SLOWPOKE RODRIGUEZ

Slowpoke Rodriguez, the brainchild of Sydney musician Pat Harris, was assembled last year with some of the finest talent from various Sydney bands to perform under a name that is a homage to the slow and lethargic, yet cunning cousin of the un-catchable Speedy Gonzalez.

“[The band] is basically the consequence of a decision I made late last year, after a couple of months in New York City, to play music with no agenda,” says Harris, reflecting on the reality of the hustle that musicians endure in Sydney or indeed anywhere.

“I’d always done my fair share of playing for fun rather than money, but those gigs were usually just jams or one-off events.”

The band’s first performance garnered some attention and they were invited to perform at the Domain for Sydney Festival, prompting the group to enter the studio and record a series of tracks for an upcoming EP.

On discussing the upcoming EP launch and release, Harris has no pretensions at grandeur for the project, and he even adopts the unassuming attitude of the namesake character of the group.

“I try to encourage everyone to chatter or laugh or whatever throughout the gig so they can feel as comfortable as possible; I’m not setting out to play background music, but I think music should be able to be ignored if the mood of the room calls for it. We will be playing our bums off to try and keep your attention, but make us earn it!”

Feb 28, Venue 505, 280 Cleveland St, Surry Hills, $15, venue505.com