Electric Six are heading back to Australia in August and September for seven shows. After their sold out run of shows the band are back to give us the bands Greatest Hits Tour. We caught up with frontman and founder Dick Valentine to discuss the bands career, song writing and life post Covid. This tour like every other visit to Australia will have you wowed by their killer back catalogue and if you ever needed to have fun this is one tour not to miss.
Andrew : Good morning. How are you? And welcome to The Rockpit.
Dick : Good evening.
Andrew : Oh, evening in your part of world, sorry (laughs)
Dick : I got you. I know how the world works.
Andrew : Well, thank you for taking time out of your evening to chat to us here at The Rockpit. Obviously, we’re here to chat about the Greatest Hits tour that hits Australia this August. What a career you guys have had it. I think it’s been 21 years since I first heard you guys.
Dick : I can guess which year that was.
Andrew : I got taken by Surprise way back when I saw the clip for ‘Gay Bar’ on one of our late-night music TV shows Rage and I just thought, who the hell are these guys? This is fun, this band is great. Is fun the essence and what has kept Electric Six fresh all these years?
Dick : I mean that’s always been my approach. I always just wanted to have the band be an escape for myself and escape for anyone coming to see the show. Detroit was a very, very supportive scene for local bands and local musicians, so we kind of honed our craft for about five, six years as a local band. The fact that people came to shows was good because we never gave up. It was enough to be playing in Detroit to a hundred, 200 people every other weekend, and that allowed us to become a good band and learn how to do it. But yeah, to your point, I mean, I’ve always just approached it. I want this to be fun. I don’t want it to be overthought. That’s what rock and roll is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be a little juvenile, a little stupid, and we try to be a little cerebral underneath as well. But the main thing is we want to be a band that you want to come drink 5, 6, 7 beers and enjoy yourself.
Andrew : The band just wrapped up a UK leg of the world tour. How were those shows?
Dick : That’s right; those shows were absolutely amazing. It was a great summer tour, every show, but one was sold out and we also did a festival in Holland, which was a whole lot of fun. So it was a great, great summer run.
Andrew : The band first got its major attention in Europe?
Dick : Absolutely. Yeah, we’ve never really broken the states. I mean, we can tour the states from here, but we never got the push on radio and video like we did in Australia and the UK and the rest of Europe.
Andrew : Given that, I mean there are so many influences in your music that’s such a diverse melting pot, and there is that obvious Detroit guitar sound that you guys have in your rock stuff. I hear lots of little nods of the head to guys like Alice Cooper and MC5 and that sort of stuff that came out. Were those homegrown bands the more formative bands for you musically? Or was it more external to the local scene, what and who inspired you to want to become a musician/performer?
Dick : No, not for me at all, but we’ve had some really competent guitar players and the first line-up of the band, I mean, they were students of Kiss and Black Sabbath, and through the years we’ve had some really, really great guitar players who know what they’re doing and have listened to those bands. For myself, I was always more into new wavy stuff when I was eight years old, my favourite band was Duran Duran, and then I moved on to eventually The Pixies and Talking Heads and things like that. So those were probably my biggest rock and roll influences.
Andrew : It’s funny you mentioned that Duran Duran influence, they were another one of the bands for me, I guess as a young kid, I kind of grew up my gateway musical drugs were Kiss and then Duran Duran in the early eighties. It’s funny how you sort of mentioned these different influences and even the players that you’ve had in the band that was schooled on that sort of stuff. I get that vibe from the band and the fact that you guys are able to deliver an album with so many twists and turns stylistically is a true compliment to you. I was playing just a Spotify playlist of you guys to my partner the other day. Is this all the same band? Absolutely. And she said, man, this is cool. It is like she really dug it. She some stuff more than others, but for a first-time listener, she got it. I said, well, wait till you really dive deep into lyrics and the jest and the way that these guys create. It’ll open up a whole new world for you. And I think that’s something that I rediscovered too, in going back to putting that playlist on is just how solid you guys have been this whole time.
Dick : Yeah, we have 15 studio albums. I actually listened to “Fire” the first time in a while yesterday and it just dawned on me; I don’t approach making music like that at all anymore. It’s a very simple record, and I think our later releases, there’s a lot more bells and whistles going on. To your point, we don’t really have one sound. We have a few country songs. We have the one album that’s primarily synthesizers and drum machines, and when we make an album, we just write the songs that we’ve written at the time and don’t really think about if there’s a theme or anything that connects them, so when you get an Electric six album, it is a music buffet.
Andrew : The album that proceeded “Turquoise” the band’s latest record was a covers album, “Streets Of Gold” which has some amazing covers on it. I love the fact that you throw a tip of the hat to INXS.
Dick : I love them too. I absolutely loved covering ‘Don’t Change’. I have the same birthday as Michael Hutchence. When I was eight years old, nine years old, they came and opened up for a Men at work in Detroit and everyone was picking about at work. They had the big radio singles, but I was like, there’s this band opening up. You got to check ’em out. They’re up and coming. I felt that when you’re eight, nine years old or whatever, you feel like you’re dialled in and it was cool. I was a fan of theirs up until the end. The covers album, that was just something we did during Covid because we didn’t have anything else to do (laughs).
Andrew : “Turquoise” itself is an amazing record and I think would you agree in saying that it’s probably the band’s most mature record to date?
Dick : One of ’em. I mean, I think “How Dare You”, which was three albums ago is also quite a mature record. I really like that album a lot, I’m proud of all our releases. I think we’ve more or less gotten better. I think once we got to the millennial mid-teens around 2014, 2015, 2016, I began to realise maybe we were touring too hard and often and we were putting out way too much content. I needed a break at that point. The good thing about Covid was it forced me to take a break, it forced us to take a break because I don’t want to say I completely burnt out, but around “Bride Of The Devil” I was like, I need a break and this virus comes along and makes the decision for me. I think with time to reset after Covid, I think that’s why you got a really polished record in “Turquoise”.
Andrew : It’s funny what you sort of say there about covid, and in a lot of the interviews that I have been doing a lot of artists that are touring Australia over the next couple of months have all sort of been saying, well, covid was a blessing because we didn’t realize how burnt out we were, how hard we pushed ourselves on the road.
Dick : Exactly. The other part of the blessing is post covid with our shows, there’s been so much demand. We’ve had more sold out shows in the UK and Australia obviously, and even in the States post covid, the crowds are there. So, I think, like I said, I know it affected a lot of people in a very, very negative way, but for Electric six, it was kind of just what we needed.
Andrew : Just touching back to the recently finished UK tour, will this run of Australian shows mirror that set list?
Dick : Yeah, it’ll be similar. I mean in that we got to do all the hits off “Fire”. We’re doing a lot of stuff off “Turquoise”, but we’re always in the market to mix it up and maybe do a song we hadn’t done in a long time. So yeah, I mean it’s going to be very similar. Our drummer, Dr. Jay, had to sit out the UK tour, so he’s going to be back for Australia, and I know that there’s a lot of songs he wants to do. So yeah, it’ll be, I would say 80% similar to something you were seeing in the UK and we’ll try to mix it up as best we can.
Andrew : There was the inclusion of a cover in the UK tour, which the minute I read you guys were putting it in the set. I just thought, damn, what a perfect song for you guys. It’s just like, will you be playing that out here and can I reveal what it is?
Dick : Oh yeah, ‘Murder On The Dance Floor’, I mean, that was a big hit when around the time ‘Danger High Voltage’ was released. When we were doing all the UK press and stuff, Sophie Ellis Bextor was doing the same thing. That song had a big resurgence last year, this year, and it just dawned on me that we should probably do it because it’s trending right now and it’s kind of perfect for us. So yeah, I thought we did a great, great version of it. Who knows, maybe we’ll do a choice of song when we’re in Australia. I don’t know. We always like to have fun covers and play to the crowds where we’re at. I mean, it certainly went over big in the UK. I mean, if there’s a more British song than that of modern times, I’d love to hear it.
Andrew : Absolutely. It’s just one of those tracks. So how many times is it now that you’ve been to Australia? I was trying to figure it out, and I think my numbers are right with three previous visits.
Dick : This will be number four for the band. It’ll be number five for me because I did a solo acoustic tour just before Covid. In January, 2020, I was over there with an acoustic guitar and it was great. And if you recall January, 2020, everyone was like, oh, you’re going to burn in those fires in Australia. You’re going to go over there; you’re going to die in a fire. The whole place is on fire. And that was the beginning of the tour, and then when I left, it was just like I had forgotten about the fires and now everybody’s getting this virus.
Andrew : Your fondest memory of Australia to date?
Dick : Oh, I mean, that’s a loaded question. I think I love going there. I mean, what I enjoy doing, my favourite memory of it is pretty much when you’re sitting at LAX or SFO and the door shuts on the plane and okay, I’m on this thing for 15 hours. There’s always that moment, you’re always sitting there, I can get off this thing and save myself a lot of time, but then the door shuts and like, okay, I’m on this airplane for 15 hours and somehow it gets you there. It’s crazy. I mean, it’s such a long flight, but then next thing you know, you’re in Australia. I’ve always loved touring there. It just, for an American, it’s a lot like America, the cities grid systems feel familiar, but it feels exotic. I feel like I’m doing something with my life traveling that far away. I really like it.
Andrew : And as far as checking out new music, are there any new Australian artists of the last sort, I guess four or five years that have caught your attention?
Dick : I can’t say there has been. I mean, well, Bluey caught my attention because I have two kids, so it’s very much Bluey. I have two girls, so I feel targeted. But yes, that’s the other thing is when you have kids and I’m just not really seeking out music as much as I should. That said, Australian legend Gotye, he’s at the end of my block. I see him walking around all the time. So yeah, he lives in Brooklyn.
Andrew : Oh, wow. That’s cool.
Dick : Yeah, there’s always Gotye sightings, and I’ve never talked to him, but I’m just almost like being John Malkovich. You see him walking out of the grocery store with a baguette and stuff, and it’s like there’s Gotye doing some shopping. So that’s kind of neat.
Andrew : You mentioned the long flight that it takes to get to Australia, and I guess that takes a bit of mental preparation too, to do.
Dick : I mean, you just sit there, you realize you’re trapped on this thing for a long time, but they give you movies, they give you wine, they give you food, you have to sleep. I mean, you will sleep at some point, but it’s a long flight. I’ve said that pretty much every Australian city is San Diego, California, which I love. I love San Diego, but whenever I feel like I’m in Perth or Melbourne, I feel like this looks like San Diego. it’s a long way to fly to go to San Diego (laughs).
Andrew : The energy that you guys get back from an audience, how crucial is that for you guys?
Dick : It’s big. I mean, we’re getting up there and I mean, a few of us are in our early fifties, forties, we feel like your drunk uncle’s on stage. We don’t move around as much as we used to. But when you see the crowd moving and we keep getting older and the crowd stays the same or even gets younger, it is, it’s vital because I can just stand there and check out and people are, sometimes it feels like it’s going to be one of those, you’ve seen those Israeli or Lebanese wedding videos where the floor just caves in and everyone, that’s how it feels in our crowd. Sometimes I feel like the floors just going to give way. It’s good because I don’t have to move or expend any energy, and that’s what I’m looking for later in life.
Andrew : The band has gone through quite a few line-up changes throughout the years. What do you think is the biggest challenge in maintaining a solid line-up? Or is that something that’s good for you as it keeps things fresh and new when new players join?
Dick : Yeah, I mean, people have left during our 21 years. It’s a six man band. Some of the earlier departures weren’t so amicable, but in the last decade or so, if somebody leaves the band, it’s always on good terms. It’s always like, I’ve done this seven, eight years, I want to do something else. I can’t do anything but wish those guys luck. You can’t ask for more than that. The good thing about Electric Six is we’re not doing prog rock, we’re not doing anything complicated. These are verse chorus, verse chorus, simple songs. When you have talented musicians, they can handle it. We’ve been really fortunate to have some amazing drummers. John Nash has been in the band for 21 years. He’s a great guitar player, great producer, and Chris Tate, same thing. They both recorded albums for us. Detroit is filled with musicians, that’s for sure. So anytime there’s an opening, it’s never been hard to fill it.
Andrew : I guess when it comes to the way that you write, are you essentially the sole writer for electric six?
Dick : Sole writer of lyrics, for sure; then music, it’s by committee. Sometimes there’s straight collabs. Sometimes, for instance, if you’re looking at, on the new album, a song, ‘Take Me To The Sugar’, which is the first song on “Turquoise”. Chris Tate wrote the music for that, and I just put the lyrics on top. It just depends on how it comes together. We get together and fuse ideas or somebody musically, it’s just one person’s idea, but we all write, and it’s one of the reasons why we’ve had so many records is when you’re a six person band and everyone can write music and write songs, each person only needs to write two songs a year, and that’s kind of how we did it. The albums would be like pastiches of everyone’s songs, and that’s what makes an Electric Six record.
Andrew : I guess that comes down to style as well, and what a certain member is feeling or vibing or whatever.
Dick : If you wanted me to rattle off my top 20 electric six songs, I bet 14 of them were written by somebody other than me. It’s like, of course I like a couple of my songs, but off the top of my head, most of my favourite songs were written by Nash or Tate. So yeah, we work really well together.
Andrew : You have sold out one show in Melbourne already at The Croxton Bandroom with a second that’s been announced for the Sunday, which is amazing to see. For anybody that’s been living under a rock and may not have heard of Electric Six, why should they come and buy a ticket to come and see you guys?
Dick : I think that we are a very, very competent rock and roll band with catchy songs, but I think people identify with us because we do look like your uncle, and we are not aspiring to be cool in any way. She would never have, so they see regular looking, average run of the mill, random people up on stage making really, really heavy sounds. I think a lot of bands you go; you want to look and see something bigger and better than yourself. When you see Electric Six, it is a mirror right at you. You are seeing yourself, and sometimes people identify with that. They don’t want to think that the band they’re seeing knows more than they do. We certainly know less than you do and that’s why everybody likes us. We don’t, don’t intimidate anybody.
Andrew : The quick-witted humour that I get from Electric Six lyrics is that you as a personality, is that who you are? Are you one of these sharp, quick-witted people in real life that perhaps to is seedier undertone on the world?
Dick : The great thing about achieving your goal and doing what you wanted to do with your life and having, we’re not the biggest band, but I feel like I’ve had success, is that I’ve completely lost. When I was in my twenties and teens, I was annoying. I was an attention seeker. I was always trying to be the funny guy. When you get to the point where you’ve had as much attention as we’ve had for, I’m not like that anymore. So that’s a plus, I’ve had enough attention for one person’s life. I’m less funny than I used to be because I think the funny guys is just looking for attention. I’m looking for, and if you’re the funny guy, I’m not saying you’re a bad person. I’m just saying that is something I’ve worked through in my life and now I’m a very serious man. A very serious man.
Andrew : Yeah?
Dick : Incredibly serious.
Andrew : I can tell that. I find what you do is extremely clever, I love diving into lyrics and discovering the ways lyrics tell a story. Intellectual humour I love as well.
Dick : Yeah, it was in 2003, we were playing in Redding in the UK and Suggs, the singer from Madness was at the show and he came backstage and he entries, hello, hello, I am Suggs. I just want to say that there’s something to be said for being vaguely intellectual. And that was the best compliment I’ve ever been paid. So I was like, this guy gets it. So (laughs)
Andrew : Well, yeah, that’s vaguely intellectual, it’s a bit backhanded, but it’s still an amazing compliment.
Dick : Yeah, it was great. To this day, I’ve never, never been paid a better compliment than that.
Andrew : You mentioned earlier that that Australia has probably taken to the band a little bit better than the States did, why do you think you broke here earlier than America?
Dick : It comes down to radio play. We were on Triple J, the equivalent in the States, which is clear channel and all that, they didn’t touch us with a ten foot pole. If you’re on major radio, you’re going to have bigger crowds. It’s as simple as that.
Andrew : It’s just interesting that there are those two parallels and that while you say you’re moderately successful in the states, which is still nothing to be sneezed at.
Those early Electric Six albums were filled with fun, controversy, parody and a ton of tongue in cheek. It is a strange thing when you see a lot of bands that perhaps try a little too hard down those lines without the intelligence fail miserably. Sure, there are bands that have made a career out of pushing the envelope like Steel Panther. They had two good records and the rest has been rinse and repeat for me. Even from a live show point of view, they’ve lost something over the years. They were great for a moment in time. I think what you guys do is so much more honest and so much more engaging. The constant evolution has been engaging and refreshing.
Dick : They’re a little more over the top than us. That’s the thing. We never set out to be that. Ironically, our first album was the most hedonistic thing we did. I think people thought that that’s what we were going to be, and then we come out with “Switzerland” two albums later and it’s just like, what happened to my disco band? It was like, well, we were always this band too. You have to start somewhere. But I hear what you’re saying. Yeah. We’ve never tried to be too bombastic or too over the top. We are definitely everything in moderation, for sure.
Andrew : To wrap things up just wondering if I can ask you a couple of quick answer questions.
Dick : Sure thing.
Andrew : CD or vinyl?
Dick : CD
Andrew : CD?.
Dick : They are smaller and they take up less space.
Andrew : Cool, I get that.
Dick : You can throw them (laughs)
Andrew : Well, yeah, this is true (laughs) Five songs that changed your life.
Dick : Oh my goodness. Let’s go with fucking hell, man (laughs). Five songs that changed my life. Well, I’ll go with ‘Save A Prayer’ by Duran Duran, just because of the video, it showed me that you could be in a rock band and ride an elephant. When I saw that video, I was like, I can be in a band and ride an elephant. That’s a game changer right there that, let’s see. ‘Roxanne’ by the Police, I didn’t know it was about a prostitute when I was younger. Then when I found that out, I was like, wow, that changed my life.
Let’s see I don’t think I can do five. There’s so many songs. I feel like I just walked into the movie where the guy walks in the library and absorbs all the knowledge in the library and he freaks out. That’s why I feel I’m trying, I’m buffering right now trying to think of every fucking song I’ve ever, we got to come back to this one. This one’s driving me nuts. So those are the two songs that changed my life. The one you can ride an elephant, and then songs about prostitutes.
Andrew : Unfortunately were running out of time and I do thank you so much for your time.
Dick : I have one more Australian to talk to. I’ve done so many of these. It’s great to, it’s great that there’s that much interest and it’s cool, it’s flattering. Thank you for including me.
Andrew : Absolutely. I’m really looking forward to the Melbourne show and seeing you guys live finally as I haven’t had the opportunity yet. Congratulations on “Turquoise” as well. It’s an amazing record.
Dick : Thank you, thanks for the chat.
Andrew : Travel safe, and we look forward to seeing you in a little over a month.
Dick : Take care. Bye.
ELECTRIC SIX August / September 2024 Australian Tour Dates
Thursday 22nd August – BRISBANE, The Triffid
Friday 23rd August – SYDNEY, Metro Theatre
Saturday 24th August – MELBOURNE, Croxton Bandroom
Sunday 25th August – MELBOURNE, Croxton Bandroom
Friday 30th August – ADELAIDE, The Gov
Saturday 31st August – PERTH, Rosemount Hotel
Sunday 1st September – PERTH, Freo.Social
Tickets:
Presale: Friday 1st March, 9am Local Time
General Public: Monday 4th March, 9am Local Time
From: https://metropolistouring.com/tours/electric-six-2024/
