Three things I love: Inside story: Perth’s best bike trails, street art and live music unveiled

Each week, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to discover three things people love most about our coastal capital. Today we feature street artist Hans Bruechle, aka Handbrake, who grew up in Roleystone and now lives in Doubleview. He unveils his biggest solo exhibition to date this weekend, taking over Fremantle’s historic Naval Store; his murals also feature at Mojos, Karrinyup shopping centre, Adrenaline Vault in Cockburn, Hiss and Smoke in Yagan Square, Foot Locker Carousel, Love Street Pizza, and Taco Bell, among many others. He also has murals in New Zealand and Japan, his work is part of comedian Dan Aykroyd’s personal collection, and formed a Stone Temple Pilots album cover, tattooed on fans worldwide. Here’s what he loves about Perth.

WA artist Hans Bruechle (aka HANDBRAKE); painting that Mojos mural; out mountain biking.

1. Our active lifestyle – and our climate, which enables it. I’m an avid mountain biker and cyclist, and I head to Goat Farm mountain bike park in Greenmount or the Camel Farm Link in the Kalamunda trails area. I know these trails like the back of my hand; the West Aussie bush for me feels like home, since I grew up in Roleystone. Now I live down near the coast so I also do racing, road cycling and some charity rides. The classic one is the Swan River Loop, and every year I do the Hawaiian ride for Youth Focus, riding from Albany to Perth. My recommendation? Go to the bottom of Mount Gunjin, get a shuttle bus to the top (whack your bike on the trailer) and do the downhill. The bush is brilliant and the trails are world-class. We also have amazing trails in Dwellingup, Collie and Margaret River; it’s a huge scene once you scratch the surface.
2. Perth culture, its music and street art. We’re famous for being a melting pot for creatives. In terms of music we had Gyroscope and Eskimo Joe back in the day; now we have Angie Coleman, Spacey Jane, the Southern River Band, Sly Withers; and you’ve got to check out my favourite local band, Old Blood. Tony Papa Adams, the lead singer, he looks like Pavarotti but sounds like Tom Waits. He manages Mojos Fremantle, so they play there quite frequently, but they play everywhere. I did a mural on the front of Mojos – it’s one of my favourite live music venues. The team at Blank Walls Subiaco [mural creation hub operating across Perth and London] are at the top of their game; in October they’re having local artists paint murals all around Subiaco. Cleaver Street in West Perth’s Pickle District is also helping out artists. We have so much street art in town; you can go on Perth street art tours with Oh Hey WA, just as you can in Berlin or NYC. They can show you stuff you never imagined was there. Anyone out there wanting to get into painting should try The Butcher Shop Northbridge – it’s got everything up-and-coming or established graffiti artists need.
3. Perth’s food. There is always something new. Sesh Mafia is the hottest group; they started Papi Katsu in Brookfield Place – tiny but the food they offer is just incredible – and recently opened Margot’s martini bar in Northbridge. I just go through the list of martinis I haven’t tried yet. Then there’s Hiss and Smoke in Yagan Square; amazing street food, and they have great taste, cos one of my murals is on the wall. My local is St Brigid Bar, Doubleview, and I love them because I know all the crew. But my favourite bar in the city is Picabar, Perth. You can watch the world go by, there’s always something strange passing you and the crowd is eclectic, it’s not just for a niche. Everyone is welcome.

The mural at Hiss and Smoke.

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