The Watt Riot

Forming around the shores of Wollongong back in 2005 the line up consists of Johnny Watts on vox & guitar, Red on lead guitar, Dan on bass & Trina on drums. They have been described as: “Harking back to the glory days of dirty Australian rock’n’roll.” Rusty Hopkinson – Reverberation / You Am I.

The Watt Riot’s tunes are filled with blistering guitar hooks, big smokin vocals & hair flickin’ rhythms. This band gets the punters tapping their hi-tops all over the dance floor & yelling for more!

“More throat-tearing gutbucket, kickarse rock from Wollongong, jagged, ragged, uncomplicated, uncompromising, unpretentious guitar-chunking, scream-driven, four to the floor thump in the grand tradition of The Hard-Ons and Tumbleweed.” Michael Smith - Drum Media

The Watt Riot has floored audiences at venues all over Australia including: Enmore Theatre (Syd), Gaelic Club (Syd), Annandale Hotel (Syd), Pony (Melb), ANU (ACT), Oxford Tavern (Wollo), Greenroom (Melb), Spectrum (Syd), UniBar (Wollo) & Hopetoun (Syd). The foursome has shared these stages with notable acts like: Eagles Of Death Metal (USA), The Answer (IRE), Betchudupa (NZ), Ivory Line (USA), Mess Hall, British India, Vasco Era, Airbourne, Tambalane, Cockfight Shootout & 67 Special.

“This is like hard as Boniwell Music Machine....it’s smoking...and what a cool name for a band...5/5” Jesse (The Devil) Hughes - Eagles Of Death Metal

In March 2006 The Watt Riot released their debut EP ‘Nightmare on Love St’. Radio stations including Sydney’s FBi & Triple J played tracks from the EP. On Valentines Day 2007 The Watt Riot were Unearthed by Triple J with the track Rock’n’Roll.

“Y’know how everyone uses ‘rock’ to describe something good these days. Like ‘you rock dude!’ or ‘that DJ set was totally rockin’, or ‘I’m gonna rock the mic tonight’ or even ‘Fallout Boy rock!’. Well, unless they sound like this song by The Watt Riot, they don’t really ‘rock’ at all. 5/5” Chris Scadden - Triple J

The Watt Riot’s second release, a 6 track EP titled ‘Paint The City Red’ was release through Soviet Records and Creative Vibes distribution in November 2008. Working with Anthony The (Wolfmother, Youth Group & The Vines) at Velvet Sound and Al Wright (Motley Crue, Ratt & INXS) at 313 Studios, The Watt Riot’s live energy and boisterous sound has been captured once again. The CD also includes a multi-media function which contains video footage of their recording experience, television appearances on J-TV, as well as some exclusive live footage. Check’m out live on your computer!

In 2010 after a peaceful parting with founding drummer Trina Collins the band recruited a new drummer Nathan. Nathan has bought a huge amount of energy and gusto into the band. He is an absolute drum demon and the sound he produces is truely MASSIVE! Look out in 2010 for tour dates.