Bachelor of Arts

Artist Information

Biography

Bachelor of Arts are a three piece noise-rock band from Melbourne. It's a city perpetually on the move, with a moody and overcast story to be told. With this grounding, longtime friends Bill Forshaw, Angus Tarnawsky and Kevin Mcdowell create some of the most startlingly interesting non-mainstream pop music you'll come across. It channels the exploration of the late 70s NYC downtown scene crossed with the shifting rhythms and sense of restraint that Chicago in the 90s was known for. What the band produces is precise, full of energy and littered with a sense of playful nihilism.

They've toured Australia extensively, covering the country several times over and in March of this year they embarked on a three week tour of the United States. The past few years has seen the group sharing stages with the likes of Japanther (US), These New Puritans (UK), Dinowalrus (US), Apache Beat (US), Real Estate (US), Bakelite (CAN), Die! Die! Die! (NZ), My Disco, Witch Hats, Fabulous Diamonds, The Nation Blue, Tic Toc Tokyo and Ohana in all sorts of venues, galleries and spaces.

2009 also sees the international release of their debut album Infinite Jest. Rip It Up Magazine described the album as "A strong debut...There's all the vocal intensity, angry hooks and antagonistic bass of the punk side and the calculated guitar stabs, complex rhythms and looping noise that are math rock staples...about the same consistency overall that you'd get if you blended experimentalists The Fall with Black Flag."

Instrumentation

Bill Forshaw
Guitar/Vocals/Electronics

Angus Tarnawsky
Drums/Pads & Electronics

Kevin Mcdowell
Bass/Vocals

Discography

No Signal EP (2006)
Bang Bang Boom Boom Single (2007)
Signal Receiving EP (2007)
Infinite Jest (2008)
Split 7" w/ Dinowalrus (2009)
Wither With Her (to be released January 2010)


Tracks selected for radio rotation and TV synchronization from Infinite Jest and Split 7";

- Beethoven, Freedom & A Hard Place

- Apathy

- A.M.P.M

- Juno

Audio

• A.M.P.M
  Listen  
• Method To Madness
  Listen  
• Juno
  Listen  
• Beethoven, Freedom & A Hard Place
  Listen  
• Apathy
  Listen  

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• 7" Launch, Curtin Bandroom, Melbourne [+ Show ]
  

  Limited space in front of the stage signified the start of the Bachelor of Arts set, reminding us th...Limited space in front of the stage signified the start of the Bachelor of Arts set, reminding us that this is what great headline shows are made of. For a relatively young band, Bachelor of Arts have a decent amount of touring mileage under their belts. Tonight’s show is their first home, fresh from their U.S. tour playing with Dinowalrus – the other half of the split 7” curiously titled Beethoven, Freedom & A Hard Place.
  They began by blitzing right into their new single Beethoven to the type of joy that comes from a crowd that knows its watching something awesome. It’s the chaotic elegance of Angus Tarnawsky’s percussion that underpins all of the band’s intricate rhythmic structures, balanced by catchy melodies. Bill Forshaw’s effortless guitar riffs are matched only in urgency by bassist Kevin McDowell and their own vocals. Tarnawsky can really thrash skin, this being showcased by crowd favourite Bang Bang Boom Boom from their earlier Signal Receiving EP.
  
  Live highlight’s from the band’s full-length Infinite Jest, include Teresa, with its catchy mnemonic lyrics and Apathy that would give Mark E. Smith something to rant about. After dashing post-set to grab a set list from the stage, the audience seemed reluctant to leave, confirming that this was one of the Bachelor’s best local performances ever.
  
  Kelele

• Bachelor Of Arts, Big Bear, Thief Thief, Whitetail at the You Need New Glasses House, Boston [+ Show ]
  

  "We don't usually do encores — it seems a bit wanky," says a sweaty Bill Forshaw in a rubbery, shrug..."We don't usually do encores — it seems a bit wanky," says a sweaty Bill Forshaw in a rubbery, shrugging Aussie accent. "But we might not ever be here again in our lives, so why not?" A few feet away, Kevin McDowell slowly hangs his bass back over his shoulders, muttering to himself, "Plus, we already played all our good songs . . . "
  
  We’re crammed like sardines with backpacks into the basement of a house in Watertown that (it turns out) isn’t so difficult to get to for DIY pilgrims who can deal with the #71 bus schedule. Forshaw and McDowell, along with Angus Tarnawsky, are Bachelor of Arts, a hyper noise-rock band flown in from Melbourne for a two-week tour of the East Coast. It’s all grimy Gang of Four punk dance and skronk — kind of like Nick Cave doing rugby chants, and it rules in a way that gets my ears numb enough not to howl in pain during Big Bear’s nightcap, which is delivered at their usual impossible volume.
  
  I run into a house organizer on the stairs near the water heater, and it turns out we’re not really on uncharted house-show territory out here. "We just found out this is the house that Anal Cunt used to live in. They practiced in this basement!" Chances are, it wasn’t this whimsical in those days — a huge plastic sailfish adorns one wall, along with a cartoonish painting of what one attendee notes may be the haunted-ballroom scene from The Shining. A dummy Spider-Man with a Regis Philbin mask seems sort of crucified on some wood behind the stage and covered in Christmas lights.
  
  Earlier on, the musically somersaulting duo Thief Thief ramp things up while hardly even looking as if they were trying. Tied to an intensive finger-tapping guitar deal (like a slightly more even-keeled Marnie Stern or Hella if they . . . oh look! a recording of the Thief Thief covering Hella!), guitarist Jeff Thief has little choice but to stand there, immobile, with a sheepish Mike Nesmith grin as the mob trips over itself trying to make up sloppy vocal parts. When he dives into the crowd mid song, it’s more along the lines of an awkward magician stumbling out to find a volunteer than the usual frontman cheerleading act, but this crowd is down with nerdy overthrow.
  
  Later, the epic shoegazer outfit Whitetail crank the echo on the microphones so high that everything anyone says in the room bounces back through the PA as if we were all trapped in a dub remix of ourselves. Before the band get a chance to start, the crowd has already started its own a cappella version of "Cool Running." I keep waiting to see someone drink out of the Shrek goblet resting on a shelf in the corner, but there are no takers. No matter, it’s been an evening built on bold gestures. As one Bachelor of Arts says during their set, "We’re really glad we came here tonight from the other side of the world."

Setlist

Sets are short and usually, pretty sweaty events. here's where the ones for the last few years have been at...

2007

27/01 VIC To All The People We Love @ The Portland Hotel, Melbourne w/ The Sinking Citizenship

02/02 TAS The Trout, Hobart w/ Charles Du Cane + Cryteria
03/02 TAS Aroma Records, Hobart
03/02 TAS Arts Alive Art Space, Launceston w/ The Bad Luck Charms + Palm This + Tom Bombadil
07/02 VIC Ding Dong, Melbourne w/ Fabulous Diamonds + Oh Mercy + Outsiders
08/02 VIC C....'mon C....'mon @ The Evelyn, Fitzroy w/ The Amazing Phillips Sisters + Dead Fairies
10/02 VIC Click Click w/ Pomomofo + Little Red
15/02 NSW The Cat And Fiddle, Balmain w/ Glass Army
16/02 NSW Candy....'s Apartment, Kings Cross w/ Beau Monde
22/02 VIC Grand Central Club, Richmond w/ Outsiders + Armen Firman
24/02 VIC Bootleg @ Geddes Lane, Melbourne w/ The Inches + Alsatians
28/02 VIC MTV Showcase @ The Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda

03/03 VIC Milk @ The Karova Milkbar, Melbourne
09/03 VIC Hell Is Other People @ Eurotrash, Melbourne w/ The Rumours + The Good Intentions
14/03 NSW Torso Corso @ 77, Darlinghurst w/ Danger Of Death + Wallspace + Japanther DJ....'s
15/03 NSW Health Club @ The Flinders Hotel, Surry Hills w/ Japanther DJ....'s
16/03 SA Rocket Bar, Adelaide w/ Japanther

01/04 VIC BerrySt @ The Tote, Melb w/ Moscow Schoolboy + Tic Toc Tokyo + Winterpark + Mercy Kills + World....'s End Press + Houlette + The Chainsaw Girls + Little Red
07/04 VIC Bootleg @Geddes Lane, Melbourne w/ The Emergency + Neon Love
12/04 VIC Pony, Melbourne w/ Viva Computer + Junior Anti Sex League
28/04 VIC House Party, Richmond w/ Hotel Wrecking City Traders + New Estate + Schaudenfraude

18/05 NSW Mum @ The World Bar, Kings Cross w/ Belles Will Ring + The Holy Soul

01/06 VIC The Spanish Club, Fitzroy w/ Sailors And Swine + The Dead South + Potential Falcon
09/06 VIC The Empress, Fitzroy w/ Tic Toc Tokyo
14/06 VIC Pony, Melbourne w/ Birushanah + Firewitch
21/06 VIC Ding Dong, Melbourne w/ Plug In City
22/06 VIC Barwon Club, Geelong w/ X + Bakelite
28/06 VIC The Old Bar, Fitzroy w/ Moments + Luca Brasi
29/06 NSW Project Arts Space, Wollongong w/ Ohana + Ryu Vs Ken + Lorna Slavin

01/07 NSW The Pitz, Marrickville w/ Lucy And The Pheremones + Fait Accompli
04/07 NSW Torso Corso @ 77, Darlinghurst w/ Reptiles + Diamond Daggers
06/07 QLD Ahimsa House, West End w/ Quebec + The Rational Academy + Dick Nasty + Shiver Like Timber
07/07 QLD Fat Louie....'s, Brisbane w/ CCO
12/07 VIC Bar Open, Fitzroy w/ Bakelite + Hotel Wrecking City Traders + Bang! Bang! Aids!
13/07 TAS The Brisbane, Hobart w/ Bakelite + The Bad Luck Charms
14/07 TAS Aroma Records, Hobart w/ Bakelite
14/07 TAS Arts Alive Artspace, Launceston w/ Bakelite + Que + Phantom Fangz
19/07 VIC The Rob Roy, Fitzroy w/ The Fit
21/07 VIC Icthus Benefit @ 303, Northcote w/ Brendan Welch
26/07 VIC Revolver Upstairs, Prahran w/ Tic Toc Tokyo + Near Your House

04/08 VIC Dong Dong, Melbourne w/ Flesh Vs Venom + The Emergency + Maximum Aweome + Braindead
10/08 VIC Camp Tote @ The Tote w/ Plug In City + You Will Die Alone + Group Seizure + Love Cuts Kill + Little Athletics + Reptiles
24/08 VIC The Northcote Social Club, Northcote w/ Mercy Arms + Ghostwood
26/08 VIC Missing Link Records, Melbourne w/ Hotel Wrecking City Traders
30/08 VIC The Evelyn, Fitzroy w/ Faults On Film + The Process

15/09 VIC Pony 2am show, Melbourne
23/09 VIC Bad Vibes Festival @ Forepaw, Northcote w/ Deaf! Deaf! + Nuns Turning Tricks + Downtown + Lakes + Lazy Stripper + Love Drug + Orodruin

06/10 VIC East Brunswick Club, Brunswick w/ Ghostwood + Mission Control
12/10 VIC Limp, Melbourne w/ Flesh Vs Venom + Ohana + Chainsaw Girls
13/10 VIC Deago Studios AA, Collingwood w/ Ohana + Dead Before Death Gang
27/10 VIC House Of Smut, Richmond w/ The Night Terrors + Midnight Woolf + The Heimlich Manouvre

05/11 VIC Ding Dong, Melbourne
08/11 VIC The Evelyn, Fitzroy w/ Flamingo Crash + Hot Little Hands
23/11 VIC Us Vs Them @ Roxanne, Melbourne w/ Aleks & The Ramps + Sly Hats
24/11 VIC Bus Gallery AA, Melbourne w/ The Process + Viva Computer + Bakelite
29/11 VIC Deago Studios AA, Collingwood w/ Chainsaw Girls
30/11 SA The Exeter, Adelaide w/ Bang! Bang! Aids! + Behold The Sun

06/12 QLD UV Party @ Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane w/ Teenagers In Tokyo + The Rocketsmiths
07/12 QLD Ahimsa House AA, Brisbane w/ Between The Devil & The Deep + more
08/12 NSW The Mandarin Club, Sydney w/ Ohana + Nuns Turning Tricks + Question?
09/12 NSW The Hopetoun, Sydney w/ Number Station
12/12 WA The Rosemount, Perth w/ Jasmine Loop Control + Radarmaker + Chris Cobilis
13/12 WA Norfolk Basement, Fremantle w/ Will Stoker & The Embers + Druid Lee Roth
14/12 WA Mojos, Fremantle w/ Witch Hats + The Leap Year + Blac Blocs
15/12 WA The Bakery, Perth w/ Witch Hats + Capital City + Kill Teen Angst + Mile End

2008

21/02 VIC Ding Dong, Melbourne w/ I Heart Hiroshima + Tic Toc Tokyo
29/02 VIC Loophole AA, Thornbury w/ To The North + Quiet Steps + Majorca

15/03 VIC The Northcote Social Club, Melbourne w/ Tic Toc Tokyo + Plug In City

04/04 VIC St James Gallery, Carlton w/ Three Month Sunset + Skull Squadron + My Empires
19/04 VIC The National, Geelong w/ My Disco + The Nation Blue
24/04 VIC Revolver Upstairs, Prahran w/ Die! Die! Die! + Actor / Model

22/05 VIC The Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne w/ Dukes Of Windsor + Flamingo Crash
31/05 VIC Ding Dong, Melbourne w/ Pets With Pets

20/06 VIC Pony, Melbourne / 2am show
27/06 QLD Rics, Brisbane w/ Table & Chair + Idle Cranes

02/07 VIC The Old Bar (Residency) w/ Bleak Infinty AKA Skism Prism + Telepathetic
09/07 VIC The Old Bar (Residency) w/ Popolice + Houlette
11/07 VIC Deago Studios AA w/ Ohana
16/07 VIC The Old Bar (Residency) w/ Breaker Morant + The Diamond Sea
23/07 VIC The Old Bar (Residency) w/ Dead-Before-Death Gang + Learn The Splits
24/07 VIC Bar Open, Fitzroy w/ Hotel Wrecking City Traders + Spider Goat Canyon
30/07 VIC The Old Bar (Residency) w/ Flesh Vs Venom + Pets With Pets

01/08 VIC Yahoo Bar, Shepparton w/ Dead-Before-Death Gang + Wet Young Dolphin
07/08 QLD Rics, Brisbane w/ The Z-Rays
08/08 SA Rocket Bar, Adelaide w/ Swords
14/08 VIC Prince Of Wales Bandroom, St. Kilda w/ These New Puritans (UK) + Young & Restless
16/08 TAS Arts Alive, Launceston, w/ Yuri & the Vostok + Ivy St.
21/08 VIC The Toff In Town, Melbourne w/ Tic Toc Tokyo + Dead-Before-Death Gang
23/08 ACT Bar 32, Canberra w/ Archaeopteryx + Condorcet
24/08 NSW The Hopetoun, Sydney w/ Ohana + Ghosts Of Television

2009

US Tour
05/03 RI The Sweatshop, Providence w/ Science For The People + People Of Color + Volcano Kings + Cowgirl
06/03 MA Houseshow, Boston w/ Big Bear + You Need New Glasses + Thief Thief + Whitetail
07/03 NY Dead Herring, Brooklyn NYC w/ Boogie Boarder + Real Estate + Dinowalrus + The Forms
08/03 NY Cake Shop, Manhattan NYC w/ Apache Beat + Mixel Pixel + Dinowalrus + Night Owl
10/03 PA Big Rock Candy Mountain, Philapdelphia w/ Drums Like Machine Guns + Big Ocean
11/03 DC Comet Pizza & Ping Pong, Washington DC w/ Yukon
12/03 MD Wham City @ The Zodiac, Baltimore w/ Dinowalrus + Adventure + Ear Pwr
13/03 VA Rumors Boutique, Richmond w/ Dinowalrus + Yukon + Diamond Black Hearted Boy + From The Darkest Part Of The Woods
14/03 NC Dada Dollhouse, Winston-Salem w/ Dinowalrus + Altamira
17/03 IL Town Hall Pub, Chicago w/ The Gentlemen's Club + Mark Minelli
18/03 IL The Hills Loft, Chicago w/ Paper Mice + Golden Birthday
19/03 OH Now That's Class, Cleveland w/ The Safes + Dead Letter Room
20/03 CT Eclectic Wear, New London w/ Brava Spectre + Pewter Elk + Total Bolshevieks
21/03 NY Showpaper Benefit @ The Jackson, Queens NYC w/ TONSTARTSSBANDHT + Cool World + Buckets Of Bile + Potato Chips

24/04 SA Rocket Bar, Adelaide w/ teenagersintokyo + Young Hearts Fail

01/05 VIC The Curtin Bandroom, Melbourne w/ Kes Trio + Young Heretics + Teen Archer
30/5 VIC Cobra Bar, Melbourne w/ Tic Toc Tokyo + Ivy St

12/6 VIC The Espy, St Kilda w/ Bang Bang Eche

3/7 QLD Ric's, Brisbane w/ Deux Garcons
16/7 VIC The Birmingham, Melbourne w/ The Nevada Strange + Breaker Morant + Repairs
25/7 VIC The Empress, Melbourne w/ Poor People

28/8 VIC Pony 2AM Show, Melbourne

12/9 VIC Spill Party, Abbotsford w/ Tic Toc Tokyo + The Parking Lot Experiments + Ahkmed

16/10 VIC The Empress, Fitzroy w/ Gold Tango + Breaker Morant + Caught Ship

Basic Requirements

Calendar