“I’m not nostalgic about it,” says Wilson, talking about the late 1980’s, early 90’s when he recorded and performed with many of Australia’s most popular groups. “But I do appreciate how lucky I was.” His vocal, harmonica, guitar and saxophone abilities have led to many guest positions on records, as well as the occasional overseas tour. “I went overseas with Paul Kelly’s band, it was extraordinary, I still think about it. I think; ‘how the hell did that happen?’ It was just amazing.” As was his experience recording with X, whom Wilson loved dearly. “I was always caught in a quandary because I was such a fan that I didn’t want to change what they were doing but I also didn’t want to not be on the stage with them too you know? That was always a dilemma.”
Wilson went on to form his own band around the time, Crown of Thorns, but also dabbled with other groups, namely Sole Twisters and neo blues outfit Harem Skarem. Chart success beckoned and came through a collaboration with Diesel in the mid 90’s called Short Cool Ones, the success of which surprised Wilson somewhat given the ad-hoc approach the two took.
“We were just winging it, we were just going for takes, we weren’t worried; we just played the songs. It was just great fun and then we toured it. Usually it’s the other way round, a band plays live then records, we recorded than went and played live. That was a full on exercise.”
In a career of some thirty years in which Wilson has released solo records as well as collaborations; it’s been the most unlikeliest of experiences that have had the greatest impact on him; namely spending a chunk of time in the Northern Territory with little known The Yugal Band. “It just changed my perception of so many things,” he says somewhat wistfully. “Just the way the music was made, the way that band operated, and they way that it interacted with its community. If you go up there for any length of time it gets under your skin a little bit, the way you see Australia and the way people live here. It was more community and culturally based.”
For a man with one of the most powerful voices in Australian music, Wilson is soft spoken, though his passion and appreciation for each opportunity in his career is apparent. He gets a little more vocal when talking about a backstage meeting with Bob Dylan at the Palais theatre years ago, when Dylan made an effort to meet the band personally. “That was an extraordinary experience really, we supported him a couple times in St Kilda, did it once and the second time we were all just sitting there waiting for the gig and he walked in, shook our hands and he said he liked our band. I was blown away; I could play anywhere now, I don’t care what anyone says, you can heckle the hell out of me, but as long as Bob Dylan liked it I don’t care!”
Thankfully more people than just Dylan like the music that Wilson covers and creates, and his new live album Live at Cherry (as in Cherry Bar) will be his third live recording of his solo career. “I don’t mind a live recording,” he tells me, and if Bob Dylan likes it, everyone else should probably give it a shot too.
BY GARRY WESTMORE
