If you are a fan of Aussie '90s music you would have heard of Def FX and Hellmenn.
Spiff & Fifi are Fiona Horne, (Fifi) lead singer and founding member of Def FX, and Dave Hopkins, (Spiff) founding member and lead guitarist of Hellmenn.Fiona and Dave met and dated 30 years ago when their respective bands played the stages of the first Big Day Out. Both bands played their own sold-out shows in Australia. . . and Dave and Fiona also went to natural therapies college together.
Their lives went in separate directions as Def FX took off overseas to tour and became Fiona's main focus, and Dave returned to his original home of Western Australia, married, raised a family. . . and worked as a respected naturopath continuing to play in local bands.
The extraordinary events of 2020 – a world pandemic and lockdowns – saw a lot of people online and Dave reached out to Fiona who by now was living in the Caribbean working as a commercial pilot.
In a few short weeks he convinced her to take a second chance on love and join him in Western Australia. She took a repatriation flight and did iso in a Melbourne hotel while Dave drove across the country in his Troopie (Toyota Landcruiser) to 'rescue his princess from the tower'.
They started making music together (and a few other things!) and this resulted in their musical love child, Spiff & Fifi. . . and a heavy rock band called Seawitch (whose debut album is coming this Halloween).
Dave and Fiona are bringing Spiff & Fifi to South East Queensland for the first time this week, performing cool covers from the '60s and '70s, smokin' originals, special versions of Def FX and Hellmenn songs; and no doubt they'll share a few tales of their extraordinary story.
We asked them for the scoop on a few career highlights.
Def FX
1: I will never forget being blown away by the Smashing Pumpkins when we shared the main stage with them at 1994's Big Day Out; and I was more blown away when Billy invited us to join them later that year on their Australian tour.Billy and I have remained in touch all these years. He is an incredible musician and a very nice bloke!
2: It was amazing to show up to play at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles in 1993 and see a Def FX SOLD OUT sign above the door. This was the same venue The Doors, Joplin and Hendrix sold out years before.
Hellmenn
1: The Hellmenn were lucky enough to tour with Henry Rollins/ Black Flag in his Rollins Band twice around Australia. . . and find out his favourite guitarist was Stevie Ray Vaughn! He told me it was the best gig he'd ever seen.2: Playing the Sydney tour with Urge Overkill – and jamming on an MC5 song with them onstage. The next day, I took these super cool guys from Chicago, who had never seen waves, down to the Northern Beaches and taught them how to surf. They rocked up in swimming googles and Speedos ready to take it on!
Spiff & Fifi
1: Our June 2021 debut single 'Stumblin' In' went to #1 on the Australian Country Radio Chart; and the video went high rotation on CMT! Turns out we are a rock & roll couple with country hearts!We headlined the Festival Of Busselton in our home state of WA to 5,000 people in January this year and when we played the song the whole crowd went wild!
Spiff & Fifi 2022 Tour Dates
Fri 24 Jun - Royal Hotel (Brisbane)Sat 25 Jun - Beenleigh Tavern (Brisbane)
Sun 26 Jun - Sunshine Beach Surf Club (Sunshine Coast)
Fri 1 Jul - Twin Towns Services Club (Gold Coast)
Sat 2 Jul - Twin Towns Services Club (Gold Coast)
