From kitchen to screen: WA band's song features in new Jackass movie

A punk rock trio from Western Australia, Ratsalad, is set to have their song "Southerly" featured in the end credits of the upcoming Hollywood film "Jackass: Best and Last." The band, hailing from the Midwest town of Geraldton, initially dismissed the offer from a Hollywood producer as a scam.

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The idea of a song about Geraldton and the wind getting placed in a big Hollywood picture is just too unbelievable.

"The idea of a song about Geraldton and the wind getting placed in a big Hollywood picture is just too unbelievable," said guitarist Ken McCartney. Vocalist and bassist Jaz McCartney added that after some back-and-forth, including a message from the official Jackass Instagram account, the band realized the opportunity was genuine. The producers were so impressed with the song that they offered the band an additional $US5,000.

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We're a tiny little band from the middle of nowhere, and you're offering us all this money. It's beyond our wildest dreams of what we ever thought or set out for this band to do.

"We're a tiny little band from the middle of nowhere, and you're offering us all this money," Ms. McCartney expressed. "It's beyond our wildest dreams of what we ever thought or set out for this band to do." This feature marks another significant achievement for Ratsalad, who were recognized as the Regional Act of the Year at the WA Music Awards last year and received the Nannup Music Festival directors' award this year. They also recently concluded their largest tour to date, performing in eight European countries.

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There's no one more supportive than our town.

Despite their growing international recognition, the band emphasizes their love for playing to a home crowd in Geraldton. "There's no one more supportive than our town," Ms. McCartney stated. Mr. McCartney even admitted that playing local gigs can be more nerve-wracking than international shows, citing the familiarity of the audience. Ratsalad, formed in 2018, began as a casual project in a kitchen and has since experienced a slow but steady rise in popularity.

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It's probably still more daunting playing to 50 people in Geraldton than it is to playing to 3,000 people in Germany.