Dyslexic Fish are a funk-rock band from Perth, Western Australia. They formed in 1997 - whilst all still in high-school - for a school eisteddfod.
Their music draws on a diverse range of influences from Ben Folds Five to Rage Against The Machine, the fusion of which has led to the development of a sound unique to Dyslexic Fish. The line-up of vocals, guitars, horns, bass and drums complements this sound well; a blend of funk, rock and jazz.
A common question has been the origins of the band's highly unusual name. In their early days, the band sought a name that mirrored their individuality, would make waves in the changing international music culture, and carried just a hint of mystery and sex without suggesting the possibilty of infection. The name Dyslexic Fish practically chose itself. The band refuses to comment on any implications this reasoning may have on their respective psyches. As they like to remind cynics of the name, at least people remember it.
The Band:
- Glenn Sarangapany - Vocals, Guitars.
Glenn Sarangapany, also known to many as the lovable King of the Leprechauns, was born and raised under the conditions of a thoroughbred racehorse. After 28 years of intense training and a short but memorable bout of the plague, he was fortunate enough to win the Melbourne Cup under the name "Captain Hobnob". He takes his music very seriously and this can be clearly seen in the incredible power of his ovaries.
- James Trewenack - Bass.
James plays bass.
- James Sippe - Drums.
James is the most popular and most talented member of the band. He is a keen observer of human nature, and has been arrested for this on several occasions. James believes that if average penis size was the measure for success of a band then Dyslexic Fish would quite possibly be the most successful band ever to come out of the Canning Vale Industrial Area. He recommends their music to nearly anyone who likes their sort of style. James died late last year and is now living in Rockingham.
- Michael Loss - Guitars.
From his birth in 1983 in Saõ Paolo, Brazil, through his years as a wood cutter in Kazakhstan, to his current position in Dyslexic Fish, Mike's always been full of it. His influences include The Three Tenors, John Farnham and the Monkees. Musically he's always modelled his style on Liberace and finds his favourite CD "Ilse Nordgrenstrom yodels the classics" to be extremely relaxing.
- Joel Adams - Trumpet.
Jadams is an ellipsis of his bona fide appellation, Joel Adams. Such a contraction is an excellent expedient by which time and bodily enthalpy may be conserved. The trumpet is his melodic implement of choice; he is optimistic about being a founder in the establishment of the trumpet as a cornerstone facet of the rock medium. Jadams is a firm advocate of the assimilation of germane technologies; he is also a social futurist, and believes that a plutocratic social constitution is inexorable in any society.
- David Barrett - Trombone.
David Barrett was a 19th century baptist priest and teetotaller, famous for never allowing wine to pass his lips except for "a wee snifter" during communion. "Drinking is a sin and wine the urine of Satan" he wrote in his autobiography "It always looks even smaller when you're smashed". David had 37 children to 18 different women, claiming "Sex and promiscuity are not sins but acts of God, I should know, I'm a priest" in his 1854 best-seller "How to use wine to score chicks". He was hanged 3 years later for performing improper acts with a goat, a spoon and a tub of margarine.
- Hugo Jenkins - Trombone, Vocals, Samples, ambience.
Hugo Jenkins is a nervous disease caused by over-exposure to pop music and producing irritation of the bowel. Symptoms include excessive flatuelence, a heavily perspiring scrotum and heightened sensitivity of the lower right buttock. Not contagious provided infected person keeps away from other people. Can be cured by a course of self-abuse, at least twice a day, 3 times on Thursdays and a flagellation session round at his place once a fortnight. For futher information about this common complaint, call the Hugo hotline: 1800-HARD-BANANA.
- Billy Bob Butler Yeets - Not Really In The Band.
Billy Bob Butler Yeets (pronounced 'Yates') spent many years at a Tibetan monastry studying the art of heavy rock harp. His influences include the Dalai Lama, Darcey Bussell and Glen Tipton. Billy is an accomplished poet, writing that genre of poetry that only makes sense when you're on substantial quantities of acid. He has a strange fascination with camels and has never slept with an accountant.
Style/Recordings
Their current songs range from noticably jazz influenced to noticably influenced by Glen Tipton (of Judas Priest fame, though you should really check out his solo release "Baptism of Fire" for some 'nice sounds').
In early 2000 the band recorded a self-titled four-track EP, which reached number 3 on the local charts.
April 14th, 2003 - Dyslexic Fish released their debut album, entitled : Mission: Inappropriate, distributed in Australia by MGM.
Live Performances
The band's costume has progressed from shorts and a t-shirt, to sophisticated evening wear, to dresses, to council workers' uniforms, and soon the band hopes to work up to pink
spandex and
mullet wigs. Dyslexic Fish has played successful gigs at the Grosvenor, the Paddington with
Thrust,
Fly By Nite Musician's Club and the
Woodbridge Hotel. The band has practically been mobbed on several occassions, as well as practically having to fend off young ladies offering sexual favours.
Practically. Some of the band's performances have been reviewed by Xpress and other magazines.
Contact Details
If you want to contact the band, their contact details are below:
Phone: +61 08 9332 6405
or: 0411 066 405
Email: band@dyslexic-fish.com
Website: www.dyslexic-fish.com
Please don't hammer me for copying 90% of this wholesale from the website. Since I wrote the original website content, I own the copyright, and it's perfectly legitimate for me to put this on E2.