Every now and again an incredible album gets released & some people, for whatever reason, miss out on hearing it, therefore seeing it slip away into obscurity. Melbourne’s Serpentine Sky (formerly Serpentine) had the reputation of being one of the City’s most popular bands back in the 90’s and after years of playing the live circuit to packed crowds, decided to record their material and release the self-titled album in 2015. With the recent passing of drummer Craig Whitelock, the album has resurfaced once more after guitarist Zakk Zedras received requests for copies to be sent out around the time of the funeral. While on a recent trip to Melbourne, The Rockpit caught up with Zedras, who can now be found plying his guitar trade with Chocolate Starfish to discuss Serpentine Sky, just what Craig was like as a musician & friend and just what was the last album he listened to…
Sean: Zakk, so great to speak again. Last time we caught up you were on the WA leg of the Chocolate Starfish KICK shows. And it all finishes on Saturday 1st December with your 3rd appearance at The Palms at Crown this year… one final huge INXS show where you are playing the 2-hour Wembley 1988 ‘Live Baby Live’ set in its entirety (Tickets available through www.ticketmaster.com.au).
Zakk: Hey mate, yeah it’s been a while. I know, it’s gonna be pretty full on… I think there are over 20 INXS songs we’ll be playing and then finishing with some Starfish tracks. The KICK shows have been massive and we’ve all had such a blast doing them – they’ve actually been unreal. They’ve given me a greater appreciation of the band. They wrote so many hits – it’s unbelievable. Back in the late 80’s & early 90’s I was really into rock and metal so kind of missed the whole INXS thing. It’s been pretty cool to revisit it.
Sean: I was lucky to go to both WA gigs and as a band you guys were so tight and the crowds were fully appreciating the music & the shows.
Zakk: We had such a great time in Perth, can’t wait to get back there. In fact, we are back on January 13th for the first leg of The Red Hot Summer Tour with Jimmy Barnes, Joan Jett, The Living End, Diesel and Richard Clapton, can’t wait for that. We’re also on the second leg too with Suzi Quatro, The Angels, Screaming Jets, Jon Stevens & Baby Animals so it’s a busy start to the year.
Sean: I’ve heard tickets are selling fast for the WA show at Sandalford’s, so I best get mine sorted. I’ve been dying to talk to you about the Serpentine Sky album that you so kindly sent me on the eve of Craig’s (Whitelock) funeral. It’s a fantastic album that hasn’t really been out of my player since I received it…
Zakk: Thanks man I appreciate that. When Craig passed away I had a few people ask me if I had any copies and so I sent a few out. In fact, I had a text from a dude only the other week, who is in radio and he said it’s in his top 5 albums of the year and that he had been playing it non-stop at his house.
Sean: One of the things I love about the album is every time I listen to it my favourite track changes each time and for me, not many albums do that – yesterday ‘Flower Dolls’ was the song that hit me the hardest…
Zakk: Wow, that’s just spun me out – I’ve got one of those new phones with like 256Gb and like, 6,000 songs on it and it’s just set on random or shuffle or something like that and ‘Flower Dolls’ came on yesterday too and I hadn’t heard it for ages and just thought “that sounds insane”… you know we threw the kitchen sink at that track when we recorded it…
Sean: I could probably run through the whole song list but I can’t stress enough to our readers, if you hear it and like it, buy it because you won’t be disappointed. ‘Everybody Wears a Symbol’ is another belter of a song…
Zakk: Funny, I always wanted a writing credit for that one [laughs] I showed Patrick our singer some new chord shapes and he came in the next day with a song and I’m like “hey dude, they’re my fucking chords!” [laughs] so we’ve had a running joke for years over that [laughs]
Sean: So, as someone who missed out on the whole Serpentine/Serpentine Sky thing, what’s the story with the name change?
Zakk: Well, we were originally called Serpentine in the 80’s/90’s but around the time we were due to release the album in 2015 we found there was a British band called Serpentine… we’d already put out an EP under the name but just wanted to avoid any issues – in retrospect we could have kept the name because I think the British band has broken up now.
Sean: For me, the album cover is so simple but also striking. Where did the idea for that come from?
Zakk: I was searching the ‘net and found this guy in South America who did alternative album covers for bands and I contacted him and sent him some of our music and explained who we were and described about the snake eating itself idea and he came up with that… it’s pretty cool.
Sean: Obviously there is one main reason I got to hear this album and that’s because of the unfortunate passing of Craig. What was he like as a bandmate & drummer?
Zakk: So back at our peak, we were one of the most popular pub bands in Melbourne for a little bit & Craig was probably the best rock drummer in the country at the time … and you could ask anyone around the music scene back then – you just have to look at the tributes when he passed to see how respected Craig was. He was always being asked to join bands. He was a maniac drummer and quite a showman – he used to have this cage around him with all these saw blades hanging off it. He’d do this drum solo where he’d rattle the cage and so on. And this was all tied into his personality too – He was a big, giant baby in a way, where everybody loved him and he was so infectious. He used to ride a Harley and he’d ride it into the venue [laughs] hop on stage and just start playing. He also drove a hearse; he had an ambulance and a Trans-Am. He was rock ‘n’ roll 24/7, always wearing leather pants, had the long hair and he was loud… he was the real deal.
Sean: Sounds like he was born to be a rock star…
Zakk: I’ve seen a lot of photos of him recently when he was little and he rocker even then.
Sean: So how did you guys meet?
Zakk: So the whole band grew up in Canberra and we moved down to Melbourne in 1988 and we didn’t have a drummer… so Craig may have been the 3rd or 4th drummer we auditioned. But one thing about Craig, he was always a bit clumsy – I used to call him ‘Baby Elephant’… typical Craig, he set his kit up in the wrong room for his audition! So he had to take it apart & set it up again and his kit had all these fox tails hanging off it [laughs] and we’re all looking at each other going “Dude WTF” – and then he started playing and we were like “we have got to get this guy”.
Sean: The latest EP from Bigger Than Jesus landed on my desk the other week and I saw Craig’s name on that too…
Zakk: Yeah, so I’m sure those tracks were recorded in the mid-90’s, so when we broke up he went off and did that for a few years and then joined Nick Barker & The Reptiles – Craig was always in demand.
Sean: So how did you guys come to reform & record the album?
Zakk: I was in another band and our drummer George Kristy sadly took his own life – he was a huge Serpentine fan – So as we were putting together a tribute concert for him at the Espy, his partner said to me that Serpentine just had to reform and play – so I said “If Craig’s in, I’m in” and everyone else was up for it and that’s how we got back together… we finished the night with 5 songs. And people were singing along to the songs we hadn’t played for 20 years so it was pretty spun out – I mean there were people in the crowd actually crying. So that’s when we decided to capture the moment and record the album.
Sean: Well I’m so glad you did because I’ve enjoyed it since the first time I played it. So thank you for the insight into it too. I have a few regular tail end questions, starting with my dinner guest one… you’ve got a restaurant booking for 2 hours and three empty chairs at your table. Who would you like to join you from the music world, dead or alive?
Zakk: Hmmm… Phil Lynott, Eddie Van Halen… oh the third one is hard… but probably Freddie Mercury.
Sean: Your Starfish bandmate Adam Thompson had Freddie as one of his guests but the other two are new ones to my list, which is always cool.
Zakk: I’ll let Freddie order for everyone…
Sean: I’m intrigued with his attire for the evening [laughs]…
Zakk: [laughs] I reckon a smoking jacket & slippers.
Sean: What was the last album you listened to?
Zakk: Euphoria Mourning by Chris Cornell. I’ve kind of rediscovered it – when it first came out I don’t think I was ready for it, I didn’t get it because I was into Soundgarden and it sounded different… funny thing was, while we were in Perth, the sound guy Brett put it on while he was firing up the PA and I thought to myself “that sounds like Chris Cornell” so I searched the track on SoundHound on my phone and it was… and I suddenly remembered I had the album at home. When I got back to Melbourne I put it on and… dude it’s just a great album, so different. It’s melodic but a bit bizarre.
Sean: I’ll check it out. Any song ever written and you can have the writer credits – what song would you want… and don’t say “Everybody Wears a Symbol” [laughs]?
Zakk: [laughs] It would have to be ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. It’s just such an incredible song. And if I could choose a second, it would be ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ because every time I hear it I just have this huge stupid grin on my face.
Sean: Two great songs – I’ll bend the rules for you Zakk. I’d been really looking forward to this chat since we met at The Charles Hotel and it has certainly lived up to my expectations, so thank you.
Zakk: It’s been great Sean. And I have to say I hope nothing ever happens to The Charles because that’s a great live venue.
Sean: You’re not wrong there, the iconic ones are so important. Zakk thanks so much for your time and hope to catch up when you’re over in WA in January. On behalf of us all at The Rockpit we wish you and the guys all the best for The Palms gig on 1st December and look forward to the band coming back to Perth in their own right for some shows in 2019.
Zakk: Thanks mate. Catch up with you in Perth.
Sean: Send our regards to Adam & the boys.
Zakk: Will do, cheers.
