Based out of the tropics of Bali, Island of the Gods, The Bardogs started in the city of Bukittinggi, on the west side of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. With extremely limited access to both music and equipment, schoolmate guitarists Aulya Rahman and Deni Hidayat, together with drummer Romi Zirwanda, began as Bardogs Blues, becoming known first as a staple act in a local Japanese bar, playing the meanest Pokemon theme covers you've ever had the pleasure of enduring. Needless to say, that bar sold a ton of alcohol. And aspirin.
After deciding to learn to craft their own songs and having gained significant traction as performers while at university, the three set out for Bali, determined to compete as a performing live act. Soon, lead guitarist Weldy Tua Pangeran followed, Deni switched to bass guitar, and the band began to shape their sound around their shared childhood love of southern rock luminaries like The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, and 38 Special.
The Bardogs - 2023 Promo
Deny Hidayat - bass guitar
Aulya Rahman - lead vocals, guitar
The Bardogs - 2023 Promo
The immediate success of their debut album SOUTHERN SOUL took The Bardogs on their first European tour, ending with an Australian leg that was ultimately canceled during the initial weeks of the 2019 pandemic. After a long search, gospel piano man Jason Latuasan Talakua was welcomed into the band and the boys set their sights on writing their follow up record. Simultaneously, the band accepted a residency at Bali's most popular live music venue, The Orchard, which also live-streamed their shows on Instagram and Facebook, fueling the band's expansion into the hearts of music lovers worldwide and adding to their ever-growing interest abroad amongst promoters and bookers. Performing weekly throughout the pandemic at The Orchard, The Bardogs' high-voltage shows catapulted them as the premiere act in Bali, resulting in them approaching veteran American producer Deane Ogden in November 2021 to engineer and produce their second record.
In the midst of promotion for the 2023 TOP OF THE WORLD tour, Talakua was replaced on keyboards and the boys got underway on a massive summer run of shows to preface the upcoming tour.
The Bardogs' sophomore album, TOP OF THE WORLD, proves an explosive new collection of classic hard-driving Southern rock and roll, including a studio re-recording of the band's quintessential concert favorite, "Sydney". The record has appeared in numerous Top 10 lists and is available on Spotify and streaming everywhere.