When you think about acts that helped define the modern Australian rock scene, The Living End are right at the forefront. Ten years on from their breakout EP Second Solution/Prisoner Of Society and the band are still at the top of their game, inspiring generations of music lovers and continuing to burn the torch for Aussie rock’n’roll.
“We lost a precious thing in Australia when the Big Day Out ceased to exist, but I take my hat off to the people behind A Day on the Green,” the band’s drummer Andy Strachan says of their forthcoming A Day On The Green appearance. “It’s so well organised and you’re made to feel special to be a part of it. It’s always held in places that are pretty damn beautiful and the production side of things is always top notch. From the stages, the PA, the lighting, they don’t skimp on anything.
“It’s win-win for the punters too. The facilities are good so you don’t have to line up for hours for a shitty over-priced beer either. We’re stoked to be doing this one. I’m just hoping the festival continues for many, many years because Australia needs it.”
To go along with the picturesque surrounds and cold refreshments, Strachan, vocalist Chris Cheney and the man behind the double bass Scott Owen will be in good company when they play as part of the Almighty Monster lineup next March. Also on the bill are Chicago’s Veruca Salt, The Lemonheads, Tumbleweed, The Fauves and Strachan’s buddies Spiderbait.
“We haven’t played with those guys [Spiderbait] in a long time but we’ve done so many big shows with them that there’s some sort of weird energy that takes over when we’re all together,” Strachan says. “When they’re on fire it’s a hard act to follow, and that inspires us to push ourselves to the next level, so we can’t wait. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
With seven studio albums under their belt, including the ARIA Award-winning White Noise and The Ending Is Just the Beginning Repeating, the much-loved three-piece will have no trouble picking their set-list and aren’t afraid to give the people what they want.
“Because it’s a festival we’re not going to be digging deep into the B-sides and rarities. We want to have as much fun as the crowd, so we’re not going to get too quirky with our set choices, but we will try to represent every record. Expect to hear all the mainstays and all the singalong stuff, that’s for sure.”
While The Living End originally formed in 1994, Andy Strachan has been behind the drum kit for the band since 2002 and revealed that they have aspirations to start working on new music very soon. “We’ve done a lot of overseas touring in the States and Europe recently, and as hard work as it might be, for some reason it gets the creative juices flowing, so we’ve been talking about working on new stuff a lot.
“We’re feeling really creative and inspired at the moment and there’s still fuel in the tank, so we’re excited to start writing again,” he says. “We’re all pretty keyed up for that.”
With his eyes on the horizon, Strachan is also keen to reminisce about his early love of music back home in Adelaide. “Drums and music, in general, have been a massive part of my life ever since I was a kid. I grew up on a farm so I didn’t do the same things that most of the other kids did,” he says. “I didn’t have kids down the street to play with so I had to make my own fun.
“I’d play along to records and get lost in my own little world. I’d close my eyes or I’d put a blindfold on and I’d just imagine that I was playing in front of a big crowd. I guess that was my way of escaping into my fantasy world.”
