We see a lot of young musos coming through the ranks each year, but there aren’t a huge amount of kids out there playing sweaty pub gigs at 15 years of age, mostly because you’re generally meant to be 18 to even get through the door.
But rather than waiting around until drinking age sets in, how does a young rocker go about getting a head-start on music, and what’s it like for a passionate young kid who spends his nights sneaking his way onto the stages of rowdy pubs – only to get flashed by the punters.
As an aspiring muso with a love for guitars, Melbourne singer/guitarist Danté wasn’t going to let an I.D. check stop him from playing. Finding his way onto pub stages for years, he’s witnessed plenty of the sweaty mayhem of the pub circuit well before he was even old enough to buy a pot.
“I started playing gigs when I was about 14 with an original band,” Danté tells us, “and then I moved onto playing covers in pubs when I was about 15, and have been ever since.”
While he just wanted to get up and play a few songs for a crowd, he probably wasn’t expecting the reception he got from the enthusiastic punters you’ll find at your average local.
“Especially at cover gigs, a lot of the women are usually always taking photos and videos of me while I’m performing, and trying to get my attention. The guys usually are just singing along and rocking out with me, and when I do a guitar solo they go nuts and come up to me after the song and high-five me and have a bit of a chat.”
As a handsome lad who knows his way around a guitar, the reaction from the female contingent can sometimes go beyond just a couple of photos or a high-five, the combination of covers and Coopers leading to everything from harmless flirting, to the sort of old-school flashing you’d generally find at a Motley Crüe show.
“It doesn’t happen often,” Danté says, “but at some of the more ‘intense’ pubs the women there are wearing quite revealing clothing, and really get into the music. It’s actually pretty funny, because they are usually just smashed and are dancing crazy and… get a bit too into it.”
While it’s usually all in good fun, sometimes things can get a bit awkward as he’s forced to dodge the attentions of his older fanbase. “Some of the older women have given me their numbers and have been talking to me about school and stuff, which has been a bit weird.”
The rock mystique and resulting attention of the ladies doesn’t seem to extend to Danté’s mates, though.
“One of my mates was helping out with the gig and thought one of the girls was calling him over to the dancefloor, but when he went over there they just walked off and were signalling the person behind him. It was pretty funny while we were playing, and difficult to keep it together while I was trying to sing and play a guitar solo.”
But how does a kid of 15 even make it in the building to begin with, and manage to fly under the radar the entire night? As it turns out, the key is just looking the part and keeping your head down any time you’re off the stage.
“Well, I would always make sure I was carrying gear into the venues so the staff knew I was in the band and wouldn’t ask questions. Straight after sets, I would just go to the bandroom and relax before the next set, so the security or whoever wouldn’t ask for I.D, so it wasn’t really difficult.”
Now 18, a Fender ambassador and releasing his debut track, a cover of The Church’s 1988 classic ‘Under The Milky Way’, Danté feels that his early start playing live has given him a leg up in all sorts of ways, from developing confidence onstage to learning to adapt at the last minute.
“I definitely think the experience I’ve had has helped me develop my performance and stage presence, and has especially helped me with the musical side as well,” he says.
“I’ve played heaps of gigs where I’ve had no idea of the set list, and have basically learnt songs I’ve never even heard five minutes before I’ve played them onstage, so that’s helped me to always be able to react and play in different situations.”
While there aren’t always that many chances for underage fans to see live music, Danté reckons there’s no excuse for young music lovers not to be the ones getting on the stages instead – and they don’t need to sneak into pubs to do it.
“Young people don’t necessarily need to be playing in pubs at that age,” he tells us, “because there are plenty of opportunities for bands to play local shows at all-age venues and with other young bands, which is what I did as well.
“Throughout the year there are always fetes and festivals that young bands can apply to play at, which gives valuable live experience and they always contain different scenarios where you need to be able to adapt quickly.”
When he wasn’t hunting for the next stage, a solid work ethic let Danté juggle the two and smash out VCE at the same time as dropping his first single.
“School was always a first priority to me because I always wanted to ensure I did the best I could, so I would always get all the schoolwork and study out of the way and then make time for my music. Though sometimes I had to sacrifice a bit of practice or recording here and there, it wasn’t too difficult overall.”
Inspired by his predecessors, Danté wants to bring some of that classic Aussie rock back to a new generation, working with the likes of Hunters & Collectors Ray Tosti to rework a decades-old tune with a bit of a modern edge.
“I chose ‘Under The Milky Way’ because I felt I could bring back an old Australian classic with a modern twist, and give it more of a rock element, which could possibly reintroduce the song to people in a different light than they’ve heard before.”
“In the local scene, I feel there are plenty of bands using guitar in their music, but some of the music isn’t always centred around the guitar – I’m trying to bring back more guitar music but incorporate it where it’s still relevant and modern.”
