Born out of a persistent and self-punishing desire to play pop songs extremely loudly, three dudes who should really know better hatched a plan to do get together and make a bit of a racket. Clint Hyndman (Something for Kate), Linc Le Fevre (solo legend / Linc Le Fevre & the Insiders) and Tim Steward (Screamfeeder) all love a decent pop tune, so late one night they decided to do something about it – and CATRAT was born. Less of a “tribute act” faithfully reproducing the original songs, CATRAT will put their own spin on the catchiest RATCAT songs, bringing their combined 8,500 years of service to indie rock to the table. Don’t expect note perfect renditions. Do expect fun, high volume, high fives, and massively catchy pop hooks galore.

with special guests HOT TUBS TIME MACHINE

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Russell Morris is one of Australia's most enduring singers. A major pop star in the late '60s, he went on to become one of the country's first singer/songwriters. Both ends of his career feature predominantly in the soundtrack to the movie The Dish. Russell Morris' career started in September 1966 with the formation of the Melbourne group Somebody's Image, which rose to prominence with a local hit version of the Joe South song "Hush." Morris was convinced to leave Somebody's Image for a solo career. His manager/producer, local music identity Ian Meldrum, spent unprecedented hours and money to create a seven-minute production extravaganza around a song called "The Real Thing." 

Once the result was released to shocked radio programmers who had never been asked to play such a long Australian single before, it was up to Morris' personality, singing, and performing talents to make the record work. It reached Australia's number one spot in June 1969. Without any promotional support from Morris, "The Real Thing" reached number one in Chicago, Houston, and New York. 

The second single -- "Part Three Into Paper Walls" ("The Real Thing" revisited) and "The Girl That I Love" (a pop ballad more indicative of what was to come) -- became a double-sided number one hit, the first time an Australian artist had scored consecutive number ones with their first two singles. Morris, in the meantime, had travelled to the U.K. to help promote the release of "The Real Thing." Russell Morris had now decided to concentrate on his own song writing and with the cream of Australian musicians, spent almost a year painstakingly recording and re-recording what became the Bloodstone album. It was one of the first Australian albums of its kind, the first from an Australian singer/songwriter, and a whole world away from the extravagant "The Real Thing." The hit single from Bloodstone was the resonant, romantic "Sweet Sweet Love."