Spiderbait is touring to celebrate 20 years since your insanely good cover of Black Betty was released. What is Black Betty to you?
It is an amazing song written by Lead Belly back in the 1930s that has somehow transformed over almost 100 years into many different versions. But essentially the song is still the same. We covered the Ram Jam version from 1979. But after our version came out, we went back and researched the song and heard the original version by Lead Belly. It’s just so different. It is like when you listen to Robert Johnson’s work – there is so much power that those guys could do with just their voice and an acoustic guitar.
When our version became a hit in America, Lead Belly’s family contacted us and told us how much they liked the version, which we were so proud of.
What do you do when you can’t get to sleep?
I generally put Bob Ross on. I’m a big fan of Alec Guinness too, so I sometimes put on the BBC version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy from 1979, just to hear Alec Guinness and as much lo-fi 70s audio as I can muster – there’s so much wonderful hissy silence. Bob and Alec – that’s my own version of ASMR [autonomous sensory meridian response].
What is the best drum solo of all time?
Right at the end of the second side of Abbey Road by Ringo Starr, which is just such a cool solo. He always hated drum solos. There were so many flashy drummers back in those days and he was the opposite. He was a real song drummer like Charlie Watts or Karen Carpenter. To hear someone interpret a solo from that perspective is really fresh.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever done to love?
I’ve done this a few times: buying presents and flowers for girls who have already broken up with you. I am a total idiot. Sometimes you think they will change their minds but at that point your attractiveness is just going down further and further, until you’d be lucky to even live in the friend zone. If I fall for someone, I fall really hard. I’ve got to be cooler! I feel like a fuckwit.
What has been your most cringeworthy run-in with the celebrity?
I have a habit of saying the first thing that comes into my head. At a Big Day Out show, I remember saying something really inappropriate to one of the Bad Seeds. I can’t remember what it was or which Bad Seed it even was – I don’t think it was Nick Cave – but I remember how young and stupid I was. He looked at me as if I was a total idiot. I was as far away from being in the Bad Seeds as I had ever been. I wasn’t invited backstage.
Do you believe in extraterrestrial life?
This question basically comes down to the concept of infinity. Space is infinitely large and time is infinitely long, in both directions. So the idea of life on other planets is absolutely certain to me. But whether we are lucky enough to ever come in contact with that reality? It’s like walking through the Sahara and looking for a 10c piece.
What book, film or piece of music do you always return to and why?
Vivaldi is my man. When I went to Venice, I went to St Mark’s Cathedral, where his orchestra used to play. Anyone who has been to Venice would have been to St Mark’s – it’s such a weird mixture of medieval European and almost Turkish-looking architecture. There’s gold and mosaics everywhere. Walking into that church and listening to this incredible music coming from the heavens would have been just really angelic. I just love his music so much. It inspires me and gives me peace in equal measure.
Which movies scarred you for life as a kid?
The Omen! That really freaked me out. In high school I remember thinking that Satan was real and that I was going to meet the devil. For years I used to get in front of the mirror and see if I could find 666 on my head, just in case I was the chosen one.
What is the ideal length of men’s shorts?
It all depends what you’re doing. I live in Byron, so I spend a lot of time in board shorts with no shoes. Board shorts are treacherous when you’re trying to ride a bike because it’s easy for your knees to get stuck and you end up falling over like a complete idiot. I grew up in the Warwick Capper era of ultra-short shorts. I loved it. Shorter the better. I love shorts.
If you had to fight a famous person, who would it be, how would you fight them and who would win?
I hate fighting. I couldn’t fight anyone. Even Danny DeVito would beat me. Actually no, I have met Danny DeVito and I’d never fight him. I was in New York meeting up with a friend of mine who was a film director – Danny DeVito was in his latest film, and he was just there with a few of his mates, and I played a couple of acoustic songs for them. He is quite an amazing dude. So actually I’ll say: I’ll fight anyone but Danny DeVito.
• Spiderbait are going on the Black Betty 20th anniversary tour around Australia, 13 August – 25 October
