From: Rhonda Corcoran
To: seance Subject: Old Kilbey Interview
Date: Monday, 13 March 1995 8:35PM
To: seance@thechurch.EBay.Sun.COM
The following interview is from a little zine called From Ears and Mouth. I don't think it's around anymore. I happened to pick it up from someone in Goldmine. Anyway, if anyone on this list is anyway connected with that publication, please don't sue and anyway shame on you for not typing it in before me. Without further ado ( or permission), here's an interesting look at the Kilbster:
Transcription by Michelle Andre
Introduction by Gin Populus
Intro: As intricate as the flower-plumage of the bird of paradise lost so were this man's goals, ideals, morals, emotions, irritations, philosophies, priorities, contradictions, fascinations, hallucinations...a segment of his secret self swirling into a tidal wave too magnificent to contain in one afternoon's conversation. And so, like a child with a kite struggling with an overpowering wind, I let go. Not unlike the Bible's three wise men, we found ourselves following a sign in the sky, only in our case it wasn't a star but a marquee. Not unlike the three wise men, we had reached our travel's end after a long, hot and tiresome journey, only in our case it wasn't to Nazareth but to Montreal. Not unlike the three wise men, we wee full of anticipation for we had come to meet a man/child who would enlighten us through words and thoughts, only in our case he wasn't Jesus Christ but Steve Kilbey. Not unlike the three wise men, our gathering took place in a shadowland, still and serene with one voice speaking at a time, only in our case the meeting wasn't in a stable but in a Hotel room. Unlike the three wise men, we carried no Gold, no Myrrh, no Frankincense, and more than wise I'd call ourselves lucky. What follows are Steve Kilbey's reflections generated by a specific day's behavior, his mood and thought patterns directly affected by June 14th's characteristics which, so far, consisted mainly of humidity, hunger and exhaustion....
(Right, whatever. Here's the article--RC)
Steve begins.....
"Want to know about the old lady I kicked when I was helping her cross the road...the cats I used to strangle?"
Did you tatoo "I kill cats" on your arms?
SK: No, I tatooed "I kill arms" on cats!
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
SK: My parents told me I wanted to be a lawyer. My father didn't because he didn't mind what I did but my mother told me I wanted to be a lawyer, but I always wanted to be a musician. Ever since I was old enough to know that one day I'd eventually have to earn a living, say 9 or 10, I became aware that I wanted to be a musician.
Where does the inspiration come from?
SK: Inspiration by its very definition means that you are unable to trace the source, I would have thought. It's a bit like saying 'what does something invisible look like?' Do you know what I mean? If it's inspiration, you don't know where it comes from.
How do you feel when you're on stage and people shout out requests?
SK: I feel disappointed that we don't have a flexible enough arrangement so we can play requests, i would be nice if someone yelled out for a song and we could play it.
Like "Sisters."
SK: Like "Sisters," yeah! I love to play "Sisters," but it would be pretty disruptive if you just did that, the show wouldn't have any real focus because it would be kind of like random songs here and there, and they mightn't fit together, y'know? The reason we do the same songs is because we have a road crew, the lights, the sound, the echoes, and the things are all set up. If we start putting things in wherever we like, then they won't be ready for it, and Marty changes guitars all the time. So it's standard for that reason. But also, we're not calculating on the same people coming to see us every night so it doesn't really matter.
Does it ever become boring?
SK: Sometimes it does, yeah. I'm bored with about 1/2 the songs in the set. I don't really like playing them.
At the Paradise in Boston, you came out and played the first song, and the crowd went crazy, and the first thing you said was "Where were you all the last time we played here?"
SK: Yeah, well the last time were were there, there was only about 200 people in the club and suddenly they've all turned up.
Why do think that is?
SK: Because we've had sort of a hit record I suppose.
Do you think it's more the video or the record? Do you think video does much for music?
SK: Video probably attracts people along. I don't think THAT particular video magnetized people out of their homes because it's nothing different. It's just people standing around playing guitars.
There's two versions of Under the Milky Way, one with all these people walking around....
SK: Yeah, that all got out of the second one, but none of that was anything to do with me because I don't like videos, it's just something I have to do and I do them. See the thing with me is, I'm trying to de-emphasize myself and emphasize the music. I don't want to be a character. I don't want to be a performer. I don't want to be a multi-media personality. And I don't want to sort of see myself on TV and I don't want to do all those things, I just want to create music. I think videos and all of that creates this thing where the emphasis is on YOU rather than on the MUSIC you're making, and I think that's wrong.
Would you be content in being in a band that only recorded, not played out live? Maybe doing soundtracks?
SK: Yeah, in fact I'm eventually going to become that: just a faceless person that no one ever sees because I'm not very comfortable being...see, all I ever wanted to do was be a musician. I slowly find myself being unwillingly thrust into doing all these other things I don't want to do, I won't go on MTV and I won't do TV interviews, I'm slowly cutting down so I won't be doing any interviews eventually. I don't want to meet people, I just want to do my thing.
Is that backstage thing after the shows getting to be a drag?
SK: That really left a bad taste in my mouth the other night when someone stole my jacket. There are a lot of people taking it too far and it's like this...see, I can understand if someone comes up and says: 'Look I really like your record, can you sign it for me?', that's cool, but then you get people who are sort of just being strange about it, like saying 'I can't believe I'm in the same room as you!' I hate that! I can't believe people are so stupid that they elevate someone to this ridiculous position just because they play guitar or write songs. It's just all out of proportions and I don't like it.
Well there are limits, people can respect and admire you but it's a human thing.
SK: Yeah, well I don't want people to respect and admire me...just sort of like the music I make.
But that's part of why we respect and admire you.
SK: Yeah, see that's the problem, you have got to differentiate the two. You can be an absolute bastard and make good music, and you can be a lovable character and make rotten music.
Let's say we respect your ability then.
SK: Ok, well that's fair enough, but I just hate all this...I hated the other night in New Haven, it was just like people were being really stupid about the whole thing.
After the show you mean?
SK: Yeah, everyone! Like you do someone a favor and they just want more, and more, and more, and they don't even know what they want! So I'm getting out of the whole...this side of it, I'm just going to play, if I have to tour, and I'm going to make records, and I'm not doing any of the other stuff.
But you're forced into that at this point.
SK: I am forced into it, yeah. I was down in Atlanta and there was another group signed to Arista, who may or may not be a good group, I don't know. They could be a wonderful group, but I was kind of coerced into having my picture taken with them. I said 'Look, I don't want to have my picture taken with them, it means I'm condoning their music and I don't know what it's like. It might be horrible.' Eventually it was like, "C'mon..."
So you're forced into this PR stuff.
SK: Well, it's not sort of forced, it's not like they've got their hand behind my neck saying, "Do it!" It's just that they're using sort of emotional blackmail to do it.
Such as...
SK: Well, they'll sort of say, "We've worked hard for you, you work hard for us?", kind of thing.
So, are you going to continue your writing?
SK: Of course! Of course I am!
Some people have a philosophy on life, like do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you were to prescribe a philosophy what would it be?
SK: Do unto others FIRST before they get a chance to do it to you!
But don't you believe in 'what goes around, comes around'?
SK: Sure! I know it does. Whatever you do comes back to you eventually. I know that from the good things I've done and the bad things I've done, they all come back!
But you would still say 'stick it to them before they stick it to you'?
SK: Eh? No, I wouldn't say that. I don't have a philosophy. One day I would say that and the next day I wouldn't say anything. I wish I had a philosophy I could stick to all the time.
I was going to ask you, how do you keep from taking yourself too seriously...but you don't...and you do...
SK: See, some people believe their own publicity, I don't. I don't believe my own publicity because I created it and I don't believe it. (huh?) And deep down inside myself, well not even deep down, I'm just an ordinary aging Australian who happens to play bass guitar and happened to get lucky eventually after a long time of trying.
Do you consider it luck or persistence?
SK: Well, you know, one man's persistence is another man's luck. I know people who are as talented, that sit in their garage in Sydney plugged into a little amplifier dreaming of the big time. I was lucky enough that I just kind of kept stumbling along and kept going, and they didn't.
But you did a lot for a long time, you worked hard.
SK: Yeah, but it was for my own selfish ends that I was doing it. I mean I wasn't doing it for the greater glory of Rock music. I was doing it for the money and the fame and the rest that goes with it.
And all the things you don't want, now that you have them...
SK: Well, that's the whole thing, isn't it? You have to get them to find out you didn't want them.
So now what are you going to do with them?
SK: Well, I do want' the money....I do want the money actually!
We pay by the hour for interviews!
SK: (laughs) I wish!!
No, we've thrown dollar bills onstage.
SK: Yeah I wonder who's getting to keep them all? I kept one yeah, which got stolen! My lucky dollar bill! And I imagine the roadies picked up the other dollars you threw the other nite and bought themselves hamburgers with it!
______________________________________ Time for a break. I'll type the rest in tomorrow. Rhonda