Stripped back Frenzal at the Prince

Frenzal Rhomb frontman Jay Whalley is branching out.

After more than 20 years fronting one of Australia’s most enduring punk bands, he has embarked on a nationwide solo acoustic tour and will be in Bunbury on Saturday night.

“It’s always a long time between Frenzal Rhomb records and we generally write hundreds of songs that don’t go on to the record, so I thought I should give them a bit of life, ” he said.

“The world probably doesn’t need another guy from a punk band playing acoustic but it was a diving board moment for me.”

Whalley said he had put off this tour because he was terrified and added it was only a temporary break from Frenzal Rhomb activity.

“We’re working on the next Frenzal Rhomb record and booked it in for around May, I think, and touring with NOFX soon so I thought it was now or never.”

It is a significant change in style from what has made Frenzal Rhomb so popular and this tour has led to a diverse range of experiences for Whalley.

“Some of the shows are very reverent, almost like being in church, and the audience can hear every little mistake, but at another gig there was almost a fight, ” he said.

“There have been some new challenges but it’s really fun and I’m enjoying talking to people.

“There’s nobody to hide behind when it’s just you.

“It’s been a mix of people who are curious and a few Frenzal fans as well.”

He promised the tour would be a unique experience for Frenzal Rhomb fans, plus those not familiar with his work.

“The Frenzal songs I’ll play are the ones I wrote acoustically so you’ll hear them the way they were before the band ruined them, ” he joked.

“It should be a nice time; I’ve been telling a few stories about the songs and making it pretty interactive.”

Whalley will play the Prince of Wales Hotel on Saturday night and hoped the solo tour might allow him to create some different memories of Bunbury.

“I have many memories of Bunbury and they all revolve around the Prince of Wales Hotel.

“Tourists talk to me about the beautiful beaches but my vision is of sticky carpets, chaos and the amazing people who run the Prince.

“Hopefully being by myself this time, I might get to finally see these beaches.”

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