|
Click
here to go back to the Howzat! archive
TIGER TALES
It's an intriguing band name and an intriguing album - The
Tiger and Me's debut album, From A Liar To A Thief (out
now through Vitamin Records). "We all, at various stages,
some overlapping, had affairs with Tiger Woods," says singer
Ade Vincent, explaining the band name. "Not really. There
was no overlapping. Actually, it stems from the band originating
at around the same time Jane [singer Jane Hendry] and I
started seeing each other. I often called her 'the tiger',
and I almost always called me 'me', though sometimes I revert
to 'Batman'." The Tiger and Me have three lead singers -
two men and a woman. Ade and Jane are married and they live
in a house owned by the third singer, Tobias Selkirk. "When
your band's other vocalists are your wife and your landlord,
musical life is remarkably simple," Ade laughs. There's
nothing simple about The Tiger and Me sound. It's a beautifully
constructed circus-like cabaret. How does the band describe
the sound to a family member who's never heard them but
always asks, "So what's your band like?" "We spent some
time coming up with the best answer to this, and we think
we've finally nailed it - it now occupies the first sentence
of our bio: 'The Tiger and Me create indie-pop music as
seen through the looking glass of European folk songs.'
If this is met with embarrassed and confused facial expressions,
we just say, 'Imagine Edward Scissorhands waltzing with
a silhouette while gypsy-thieves busk in France in the 1930s.'
Then they usually ask us to politely leave and call our
parents, concerned." Have any local acts been an influence?
"Two acts spring to mind - Martin Martini and The Melodics.
We saw Martin Martini pack out Bar Open a few years back,
and the carnival-style chaos and energy blew us away. The
Melodics invited Jane to sing backing vocals with them,
and as a result we became regular crowd members. They don't
just get up and play some tunes, they really perform the
shit out of them, and give the sense that you're getting
all they have to give. As a result, we began to treat gigs
more as 'shows'. We give a lot of thought to the performance
outside the music - clothes, lighting etc; and give everything
we have while on stage." One track, Big Trapeze, includes
the line, "Obsession can take many forms". Is The Tiger
and Me an obsession? "Well, only in that it manifests in
dominant, persistent thoughts in our minds, and we all regularly
wake up in feverish sweats, screaming lyrics to our songs,
so not really," Ade smiles. "That's all pretty normal, right?"
The Tiger and Me are launching the album at the Toff on
Saturday.
ELECTRIC MEDIA WATCH
Where do '80s pop stars end up? Well, one of them has landed
one of the biggest gigs in the Australian media. Lin Buckfield,
the Electric Pandas singer, is the new executive producer
of Media Watch, after working as a producer on Four Corners.
The Electric Pandas found fame in 1984 with their debut
single, Big Girls. Lin also had a hit duet with James Reyne,
a cover of Garland Jeffreys' R.O.C.K. "I used to love the
Electric Pandas," James tells Howzat! "I probably also had
a slight crush on Lin."
KENTUCKY REYNE
Speaking of James Reyne, it was 30 years ago this month
that Australian Crawl released their debut album, The Boys
Light Up. Not that James is having any anniversary parties.
The album continues to haunt him. "I'm now a much better
singer and songwriter," James says, "I really didn't know
what I was doing back then, but that's all anyone wants
to talk to me about or play on the radio." James' response
is a surprise - he's releasing an album of Elvis covers,
TCB, hoping it will reignite interest in his solo career.
He knows there will be many cynics, but as Andrew Murfett's
EG review stated: "What could have been embarrassing is
instead a playful lark."
HIP HIP FOR HEENEY
A belated Happy Birthday to Emma Heeney - Melbourne music's
Maggie Gyllenhaal lookalike - who celebrated her 30th at
the Workers Club last Saturday. Emma is now working on her
second solo album.
BROKEN FINGER
Powderfinger deserved all the success they got. In 1993
and 1994, they did gigs in Sydney and Melbourne every six
weeks, clocking up more than 30,000km in their old white
van. No modern Australian band has worked harder. No wonder
they're tired. But, in this cynical music world, does anyone
seriously believe we'll never see Powderfinger again after
this farewell tour? A Howzat! friend, who worked with the
band, said: "They're crazy. They should have taken 18 months
or two years off and gotten their mojo back. And then they
don't damage the brand/band."
CHART WATCH
The John Butler Trio has the nation's number one album and
two singles in the Top 40.
On A Mission GABRIELLA CILMI (number 19)
Sweet Disposition THE TEMPER TRAP (33)
Close To You THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO (38, debut)
One Way Road THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO (40)
Angus & Julia Stone had the year's first local chart-topping
album - and now they've been knocked off by another homegrown
hit.
April Uprising THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO (number one, debut)
Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (three)
Conditions THE TEMPER TRAP (16)
Ten GABRIELLA CILMI (19)
40 Years True Blue JOHN WILLIAMSON (23)
Purity Of Essence HOODOO GURUS (28)
Wonder LISA MITCHELL (29)
Evermore EVERMORE (30)
Wrapped Up Good THE McCLYMONTS (36)
A Book Like This ANGUS & JULIA STONE (38)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Once A Poet THE TIGER AND ME
Camp Out AN HORSE
Will You Shine? PERRY KEYES
In My Fortress LILITH LANE
Kentucky Rain JAMES REYNE
Click
here to go back to the Howzat! archive
|
