It has been over a decade since Bad//Dreems emerged from humble beginnings in an Adelaide white goods’ warehouse in the shadow of the West End Brewery (RIP) and began a journey that has taken them around Australia and the world. They have grown to become one of the country’s most respected guitar acts, known for their brawny rock and roll with brains, which has sought to strip away the veneer of comfortable suburban Australian banality and reveal the stories and characters that lay beneath.
Their distinctly Antipodean sound draws influence from alternative guitar bands of the 70s and 80s, such as The Saints, Coloured Balls, the Replacements and the Go-Betweens. They have been likened to the more contemporary Melbourne cult act Eddy Current Suppression Ring, who are a stated influence. Since their inception a raft of Australian “pub rock” acts have followed in their wake, such as Amyl and the Sniffers, the Chats and Pist Idiots, many of whom list the band as an influence.
Their 4th album Hoo Ha!, released in May 2023, saw the band reach a new level of recognition, with an ARIA nomination for best rock album and top 10 debut, as well as #2 on Double J’s album of the year and SA music award for best group.
The band has been championed by the likes of Robert Forster of the Go-Betweens and the Avalanches, who the band supported at this time, as well as the likes of Cold Chisel, At The Drive In, The Scientists and Midnight Oil.
This is beer-soaked rock ‘n’ roll with serious brains that has something to say and isn’t afraid of mincing words to say it.
Alistair Newstead, Triple J
Adelaide’s Bad//Dreems are what the Go-Betweens might have sounded like had they grown up listening to AC/DC rather than Creedence Clearwater Revival…a melodic and lyrical core similar to the Go-Betweens, married to a pounding AC/DC rhythm
The Guardian
Rumbles with the malevolence of Rundle Mall at 2am, spitting and kicking at a ruling class and confused culture fixated on self-interest and enrichment rather than insight and empathy.
Rolling Stone
To witness Bad//Dreems live should be a rite of passage for any self-respecting fan of Australian music; you’ll never view live music the same way again.
Tyler Jenke, Rolling Stone