Relax With Max are a ten piece Melbourne outfit formed in 1984 by band leader Max Vella. The group presents a unique blend of funk, soul and afro-beat, along with elements of R&B and gospel. Relax with Max are notorious for their high-energy live performances and their ridiculously entertaining ability to get the crowd moving. The band consists of a selection of high calibre musicians including an explosive rhythm section, percussion and a four piece horn section.
Relax with Max have developed a strong following over their 30 years, appealing to a large and diverse fan-base. The band gained a reputation for packing out venues including St Kilda’s Esplanade Hotel in which they occupied a 10 year residency in the late 80’s and through the 90’s. From the early 2000’s until 2016 Max was the owner of one of the most popular live band venues The Night Cat Fitzroy. Relax with Max played to full houses every week at The Night Cat during that period and continue to play to capacity crowds in 2023.
Relax with Max has performed to crowds exceeding 90,000 at the MCG in the mid 90’s as well as lending support for several international artists including Wilson Picket, Maxi Priest, The Chimes and The Commitments. More recently, the group has shared the stage with Seun Kuti’s Egypt 80’s band at Fitzroy’s ‘The Night Cat’. Several of the band’s past members include well-known Australian musicians Ross Hannaford (Daddy Cool), James Black (Mondo Rock/RocKwiz), Greg Ham (Men at Work), Gary Young (Daddy Cool) and Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos).
