Bodyjar
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Bodyjar

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“Things come and go so you just never think about it and before you know it, it’s there,” he says. “I didn’t even realise it was 20 years, then Caleb [Williams, manager] was like, ‘You know you guys have been together for 20 years?’ I was like, ‘What the fuck – we better do a special tour.’”

That idea for a special tour has now become a reality. Bodyjar are taking over the Corner Hotel with an anniversary double-header this weekend. Fellow ‘90s alumni, California’s Samiam and Melbourne underground rockers Blueline Medic, are on board to compound the nostalgia.

“We thought we’d try to do something special, bring out one of our favourite bands and put this lineup together and hopefully get away with it while we’re all still healthy and alive,” says Baines. “[Samiam’s] You Are Freaking Me Out is in my top five all time albums. I love them, and just the fact that they’re coming out is rad.”

Even though Baines and Co. are using the tour’s significance as an opportunity to indulge their own tastes, the primary focus will be Bodyjar’s 20 year history. What better way to demonstrate how far they’ve come then by smashing through their second LP, 1996’s Rimshot!, from start to finish? This isn’t the first time the four piece have performed an entire record on stage (they toured 1998’s No Touch Red a couple of years ago) and Baines emphasises the value of getting re-acquainted with the earlier material.

“You learn a lot about yourself. You remember what you stood for when you first started. I reckon all old bands that have been around for ages should go and re-learn all their old shit. It takes you back to the time when you weren’t over-thinking everything and you just did something because it sounded cool.

“You know too much about music after a little while. When you first start you don’t give a fuck – you don’t care if that chord doesn’t go with that chord. When you go back and learn your old songs you’re like, ‘Fuck, that was pretty wild. There’s a million riffs in one song, there’s heaps of energy, it’s really fast.’”

Yes, Rimshot! sure is fast; the record barely makes it past the 30-minute mark. This means there’ll be plenty of stage time left for a comprehensive journey through the remainder of Bodyjar’s catalogue. Six albums have followed since Rimshot!, including two major label releases, How It Works and Plastic Skies, and last year’s gutsy return to form, Role Model. 

 

“We’ve probably got a list of about 50 [songs] we can do,” says Baines of the tour preparations. “A lot of people on our Facebook have been in our ears about what to play so we just learnt the ones that a lot of people have mentioned.

“There’s certain ones that you just know the crowd knows. Not the Same everyone knows, One in a Million everyone knows, You’ve Taken Everything. But it’s more early stuff that we’re going to throw in, like Time to Grow Up and Negative Man. There’s a few weirder B-sides that people want to hear, so we’ve got a few of them ready to go as well.”

The fact that Bodyjar formed 20 years ago wouldn’t be a particularly noteworthy milestone if no one was interested in their unstoppably catchy punk rock. Of course, the band is responsible for writing the songs and putting in the hard yards all these years, but the commitment of their fans shouldn’t go unnoticed.

“You want everyone to enjoy it and you want everyone to hear the songs they want to hear,” Baines says. “I’d be pissed off if I went to see Descendents and they didn’t play Coolidge or I saw Bad Religion and they didn’t play 21st Century Digital Boy. I want to hear those songs.”

“We’ve been around for a long time and we’re not here to prove anything. We just want everyone to have a good time. I just like a party sort of vibe at gigs, to just keep it loose.”

The facilitation of a ‘good time’ has basically always been the chief order of business for Bodyjar. Sure, over the years the unkempt noise-makers have toured Europe and Japan several times and 2001’s How It Works cracked into the ARIA top 20, but Bodyjar’s existence hasn’t exactly been a quest for flashy stardom.

“When we first started I think all we wanted to do was play the Tote and maybe put out a CD,” Baines recalls. “Then your goals change. We’ve been through a lot of shit, we’ve done a lot of things, but no one would have ever expected [to survive 20 years].”

It must be acknowledged that while it’s largely been a prosperous 20 year stint, Bodyjar’s career hasn’t been completely struggle-free. In fact, as recently as two years ago, the prospect of further live shows or recordings looked highly unlikely. Baines reflects on the period of disruption, which started with 2005’s self-titled LP.

“It was a weird time for us. We changed record companies, management, drummers, and we made an album that has probably four good songs. We were stuck in this weird metal vibe. I think we went down a path that was not us.

“We were all doing it full time for a long time and playing a shit load of gigs for a lot of years. Towards the end we did a lot of work to pay back debts and with no real reward. It just got to a point where no one was enjoying it.”

The members’ fading enthusiasm eventuated in a decision to call it quits in 2009. However, the termination wasn’t destined to last. In late 2011, Bodyjar agreed to participate in the final gig at Melbourne’s ‘90s-‘00s staple venue the Arthouse and quickly rediscovered the hunger.

“We thought that would be it, forever,” Baines admits. “Then years later you miss it and you remember the good things and you forget all the negative shit. We got asked to play gigs during that time. We were like, ‘No, we’re broken up,’ but people kept asking us to play gigs. We played that last Arthouse show – that was really important to us – then things after that naturally came back together again. I’m glad we did it.”

Taking a few years off not only allowed them to shake off the mounting stresses, but they were also reminded of the band’s greatest strengths. Thus, propelled by renewed zest, Bodyjar got back to doing what they do best on album number eight, Role Model. Perhaps it’s not as frenetic as Rimshot!, but the record’s relentless pace and chorus-upon-memorable-chorus isn’t too dissimilar.

“I think it sounds like a classic Bodyjar record,” agrees Baines. “That is our sound. It’s a bit faster and it’s got that edge to it. There’s not so much sheen on it. It’s a more natural, harder-edged sound. I guess that’s the path that we’re on.”

Where’s this path leading to next? Well, 20 years is certainly a solid achievement, but there’s no plan to stop things now – especially when getting up on stage with your best mates remains such a damn fine thrill.

“I still have heaps of fun doing [gigs]. I think I’m a lot more sober then I was back then. I’ve come to a point now where I feel like I’m having more fun. I feel lucky that we can still do them and people still come along.”

After the anniversary tour Bodyjar will charge ahead into the future. But, rest assured, a late-career ascent into the spotlight isn’t high priority.

“You can’t make shit loads of money out of rock’n’roll but you can just have the best life experiences and meet the best people,” Baines says. “You see things and meet people that you’d just read about and seen in movies. It’s awesome.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY