Q & A with Tim Rogers

With the past 2 years seeing the release of his solo album 'An Actor Repairs’, a pile of You Am I touring, the publication of his first book ‘Detours’, his on-air hosting debut with Liquid Lunch on Double J and countless side projects, Tim Rogers next venture is the aptly titled special run of shows ‘The Endless Cycle Of Maintenance Tour’.

Intimate and solo, TIM ROGERS will take to the stage playing a range of songs from the past 3 decades. Fans will hear favourites from Tim’s solo records, You Am I classics, familiar collaborations as well as some freshly penned tunes.

We sent through a few questions to Tim, and patiently waited…
Was. Not. Disappointed.

Hello Tim! I think if there was an award for best name for a tour, ‘The Endless Cycle of Maintenance’ would be the clear winner… it can often feel like a never-ending cycle as a musician, to tour in order to maintain the relationship with the fans. You’re heading out on your own again for a massive run of solo shows, so how would you compare a solo tour, to that of being on a run of show with You Am I?

Less silly conversations as the sun comes up, but I enjoy travelling alone, daydreaming and writing. Curiously perhaps, it is just as exhausting. I miss waking up to Davey beside me with his pants on his head. But we’ll be back to that very soon.

So with it just being you, obviously you’ll be playing material from your solo catalogue, as well as some You Am I classics (and hopefully some new tunes) … however, do you sometimes feel a little self-indulgent and pull out a song (even a cover) that you do, just for your own gratification? If so, what would it be?

My whole life is indulgent. With all I listen to during the day, others’ tunes are rumbling around my head even when I’m trying to remember my own toons. Guy Clark or Patsy Cline, inevitably. Or the Scissor Sisters.

When you released your memoir, ‘Detours’ last year, was it nerve-wracking to present yourself in a written format, as opposed to exposing thoughts and feelings through song?

No. I wanted the writing to be good, and show respect the people who put faith in me. There was no sense of revelation in any of the pieces.

Your quote, ‘Of all the utterances delivered to me by strangers, my least favourite after “We can no longer legally serve you” would have to be, “Well, that isn’t very rock’n’roll.” made me laugh, then realise sadly, that is where we are at. Being a fellow musician (I play in two bands, two completely different genres), I keep hanging on to the belief that rock isn’t dead, but with all the red-tape, laws, and the always watching fun-police, do you think we will ever see a turn around within this industry that feels somewhat over-regulated?

Though it’s perhaps a lil’ ignorant, my job is to create some kind of faux-nether world where those regulations just don’t exist. I regard those who make music, particularly with live instrumentation as a community, not an industry. And so I’ll be encouraging, and fruity, and enthusiastic, and play as good a show as I can. And do it again. And then again. That’s my contribution, and my folly.

Ok, away from the heavy thinking… in your tour quote, what I took away from it is that you need the tour-life to motivate yourself to finish a new batch of tunes, but also taunting Murphy’s Law in the process (‘What could POSSIBLY go wrong.’). Would mis-adventure inspire the finishing of these songs? And what would be the most ‘wrong’ experience you’ve had to inspire such a tune?

Ending romantic relations are a terrible way to “inspire” music. Why it keeps happening is a distress, and so I’ll do my damnedest to create music through investigation and asking questions, reading and listening, and leave the heartbreak alone. Things go wrong in the touring life perenially, it can also be ass-wipingly depressing, but we keep searching for that great show, a good strong drink, some poetry and some stories.

And finally, I’m going to be self-indulgent here and, being a You Am I fan (as well as a Silverchair fan), did you ever have a discussion with Daniel Johns about them choosing a name (half) influenced by one of your songs?

No, even though I used to drive the band around when they were 15 or 16 in Sydney on visits in my EJ Holden, I didn’t think it was fair to reference anything I’d done when their lives were so combustible at the time. I wanted to give ‘em a break, and keep it fun. I only see Dan once every two years, but my love for him is timeless. I love catching up with Chris and Ben too. I played Chris’s wedding last year. He is a gentleman. I hope to say I’m proud of them as humans isn’t too…nauseating.

Thank you, Tim… have an awesome tour, and we’ll see you at The Playhouse at Solbar on September 27th.

My very best to you.

Tim.

Tim Rogers plays The Playhouse (Solbar) on Thursday September 27th. Tickets for the show are available here.