Reviews

"This is a spiky, in-your-face debut from Canberra outfit Super Best Friends. As punk goes, it well and truly delivers, with frenetically-paced three minute gems backed with blistering drums and guitars... After listening to this sparkler a few times, you get the feeling that Super Best Friends would 'go off' live. With such a chaotic, immediate sound, how could they not? It's quite a heavy sound with a strong focus on drumming, but Super Best Friends also utilise some rather unexpected techniques, which keep the music fresh and interesting... The standout track would be Red Stars and Dollar Signs, a scorching number with a great structure that chronicles political upheaval from the Russian Revolution to the Berlin Wall. Like most punk albums, this one benefits from repeated listening. But what's not to like about these wee fellows, except that, of course, they're from Canberra? But that's all in a day's work, or in this case, a night on the tiles. Give them a hug. And hope they don't smash your face in."
(Renee Tibbs - Beat Magazine, Melbourne - 'Ready Aim Fire!' EP)

"‘The Monkey Is The Man’ opens the CD by SBF, guaranteeing them a favourable review from this humble writer. They are a band from Canberra (yeah, I know!), who can’t decide whether they want to be a thoughtful, hard edged indie band or some kind of heavy punk thing, but I’ll let it slide, and not just because of the whole monkey thing. The spazzy synth on the title track earns them another brownie point, and the fact that they clearly don’t give a shit about fitting in with a scene earns them even more."
(Chris Yates from 'Time Off', Queensland Street Press on 'Ready Aim Fire!' EP)

"And just when you think you've had your dose of cool for the night, Super Best Friends saunter onto the postage stamp (sized stage) and start tuning up. Their Ready Aim Fire! EP came out earlier this year and it was pretty damn good. Their indie-punk sound is perfectly suited for the Blue Tile crowd, and the 'Friends serve it up on a shovel of static and loud guitar licks. Opening song The Monkey is the Man sets the tone for their set: this band are tight, tight, tight. The dense and frenetic drums are perfectly in sync with the crashing yet sweet guitars and all three lads have a bit of a sing. The set list contains most of the EP and a couple of newbies, but there are no real duds, and the crowd is DIGGING IT. They surge up the front for a bit of a mosh (in Blue Tile you could have eight people there and still mosh). Some songs are particular killer: newbie Friday is a kick arse three-minute cache of punk guitar and the epic Red Stars & Dollar Signs features blistering drumming and lyrical nous. They play with tempos, going from crazy-fast to lullaby in seconds, which keeps the crowd on their toes. It's a satisfying set, but as rad as Blue Tile is, I'd like to see them again on a bigger stage, where they can leap around without worrying about electrocuting themselves."
(Renee Tibbs - Beat Magazine, Melbourne - Blue Tile Lounge (Vic) '09)

"To get the blood pumping Super Best Friends were next to take the stage. Also from Canberra these unbelievably entertaining and energetic boys sent the crowd into a dancing flurry with their funky form of indie punk rock. Playing songs off their new EP Ready Aim Fire, these fun loving lads almost looked as though they were having more fun than the lively crowd. It’s rare to find a young band of this style of music doing it so well but hands down they were the stand out for the night. Their EP is now available from all good music stores and if you’re a fan of anything Les Claypool has been associated with, you’ll adore all that these boys have to offer."
(FasterLouder.com.au - Hell City Glamours support @ ANU Bar '09)

"The biggest highlight for the evening were the up and coming Super Best Friends... The energy from these guys was contagious... A fantastic live experience."
(FasterLouder.com.au - Megafauna Festval @ The Basement '09)

'Alright here's a highlight for you - Super Best Friends. Sure I've seen them on just about every flyer around town and in every edition of BMA since whenever, but I've never seen these guys play before. What a treat! They were incredible. No one could look away. We had the bass player stalking up and down the stage with his long gangly frame, doing that freaky thing with his eyes, along with broken TVs stacked on top of each other with static on display for effect. The sheer energy and passion they put into the set made this band absolutely captivating. Did I mention the music itself? Dynamic and playful at times, brutal and tight at others. Here's a tip - go see Super Best Friends.'
(www.loadedog.com - Indyfest 2008 @ The Basement)

'...I wandered upstairs and began a whole new experience, which I will go out on a limb and claim as one of the best (or possibly just the best) performances at Indyfest. It's not hard to see that Super Best Friends are a band with that extra special sauce. You just need to watch the adoring crowd that follows them from venue to venue. They are one of the most unpretentious, energetic and entertaining acts that I have seen live in a very long time. That's just the stage show. Their songs are tight, intelligent and original with rhythms that go off. Creative backbeats and a nice mix of stylised punk and rock make these guys a definite highlight...'
(Caitlin Croucher, BMA MAGAZINE - Indyfest 2006 @ Greenroom)

‘...If you haven’t already seen Super Best Friends in action yet then I seriously, seriously recommend you do. Not only holding the title of... being really good mates, they’ve also been described as “the best live act Canberra has seen for a very long time”...’
(Courtney Green, BMA MAGAZINE)

‘Super Best Friends were first to play, and as it was later mentioned by Sam from Epic Flagon, they did a damn good job getting the crowd pumped before 9pm. The three piece have a unique sound. Punk, and hard rock with plenty of melody and catchy sounds. The crowd’s response was noticeable. Pool tables and couches were abandoned as a crowd formed around the stage. The boys seem to have a bond that lets their stage presence shine. I can’t wait to catch their next gig.’
(Fasterlouder.com.au - Unseen support @ Basement)


'Super Best Friends put on yet another good gig. They have an energy about them that is truly contagious. Their fan base seems to grow with every show. Not only did SBF put their crowd in a happy mood and get them jigging, I also noticed one, if not all members, rocking out to nearly every band that played on the night.'
(Fasterlouder.com.au - Cocktoberfest @ Greenroom)


'Their opening number was an epic of anarchy, seeming like a collage of several songs. Yet a melody of sorts was always there. This was a band to make you laugh as well as tap your feet. However, there was a serous message underneath, with songs that dwelt on current social themes.'
(Rory McCartney - Greenroom website - Dukes Of Windsor support @ Greenroom)


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