(the) DEAD KELLYs

“Recorded in one 4 hr session at Satellite Studios and then tampered with down in Nannup this full length debut from (the) DEAD KELLY’s is a testament to quick inspirational recording. They get the ideas down while they’re hot. Sound wise it has a fragility about it. But there’s more to it than that, the trio play with a great fluidity and the arrangements are clever and organic at the same time. Gary Dobbin, bassist and guitarist, has a voice to kill the opposition. Dobbins mates Peter Gordon on melodious and flange guitar and Brett Todman drummer and master of the half time shuffle as witnessed on the CD’s climatic track ‘(2) Thought’ that really has a groove from hell. Before that winner is a possible triple J favourite, the desperate ‘Get There’ whose observer can’t see the point of it all. Regardless of fame and fortune, this CD is a must hear for its incisive lyrics and moody rock” , Sylvester Fox, Groove Magazine Perth WA.

Google search “Carcrash”...and your sure to find a good website if you’re in a band and you’re looking for a CD cover. Gary Dobbin explains; “… I was driving to Esperance and in between Boyup Brook and Kojonup, there were these terrifying skid marks that leave the road and end at an absolutely mangulated car, about 50 m from the road, in the middle of a paddock. It had been there some time as the fence was long fixed, the car was rusting and pasture was growing up around it. There was this intense drama about it, some of it obvious, some of it not. Without a camera on me, I missed the shoot, but I liked the drama and felt our music was a lot like that, (drama filled, some of it obvious, some of it not). When I returned, I was going to drive out there again just for the photo, but the cost of a 3hr return journey was too great, so I did a quick search on the net and the first photo to come up, ended up as our cover, a photo from a Texan Police Station Historical Website.” So the rather mysterious black and white imagery of “Music for mountains and other land forms” the band’s first CD was born.

So why the name ‘(the) DEAD KELLY’s’? “The band formed from the demise or unfolding of another band we were in called Well Bartlett. Well Bartlett formed by accident from a live jam that Pete organised to celebrate his birthday at the Davilak Tavern in Freo. The band included the beautiful and tallented Kellie, (the one that has the voice of an angel and forms the Kelly part of the band’s name). We enjoyed a great 18 months of friendship and gigging. After 18 months, Kellie left (on very good terms) to pursue a solo career. Thus, we ended up as (the) DEAD KELLYs...after we checked with Kellie, which she thought was hilarious.” Without their Kellie the boys who have been friends for a good twenty years or more forged on with a new name playing festivals and gigs in the South West, Mojo’s, The Swan Hotel, the Hydey and a residency at the Davilak. Groove Magazine, Perth WA.