Johnny Galvatron - Lead vocals, guitar
Boz - Drums
Condor - Bass
Gamma – Key

Where have all the great rock & roll acts gone? Acts that play the kind of uplifting cinematic anthems that aim for the stars. Well, here are The Galvatrons, just in time to save the world.

The synth-rock & roll saviours are masterminded by the effortlessly charismatic front-man Johnny Galvatron, who cherry-picked three diverse and incredibly talented musicians in Melbourne to bring the epic project to life. There’s the modest, oh-so stylish Gamma, classically trained in piano and a whiz on keys and synth; straight-shooting Bozza, who packs a punch behind the kit; and his brother Condor, a deft and dextrous bassist and Johnny’s perfect foil. Fitting for the Transformer-appropriated name, each piece of The Galvatrons is larger-than-life – but the sum is simply spectacular.

After moving from his hometown of Geelong to Melbourne to study and “write music for pop stars”, Johnny began crafting his synth opus at home before assembling The Galvatrons in August 2007. They were clearly onto a good thing; the buzz was on the saviours of rock & roll and everyone wanted a ticket to the show. After their fourth show, the band inked a deal with Warner Music.

“We had five songs. We got signed with five songs. We knew how hilarious it was at the time. We played for 25 minutes at the gig we got signed,” Johnny says.
Then came shows with You Am I, the Divinyls, Shihad, the national support slot for Def Leppard and Cheap Trick, and a set in front of 55,000 people at London’s Download Festival alongside Kiss, Judas Priest and The Offspring, and a gig with the Police at Hyde Park Calling in the UK. At home, they impressed on the festival circuit. With a fierce reputation stemming from their killer stadium-styled live shows, The Galvatrons made a big impact with their debut EP, When We Were Kids – its title track the most added to radio ahead of its May 2008 release. But while it’s been an auspicious rise for The Galvatrons, it’s one that’s deserving.

“We played the Big Day Out, Meredith, Splendour in the Grass, and I think we just thought that’s what happened to bands,” Johnny says. “I don’t think we knew how lucky we were.”

There’s more than luck at play on their debut album Laser Graffiti. A sweeping, visual trip through space and beyond, with honest emotion and empathetic storytelling that keeps it within sight of Earth, the set perfectly marries uplifting electronica with fist-pumping rock & roll. The making of it was equally epic – it took two months in Sydney’s Big Jesus Burger Studios with Scott Horscroft (the Presets, Sleepy Jackson, Silverchair) and another month of mixing to bring this synth-rock beast to life.

“Our catchphrase has been to do the soundtrack of the coolest sci-fi never made,” Johnny explains. “This whole band is inspired by that sound, the ’80s soundtrack as opposed to ’80s music. We’re more inspired by film than radio or records.”

From the synth-rock shredding of unrequited love anthem “Cassandra” and the bouncing Devo-style keyboards and beat of toe-tapping “Robots Are Cool”, to the rousing reach-for-the-stars epic “The Last Starfighter”, and the irresistible and organic keyboard melodies of more ethereal “Light Speed”, Laser Graffiti is an immensely rich and varied set. Killer Van Halen-esque rocker “When We Were Kids” has been re-envisioned superbly. And it’s bookended by two grandiose intro and outro tracks that ooze playful confidence.

“There’s a lot on the record. I think a lot of people expect us to have 12 songs that sound like ‘When We Were Kids’,” Johnny says. “I think the record will surprise a lot of people.”

“Cassandra” – available now
“Laser Graffiti” – due for release July 3 2009

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