Airbourne Interview

J: We’re all from Warrnambool. Ryan and I have been playing together for about eight years, Dave has been playing with us for about three and a half. Justin’s been in the band for a year.
What did you do when you were growing up, other than music?
J&R: Not much, just that pretty much, other than school and drinking.

How was the band formed?

J: I met Roadsy (Dave) at the pub in Warrnambool.
R: I basically met Justin when I was drinking in the sand dunes. I was rolling down the sand dunes, that’s where I met him, then after that he was in the band.

What else happens in Warrnambool other than rock n roll?

J: A lot of drinking happens in Warrnambool. Kings Cross in Sydney has the most arrests in Australia, there is a street in Warrnambool that has the second most.
R: I had to build a bar in my backyard. That’s what Warrnambool’s like.

Do you reckon growing up in Warrnambool influenced the style of music you play?

J: Yeah, because we weren’t influenced by anything else. We were only influenced by old records and stuff like that, there was no 90s era that sort of got in, nothing past the late 80s.
So everybody in Warrnambool is still listening to music from the 80s?
R: No, they mostly listen to all new stuff, so we didn’t really relate to that so we just listened to all the old records and because Warrnambool’s full of all that new stuff, that’s why we play so hard. We’re trying to prove a point I s’pose. No one else was into it. There was no one else we could relate to.
J: But now they are.
J: When we went to school there wasn’t any rock n roll bands that were big and we were like, just listen to Black Sabbath and see what they’re on about, and they’re just like no I want to listen to whatever is going on Triple J at that point in time.
J: But now it’s like it’s some kind of fashion, which is bullshit, rock n roll is not a fashion it’s got nothing to do with that. Twelve-year-old girls wearing a t-shirt that says AC/DC and they don’t even know who the fuckin’ band is. That’s fair bullshit and they’re going out with some guy in a pink shirt. That’s not rock n roll. We don’t like people thinking it’s going to be a fashion again, ‘cause it’s not.

So what was the bands first gig?

R: The PAC, just a little thing in Warrnambool. It was when I was 13, I think we still play one of the songs from that show today.

What has been your favourite show so far?

J: The Duke of Windsor, The Espy’s been pretty good, they’re all such a good time... stickin’ it up people with pure rock n roll volume, you just can’t help hittin’ that big chord and just laugh.

When I first saw you, you came out and turned it straight up to eleven. I thought - where are you going to take it from there? Where do you get that sort of energy?

J: We only know stadium rock, that’s the only way we can do it, we can’t play any other way. We’re high
on rock n roll.
R: If people are going to pay money …
J: You’ve gotta bleed for them.
R: If we’re not having a good time on stage, why should we expect them to have a good time? We have to have a really, really good time for them to have a reasonably good time.

So where did you get those great rock moves from?

It’s just playing … they just come from playing. Like you said it’s straight to eleven, it’s just another platform.

That thing you do with your eyes (on stage), is that deliberate?
R: Didn’t you use to do that to people at the pub?
J: Yeah, like sometimes working in the pub in Warrnambool, you would have someone starting a fight in there and I’m not exactly very big, so you would just sort of look at them like that, like don’t fuckin’ start a fight in here, they’re usually pretty pissed, they’re usually a big bloke whose not going to take any shit, so you just sort of really look at them in the eyes and sort of tell em you mean business. They’re not going to be scared of a punch, but the fact that you’re going to bite their nose off or something, cause your fuckin’ savage.
R: Needless to say that doesn’t mean you’re going to do it to people who come to the show though.
J: But if I see a pink shirt there I am going to fuckin’ bite their head off.

I love the big stacks you have on stage. Did you realise how heavy amplifiers were when you first watched rock n roll?

J: Mate we’re just the road crew waiting for the band to come along, in the meantime we’ll keep using their gear and playing rock shows.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a musician?

R: I’d be an alcoholic.
I thought that was the same thing as being
a musician.
J: I don’t know. I would have to be doing something in rock n roll.

Five favourite bands of all time?

J: R: Rose Tattoo, Judas Priest, The Angels, Van Halen, Motorhead. We better make it six and say Motley Crüe.

AC/DC doesn’t get a look in then?

J: Oh look AC/DC are one of the greatest bands in the world. I listen to a lot of stuff from them. In fact I listen to everything. But I think you have to look past the marketing and really see the band.
R: I think people really have to see the other bands. I think a lot of people see AC/DC and then that’s it. That’s their thing.
J: AC/DC are a more rocked up, kick ass version of the Easybeats.

Have you got any record companies interested in the band?

R: Oh it’s just all really good.
So there are a few record companies interested?
J:R: Yeah. (Can’t get anymore out of the boys on
this topic.)

So if you get really famous do you think the mullet will make a full return?

J: Depends what the hairdresser’s want, but we cut our own hair.
R: I was the hairdresser, but then I made a mistake. We will never loose the mullets. Don’t worry about that.
J: It’s good having long hair, wherever you go people are like, this guy’s going to cause trouble. But when you’re rockin’ out it’s good to have that big mane sort of flying around.
R: If you lose the hair you start playing worse. A lot of old rock bands loose the hair and I reckon they start playing worse. There is something about the hair, you’ve gotta keep the hair.

Girls in Black. (Girls in Black is a t-shirt available at Airbourne shows) Whose idea was that one?

J: I think it was my idea. If you go to a rock and roll concert all the girls were in black. Girls look good in black.

Are you in it for the music, the girls, the money or the fame?

J: The rock.

Do you guys find with young people, like 18-17 years old that the sort of energy and sound you produce is new for them?

J: It is. They’re not used to that sort of sound. They’re used to clubs and other sorts of music.
J: But we only know three types of music, Blues, Rock and Rock n Roll … oh and Heavy Metal.
J: When people see what we’re doing so raw, so real, no bullshit.
R: It’s really good to see their faces.
J: You need balls out rock n roll. If all you’re going to have is this emo, ska, punk fuckin’ bullshit well then the world’s fucked. You need rock.
R: At the end of the day if people are going to start wearing pink t-shirts it obviously shows that the whole hardened male is actually slipping away, blokes aren’t blokes anymore, they need rock n roll and you need the chicks to be wild. Its all a bit too clean it needs to get dirty again.
J: Like, everyone should be able to put a fuckin’ tyre on their car. I’ve seen that many people who can’t put a tyre on their car. Fuckin’ waiting for the RACV in their pink shirt. Blokes aren’t blokes anymore.
J: Ever since rock went off the radio blokes stopped being blokes.
When will you know you’ve made it?
R: I don’t think me and Joel will ever think we’ve made it.
J: When you’ve got 250,000 people singing out choruses to your songs. We want to take rock n roll to the world; we want to make sure everyone gets rock n roll.
R: We’re always going to want to keep taking it higher.

I was reading an old AC/DC interview the other day in an old punk mag.These were the first two questions.

What kind of girls do you like?

J: Rock girls. Blondes and brunettes both, red heads get a bit crazy but that’s OK, there is time for that. Girls in black

What’s the meaning of life?

J: Rock n roll, to have a good time. Have the best fun you can have while you’re here. Live like your 18, till you die. If you’re not having fun there’s no point being here.

Thanks guys.

Airbourne are touring with Motley Crüe in December.
To find out more details about the band visit
www.airbournerock.com