Guitarist/vocalist and charismatic front-man Andy Walton has oodles of session and television experience (you might remember him leading the house band on renowned, long-running TV show The Footy Show) and the fabulous Sam Hetherington provides top-class sexy vocals and keyboards. The pair also fronted The Vipers – one of Australia’s top covers acts – before relocating to the UK in 2009.
You’re known as a cover band (not just a clever name). What’s your favourite song to get people dancing?
It sort of depends on the gig. If it’s a massive room full of antipodeans (especially Aussies) there’s nothing quite like dropping You’re The Voice and watching everyone go nuts! If it’s a smaller, more intimate gig we like to play something with a good groove that has solo sections – it makes us feel good on the inside. Like All Bran for cover musos: cleansing.
Have you ever had any disasters at gigs – or any songs that didn’t go down very well?
We’ve been doing this a while now so the song choices are pretty tight. However, we do like to start playing a bit of Careless Whisper sometimes just to watch people’s reactions. Turns out there’s a sexy sax man in all of us.
You’ve travelled all over the world to play gigs. Where’s your favourite place – and why?
It’s been a massive few years. We’ve been all over the UK – Newquay to Edinburgh, Dover to Ambleside and everywhere in between. I think if you come over to the UK you need to check out London for sure, but getting out into the country to see the rest of England, Wales and Scotland too is an absolute must. We played a venue in the Cotswolds next to a little stream and a wood and it was seriously a legit Tolkien moment. Sexy sax Tolkien. (Frodo’s on alto. Looks like a bari.)
As far as abroad gigs go, I think the most interesting and memorable show we’ve played was at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan to an audience of about 3,000. To be there under lights smashing out tunes for those guys was amazing – to be able to help them forget, just for one night, how far they were from home.
What do you miss about Australia, and how often do you get to go home?
Well, because the weather is so good here… nothing. Except for maybe parents, family, friends, the bush, distances measured in km, Vegemite being easy to find in the shop, Smiths crisps, Tim Tams, Snakes Alive, Coopers Draught, sandy beaches, barbies, Holdens, bikinis – oh yeah, and sunshine. Other than that, the UK rocks.
Because flights are so expensive we really only go home for family stuff like weddings, etc. But it is always a pleasure to hit those shores – everything just slows down a little.
You’re a couple playing and living together – does it ever get a bit fractious, or is it great to spend every waking moment with your other half?
Andy: No, never, every moment is a joyous pleasure.
Sam: He jokes, but it’s pretty amazing to be able to share all of these experiences with your other half. We’re best mates at the end of the day so it’s always a good laugh! And we also have a huge musical respect for each other so making music together is always a joy.
Andy: What she said.
Finally, what’s your favourite part of London, and why?
Camden – we love it. It’s changed even over the time we’ve been here, but still retains an edge and freedom without pretentiousness that’s just so great to be in. You’ll see a guy in a suit followed by a guy in a space suit and nobody cares – just do your thing man. The lock is just beautiful in the summer, like a Tom Waits song – gritty pretty. Gentrification in urban areas is all the rage now, but hopefully it won’t push out the people that make a place like that so vibrant. There are some great gigs there as well – we’ve played our own tunes at Proud Camden a few times.
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