5 Minutes With Moistoyster (Big Splash Heat #1 Winners)

Words by Bob Gordon. Photo creds: Rachel Barrett.

Moistoyster on winning The Big Splash Heat #1: “Our heat was strange for us because we played a show beforehand in Scarborough. We got to Mojo’s five minutes before our set then as soon as it finished they sent us straight back onstage to receive our trophy. Big Splash is v cool plus Maria is really nice.”

They opened The Big Splash with a er, splash.

Semi-Final #1 of The Big Splash happens at Badlands today Friday, August 19, with Moistoyster, Moon Puppy Blues Band, Mung Dahl, Hip Priest and Kallan Phillips.

He may have already drummed up some miles with fellow Freo bands, Dream Rimmy and Spaceman, but Moistoyster’s George Foster is straight to the point when it comes to why he formed this particular musical entity.

“One day I was like, ‘Hey, I wanna be a rock star!’ and I tried to record music songs but it was only on my phone and I couldn’t record two things over the top of one another. Then I got ‘round to being like, ‘hmm maybe I should start like a band’ and it took me ages to decide who I wanted to play in it ‘cause I already played in two bands with people and kinda wanted to play with different people for a change. But I couldn’t say no to Jack (Gaby, bass) because of his big saucer-fully azure eyes that linger with a kindness that belies his general countenance of indifference.

“So now we’re in three bands together and then Jordan came back from rehab and I was like ‘even though you was an alcomoholic now you is a good man’ and me and Sam (Embury Atkin, guitar) were drunk and doughy-eyed once and fell in love and now we are all friends splashing in the same tepid ejaculatory pool together.”

Early influences bore early fruit. Upon the band’s formation, Foster says he was listening to Jedi Rock from the Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Extended Version (“So yeah, I guess it’s going well?”, he notes). Of the band’s gigging experience thus far he offers a rather sociological take: “Well as a white male, very good! I kind of wanted to see how close I could get it to being technically considered a live tantrum.”

Understandably, when it comes to songwriting, there’s madness in Moistoyster’s methods.

“I find it so hard to believe anyone would truly want to know,” Foster offers, “but I guess it really depends on the song. It started with me writing stuff in my li’l tiny room before/after masturbating and I still write songs - but not as much masturbating - and Sam writes songs and he masturbates infrequently.

“If we like a song enough we just start playing it live straight away, but sometimes we record demos and jazz it up a bit through the power of computers.”

Moistoyster released an EP, Dead, earlier this year (“No, we released an EP alive. We are all still alive!”). They seem pretty happy with it (although it’s perhaps difficult to know for sure).

“It’s hard to tell if people liked it,” Foster considers. “I think there are some kids who froth on it; also Jordan’s mum thinks it’s good. It felt good to get some digital evidence of our existence documented.”

Personalities:
“Samuel Embury Atkin adds all the character to the band with a modest Dan-Electro number & a rich history in black metal shredding.
Jordan Brian Shakespeare play drum ok.
Jack Neil Gaby plucks the bass. He progressed to fingering like some WAAPA hot shot recently but is yet to have translated this skill to the ‘live stage’ performance. Who KNOWS when he’ll take the LEAP?!?!
George Oliver Hammond Foster = melol.”

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