Interview by Kris Peters
When news trickled down that Unify 2023 was not going ahead in its usual format music lovers around the country were left shocked and empty.
But that was tempered soon after when organisers revealed a bigger picture with plans to take Unify on the road under the monicker Unify Off The Record.
The new format takes in more regional and out of the way areas and has a travelling ensemble of rotating bands to ensure the current cream of Australian talent has more of a chance to feature in the event.
Hitting Mackay, Adelaide, Wollongong, Hobart and Frankston, Unify Off The Record 2023 features a diverse line up of Australia's premiere heavy acts including ARIA chart topping Northlane, Thy Art Is Murder, Thornhill, Make Them Suffer, Teenage Joans, In Hearts Wake, Alpha Wolf, Ocean Grove, Yours Truly, Void Of Vision, Redhook and more.
With the tour kicking off in Mackay last weekend, HEAVY caught up with one of the major players in this weekends round of shows in Adelaide and Wolongong, Ocean Grove.
"This iteration of Unify I'm really excited about," enthused vocalist Dale Tanner, "because we've been lucky enough to play four Unify festivals as we know it so for this one to be a bit of a curveball to the normal style of Unify I think is going to be really special. Especially that every show is not only at a different city, but each city has a different lineup and different venue so I think that's where it's very unique compared to years gone by where it's everyone coming to the one spot to experience the one festival. I think each show and festival is going to have its own flavour and own thing that makes it unique to each city. As you said there's a great list of Australian bands and an international in Fit For An Autopsy as well but it's a heavily Australian billed lineup across the board and I think to represent heavy music in this format is a great privilage."
In the full interview Dale talks more about the new format for Unify, the importance of having predominantly Australian music festivals, where Ocean Grove is playing, who he is most looking forward to playing with, what fans can expect from their set, the chance of them playing any new songs, how advanced the next album is, their limited edition Oddworld 3000 shoe range and how they sold, upcoming plans and more.