Dave Faulkner Interview
The Hoodoo Gurus formed in Sydney in 1981, releasing their debut album Stoneage Romeos in 1984. After several reschedules, due to a certain virus travelling around the world, the show finally hits the Australian stages this September. The Hoodoo Gurus released their long awaited first studio album, Chariot of the Gods, in 12 years, earlier this year.
Eventalaide caught up with Dave Faulkner to talk about the tour and Hoodoo Guru things.
Dave Faulkner – “This tour was first supposed to happen last year, in December 2021, then it was moved to April this year. That ol’ black magic called COVID broke our hearts both times, but we’ve picked ourselves up and dusted ourselves off and now we’re finally ready to tear it up on stage. We have to extend a huge thanks to The Dandy Warhols who’ve stayed the course with us despite all the postponements and cancellations. Together, we make a formidable team and we’re shouting, “Damn the torpedoes – full-steam ahead!”
40
(well 41) years; wow. Back in 1981 I was listening to U2, Human League and Ian Gillan
Band. What was a young Dave Faulkner listening to when forming the band?
The Cramps were a
big influence, as was a lot of 1950s rockabilly and rock and roll: Gene
Vincent, Ronnie Self, Carl Perkins, Johnny Burnette & the Rock ’n’ Roll
Trio. I had also been listening to a lot of ‘60s punk, ‘70s glam rock and
bubblegum. We were all over the map when it came to influences.
What
was the first song of yours you heard on the radio and where were you?
I’m embarrassed to
admit this but I really can’t remember. I never listened to radio very much anyway,
so it was more likely I would have heard one of my songs while I was doing some
shopping in a supermarket. They would often play a radio station over the sound
system and it always brought me up short. To be honest, I don’t like hearing my
songs randomly when I’m out and about like that. It can even make me feel a
little exposed, like a spotlight just suddenly shone on me. “Oh, that’s right –
I’m THAT guy, aren’t I?” It kinda rattles your peace of mind sometimes.
The
40th Anniversary tour has The Dandy Warhols tagging along. Was this the bands
idea and how & how did it happen?
Both bands have been
very aware of each other (we’ve been to each other’s gigs prior to meeting) but
it was actually Frontier Touring who suggested them to us, and we immediately
jumped at the idea. The Dandy Warhols have a lot of anthems songs and we’ve
always felt that we do too so it seemed like a natural fit. I reckon our
audiences are gonna have fun singing along to both bands.
Even
are also on the ride for Adelaide. They deserve to be bigger than they are with
such great album releases. Have you played with them much over the years?
Yes, we’ve played
with Even many times over the years and hope we get to do it many times more
after this. They’re a great bunch of people and, more importantly, they’re a
great band. I agree with you that they deserve a lot more recognition. It’s
gonna be a great bill, huh?
The
Hoodoo Gurus disbanded in 1998 before reforming in 2003. What bought about the
split and the reformation 5 years later?
There were a whole
lot of reasons which seemed to make sense at the time. It would take too long
to explain now however I can say that it had nothing to do with how we felt
about each other how we felt or about the music we were making. There were no personality
clashes or, that old cliché, “musical differences”. I guess the strongest
feeling I had back then was to “quit while we were ahead”, which is a pretty
stupid reason to stop making music together. The band should stop once the
musical growth stops. After we had broken up, I kept writing songs that sounded
like they needed the Hoodoo Gurus to play them and, eventually, I got off my
high horse and just let that happen. I am very happy I did.
What
was it like playing Glastonbury in 2008?
Glastonbury was
amazing. Just seeing all those tents and campers covering the hillsides around
the site was mind-blowing. Yes, there was mud backstage and, yes, it was
brilliant. Even better, we got to visit Stonehenge afterwards.
Did
you learn any new skills or hobbies during covid lockdowns?
No, I didn’t pick up
any new skills. However, I did become pretty well-educated about viruses and
the workings of the immune system. I have always been interested in science but
the arrival of SARS-CoV-2 prompted me to seek out the This Week In Virology
podcast and that really kept me grounded during the pandemic. I’m still an avid
listener.
Looking
forward to seeing you on the tour. Can we expect any surprises in the set?
I hope so. We always
like to bring out a couple of unexpected songs for the real diehards. That
said, we are also really psyched to be playing songs from our new album. Even
though it’s a truism that audiences hate to hear new songs we’ve played quite a
few of ours for some time now and we haven’t felt that at all. As usual, you
can expect a bit of a musical smorgasbord from us – some welcome old favourites,
some exciting new flavours and a few unexpected treats. Don’t worry, folks,
leave the menu to us. You’re in good hands.
HOODOO GURUS 40th ANNIVERSARY
TOUR SEPTEMBER 2022
WITH VERY SPECIAL GUESTS THE DANDY WARHOLS (ALL SHOWS)
THE BUOYS (QLD & NSW), EVEN (SA & VIC), GNARHÜND (TAS) &
RHINEHEARTS (WA)
Presented by Frontier Touring and Triple M
Tuesday 13 September
Riverstage | Brisbane, QLD
Special guests The Dandy Warhols & The Buoys
All Ages
ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 13 61 00
Thursday 15 September
Hordern Pavilion | Sydney, NSW
Special guests The Dandy Warhols & The Buoys
All Ages
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 13 38 49
Friday 16 September
Sidney Myer Music Bowl | Melbourne, VIC*
Special guests The Dandy Warhols & Even
All Ages
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 13 38 49
Saturday 17 September
Hobart City Hall | Hobart^
Special guests The Dandy Warhols & Gnarhünd
18+
oztix.com.au | Ph: 1300 762
545
Tuesday 20 September
Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre | Adelaide, SA
Special guests The Dandy Warhols & Even
All Ages
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 13 38 49
Friday 23 September
Belvoir Amphitheatre | Perth, WA**
Special guests The Dandy Warhols & Rinehearts
All Ages
moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1300 438
849
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