Don't Mess With The Pony

Don't Mess with The Pony are three women who make great music. Cool jazzy stylings, with a funky base. They are all tallented and trained musicians and the ability shows out. So the set is cool and it keeps your attention... then the last song comes along. It's still cool and then you get a great soaring vocal. Suddenly the crowd and myself are transfixed. This is what we want. The memory of the fantastic vocal, soaring and challenging us. Hear me. More, more, more of the vocal. It goes to the heart of what you love about music. The unpredictable event that makes your evening.
-Neil Wedd - Inpress Magazine

Back from their Canadian tour, Don't Mess With The Pony delivered an awesome set. None of the previous acts had used the drum kit, but that soon changed as the impressive Cat Leahy settled in and transformed the drum kit into a command console.

Megan Bernard and Suzanne Bass comprised the rhythm section and shared vocal duties. The smooth, funkadelic grooves induced feelings of euphoria; it made me want to dance!

Big thanks to everybody who helped put this event together and also those
who attended. Arts Access and the Deaf Arts Network would like to thank all of the artists. Thank you very much to Don’t Mess With the Pony and their Manager, Jenny O'Keefe for generously donating all funds raised to Deaf Arts Network. Many thanks to the superb Auslan interpreters, who managed to keep up with the performers (and play air guitar during solos!).
Thanks also go to Ruth Blakely and Leisa Whitaker [Arts Access EASE Ticketing] and Carly Weber [Arts Access Administration Coordinator]. Leisa and Carly did a great job managing the front of house ticket desk.



It was a truly inspiring experience of live music; a real treat. - Arts Access Victoria

With influences ranging from Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley to Prince and Madonna, Melbourne trio Don't Mess With The Pony may be one of the most unique and unpredictable bands that you'll have the pleasure of hearing.

After recording their first EP 'Colour Of Mind' in 2004, largely thanks to receiving one of the 25 Australia Council Buzz grants in that year, the all-femme rock/trance/jazz/funk group set about touring and winning audiences all over the country, especially in the rural areas. Undoubtedly, it has been Don't Mess With The Pony's strong focus on experimentation and creating different, unique sounds that has earned them such a high reputation among punters who have witnessed their raw and passionate improvised live performances. Furthermore, this energy has also earned the trio opportunities to perform at some major events which have included the 2004 and 2005 Darebin Music Feast, the 2003 Ladyfest, the 2004 Eldorado's Folk, Rhythm And Life Festival and the 2004 Apollo Bay Music Festival, just to name some...Intensity and warmth really are the key words here.

And when I have to admit to one of the band's vocalists and guitarist, Megan Bernard, that apart from the basics, I really do not know much else about her all-girl rock band, she is extremely forgiving of my ignorance, quickly taking control of our conversation...Firstly by pointing out that her band is not made up of 'girls', as I had hideously implied, but, in fact, of 'females'.

Bernard, Suzanne Bass (bass and vocals) and Cat Leahy (drums, electronics and also vocals) undertook studies in music at university with all three of the women ending up with Bachelor Of Music degrees. I am very impressed...

"I studied Jazz Improvisation as my major," Bernard points out, "so for me, improvisation plays a large part in the music we make. I have to admit I have a lot of problems with music these days sounding 'common'."

While some may view such a remark as somewhat snobbish and superior in its tone, Bernard insists that it is not about arrogance at all, but simply a desire to constantly challenge boundaries.

And who can argue with that...However, I am still curious as to what it would take for Don't Mess With The Pony to consider using 'common' chord progressions. Bernard thinks for a moment, then confesses, "Well, we wouldn't have done it previously, but now we might use them, though in using them we would make an effort to make them sound different. In the band, our drummer Cat uses triggers on her drums [triggers allowing the drummer to create almost any sound by hitting trigger pads as well as regular drums] and I also play through a guitar synthesizer, which is like playing your guitar through a keyboard, really. So, even though we're only a three-piece and may be using a simple chord progression, we get quite a large, atypical sound. We're not afraid at all of using effects," states Bernard.

Interestingly, the guitarist/vocalist's attitude towards using effects, as opposed to focusing on pure instrumentation, seems to be in direct conflict with the views of some of my peers who went through Adelaide University's Conservatorium Of Music and who tend to concentrate on pure sounds rather than using excessive production and effects.

Bernard claims that both approaches are good for their own different reasons. "This way is just a lot of fun for us. The music is still honest and it still comes through. The effects just allow us to sound different all the time and to have each song sound exciting and fresh. We love to have fun and jam onstage."

Bernard attempts to give me an example of what she means exactly: "Well, in the middle of a show we will ask the audience to give us a key to play in and we'll just jam for a while."

I don't know about you, but you'll certainly find me down the front.
- dB Magazine 10 jan – 14 jan 2007 issue 402

“Having developed quite a colt following in Melbourne, Don’t Mess With The Pony are well neigh on their way to globe trotting success, reining supreme with their hoof tapping, fetlock flicking, groove laden lyrical lieder, loaded with literary allusions.
The cooly charismatic Cat, Suz and Meg combine into a musical beast that sure
ain't no camel.” - 16th June
- International Festival Artist