Ep495: Private Function Still On Top w/ Chris Penney

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Nate Goyer

Music, Music History, Music Interviews

4.7 • 579 Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Private Function frontman and instigator Chris Penney discusses the rare, collectable and controversial vinyl art of the band and reveals some details of their new album.

Topics Include:

Chris Penney injured himself at a house party.
Private Function opened for Green Day recently.
Bassist Milla broke her ACL during a show.
Band got stuck in a cyclone for six days.
New album has a shrugging emoji as its title.
Album features 2,590 microscopic album covers on the sleeve.
Each album copy comes with a magnifying glass.
Album name is hidden somewhere in the artwork.
Available for pre-order April 23, shipping May 23.
Being released in Australia, America, and Europe.
Chris started in a band called Mesa Costa.
Private Function began with demo recordings at home.
First release: "Six Smoking Songs" cassette (100 copies).
Reissued with "bin night" sounds layered over it.
Another reissue with Christmas carol audio added.
Released fake pregnancy tests as band merchandise.
"St. Anger" album named after controversial Metallica album.
Had to change Spotify artwork due to Metallica similarity.
Released an obscure 8-track version of the album.
"Whose Line Is It Anyway?" album had Queen-themed artwork.
Special "Mystery Bag" vinyl contained bags resembling drugs.
Their song "Aubrey Wodonga" became strangely popular in Spain.
Released "The First Two Tapes on a 12-inch."
Included Subway job applications with the album.
10 copies included handwritten letters of recommendation for Subway.
"370HSSV0773H" album featured scratch-off lottery ticket material.
Winner received $2,999 and their face on reprints.
Needed special gambling exemption to sell in South Australia.
Special "gold" edition contained the band members' urine.
Another special edition contained beer-making ingredients.
Upcoming album will have 100 special variant copies.
Chris was banned from America for six years.
Recently received American visa for touring.
Australian tour in June, European tour in July.
Planning potential U.S. tour later this year.

Preorder the new Private Function album here

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, record nerds, check out the next level audiophile furniture at sidetracked workshop.com.
0:05.9	Sidestracked Workshop makes beautiful record furniture.
0:08.6	I personally have a sidetracked workshop double sidekick in my house, and it's not only gorgeous, but incredibly practical.
0:14.6	Check them out for yourself at sidetracked workshop.com.
0:17.8	Don't keep your records and crates, and don't trust that feeble IKEA furniture.
0:22.4	Give your vinyl the respect it deserves with furniture from sidetracked workshop.com.
0:28.0	And now on with the show.
0:30.6	Welcome to the vinyl guide.
0:32.4	The podcast for record collectors and music nerds.
0:35.4	Here's your host, the biggest record nerd of them all, Nate Goyer.
0:38.9	Well, hey, everyone, it's Nate.
0:41.1	Welcome to episode 495 of the Vinyl Guide, the podcast for record collectors and music nerds.
0:49.1	And I got a question for you all.
0:51.8	Have any of you ever seen the band Private Function? The Australian
0:57.9	Band. They're out of Melbourne specifically. Private Function. Because if you have seen
1:03.9	private function, you likely haven't forgotten about it. In fact, you probably told about 10 of your
1:09.7	friends, you got to go see this
1:11.3	band, Private Function. I mean, this band is so potent, so riveting, very much over the top,
1:18.6	and well worth the price of admission. I really feel sorry for any band that has to follow
1:23.8	private function. And today, their frontman, Chris Penny, joins us.
1:30.0	He's the pointy end of the band.
1:31.5	He's the man with the microphone who helps control the crowds.
	...

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