DIG IT UP!

DIG IT UP!

“We did it for the first time last year and enjoyed it so much we thought we’d try it again,” says David Faulkner of the Hoodoo Gurus about the first ever Dig It Up! festival. The founder and frontman of the legendary Aussie rock group shares his excitement at being able to assemble some of the band’s favourite artists to perform alongside them at the festival that takes place in a series of venues along Enmore Road such as the Enmore Theatre, The Green Room, The Sly Fox and Mojos.

“Basically we just have a wish list of people we’d like to have on and [the promoters] makes it happen. They’re bands that are important to us or who we think are very influential. Blue Oyster Cult are a band that Radio Birdman named an album after and a lot of guitarists started by playing Blue Oyster Cult albums in their bedrooms.”

Alongside influential acts like the Gurus, Blue Oyster Cult, Buzzcocks and Tumbleweed the festival will feature fresh Sydney bands such as The Laurels, Bloods and Super Wild Horses.

“It’s not meant to be about nostalgia, the festival’s kind of about the essence of rock ‘n’ roll; it doesn’t matter what era it comes from.”

Apart from the group’s hits, Faulkner explains the motivation behind playing the seminal album Mars Needs Guitars! in its entirety.

“That was the album that defined me as a writer. I wanted to declare real feelings and emotions rather than fake ones for the sake of being amusing. It’s an album that really made us as a band and besides having some of our biggest hits on there, it was a bit of a watershed where we stated who we really were.”

So, after 28 years since that albums release and over 30 years since the band’s inception, how does Dave Faulkner feel about playing rock ‘n’ roll music?

“There’s a certain pure physical joy you get out of playing. Giving yourself away to music is such a freeing and fantastic feeling and that’s something that we don’t want to give up easily; it’s something we really enjoy- and we enjoy it as much as we ever did.” (IS)

Apr 21, Enmore Theatre (and surrounds), 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown, $117-168, (02) 9550 3666, ticketek.com.au

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.