Artist Spotlight: The Ears

After seeing The Ears perform at Bar Open in Fitzroy two nights ago and going into the early hours of the 28th, I thought it was best to put the Spotlight upon a band enjoying a 2nd life.

Starting their life in 1979 and calling it a day at the end of 1981, they weren't around for long. They were born in a spark of creativity, post punk. The Post Punk Scene in Australia gave birth to a hell of a lot of new acts and with them, the covering and blending of many genres, making music exist that would never have found the same audience anywhere else. From Krautrock to Tribal, Electronic to Jazz, anything went. Some of these acts managed to ride out the wave and exist once the scene died down, but not many. The others broke down at their peak. But like some of the best of that bygone era, The Ears burnt brightly. 

The Ears didn't gain their fame directly, but becoming an icon of that long past era of Australian music. In 1986, Richard Lowenstein created Dogs In Space. Not quite a movie, but more of a period piece, exploring the Post Punk / Little Band scene in Melbourne during the 1980's. Dogs In Space was the biggest project Lowenstein had undertaken, having previously directed music videos for the likes of INXS and Hunters & Collectors. Dogs In Space accomplished a lot, and a little. The movie had no real narrative structure, but painted the Music scene for what it was, mental, where anything could happen.

And this is where The Ears come in to play. Lowenstein had bunked with The Ears, and such based the film on them and their exploits. Sam Sejavka, the Lead Vocalist of The Ears became the main character, played by none other than Michael Hutchence of INXS. Lowenstein not only showed us the world at that time, but he made us hear it as well. He brought back icons from the day to perform songs specifically for the film, as well as having Michael Hutchence re-recording songs by The Ears, including the titular Dogs In Space. 

Suffice it to say, the film became a cult hit, having been re-released in 2009 with interviews from the people involved to testify just how crazy it really was.

Fast forward to 2010, where after a flurry of nothing for over 20 years, The Ears stirred. The Crystal Ballroom, the venue where a lot of acts got their start, including Hunters & Collectors, hosted a series of nights that brought back acts from that bygone era. The Ears performed a reunion show on May 9th, and that was the start of their second life. In December 2010, The Ears released "dogs in space", a compilation album of just about all their old material, including singles, compilation tracks and unreleased demos. Two years pass and the unexpected occurred.

The Ears released Deja Moo, an EP featuring 6 new songs and a re-recording of older song. And for me personally, it's an absolute gem. So once I heard The Ears were performing at Bar Open in Fitzroy, there was no doubt, I had to see them.

As soon as they opened the show, I knew I had made the right choice in coming. They had a level of professionalism that other acts I had seen that night just didn't possess. I suppose being in the industry for 35 years helps, but even still. It may have been a leaner band number than previous gigs with only 4 members, but for what the night was, it didn't detract from the experience in the least. Having performed the entirety of their Deja Moo EP, as well as some older tracks, it showed that even after so long, they well and truly have what it takes to put younger acts to shame. Every song was played with gusto. Every song was played with intent. And at the centre of it all, Sam Sejavka, being not just a singer, but a true performer. He was utterly captivating, acting manic and deranged, but always in control. The closest comparison that comes to mind is Doc Neeson of The Angels. There was malice in his delivery, but in the best sort of way. The night most of all, was fun.

So what's in the future for this resurrected act? 

• Hopefully we'll see a few more live shows and other releases to go along with them. Any music release by The Ears, either of a studio or live nature would be wholeheartedly welcome. 

• If you can see them live and can make it down, do it. They put on a hell of a performance in a tiny box of a room and deserve a larger audience to watch the insanity unfold.

• Support the artist if you can. Both of their two albums are available for download on Bandcamp which I'll link below. Due to the nature of Bandcamp, you can stream the full album for free, so if you're still unsure about them, you can go right ahead and listen to their work. 

• As to whether you should start with dogs in space or Deja Moo, it's hard to stay. In my mind, Deja Moo is the more cohesive body of work, and more indicative of their live performances. Opposing that, dogs in space contains their earlier work, and material that co-insides more with the Dogs In Space film, where I'd believe a larger audience would be introduced to The Ears, albeit by proxy of sorts. When it comes down to it, go with Deja Moo.

The Ears - dogs in space

The Ears - Deja Moo

I'll try and upload some of the better photos I took of the evening a bit later down the track.

Until next time!