Rich Kids by Leadfinger
Rich Kids is the second Leadfinger album and it was officially released in December 2008. It was also the second Leadfinger album to be released by Bang! Records.
Based in the Basque region of Spain, Bang! has always been and still is a great supporter of Australian underground music and is the European home for The Drones, Kim Salmon, Beasts of Bourbon, Bored, Brian Hooper, Spencer P Jones and many others. The Leadfinger relationship with this great record label started back in the mid 90’s when Stewart Cunningham was in Brother Brick and then The Yes-Men – Bang! released records by both these bands and was a big fan of Australian hi-energy rock’n’roll such as The Powder Monkeys, Bored and The Celibate Rifles throughout this period.
Rich Kids was recorded in an old farmhouse in the rural dairy country south of Sydney and is seen as the first official album release by Leadfinger as a band. With Wayne Stokes (ex-Thumlock) on Bass and Steve O’Brien (ex-Unheard, Zero, Tumbleweed) on Drums the album was recorded to tape and self produced by Cunningham on a shoe string budget in 2007 but manufacturing delays meant that copies did not appear for sale until early 2009. Rich Kids however has stood the test of time – it is a cracking distillation of all that is great and unique about Australian underground rock’n’roll. The powerful songs have hooks galore with great slab riffs and wailing guitars that veer through swamp blues tones, sweet melodies and pleading vocals. The album contains a couple of Leadfinger live staples that the band still plays to this day in THIN LIZZY ON MY MIND, FADE YOUR BRILLIANCE and the power packed anthem – RICH KIDS CAN’T PLAY ROCK’N’ROLL. Three killer songs that spell out the Leadfinger manifesto at its most perfect.
The album is also graced with a tough as nails version of Rory Gallagher’s BAD PENNY whilst the gatefold vinyl also includes a version of Roky Erickson classic – I THINK OF DEMONS, the deluxe digipak CD includes The Saints GHOST SHIPS. There are still vinyl copies available of this album still but the stocks are very low.
The Rich Kids album is a powerful statement by a songwriter who had paid his dues in many great bands but had never found mainstream legitimacy in his homeland. Lucky there were fans overseas prepared to back him and because of this Leadfinger was given a crack at the title… a ‘Bad Penny’ from the Australian underground?… he has definitely turned up again!!
Tracklist
| 1. | Fade Your Brilliance | 4:09 |
| 2. | Segue | 0:09 |
| 3. | Rich Kids Can't Play Rock'n'Roll | 5:36 |
| 4. | Bad Penny | 4:02 |
| 5. | Show You I Care | 5:46 |
| 6. | Andy Farrell Blues (Inst) | 2:12 |
| 7. | Devil's Holiday | 4:10 |
| 8. | Thin Lizzy on my Mind | 4:03 |
| 9. | Ghost Ships | 4:01 |
| 10. | Northern Rivers Town | 4:38 |
| 11. | I Went Searching | 4:57 |
Credits
Personnel
Stewart Cunningham: Guitar, Vocals, Percussion, Bass Guitar on Fade Your Brilliance
Wayne Stokes: Electric Bass Guitar
Stephen O’Brien: Drums and Percussion
Recording
Recorded at Tongarra Studio and The Rendezvous Studio 2007
Engineered by Leadfinger & Steve McCarthy
Produced and mixed by Leadfinger
Mastered by Rick O'Neill at Turtlerock
