After initial show sell-outs, a fresh batch of shows were recently added to Regurgitator’s upcoming ‘Retrotech‘ tour which begin later this month. They’ll be playing their classic albums ‘Unit‘ and ‘Tu Plang‘ back to back. Joining them will be special guests from Indonesia Senyawa and for all shows except Hobart, China’s Hedgehog. Tickets are on sale now. This week in The Hotseat we catch up with Quan. Expand this post to take a read and re-cap the tour dates if you need those.
THE BASICS
Name : Quan
Band : Regurgitator
Job In Band : Breaking strings, Singing out of key and forgetting words.
Website Address : regurgitator.net
HOME
Hometown : Melbourne
Hometown is best known for : Hipsters, Bicycles and hipsters on Bicycles
Best venue in your hometown : The Forum
Favourite show you’ve seen in your hometown : Prince and also Boredoms’ eYe with 14 drummers
Favourite show you’ve played in your hometown : So many. Usually great ones at the Hifi and Corner hotel
THE BAND
How did the band first come to exist? I still have no idea.
How long has the band been going? 18 years? What’s that sonny? (actually heading into 20th year)
Any particular story behind the name? Dictionary desperation.
What’s your most recent release? Tell us a little about it… Superhappyfuntimesfriends. Written, Recorded and mixed by us in 3 weeks but don’t let that put you off.
Got a personal stand out achievement of your band to date? The Bubble in Fed Square was wholly surreal and an outstanding moment in our odd existence I think. The Post Occupational Therapy was really expensive.
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously about playing it? When I was around 12 I found this dirty tape underneath my dad’s car seat that just had ‘My Life in the bush of Ghosts’ written on it and when I listened to it it did voodoo on me.
Any particular band / album or song that you personally credit as a major influence? ‘Waiting For My Man’ by the Velvet Underground and ’99 Problems’ by Jay Z. Call me crazy but I’ve been trying to write a song that melds the two perfectly for years.
Your first band name, and what style did you play? I think I had a high school band called The Crunge and we played GnR covers. My first ‘Real’ Band was Zooerastia. It was intense fusion metal punk music.
Most prized music related item you own? I like to say my 808 drum machine, SH101 or my Swart Space Tone Amp but that would lying in an attempt to avoid seeming dull. I actually really love my computer.
When you’re not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing? At the moment I make video clips reasonably regularly. I’m currently working on a Graphic Novel about a kid who gets caught in an industrial accident and becomes hideously disfigured. I swim a bit. Watch movies and good mini series. Occasionally I’ll fall into a porn hole…
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is… Seeing my band mates again and just hanging out with a gang. Gang mentality is really addictive you know. You get to make fun of people you normally would fuck with if you were on your own. The in jokes are great. There’s the mild sexual tension. The cock blocking/cunt blazing. The competitive physical regimes. The ego minefields. It’s a blast.
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is… Getting beat up by women who take offence at me graciously declining to sign their boobs because I don’t think my current GF would approve (won’t do that again). The mild sexual tension, the cock blocking/cunt blazing. The competitive physical regimes, ego minefields…
ON THE STAGE
When on offer, what’s your one must have item on the rider? Fresh Pineapple. And socks!
Favourite place you’ve toured… and why? Japan. The crowds are so out there and Otaku about stuff. The cities are mind blowing, the food is divine and the venues are just really interesting.
Most memorable show you’ve played? and why? Hiroshima Bay just out of Iwakuni. Trapped on a ferry with a bunch of punch drunk American GIs and their Japanese girlfriends, playing with a metal band called D.I.C.K….
Got a favourite song to play live? It changes fairly regularly but at the mo I like One Day and Born Dumb.
Any embarrassing on stage moments come to mind? I once went to jump into a small crowd in a roppongi art-club called super deluxe and somehow missed the fact that there was a large concrete strut just a foot above me. I didn’t miss it with my head.
Any pre-show rituals? I have to have a pick in my hand and one in the coin pocket of my jeans. Ben has to play Jane’s Addiction’s Mountain Song at least once on his bass during sound check. Seja has to touch her keyboards once whilst they’re set up before playing and pete has to paradiddle for about ten minutes on a tiny practice pad before going on stage.
What do you find is the hardest aspect of touring in a band today? Travelling around with lots of gear on planes became and absolute nightmare over the course of a few years a little while ago. We just ended up having to strip everything heavily back. Bands Like Ratatat get hit hard because when there’s just a couple of people with stacks of gear, excess charges demolish the your tour budget.
RIGHT NOW
Last song you listened to? Sure Thing by Miguel
Last album you acquired? Death Grips – The Money Store
Which band or album is currently on high rotation? Opossom from NZ
Tell us an up and coming band or artist you think we should go and listen to right now? Antonio Vivaldi
What’s on the cards for the next few months for the band? Retro Tour. A few festivals. Mixing lost demo tapes.
IF ONLY…
You can pick any one album for your band to cover in full, what would it be and why? Fleetwood Mac ‘Rumours’. Can you imagine how bad our three part harmonies would be?
You can pick any one band / artist to cover one of your albums in full, what would it be, and why? I’d like to hear Elliot smith do Unit, low vibe.
One band you wish you were able to see live but never had the chance? Led Zeppelin or Hendrix.
One venue you have yet to play that you would love to? The Colosseum in Rome dressed like gladiators.
The chance comes up to fill in for a member of a band for one tour, which band would it be, and why? I’d wanna be a back up singer for Sting so I could fuck up every single one of his shows.
A headline tour overseas comes up, tell us two bands you’d take along to support your band. JayZ and Beyonce, just so there’s a nice family vibe to the tour and people actually come to the shows.
PLUG TIME
Got any final words? Come watch old men play songs from your misspent youth you vaguely remember feeling really annoyed by!
