“Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity. So it’s like, just take advantage of these last few years because none of this is ever going to happen again. You’d better be prepared for doing a lot of touring because that’s really the only unique situation that’s going to be left.”, a quote of David Bowie, is a valuable motivation for musicians. In this special edition, Kultur had the privilege to review the music tour to Australia that was undertaken by the experimental dub quartet from Bandung, Rub Of Rub, last October.

 The story of Rub Of Rub’s odyssey to the land of kangaroos, came from an offer from their relatives to perform at a multimedia festival, “South By Southwest” or also known as “SXSW”. This prestigious event, which often showcases musicians, artists, gamers and other talents across the globe, was first held in Austin, Texas – United States since 1987. And, only a few decades ago it was also held on the Australian continent, precisely in the city of Sydney.

 Of course, the offer was enthusiastically welcomed by Rub Of Rub. Performing in Australia has also become one of the aspirations for this group. They have been listening to compositions from music units originating from the continent for quite some time. Their curiosity about the sound of music, the ears of local listeners and the culture of the people became a factor that triggered them to want to visit this British colony.

It didn’t take long from the time the recommendation was offered for Rub Of Rub to make it come true. While they had this great opportunity, they didn’t waste it by planning a mini tour. With the help of their network, Melbourne became their second destination after Sydney. Various forms of preparation for the special repertoire were carefully worked out. This was their first time performing outside of Southeast Asia. Their special presentation was crafted in such a way, in order to give the best impression.

 The cool spring weather greeted Rub Of Rub when they first stepped foot. Upon arrival in Sydney, this charming quartet was scheduled to perform twice. While waiting for their performance time, they spent time networking and enjoying the vibrations of the “SXSW” festival which was held from October 14 to 20, 2024. Friday, October 18, 2024 at the Tumbalong Park Stage, the main stage of “SXSW”, became their opening stage to showcase their melodies. The enthusiasm of the spectators, which they had not imagined before, was evident for 30 minutes through Rub Of Rub’s mesmerizing action.  Until the performance was over, one of the audience approached and labeled them as “sexy reggae”. The following Saturday, Rub Of Rub performed again at The Alley Stage in Agincourt Hotel. Although in a smaller stage than before, the intimate atmosphere was quite felt. Their performance on stage remained powerful with a different setlist from the previous day.

 Their success on both stages of SXSW also came with its own challenges. One of them is the language barrier. The British accent of the locals sometimes made it difficult for them to grasp. In addition, Rub Of Rub’s own arrangements, which were dominated by Indonesian, became another challenge they had to face together. On the other hand, they also learned valuable lessons about technical methods on stage that made them gain new experiences to be applied in every performance in the future.

Melbourne was the next stop for the group. A music venue called The Last Change and a radio station called Hope St Radio, were the next 2 places to share their vibrations. During their performance in the city, some Indonesian audiences also shared the energy with them. Appreciation poured in, as evidenced by Rub Of Rub’s record sales during their time there.

 More than a week in Australia and performing in 2 cities was not enough for Rub Of Rub. They still wanted to dive deeper into all kinds of music, especially Jamaican sounds and the musical life there. Rub Of Rub themselves stated that all musicians, whether in the form of bands or other formats of Jamaican music in the country, are also worthy of performing internationally. It all comes back to the opportunities that are obtained and the most important thing is to strengthen financial conditions.

The capacity and capability of Rub Of Rub itself, through the idea of composition experimentation, consistency of struggle from the day one, unique packaging and massive listeners, is indeed very worthy to be one of the local Jamaican music units representing Indonesia on the global stage in the future. Keep flying, Rub Of Rub!

(interviewer: Keyko, Edited: Sam, Translation: Yedijah)