Interview + Here's Five: The Stripp North Island Tour

UTR interviewer Kit Walker spoke with Matt Brown from Melbourne's The Stripp on the eve of their first NZ visit. Don't miss them touring with our very own Ratso in late October, joined by Portland's outlaw country / western stars Jenny Don't & The Spurs in Wellington...

UnderTheRadar proudly presents...

The Stripp from Melbourne Australia with Ratso

Wednesday 25th October - Valhalla, Wellington with Jenny Don't & The Spurs
Thursday 26th October - Whammy Bar, Auckland
Saturday 28th October - Last Place, Hamilton

Tickets available HERE via UTR
*Wellington tickets available HERE via UTR

UTR: Tell us who is in The Stripp and what do they do? Who snores the loudest too? Do any of you own a Holden?

Matt Brown: Bek Taylor, Jason Zeke, Matt Brown and Alex Dawson. Jason and Bek are the main songwriters. Bek is the lead vocalist and plays most of the rhythm. Jason is the lead guitarist, Matt on bass and Alex is the man behind the drums. We’re all guilty loud snorers. Guess the loudest depends on who hit it the hardest that night. I think we’ve all owned a Holden at some point. They’re all most likely in an automotive graveyard now.

Have any of you been down this way before?

Bek and Matt have been to NZ before, but as a band this will be our first time.

The Australian rock (and roll!) scene seems to be a happening at the moment — you guys, Amyl, C.O.F.F.I.N, CIVIC, The Chats, The Southern Rock Band, Coloured Balls albums being re-issued — what's happening with Australiana (as I call it and I think it's great!)? Not to mention the Psychos (40 years!), The Hard Ons.

We’re definitely experiencing a resurgence of garage rock and punk. It’s really cool. Bands seem to be getting more creative with an aversion to overproduction and an emphasis on DIY. The music scene in Melbourne is great. You can pretty much see a band every night of the week.

Tell us about the Stripp's sound — definite Hellacopters feel there... not forgetting that the current line up of the Copters features own own Dolf from The Datsuns on bass... in fact I know you do a version of '(Gotta Get Some Action) Now!' — or did... are you still doing it? Did you guys ever see the Hellacopters?

Hellacopters are without a doubt a big influence. We love big hooks and playing fast. We’re in the process of writing a new album and have started being more vulnerable and experimental with our songwriting so hopefully it results in some unique tunes.

We’re still playing 'Gotta Get Some Action'. It’s a great song and so much fun to play, it’s an action rock anthem. When we toured with Supersuckers Metal Marty heard us playing it and ended up joining us on stage for that song on every show of the tour.

What do you think of the Scandinavian rock scene?

It’s revolutionary and unique and needs to be more recognised by the mainstream. That being said you don’t want the mainstream to pollute it, but that scene deserves a bigger audience.

How's the new drummer? Is he looking forward to the trip to NZ? Have you initiated him yet?

Alex is incredible. We’re stoked to have him onboard. We played interstate with him straight off the bat and we gelled instantly. He’s low maintenance and kicks arse like an old Mustang.

What Australian made amps do you recommend if any? (I mean from the '70s)

We mostly use Marshall, Orange and Victory amps so we don’t have any Aussie made amps but apparently vintage Eminar and Goldentone amps have a good rep.

Do you guys listen to much older Australian stuff? I'm on a Buffalo and Coloured Balls trip at moment. In fact I'm always on that trip — and always Slade too.

Really interesting that harder edge music thrived and still thrives in Australia whereas it's very marginal here — almost considered a novelty.

NZer Neil Finn theorised its because of our native birds... ours are melodic whilst Australian birds are screechy — and loud!

We listen to heaps of stuff both new and old. Radio Birdman and The Saints are always on high rotation. Love the Neil Finn theory. That’s gold!

What NZ bands are you aware of? OR even fans of? Do you know what a Flying Nun is?

We love The Cavemen, Datsuns and D4 of course! We see the Cavemen guys a fair bit now that 3 of them live in Melbourne.

It's great you're coming here — do you know The Easybeats never made it here and it took AC/DC until 1991 to play their first show here — and we're only 3 and a bit hours away!!!

Seems like a lot of places get neglected when it comes to touring. Sucks Bon Scott never got to play NZ.

In Wellington you are playing with Jenny Don't & The Spurs — I know they are looking forward to it after meeting you guys in Aus last year...

Yeah we’re stoked to be playing with Jenny Don’t. Kelly, their bass player stayed in contact with us after we met them and even sent us a bunch of cool stuff from the states including some Pierced Arrows and Jenny Don’t merch and vinyls. We sent him some Aussie stuff in exchange, but he spoiled us rotten so we feel we got a better deal haha!

What records are you on the hunt for?

We’re always on the hunt for ZEKE and Hellacopters records, they’re hard to come by. Even a lot of local bands' first pressings like Stiff Richards DIG would be a killer find.

BONUS: The Stripp shared a top five of Oz rockers, sans any AC/DC...

1. RADIO BIRDMAN. What more can be said about Radio Birdman that hasn’t been said before. They’re one of the best bands to come out of Australia. Their songs are not only catchy but also have a dark hypnotic feel that continues to influence bands today.

2. SKYHOOKS. They’re basically Australia’s answer to the New York Dolls. Catchy, poppy, cheeky, tongue-in-cheek rock n roll!

3. COLOURED BALLS are just great. Killer hard blues rock clearly influenced by the MC5 with psychedelic elements to boot.

4. THE SAINTS. Aussie garage punk! Simple, catchy, straight to the point!

5. SUNNYBOYS are legendary, master song writers. Jeremy Oxley has one of the greatest understated pop-rock voices that’s somehow powerful yet soothing. Pure magic!