The inaugural Full Stop Festival is set to be held at the Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood, on May 11, with a host of local and national bands uniting to spread one simple message. Domestic violence and sexual assault are blights on society and we as a collective must make a stand now to make sure perpetrators are not only called out but also punished for their actions.
Darcy Mulcahy, drummer from one of the headliners, Trigger, says using music – especially heavier music that often gets a bad rap – as a means to spread this important message is a step in the right direction for more reasons than the obvious.
“There’s been studies done that show that people that listen to metal are generally happier”, he pointed out, “because it’s that cathartic experience. Hopefully, this helps dispell that association a little bit”.
While it is widely recognised as a predominantly female problem, it is important to note and realise that sexual assault and domestic violence are also suffered by the male population.
“That’s a really good point”, Mulcahy nodded, “and this is a really good platform where we can raise awareness. I think as well metalheads are probably a bit more proud sometimes so it’s good that we can open up that conversation to the people and if we can help them speak about that it’s a really good thing”.
In the full interview Darcy discusses the perception that heavy music and violence go hand in hand, the different forms of abuse these issues can take, talks about a situation he witnessed at a concert and how steps were taken to prevent the issue from escalating, the fact that the Full Stop Festival is relying more on up and coming bands rather than established names to put their message across, Trigger’s new song ‘Demon Eyes’, new vocalist Nathan Peachey and what he brings to the band, their plan to release a series of singles throughout the year and more.
