Infinitas And Beyond
Melburnian progressive rock/metal outfit Circles hit Amplifier this Friday, December 6, (with Chaos Divine, Serial Killer Smile and This Other Eden) and the Prince of Wales, Bunbury on Saturday, December 7, (with Serial Killer Smile and Gombo). BOB GORDON reports.
Circles got to releasing their debut album, Infinitas, earlier this year and it seems to have certainly opened some doors around the place. In terms of expectations of the release, it seems the band are well pleased.
“The reaction has been great,” says vocalist, Perry Kakridas. “The first – and most important – thing that I can say, is that we’ve received great feedback from the fans. If they’re happy, I’m happy. We’d sent out a few tracks before official release to few industry big-wigs, and fortunately we were given some great opportunities as a result. So we knew that we were on the right track, that’s for sure.”
Circles had a definite sense of what they wanted to convey of themselves on their first LP. Seems there were some preconceptions they wanted to encounter.
“From the outset, we sensed that some people weren’t entirely convinced that we were the real deal,” Kakridas says. “All we’ve ever wanted was to prove ourselves as songwriters and musicians. With Infinitas, we think that we’ve succeeded. This album is about us standing up and being counted.
“I think that we’ve definitely achieved what we set out to do, and more. Not everybody gets to do the stuff that we’re doing – and we’re thankful for it. So many bands in Australia only dream about playing in WA, for example. We finally get to do that, which is awesome, by the way.”
Circles aren’t long back from their first trip to the UK and Europe, much of which was spent touring in support of The Dillinger Escape Plan.
“The Dillinger crew are always the consummate professionals,” Kakridas says. “We were in awe of the fact that they’ve been putting guys like us to shame since 1997. Night after night they were onstage with a raw ferocity that is unmatched by anyone. Period.
“What could be better than that? Well, to top it off, they were the nicest and most chilled out dudes that you’ll ever meet. Together with their crew, they made us feel welcome and always treated us well. Playing to their crowd seemed daunting at first – we knew that Dillinger were gonna mop the floor with us, but we soon realised that their fans are very open-minded.. So let’s just say that the stage floor might’ve needed another ‘doing over’ (laughs).”
Circles also played some festival dates, which were, says Kakridas, “surreal. Euroblast festival was insane! People from all over the world came to see us and all the other bands we’ve come to be associated with. It was weird because all these people we’d never met knew exactly who we were and knew the songs. There we were on the big screens, on an amazing stage and everybody was singing along. We’ve never experienced anything quite like it!
The band plan to take a small break from touring in 2014 to concentrate on writing for their second album. In the meantime, however, it’s all about being back in Australia and launching their album closer to home.
“It’s been a blast,” Kakridas exclaims “We love heading out on the road and seeing all of our old friends. The fans, the bands… the beer! In all seriousness, we have a lot more fun back here in Oz. This time will be all the better now that we’re coming to you. This has been a long time in the making, and we’re not holding anything back. Are you guys ready?!”
