Written by Kim Larkin
Photos by Timothy Casten
In a small hidden band room, where the speakers are held up by milk cartons, The Parking Lot Experiments deliver what is to be expected from them; an intense combination of musical creativity and tomfoolery. Their high energy antics and friendly interactions with the crowd lead you to believe that the class clowns on-stage may not be able to pull off a show where the music is of similar quality to their dance moves. But it’s better.
The Parking Lot Experiments, take to the stage somewhat timidly after fighting off the previous weeks bad band ju-ju, “It’s basically the same set as before (last week at Ding Dong Lounge) because we didn’t expect to be playing this,” says Justin ‘Shak’ Shachter, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist, “but after this week I don’t think it will be that energetic.”
Collectively, the Melbourne quintet sport a fractured wrist, a squashed thumb from a car door, a semi-recovered instrumentalist from being violently ill to the point of graphic descriptions too gruesome to even type.
The Parking Lot Experiments, take to the stage somewhat timidly after fighting off the previous weeks bad band ju-ju, “It’s basically the same set as before (last week at Ding Dong Lounge) because we didn’t expect to be playing this,” says Justin ‘Shak’ Shachter, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist, “but after this week I don’t think it will be that energetic.”Collectively, the Melbourne quintet sport a fractured wrist, a squashed thumb from a car door, a semi-recovered instrumentalist from being violently ill to the point of graphic descriptions too gruesome to even type.
This will be the last show for The Parking Lot Experiments for the next three months as they head to Sydney to record their first album, alongside Jonathan Boulet, and then return to Melbourne for the production and mixing process. “We are pretty excited about this, we haven’t done anything like it before, other than home live recordings, but it’s not the same,” says Shak.
Being well known around Melbourne for their friendly stage presence and support of the local music scene, The Parkinglot Experiments intend to bring their electric indie-pop to Canada and North America on tour after they release their first studio album early next year.
“We have only played internationally in New Zealand, at the CALH (Campus; A low hum) festival, which was only the coolest festival ever,” Shak animatedly explains.
After playing together for two years, the boys still find the same excited enjoyment of making music to make people happy, and their love of performing and music hasn’t diminished. Gelling together well, evident in the synchronised rocking out in the first song of the night, The Parkinglot Experiment’s adrenaline onstage, and their unique sound permits the conclusion that they are supposed to be making music according to Shak.“To be honest I hardly even know how this happened. This is going to sound really douchebaggy, but it’s really natural and organic, and it just felt like we had to get together and play together.”
Being well known around Melbourne for their friendly stage presence and support of the local music scene, The Parkinglot Experiments intend to bring their electric indie-pop to Canada and North America on tour after they release their first studio album early next year.
“We have only played internationally in New Zealand, at the CALH (Campus; A low hum) festival, which was only the coolest festival ever,” Shak animatedly explains.
After playing together for two years, the boys still find the same excited enjoyment of making music to make people happy, and their love of performing and music hasn’t diminished. Gelling together well, evident in the synchronised rocking out in the first song of the night, The Parkinglot Experiment’s adrenaline onstage, and their unique sound permits the conclusion that they are supposed to be making music according to Shak.“To be honest I hardly even know how this happened. This is going to sound really douchebaggy, but it’s really natural and organic, and it just felt like we had to get together and play together.”
The unsuspecting sight of self professed ‘childlike morons’ dancing just for the fun of it leaves you surprised with the complexity of the set, of the songs themselves and the driving talent of each member.
“We can get a bit obsessive with our music, and take it completely seriously, but the next minute we can just turn around and be the biggest idiots. We’re just like that.”
The Parkinglot Experiment seem to enjoy their sets as much as the audience does watching it, and as they quickly fill the small, sauna like room, packed to the walls there is little room for dancing, but the crowd and band alike are going to anyway.
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