Tom Read - Bodyjar (23/10/2013)
Having just released their new LP Role Model, and touring nationally this October/November, we caught up with Bodyjar's guitarist Tom Read.
Hey, How are you going?
Good how are you, Tom?
I’m good, I just had one of those days at work where you wish you never got out of bed.
Yup, ah well it’s the weekend now.
I know, but I think I gotta work on Sunday and because I’ve had such a crap day today, I’ll be paying for it for the rest of the weekend I think.
Ah mate, *laughs*
I should just quit work and go back to music.
Right *laughs*. Hey, I’m helping you by interviewing you I’m hoping to you know, make that happen again.
Well yeah, lets get it going.
Yeah! Well now I guess thats a good way to kick off the interview. Bodyjar were on hiatus since 2009.
Yep.
How has it been for the band coming back and adjusting your lives, you know, your four years or three years of being normal people. How have you been adjusting to getting back into music?
It’s been, um, it’s been a little bit weird. But we haven’t sort of done, that full time anyway. So everyones still working their day jobs, can’t get rid of the families. Nah, it’s been fine. It’s because we’ve been away from it for so long, its not like, its a chore like it was for a little while at the end, so nah, it’s been good. Just cruising and we’ve got to do really fun stuff so it’s been alright, The Descendents tour was awesome, and just stuff like that. So, ah, it’s been an easy transition. We know what we’re doing, or at least we pretend like we do anyways.
Because the comeback was sparked by the No Touch Red tour which the crowds nationally last year. What sparked that comeback?
Brenton, who does our website, decided to put it out on vinyl. So, and we said oh well, we will do one Melbourne show. Just to celebrate it and to get it moving cause he was paying for it all and we better do something so, people know its out there you know. And then that sold out really quickly, so we booked another Melbourne show and then when we started rehearsing, well it wasn’t just like, jamming a couple of songs, some of these songs i’d never ever played before, and when we realized it was going to be a bit of work were like, well, if were going to do this, do it properly and may as well just take it all over the place. And cause everyone was just buying tickets and it just went off really quickly. So we just thought, We’ll do it everywhere else.
And that tour did include a few other disbanded groups from the early thousands such as, One Dollar Short and Antiseptic, which took the crowds down memory lane. How was it for you guys touring with those old school bands again?
That was awesome, hanging out with those guys again. Personally I mean, Antiseptic we hung out with because they were from Melbourne. But One Dollar Short we only ever saw them when we were on tour. So it was rad, getting out, hanging with those guys again. Game Over played as well.
Yeah, Game Over as well, it was a crazy line up, I felt like I was fifteen again.
I think we had Irrelevant in Sydney. We tried to get Change of Faith back together in Perth but that didn't happen. It was just cool, it was all bands we really wanted to hang out with, It was cool, it was just fun. And thats part of what made it. I think that also really helped the ticket sales too. It was more an event that just ah, you know, we can’t take credit for all the ticket sales we put on a nineties punk show really.
And that’s it. I mean initially getting back together as Bodyjar how did you then go by contacting these bands from back in the day?
Well were all still in contact with them anyway. Mick from One Dollar Short was playing in mine and Grant’s other band Burn the City, He was drumming for us, cause he’s in Melbourne now, and so was Dan Daily, the guitarist so the two of the Members were in Melbourne. Oh and Antiseptic I don’t know if they ever really stopped, stopped, because they are going again properly again now.
And Game Over we've always been in constant contact with Dave O'Dwyer and Elton, you know those guys. Dave does a lot of T-Shirt designs for us, and Elton, I dunno, he just pops his head up every now and then. So it was easy to get in contact with them because we never lost contact with them really.
So going into the No Touch Red Tour, was it planned that you were going to be working on a new album?
No, we hadn't decided yet, I can’t remember when we actually, It might have been, during the tour, or after the tour, I can’t really remember. But we had a song, Grant wrote a song and it was kinda fun but we were just seeing how we, you know. How we were all going to get along, it wasn’t so much about that, but it was also about how we felt being away and how we were going to deal without jobs and shit like that. So, once we finished that little run, and then we did The Descendents run, and that was fine, And we were like shit, lets do it. I mean, we had a little bit of money in the bank so we could afford to pay the record of the record, and, we just thought lets write some songs and if they are good enough we can record them and if there not then we can spend the money on beer I guess. But they turned out really well.
They did. And the first album, since the bands hiatus Role Model is out on the 18th of October and although it’s been eight years since the band have released an album, theres no significance change in the sound. I guess, was it, by revisiting No Touch Red, did that inspire this classic Bodyjar sound on the new record?
Yeah, I reckon. I reckon the sound is different. That last record we put out, what did that have on it? I mean that had a bloody acoustic song on it, it had a nylon string acoustic song on it. So, yeah I reckon, we’ve definitely tired to go back to No Touch Red style. And it wasn’t a conscious effort, but after we did those shows, we were playing fast songs, it was like jeez, its fun playing fast songs lets just write an album, and one thats going to be cheap to record, because were not going to you know, fuck around with keyboards or acoustic guitars or, any of that shit. Just plug in your guitar your amp and play it, record it and then you know, nice old fashion record. That live rock sound that was all it was, that was kind like No Touch Red was, I’m assume I wasn’t there when they recorded it.
Now it does there is a lot of similarities between Role Model and No Touch Red which it has surprised me, as a fan, because the general progression from the previous and also just as bands get older, they generally get a bit softer and a little bit poppy I guess when it comes to the new sound. So was it, yeah, was it just kind of from that No Touch Red and from taking it from the live audience as well.
Yeah, well we did get, softer and it didn’t work. We just went back to the old style. Everyone says that, everyone says, it’s like our old stuff. How many times have Metallica said that about their record, it’s like no it’s not, this is shit.
This is definitely like the old stuff.
That’s why we didn’t make a big deal of saying, this is like our old stuff, but now, its nearly out, so, and were not the ones saying its, people are saying it to us. So thats good.
Now the punk scene and sound has changed, quite a lot since the bands formation in the nineties. Did you feel disconnected from the scene at all, approaching last years tour?
Yeah definitely, especially probably me. I live, on the Mornington Peninsular, and I don’t go and see any bands, people talk about, i’ve never even heard of them. That’s also my fault for not listening to any new bands. But in saying that I mean, I dunno, are we disconnected? We’re just getting old thats how it is. We don’t like the same bands that the kids like anyway, anymore because were old farts. But in saying that Luca Brassy Band that’s coming on tour with us, they could have been, in the late nineties. Their sound, they sound like a band I could have seen at the art house ten years ago i reckon and thats awesome.
But Bodyjar have been such a strong influence, not only nationally but internationally, but locally you were the first kinda punk band you know that took the risk internationally and had radio success and was on, your TV shows and winning awards. So this new generation of punk bands, have actually grown up on Bodyjar and been influenced. Have you had those experiences where those younger musicians come up to you now and kind of thank you and fan out to you?
Yeah, I read it more and then it happens to me. Yeah I’ve heard some pretty nice things written by new bands, and bands that you know three hundred times bigger than we are and thats very nice i suppose. But we never won an award for anything just for the record.
Never, never won anything?
I don’t think so.
Well we might have to change that with this new album hey?
Yeah! Win some kind of punk band thats most like to be John Farnham comeback tour or something. We’ll win our own award, Ill get a trophy made up.
Just go to salvos.
A giant cock and balls.
I’m sure we can organise that one.
Did you feel a bit like the dog with its tail between its legs coming back with this new record though? After announcing a hiatus and being off the scene for so long?
Yeah we didn’t announce a hiatus, we announced a last tour ever didn’t we?
Yeah.
I dunno, I mean when that happened, I mean thats what we thinking, you know. And then ah, no, I don’t feel bad about it, if anyone doesn't like it thats fine, but were just doing it to have fun, were not out there to take over the world, or any shit like that, were just having fun.
Yeah awesome! Well it is great to have Bodyjar back and Role Model, is just pleasing for all the old school fans.
Thank you.
So thank you for making a really cool punk record, because in all honesty its been awhile in my option in the Australian landscape to have a really decent record, thats fun, that you can picture it live when you hear it on the recording.
Ah sweet, yeah we tied to make it, kind of live, it was Tom Larkin’s thing I think, just to make it, sort of, like it would be played live expect without the more mistakes.
Now looking at the Bodyjar career as grownups now, in an adult mind, where you’ve all got kind of, regular jobs and regular lives, have you changed your goals for the band?
Yeah, I mean back in the day I supposed, when we signed to EMI, we had pretty decent sized goals I guess. But even when after that finished, the goals were revised, and then there were no goals, and now, I dunno what the goals are now. I think the only goal now is probably to keep it going for as long as we can. Like, just to have fun and keep being at a tour not have people laugh at us. I think thats the new goal, theres no new record sale goal, you know, no numbers that show our goals, were just trying to keep it fun. Thats the real goal, try and keep it fun and hang out with your mates.
Maybe you can win the award for the longest standing punk band in Australia?
Tom: See Frenzal Rhomb wrecked that for us, cause they, that's what happened, this is the background on why we broke up. Frenzal Rhomb broke up I'm sure of it, I need to find the article, but they broke up, and then we were like sweet, we win. We should have won an award for that and then theres no point going on now, we beat them, finally at something, and they quit first and then we quit and then low and behold they came back again, so we were like, now shit we gotta do it. So if anyone is to blame it is them. If anyones pissed off at us for coming back its Frenzal Rhomb fault.
We’ll point the finger. Well thanks so much for the chat Tom, and have a good weekend and have a few beers tonight and relax, before you have to go back to work on Sunday.
I will, I’m gonna go get some now. After that shit day at work. Just so everyone knows, if you lose your key to your Subaru don't call me cause I don’t wanna do it.
Sounds good, just not even going to drive a Subaru to help you out on that front.
*laughs* They are good cars, just don’t lose the keys it's a pain in the ass.
Thanks so much, okay well have a good weekend.
You too, cheers bye.
Cheers, bye.
Cassie Walker
THE 'ROLE MODEL' TOUR
With Luca Brasi & The Sinking Teeth
Thursday 31 October – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Friday 1 November – The Hi Fi, Sydney
Saturday 2 November – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday 7 November – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
Friday 8 November – Uni Bar, Adelaide
Friday 15 November – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Saturday 16 November – Prince Of Wales Hotel, Bunbury
Friday 22 November – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
Saturday 23 November – Coolangatta Hotel Hotel, Coolangatta
Hey, How are you going?
Good how are you, Tom?
I’m good, I just had one of those days at work where you wish you never got out of bed.
Yup, ah well it’s the weekend now.
I know, but I think I gotta work on Sunday and because I’ve had such a crap day today, I’ll be paying for it for the rest of the weekend I think.
Ah mate, *laughs*
I should just quit work and go back to music.
Right *laughs*. Hey, I’m helping you by interviewing you I’m hoping to you know, make that happen again.
Well yeah, lets get it going.
Yeah! Well now I guess thats a good way to kick off the interview. Bodyjar were on hiatus since 2009.
Yep.
How has it been for the band coming back and adjusting your lives, you know, your four years or three years of being normal people. How have you been adjusting to getting back into music?
It’s been, um, it’s been a little bit weird. But we haven’t sort of done, that full time anyway. So everyones still working their day jobs, can’t get rid of the families. Nah, it’s been fine. It’s because we’ve been away from it for so long, its not like, its a chore like it was for a little while at the end, so nah, it’s been good. Just cruising and we’ve got to do really fun stuff so it’s been alright, The Descendents tour was awesome, and just stuff like that. So, ah, it’s been an easy transition. We know what we’re doing, or at least we pretend like we do anyways.
Because the comeback was sparked by the No Touch Red tour which the crowds nationally last year. What sparked that comeback?
Brenton, who does our website, decided to put it out on vinyl. So, and we said oh well, we will do one Melbourne show. Just to celebrate it and to get it moving cause he was paying for it all and we better do something so, people know its out there you know. And then that sold out really quickly, so we booked another Melbourne show and then when we started rehearsing, well it wasn’t just like, jamming a couple of songs, some of these songs i’d never ever played before, and when we realized it was going to be a bit of work were like, well, if were going to do this, do it properly and may as well just take it all over the place. And cause everyone was just buying tickets and it just went off really quickly. So we just thought, We’ll do it everywhere else.
And that tour did include a few other disbanded groups from the early thousands such as, One Dollar Short and Antiseptic, which took the crowds down memory lane. How was it for you guys touring with those old school bands again?
That was awesome, hanging out with those guys again. Personally I mean, Antiseptic we hung out with because they were from Melbourne. But One Dollar Short we only ever saw them when we were on tour. So it was rad, getting out, hanging with those guys again. Game Over played as well.
Yeah, Game Over as well, it was a crazy line up, I felt like I was fifteen again.
I think we had Irrelevant in Sydney. We tried to get Change of Faith back together in Perth but that didn't happen. It was just cool, it was all bands we really wanted to hang out with, It was cool, it was just fun. And thats part of what made it. I think that also really helped the ticket sales too. It was more an event that just ah, you know, we can’t take credit for all the ticket sales we put on a nineties punk show really.
And that’s it. I mean initially getting back together as Bodyjar how did you then go by contacting these bands from back in the day?
Well were all still in contact with them anyway. Mick from One Dollar Short was playing in mine and Grant’s other band Burn the City, He was drumming for us, cause he’s in Melbourne now, and so was Dan Daily, the guitarist so the two of the Members were in Melbourne. Oh and Antiseptic I don’t know if they ever really stopped, stopped, because they are going again properly again now.
And Game Over we've always been in constant contact with Dave O'Dwyer and Elton, you know those guys. Dave does a lot of T-Shirt designs for us, and Elton, I dunno, he just pops his head up every now and then. So it was easy to get in contact with them because we never lost contact with them really.
So going into the No Touch Red Tour, was it planned that you were going to be working on a new album?
No, we hadn't decided yet, I can’t remember when we actually, It might have been, during the tour, or after the tour, I can’t really remember. But we had a song, Grant wrote a song and it was kinda fun but we were just seeing how we, you know. How we were all going to get along, it wasn’t so much about that, but it was also about how we felt being away and how we were going to deal without jobs and shit like that. So, once we finished that little run, and then we did The Descendents run, and that was fine, And we were like shit, lets do it. I mean, we had a little bit of money in the bank so we could afford to pay the record of the record, and, we just thought lets write some songs and if they are good enough we can record them and if there not then we can spend the money on beer I guess. But they turned out really well.
They did. And the first album, since the bands hiatus Role Model is out on the 18th of October and although it’s been eight years since the band have released an album, theres no significance change in the sound. I guess, was it, by revisiting No Touch Red, did that inspire this classic Bodyjar sound on the new record?
Yeah, I reckon. I reckon the sound is different. That last record we put out, what did that have on it? I mean that had a bloody acoustic song on it, it had a nylon string acoustic song on it. So, yeah I reckon, we’ve definitely tired to go back to No Touch Red style. And it wasn’t a conscious effort, but after we did those shows, we were playing fast songs, it was like jeez, its fun playing fast songs lets just write an album, and one thats going to be cheap to record, because were not going to you know, fuck around with keyboards or acoustic guitars or, any of that shit. Just plug in your guitar your amp and play it, record it and then you know, nice old fashion record. That live rock sound that was all it was, that was kind like No Touch Red was, I’m assume I wasn’t there when they recorded it.
Now it does there is a lot of similarities between Role Model and No Touch Red which it has surprised me, as a fan, because the general progression from the previous and also just as bands get older, they generally get a bit softer and a little bit poppy I guess when it comes to the new sound. So was it, yeah, was it just kind of from that No Touch Red and from taking it from the live audience as well.
Yeah, well we did get, softer and it didn’t work. We just went back to the old style. Everyone says that, everyone says, it’s like our old stuff. How many times have Metallica said that about their record, it’s like no it’s not, this is shit.
This is definitely like the old stuff.
That’s why we didn’t make a big deal of saying, this is like our old stuff, but now, its nearly out, so, and were not the ones saying its, people are saying it to us. So thats good.
Now the punk scene and sound has changed, quite a lot since the bands formation in the nineties. Did you feel disconnected from the scene at all, approaching last years tour?
Yeah definitely, especially probably me. I live, on the Mornington Peninsular, and I don’t go and see any bands, people talk about, i’ve never even heard of them. That’s also my fault for not listening to any new bands. But in saying that I mean, I dunno, are we disconnected? We’re just getting old thats how it is. We don’t like the same bands that the kids like anyway, anymore because were old farts. But in saying that Luca Brassy Band that’s coming on tour with us, they could have been, in the late nineties. Their sound, they sound like a band I could have seen at the art house ten years ago i reckon and thats awesome.
But Bodyjar have been such a strong influence, not only nationally but internationally, but locally you were the first kinda punk band you know that took the risk internationally and had radio success and was on, your TV shows and winning awards. So this new generation of punk bands, have actually grown up on Bodyjar and been influenced. Have you had those experiences where those younger musicians come up to you now and kind of thank you and fan out to you?
Yeah, I read it more and then it happens to me. Yeah I’ve heard some pretty nice things written by new bands, and bands that you know three hundred times bigger than we are and thats very nice i suppose. But we never won an award for anything just for the record.
Never, never won anything?
I don’t think so.
Well we might have to change that with this new album hey?
Yeah! Win some kind of punk band thats most like to be John Farnham comeback tour or something. We’ll win our own award, Ill get a trophy made up.
Just go to salvos.
A giant cock and balls.
I’m sure we can organise that one.
Did you feel a bit like the dog with its tail between its legs coming back with this new record though? After announcing a hiatus and being off the scene for so long?
Yeah we didn’t announce a hiatus, we announced a last tour ever didn’t we?
Yeah.
I dunno, I mean when that happened, I mean thats what we thinking, you know. And then ah, no, I don’t feel bad about it, if anyone doesn't like it thats fine, but were just doing it to have fun, were not out there to take over the world, or any shit like that, were just having fun.
Yeah awesome! Well it is great to have Bodyjar back and Role Model, is just pleasing for all the old school fans.
Thank you.
So thank you for making a really cool punk record, because in all honesty its been awhile in my option in the Australian landscape to have a really decent record, thats fun, that you can picture it live when you hear it on the recording.
Ah sweet, yeah we tied to make it, kind of live, it was Tom Larkin’s thing I think, just to make it, sort of, like it would be played live expect without the more mistakes.
Now looking at the Bodyjar career as grownups now, in an adult mind, where you’ve all got kind of, regular jobs and regular lives, have you changed your goals for the band?
Yeah, I mean back in the day I supposed, when we signed to EMI, we had pretty decent sized goals I guess. But even when after that finished, the goals were revised, and then there were no goals, and now, I dunno what the goals are now. I think the only goal now is probably to keep it going for as long as we can. Like, just to have fun and keep being at a tour not have people laugh at us. I think thats the new goal, theres no new record sale goal, you know, no numbers that show our goals, were just trying to keep it fun. Thats the real goal, try and keep it fun and hang out with your mates.
Maybe you can win the award for the longest standing punk band in Australia?
Tom: See Frenzal Rhomb wrecked that for us, cause they, that's what happened, this is the background on why we broke up. Frenzal Rhomb broke up I'm sure of it, I need to find the article, but they broke up, and then we were like sweet, we win. We should have won an award for that and then theres no point going on now, we beat them, finally at something, and they quit first and then we quit and then low and behold they came back again, so we were like, now shit we gotta do it. So if anyone is to blame it is them. If anyones pissed off at us for coming back its Frenzal Rhomb fault.
We’ll point the finger. Well thanks so much for the chat Tom, and have a good weekend and have a few beers tonight and relax, before you have to go back to work on Sunday.
I will, I’m gonna go get some now. After that shit day at work. Just so everyone knows, if you lose your key to your Subaru don't call me cause I don’t wanna do it.
Sounds good, just not even going to drive a Subaru to help you out on that front.
*laughs* They are good cars, just don’t lose the keys it's a pain in the ass.
Thanks so much, okay well have a good weekend.
You too, cheers bye.
Cheers, bye.
Cassie Walker
THE 'ROLE MODEL' TOUR
With Luca Brasi & The Sinking Teeth
Thursday 31 October – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Friday 1 November – The Hi Fi, Sydney
Saturday 2 November – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday 7 November – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
Friday 8 November – Uni Bar, Adelaide
Friday 15 November – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Saturday 16 November – Prince Of Wales Hotel, Bunbury
Friday 22 November – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
Saturday 23 November – Coolangatta Hotel Hotel, Coolangatta