It’s hard to believe that ‘Tommy’ is over fifty years old, being released way back in 1969. The fourth studio album from British rockers The Who, ‘Tommy’ was composed mostly by guitarist Pete Townsend and spawned tracks like ‘I’m Free’, ‘See Me, Feel Me’ and the iconic ‘Pinball Wizard’. Released as a rock opera about the life of Tommy Walker, it pathed the way for a movie, stage show and numerous live recordings including the iconic ‘Live at Leeds’.
Now it falls into the hands of Australia’s You Am I with special guests Sarah McLeod and Hayley Mary to perform their version of a piece of rock n’ roll history, with a national tour starting on July 26th in Caloundra, taking in towns and cities across Australia, before finishing on 18th August at The Astor Theatre in Perth.
We caught up with The Superjesus’ Sarah McLeod to discuss just what it has been like preparing for the tour, what the album brings out for her and what we can expect when the show hits venues nationwide.
Sarah: Hi!
Sean: Sarah! How are you doing?
Sarah: Seany, I’m great baby!
Sean: Well it’s been a while since we caught up and so much has been happening with you with new Superjesus material and tour announcements, which we will save for another time but I saw a video you posted the other day of you lifting the needle and setting it down on a gorgeous vinyl copy of The Who’s ‘Tommy’, which coincidentally you are about to tour nationally with You Am I.
Sarah: Yeah, it’s an original pressing too. I love it.
Sean: That’s cool. What does that album bring out for you?
Sarah: It actually brings out a lot of strange emotions because there are some pretty dark topics in there. Some of the tracks are disturbing but important. It was brave enough for them to talk about back then but you wouldn’t really talk about it now. Singing about it in retrospect it feels really brave to bring it up. Its also really intricate, especially the arrangements which are so off grid like they don’t care about bars of four, it’s just how ever they wanted to play it. I’m counting bars going, “What is that? Like three and a half?” I’m not counting, I’m memorising shapes and numbers. It’s like maths trying to learn this record but that is why I find it so genius. They were all so drunk while they were writing it, taking LSD and everything that they didn’t really care about formats and it’s genius. The melodies are so intricate, like melodies you wouldn’t normally write… they are so difficult to sing because they jump all over the shop. For me, when I listen to it I think it’s just so out there… a conceptual masterpiece.
Sean: It’s so hard to believe it was released back in 1969.
Sarah: I know. Such a good year.
Sean: The music around that time was just incredible. And as you say ‘Tommy’ was just so out there and in a way ahead of it’s time.
Sarah: Oh absolutely. And the fact that there is a movie that goes with it as well. I really love the way they introduce themes during the record and then they reintroduce them later on. There is always this underlining theme that floats in and out of the Pinball Wizard – they bring that riff in and out of other songs. It’s really cool because it just reminds you that Tommy is in trouble – then you hear the beginning of that lick and then realise he’s not in trouble at all because he’s got something that no one else has. Just because he’s different doesn’t mean there is something wrong with him.
Sean: Do you remember the first time you heard the album?
Sarah: I honestly can’t remember really hearing the entire record until recently, when I started listening beginning to end.
Sean: I’m the same – It’s an album I always thought I had listened to but when I visited it only the other week I realised there was so much I hadn’t heard.
Sarah: Yeah, me too. It’s funny because when we were all choosing songs to sing in the show we were like, “I’ll do this one, I’ll do that one!” then it was like, “Who’s going to do this one?” [laughs] We ended up trading songs. [laughs] It was like, “Ok, you can have that song if you sing this weird one too!” [laughs] There was a lot of negotiating going on, I can tell you.
Sean: [laughs] I can picture you all playing paper, rock, scissors or picking songs out of a hat!
Sarah: [laughs] Totally. But once you start learning them and getting your head around them, and because the melodies are so different I have to sing them over and over to get my larynx to understand how to sing it. So I’m singing them every day. I have to put my whole body into it so my whole body understands these melodies and feels them otherwise to me they are just so different to what I would normally sing – the jumps in notes are so different to what I would normally do. Once you start to understand it and it’s in your muscle memory then it becomes really fun. I mean this is going to be so cool. I was scared at first. I was thinking this was going to be a nightmare and now I just can’t wait to get going.
Sean: So, how did you come to get involved in this with You Am I?
Sarah: Andy Kent, the bass player approached me and asked if I wanted to do it. I was like, “Wow! Yeah of course I want to do it.” I’ve always wanted to do something with You Am I because we’ve talked about working together all the time and we have just never found the right project. And he said, “What about this?” He didn’t have to twist my arm you know.
Sean: Well, you have a wonderful run of shows across the country and we are blessed to see the tour end right here in Perth at the Astor Theatre. Always nice to have a little end of tour party in Perth.
Sarah: Would you believe that the very next morning I’m on the earliest flight they can get me that gets me to Sydney because the start of The Superjesus tour is that very night.
Sean: Oh wow. Out of the frying pan and into the fire! That’s a busy run for you then.
Sarah: And there is one night of The Superjesus tour, then the next day I have to go to Darwin to do a week of ’27 Club’, before flying back to rejoin The Superjesus tour again. It’s really chaotic.
Sean: I really need to see that ’27 Club’ gig. You’ve told me about it before.
Sarah: It’s so good. Thank God I’ve done it a few times now, so I’m not scared of it. Hopefully I’ll still remember everything. Just a different repertoire again. That will be three different repertoires in a week.
Sean: I’m so glad the WA dates have been announced for The Superjesus tour but we’ll save that chat for another day, if that’s ok. But before that are the Tommy dates and it all kicks off in Caloundra. My geography is not the best when it comes to the East coast [laughs].
Sarah: [laughs] Yeah, Coloundra is up on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
Sean: Then Tweed Heads before hitting your hometown of Brisbane.
Sarah: That will be great. It’s fun that we are starting up here. Normally I like to get a few under my belt but we have some good rehearsal time so I think we will smash it from gig #1. When you are working & performing with people you really respect, you work really hard to impress them, well I do anyway. Of course I want the audience to enjoy themselves but because it’s You Am I and I love them so much I just want them to be proud of me and to go, “I’m glad we chose her!” So I have this little niggling thing inside me which makes me work even harder.
Sean: Every time I get to speak to you I hear that excitement in your voice. There is that buzz of energy. I can hear you just chomping at the bit to go out there and get going.
Sarah: [laughs] You bet. You know The Who were such a crazy live band – there was no one like them at the time. They were so energetic and so dangerous. No one brought the danger back then like they did. Even now people are a lot more reserved in their performances, you know. I wonder just how dangerous we will be allowed to be and what we will be allowed to get away with [laughs]. Let’s see what happens when we start.
Sean: Will there be a truck load of fake hollow guitars ready to be destroyed? [laughs]
Sarah: [laughs] I don’t know. Maybe! Is that too theatrical? Let’s see what happens when we get there.
Sean: The first time I got to watch them live, not that I was there but I distinctly remember them playing at Live Aid. I remember being amazed watch Roger Daltry spinning that microphone and releasing it high into the air. It was mind blowing.
Sarah: I need to see that. I’ve been watching videos of them – I watched ‘Tommy’ in it’s entirety and been watching documentaries and stuff. Every time I have some spare time I’ve been watch stuff about The Who. I really want to understand them and capture what they were doing, rather than just learn the songs. A lot of people are close to the band and passionate about what they did.
Sean: Are we getting any of the other big hits squeezed into the gig?
Sarah: Yeah, we will be doing an encore part with the greatest hits too. It’s going to be great. I’ve been learning ‘Substitute’ (Sarah bursts into song) and ‘Talking bout my Generation’ [laughs]
Sean: [laughs] I don’t need to see the show now! You touched briefly on the rehearsal side of things. Have you all managed to get in the rehearsal room together yet?
Sarah: No, so far we have all been working individually. They start without me in Melbourne tomorrow and then they bring Hayley in, in Sydney I believe, next week and then I’m last. I do next weekend and then we are off. We will have two full days rehearsal. That should be heaps.
Sean: Well, we can’t wait to see you when you get to Perth. We wish you safe travels and please send our regards to the You Am I guys.
Sarah: Will do and thank you Seany. Love talking to you mate.
Sean: Thanks so much for your time as always Sarah.
Sarah: Take care baby.
