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Private Function are an Australian punk-rock band from Melbourne, Victoria. The band currently comprises Chris Penney (vocals), Aidan McDonald (drums, vocals), Milla Holland (bass, vocals), Anthony Biancofiore (lead guitar), and Lauren Hester (rhythm guitar). The group first formed in 2016 and released their debut EP before playing their first show later that same year. Since then, they have released three studio albums to date, with their second, 2020’s Whose Line Is It Anyway?, reaching the top 10 on the ARIA charts.

2016–2018: Origins and Early EPs
Private Function first formed in mid-2016, when former Clowns guitarist Joe Hansen brought together vocalist Chris Penney (Mesa Cosa), drummer Aidan McDonald (Honey Badgers), and bassist Milla Holland. Initially, the group had planned to call themselves Rock, before settling upon Private Function.

The group's name has caused some confusion throughout their career, with the ABC reporting in 2018 that an Adelaide performance from the band "put so many people off because they saw the name advertised and just assumed it was a private function and went somewhere else". In recent years, the group's name has inspired Australian venues to denote actual private events by utilising signs that read "Private Function (not the band)".

Prior to making their debut as a live band, Private Function recorded their debut EP – Six Smokin’ Songs – with Adam Ritchie of Drunk Mums, releasing the EP on December 8th, 2016 via their own Marco Chan Records label.

The seven-track EP gained some attention for its satirical artwork, utilising the face of Bryan Curtis, who had become famous for his appearance as part of health warnings on cigarette packages in Australia. The EP featured tracks such as ‘Heavy Resistance’ and ‘Dial Before You Dig’, and closed with a cover of Metallica’s ‘Frantic’, from their 2003 album, St. Anger, which was later released as a single on a 3½-inch floppy disk.

Private Function made their live debut at Melbourne venue Yah Yah’s on December 17th, 2016, appearing alongside Amyl and the Sniffers and Miss June as part of the Bone Soup Xmas Festival. The success of the group’s debut EP and their early live shows soon gave rise to numerous shows around their local Melbourne, including support slots for bands such as Dwarves, Jacuzzi Boys, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, and Cosmic Psychos.

In July 2017, the group recorded their second EP, Rock In Roll, with Jimmy Macleod in Kangaroo Ground. The EP also included the addition of Matt Fazio (YIS), who had initially joined to play keyboards on tour, but would also add guitar in studio sessions.

Rock In Roll was released on November 30th, 2017, with the group celebrating its release with a ‘listening party’ held within a public toilet on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. The EP contained a number of songs which would become staples of their live shows, including ‘Duct Tape’, ‘No Hat, No Play’, a cover of The Sweet's ‘Fox On The Run’, and ‘I Wish Australia Had Its Guns Again’.

Private Function would again tour extensively in support of their latest EP, embarking upon their own national tour, and supporting groups such as Frenzal Rhomb, No Fun At All, The Bronx, and Bench Press.

2019–2020: St. Anger and Whose Line Is It Anyway?
In July 2018, Private Function worked with Blood Duster vocalist Jason Fuller to record their debut album. This was the last release recorded with Matt Fazio, who would leave the band in January 2019, being replaced by PJ Russo of American punk band Night Birds the following month.

Private Function's debut album was officially announced in July 2019, with the group revealing that both its title and artwork had been lifted from Metallica's St. Anger.

"We wanted to harken back to the halcyon days of 2003, when our only concerns were new episodes of Malcolm In The Middle and the risk of being sued by Lars for downloading Metallica songs," the band explained at the time.

Released on 16th August, 2019 as the first release by Melbourne label Disdain Records, the group continued to poke fun at Metallica by issuing versions of the record on limited edition coloured vinyl, including 'Ride The Whitening' and 'Mustaine Mustard'. Private Function faced brief controversy when their album was briefly rejected from Spotify due to its artwork bearing strong resemblance to the original St. Anger album. The group circumvented this by replacing it with artwork parodying Metallica's 1991 self-titled album instead, later releasing physical editions with this alternate cover.

In December 2021, St. Anger was listed at #188 in Rolling Stone Australia's list of their '200 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time'. "St. Anger serves as a perfect showcase of what made Private Function one of the country’s most vital and talked-about bands of the last few years," the publication wrote of the record. "It’s rare to see a debut album that so perfectly encapsulates a band’s onstage sound and behaviour, but then again, Private Function are a pretty rare band."

Private Function supported their debut album with a national tour, which also included performances with The Meanies and a performance on the cancelled 2019 edition of Falls Festival. Across February and March 2020, the group toured the country on their 'I've Been Radicalized' tour, which ended in Perth on 14th March alongside the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. This tour would also serve as the final shows for Russo, who quit the band that same year.

In June 2020, Private Function released Live On PBS 106.7 FM via Disdain Records, a live album recorded during their on-air broadcast for PBS FM's Drive Live series in February 2019. That same month, the band were announced as the first signing to Melbourne label Damaged, which had been formed the previous year by guitarist Joe Hansen's former band, Clowns. Later that same month, the band announced the release of their second album, Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

Weeks after the album's announcement, the band again made headlines for revealing a limited edition version of the record, with copies of the 'Mystery Bag' edition of the album containing bags of unknown white powder pressed into the record.

"These ones sold out in about five minutes and we couldn’t believe the SPEED at which they sold," the group wrote on social media at the time. "If you were one of the lucky ones, keep in mind these copies are to be bought/shipped/possessed at your own risk."

Whose Line Is It Anyway? was released on 28th August, 2020 and debuted at #9 on the ARIA Charts, in addition to topping the Vinyl Albums. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band were unable to tour extensively in support of the record, ultimately making their live return in December 2020 with performances in Sydney and Melbourne.

2021–2022: The First Two Tapes On A 12" and Departure of Joe Hansen
In February 2021, Private Function played their largest show to date, headlining a performance at Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl alongside 30/70 as part of the venue's 'Live At The Bowl' series of events.

Alongside performances at the Yours & Owls and Meadow festivals, plans for a headline tour in support of Whose Line Is It Anyway? were halted sporadically due to ongoing restrictions on large-scale gatherings in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Victoria's COVID-19 pandemic in Victoriaresponse to the pandemic]].

On 7th July, 2021, Private Function announced the release of their compilation The First Two Tapes On A 12", which compiled their Six Smokin' Songs and Rock In Roll EPs. On 10th July, the band played their final show with Joe Hansen, who was removed from the band on 19th October following unspecified allegations made against the guitarist.

On 18th December, the band made their live return with a performance at Melbourne's Forum Theatre. The show was part of the group's annual Christmas celebrations, and had been announced prior to Hansen's departure. In the lead-up to the show, the group had expressed doubt as to their future, but ultimately, the performance went ahead with Anthony Biancofiore on lead guitar, making it his first official show as a member of the band.

In April 2022, Private Function began recording their third studio album, working with Chris Wright at Sunset Pig Records in Collingwood. The group played an album preview show at The Brunswick Ballroom on 10th June in which they performed the entirety of their forthcoming record. The following week, Private Function headlined the 2023 Reclink Community Cup at Victoria Park, which marked the first show with new guitarist Lauren Hester (Daddy Issues).

2023–present: 370HSSV 0773H
On 3rd February, 2023, Private Function announced the release of their third album, 370HSSV 0773H. As part of its release, the band announced that physical vinyl copies would feature a scratchie sleeve, with one of its initial run of 3000 copies featuring a winning sleeve that purchasers would need to scratch to win.

The competition made headlines due to the band revealing that South Australian gambling laws meant that the record could not be sold within the state. "This isn’t a joke either," the group clarified at the time. "It’s illegal to sell, it’s illegal to distribute and ~apparently~ it’s illegal to own the new Private Function record in South Australia."

Days later, it was announced that South Australia's Liquor and Gambling Commissioner, Dini Soulio, had granted the band an exemption to sell the record within the state. "The idea that someone is going to become addicted to scratchies by buying multiple albums is probably not a high risk from my point of view," Soulio told ABC Radio Adelaide.

Prior to its release, the group also announced a limited edition 'liquid disc' vinyl of the record, filled with urine from each of the band's members. "Congratulations to the 50 people who ordered the 'Gold' version of our new record," the band said on social media. "You just bought a liquid disc full of our piss."

Music style and influences
The band have cited a number of Australian and North American rock and punk bands of the 1970s and 1980s as their influences, with the likes of post-punk outfits the Wipers, Devo, Joy Division, Wire, and Television specifically informing their own self-described "rough and tumble brand of jangling rock and roll". Likewise, their music itself has seen the band explore ideas of Australian dystopia and isolation, suburban ennui, and male identity, while their earlier work was said by guitarist Alex Cameron to have been inspired by the bizarre and darker side of Adelaide history such as the Beaumont children disappearance, The Family Murders, and the Adelaide Bikie Wars.

As the group have continued, their musical influences and lyrical focuses have also expanded. A review for second album Gutful specifically noted that the band "can go from sounding like AC/DC to Nirvana and even Billy Joel", while also pointing out that the record saw the group "transcend" their earlier post-punk influences.

In an interview surrounding the release of Doomsday Ballet, Cameron cited the likes of Brexit, the resurgence of Pauline Hanson, and the Presidency of Donald Trump as having influenced the political focuses on their third album, though he similarly denied the notion that Bad//Dreems had become a "political band". Meanwhile, a contemporary review of the album saw the band's sound described as "new wave-cum-rock ‘n’ roll".

The group have also been somewhat vocal against the idea of their music being pigeonholed under the all-encompassing genre of pub-rock. In 2017, Cameron explained to Vice that it "certainly isn't a term [they] ever felt comfortable with", while also stating the belief that "if people are going to judge you by an all-encompassing genre term then they can piss off". In 2020, frontman Ben Marwe echoed Cameron's statement, explaining that Doomsday Ballet was composed with the idea of sounding "less pub, more sort of avant-garde art rock".

Members
Current members
 * Anthony Biancofiore – lead guitar, backing vocals (2021–present)
 * Lauren Hester – rhythm guitar (2022–present)
 * Milla Holland – bass, backing vocals (2016–present)
 * Aidan McDonald – drums, backing vocals (2016–present)
 * Chris Penney – lead vocals (2016–present)

Current touring musicians
 * James Macleod – keyboards (2021–present)

Former members
 * Matt Fazio – rhythm guitar, keyboards (2018–2019)
 * Joe Hansen – lead guitar, backing vocals (2016–2021)
 * PJ Russo – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2019–2020)

AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.


 * AIR Awards of 2015
 * "Cuffed and Collared"
 * Best Independent Single/EP
 * Nominated
 * AIR Awards of 2018
 * Gutful
 * Best Independent Hard Rock or Punk Album
 * Nominated
 * AIR Awards of 2020
 * Doomsday Ballet
 * Best Independent Rock Album or EP
 * Nominated
 * Doomsday Ballet
 * Best Independent Rock Album or EP
 * Nominated

National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.


 * National Live Music Awards of 2016
 * Themselves
 * South Australian Live Act of the Year
 * Won
 * National Live Music Awards of 2020
 * Themselves
 * South Australian Live Act of the Year
 * Nominated
 * South Australian Live Act of the Year
 * Nominated

South Australian Music Awards
The South Australian Music Awards (previously known as the Fowler's Live Music Awards) are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary music industry. They commenced in 2012.

(wins only)
 * 2013
 * Bad//Dreems
 * Best Indie Artist
 * Won
 * rowspan="2" | 2014
 * rowspan="2" | Bad//Dreems
 * Best Indie Artist
 * Won
 * SA Songwriters(s) of the Year
 * Won
 * 2015
 * Bad//Dreems
 * Best Live Act
 * Won
 * rowspan="2" | 2016
 * rowspan="2" | Bad//Dreems
 * Best Release
 * Won
 * Best Group
 * Won
 * 2017
 * Bad//Dreems
 * Most Popular Rock Artist
 * Won
 * Best Group
 * Won
 * 2017
 * Bad//Dreems
 * Most Popular Rock Artist
 * Won
 * Won