Bagster

Fear not the horns for they do you no harm...

Bagster are a Sydney based big-beat punk rock band armed with a firey horn section that produce a sound that's just itching to give your speakers a workout. Coming together in 2001 in the schoolyard Bagster have come a long way in their years of existence.

The bands debut EP 'Wreckin' Your Life' kicked things off back in 2002 was followed up by 2003's 'Onwards & Upwards', [both now sold out] the first release to gain some radio play [high rotation on Nova in Sydney] and saw the band take it on a national tour to officially launch it to those outside Sydney in July 2004. The momentum was building at a rapid pace from that point on, support slots for big name international acts like Reel Big Fish, New Found Glory, Reggie & The Full Effect, The Real McKenzies & Fonzie followed, coupled by loads of local shows and a three day recording session with popular engineer Greg Stace led to the current release 'Brutiful' (instores now)

HOTPRESS Australia gave it 4/5 and said :
"Ska that doesnt sound like a shareware version of reel big fish? Impossible! Yet that's what Bagster have delivered with their latest EP. Defining it as ska cheapens it somewhat, The tracks on offer span many different worlds with The Conquest Of sounding like the best song the Offspring never wrote. It strays from the usual formula, with a sombre sounding lyric and a serious punk-style attitude towards the world, before giving up and blasting into a massive brass and lead break. It's alot of fun and you can hear every ounce of how much this band loves what they do."
Nathan Jolly

BLUNT Magazine gave it 7/10 saying:
"High energy punk and rock sounds offset by sharp ska horns, Sydney's Bagster manage to transfer the fun aspect of their live sound into the studio and onto thousands of stereos across Australia - hopefully. If these five guys came out of SoCal the industry would probably be throwing trucker caps full of cash at them. But it's clear these guys wouldn't sound any different if they were billionaires or bums. Bringing a skill for injecting their energetic tunes with good-time poptastic tinges and metal edges means this sits well above the likes of Area 7. And nice cover art from Nancy Vandal psycho Fox Trotsky as well!"
Luke Anisimoff

Having played venues of all sizes from the backs of trucks to the Sydney Entertainment Centre and a sold out UNSW Roundhouse (twice) Bagster have learnt the only way to win a crowd is through an exciting live show, and that's what they deliver, constant touring has rewarded them with a strong fanbase all across the country ensuring good times every time they embark on a tour. A self-maintained street team "The Legion" was set up in 2005 and is growing by the day, with a bunch of dedicated supporters spreading the word of the band.

Bagster's fanbase is quite diverse and not restricted to one "scene", the band has shared the stage with pop punk, ska, swing, rockabilly, punk, hardcore, metal, rock and just about anything else you can think of bands and appeal to all ages, down in Melbourne they can proudly boast being part of bills that hold the underage attendance records for both The Arthouse Hotel & The Tote Hotel, they've also played to packed houses in noteable venues like HiFi Bar, Metro Theatre, The Espy, The Annandale, The Empire, Gaelic Club, Switch, Next and many many more.

On the band's live performance supporting US heavyweights New Found Glory,
Sydney street press The Drum Media said:
"Bagster did a bang-up job of fulfilling the first-on position. Nice four-to-the-floor rhythms mixing it with a horn section. It's more rock than ska and the huge turnout for their slot was deserved. At times in their set the floor even opened up into circle pits,seeming to suprise the band members."
Ben Turner

and Kerrang! Magazine said:
"Rewind to the beginning of the night, and locals Bagster are treating a rapidly growing crowd to half an hour of Less Than Jake-style punk. And though the sight of a trombone and trumpet player walking on stage is enough to have you heading for the bar, those who resist the temptation aren't disappointed by the talented five piece."
Rod Yates

Bagster have toured with
Crowned King (Canada) [East Coast]
The Suicide Machines (USA) [East Coast]
Reel Big Fish & Goldfinger (USA) [East Coast]

Some of the bands Bagster have supported :
New Found Glory (USA), Lagwagon (USA), Reggie & The Full Effect (USA), Reel Big Fish (USA), Goldfinger (USA), Crowned King (Canada), The Suicide Machines (USA), Mad Caddies (USA), The Real McKenzies (USA), Fonzie (Portugal), Bad Manners (USA), Bodyjar, The Porkers, Area 7, Irrelevant, Bloodduster, Unpaid Debt, Grand Fatal, Tiltmeter, Jimmy Spliff & The Weedkillers, Magic Dirt, Sunk Loto, One Dollar Short, The Hard-Ons and loads loads more.