King Parrot on home turf and touring
King Parrot is about to make history, playing with a slew of local and international artists in a line-up of epic proportions for the first-ever Download Festival to be held on Australian soil. I catch up with KP legend Matt “Youngy” Young to talk off-shore vs home turf, making history and bushing it.
King Parrot
Zo Damage 2018
ZD: What's it like, knowing King Parrot is part of all of this?
Youngy: We're really grateful to be a part of this first-ever Download in Australia. It's going to be an awesome day, and we have a prime slot at 7 pm. We couldn't be happier.
ZD: Has the band played major festivals before?
Youngy: Yeah, we've played a whole bunch here in Australia and overseas. They are always heaps of fun, and it's great to get out on the big stage. King Parrot thrives on that stuff.
ZD: How do international shows differ from those on home turf?
Youngy: For us, they don't really. King Parrot prides itself on being really consistent and doing a great show every night we play. [But] Aussie audiences are more familiar with us than audiences in some of the overseas places we travel to, but we have played a lot over there now too. People are learning what to expect from us.
King Parrot
170 Russell 2017
© Zo Damage
ZD: What is it you are most looking forward to?
Youngy: I just love the time on stage. It makes everything else worthwhile.
ZD: King Parrot Regional Rampage tours are amazing. What inspired the band to focus on a run of regional shows?
Youngy: We love touring regional Australia, so we have been thinking about this for a few years now. Spending a month on the road in Australia is going to be awesome. We can’t wait. We feel the need to get out to these places to say thanks to all the people who support us. We’ve been really lucky to have such committed fans.
ZD: Tell us about Regional Rampage 2018.
Youngy: We have Child Bite from the US coming out to tour with us. We can’t wait to show them Australia. I really think the Aussie fans will like them. [They’re] a 100 per cent unique and original band. We’ll be playing a heap of stuff off the new record and ensuring that every show is 110 per cent off the hook. We’re really pumped to do this.