The muso's muso.
Local Musician: Earl Weir & Krystal Rivvers Words Alasdair McClintock Photo Jack Bennett Earl Weir is a muso’s muso. You can see it in his eyes. One gets the feeling that if the apocalypse did come, you could still find him strumming away on some sort of stringed instrument, pieced together with tin cans and miscellaneous discarded materials. Locals might already recognise him as the front man of psychedelic rockers Honey Hayze, who have toured throughout Europe and supported bands like Skeggs and Art vs Science. He is an avid 34 The Beast November 2020
supporter of the music scene in Bondi and its surrounds. “People always talk about the Inner West,” Earl says, “but there is a thriving scene here in the East as well.” Thriving might be a stretch presently, as COVID-19 effectively shut down the entire live music industry, but the restrictions are slowly lifting and once again the dulled sound of bass and drums is beginning to drift down our streets. Live music is back and it couldn’t come any sooner, with summer in the air
and the general public desperate for distraction. Earl is excited to unveil his new act, Krystal Rivvers, at the Beach Road Hotel on November 6, with pumped up local youngsters Gully Days in support. Because, while they could close the venues, they couldn’t stop the music. Balconies and birds became the new stages and audiences, and on one such stage, Krystal Rivvers took form. “I was approached by (guitarist) Justin “Jimmy” Tripic, he liked my style and stated he’s a magician on the guitar. After one session, I agreed and we were off,” Earl explained. “Many afternoons later, spent mainly on a Warners Avenue patio sinking whisky and sharing ideas, Krystal Rivvers was born.” More of a musical performance than a traditional band, Krystal Rivvers was partly inspired by Eddie Vedder’s fantastic Into the Wild, with Earl envisioning it as a soundtrack to its own movie. “The name is the character of a western woman; she features in most tracks, taking over saloons, shooting up cowboys or melting hearts.” It started with some bedroom songs and poetry and has now formed into a five-piece band, including Earl, Justin Tripic (lead guitar) Jono Daly (synths) Daniel Croft (percussion) and Hudson (Bass). Earl is stoked to get the opportunity to debut the show at Beach Road Hotel, a place he describes as “a Mecca for live music in the East.” “After seeing acts like Tame Impala and Dope Lemon there over the years, it’s a stage I love to perform on… We look forward to showing that music in the East is still well and truly alive. Hopefully we see as many faces as possible in Bondi come out and support, grab a beer and say g’day after the show!”
