Brothers, they were like a heavy blues band. I reckon they’d put on a freaking amazing house party. So I’d use those guys and Andrew WK!

What Drinking Games To Play
Best drinking game we’ve been playing recently is rock, paper, scissors. Say there’s five people in a circle, it goes round in one rotation, so if that one person beats the first person that person has to drink one drink, then they go against the second person, and if they beat the second person, the second person has to drink two drinks, but if they lose then the original guy has to drink two drinks. It’s kind of the ultimate way to get fucked up. Even if you’re winning you end up losing somehow, because you have to lose at some point and you’ll end up having five drinks.

Me and Si did a drinking game once – we put on the first album by The Bronx and we tried to finish a beer within each song, but some of those songs are in 2:20 or less, and once you get to about track five or six it gets pretty brutal.

What Decorations To Have
“It would be cool to have some inflatable toys or a piñata or something. Something that people can smash, because people always wanna break shit when they’re wasted. So if you can give them something to break rather than your own stuff that helps.”

What Food To Have…If Any
“Nachos, party pies (Australian version of pork pies), Cheerios (Australian version of tiny sausages) – get a food fight going.”

What Movies To Show
“Hot Tub Time Machine!”

How To Handle TheVomiting Situation
“You just look after that the next day. People are going to do it anyway they can. Sometimes it’s behind the couch or in a plastic bag, or on the floor or in a bathtub. Just count your losses and maybe put the dogs in there later on to eat it up.”

Lastly…Their Opinion Of The Queen
“Being from Australia I guess there’s some sort of relationship there. All I know is what my grandmother told me – and she hated the Queen. She grew up in Newcastle and she was just like: “The Queen made me stand out in the rain,” because everyone had to go out and wave to her when she was a kid. So, she said: “I don’t have anytime for the Queen any longer.”

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DZ Deathrays promise to put on a memorable show at Sailor Jerry’s newly opened Hotel Street bar. Not saying that it could disestablish the monarchy or anything, but it could well happen. Come and find out.

Words by Jamie Carson

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