ROCK HARD Or Go Home With PHIL & TISH

Interview by Kris Peters
After championing the cause for Australian music for almost a
decade via their weekly radio show, Rock Hard With Phil & Tish,
the two co-hosts have decided to take the next step in their
evolution, putting on the first-ever Rock Hard Festival in
Adelaide.
For two nights over October 10 and 11, Woodshed at Royal Park will
host Aussie rock legends The Poor, headlining both nights with a
selection of some of this country's hottest emerging bands such as
Audio Reign, Karly Jewell, The Dreadful Tides, Ablaze, Avalanche
and more.
Not content to help grow and nurture homegrown talent over just the
airwaves, Phil & Tish have decided to give the band a bigger
platform from which to show their wares in the first of what is
hoped to be a long-running annual concert event.
HEAVY recently sat down with Phil & Tish, who were
understandably a bit nervous with their roles as radio
hosts/interviewers reversed.
"We have a radio show on PBA FM every Wednesday night," Phil
explained, setting the mood. "It's been going for about seven,
eight years and is called Rock Hard with Phil and Tish, and we try
to rock."
"Yeah, PBA FM every Wednesday night," Tish reiterated. "We are 9pm
Australian Central Standard Time, and we are your local insane
metalheads. We're very much a variety show of heavy and hard
rock."
We bring up the excellent line-up and ask what their selection
process was when deciding who to book.
"We picked all bands we have relationships with over the journey,"
Phil measured. "We're fans of… I mean, The Poor… I was 14 when I
got into them, and Skenie (vocalist) was the first interview I did
where I actually reached out to someone that I grew up enjoying
their music, and I thought I'll shoot him a message. I thought, I'm
gonna fire a shot and see what he says, and a couple of weeks later
he came back, and he said I'd love to have a chat, and I chatted to
him for about an hour on the show. Because I'm such a fan - and
when you're 14, they're like larger-than-life rock stars - and to
think he's having a chat on our show probably opened up the courage
for me to approach other bands and stuff that we've loved.
Literally every band that we've got on this festival are just great
Aussie bands, and we're so stoked that they've agreed to
play."
In the full interview, Phil and Tish shared insights into their
planning for Rock Hard Festival, emphasizing their commitment to
showcasing Australian talent and the challenges they faced in
curating a lineup that reflects their personal relationships with
the artists. They expressed excitement about the festival's
potential, particularly with the inclusion of local bands and the
overwhelming interest from musicians wanting to participate, as
well as the scheduling of two nights of live entertainment and the
reasonable ticket prices.
They highlighted the festival's unique offerings, such as a special
beer crafted by Beer No Evil and the decision to have The Poor
headline both nights. We discussed the significance of including
acts like Audio Reign, who were the first band interviewed in their
studio, as well as their radio show Rock Hard and how and why they
got into a radio career based in music, plus more.

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