Branded a 'cult icon' for his genre-defying wrangling of the banjo, Eugene 'Doc Chad' Chadbourne has made a career of being artistically free and experimental.
The reluctance of the globally renowned musician to conform to any one label has seen the 69 year old deliver an extensive discography spanning some nearly five decades.In addition to his solo output in that time, Doc Chad has worked with the most artistically free musicians out there – like John Zorn and Henry Kaiser – and collaborated with some of the most well-known (and obscure): The Violent Femmes, Corrosion of Conformity, Butthole Surfers, and many, many more.
Now retuning to Australia to tour for the first time in 13 years, Doc Chad is set to present his unique talents for an often-pigeon-holed instrument, having flipped the narrative on not only the banjo, but artistic licence.
Doc Chad's 20-date Australian run is a chance for fans to witness how 'strange' and 'weird' can be really cool.
How was your flight from the States, and aside from the shows, what are you most looking forward to re: your Australian visit?
Ok. The flight was long but problem free, and I'm most looking forward to seeing some of the landscape in the country that I have not been able to see in the past; i.e. what would you call that 'the Outback', but maybe we shouldn't do this?!
You've been called a 'cult icon' – how does that title resonate with you?
I guess it's a compliment, but I don't really care about that sort of description. I've also been called a collaboration whore, which I think is an insult to both collaborators and whores.
This kind of thing 'cult icon', it's revealing the difficulty people have writing about music because they're always trying to do it using terms that don't have anything to do with music. I mean 'cult icon' makes you think about religious cults or something.
Most people hear 'banjo' and think American Deep South hillbilly – did you ever intend to change the course of how music from the banjo was delivered and perceived, or was it a natural flex in experimentation for you?
It's true, the banjo is associated with many less styles of music than the guitar.
Besides what you mentioned, what I experienced performing at all-ages clubs and youth centres in Germany in the '90s was that the banjo was associated with Oktoberfest music, and all it takes was me playing 'Nazi Punks F... Off' [a song by Dead Kennedys] on the banjo and that illusion was shattered.
Now in England or the UK if you have a banjo, they might think you're going to play Irish music – it's been a movement not just with me but a lot of serious banjo players to expand the type of music one plays on the banjo.
Additionally, your brand of music and style of playing has seen you dubbed 'a pioneer of the avant-garde' – would you say your musicality is a sum of your experiences, touring, recording, and of the collaborations you've had appearing and playing with other musicians of your ilk?
Well, if this was a court room someone would shout: "Asked and answered," because it's obvious it's a result of everything.
What's your secret for creating a cohesive sound between psych-punk, folk, jazz, experimental, and the many other genres you embrace in your sound?
Just doing whatever I want to and in the words of my father, 'to hell with the neighbours!'.
Your discography spans some 48 years, featuring a wealth of like-minded musicians, unlike-minded musicians, not to mention a plethora of collaborators – has there been any particular interaction or experience with an artist in the course of your career that has always stuck with you?
My years in the Jack & Jim Show with Jimmy Carl Black. His voice is always in my head. I liked it when you had a bad night, he would say: 'Well you can't be a star every night.'
You're credited with designing and creating the electric rake instrument; for the uninitiated, what sort of music does it make and what inspired you to originally make it?
It doesn't make music. It makes a lot of noise and is a prop in performance art.
Opening for you on your Australian tour are art rock outfit Esse & The Brave New Sounds, and Perth lyricist Andy Burns – what about each artist's music drew you to them, and felt would complement your style of performance?
My attitude about tours with other groups is it's irrelevant what you're asking me; I don't need to be drawn to their music or even have an opinion of it. I'm concerned with my music and they'll do their music, and I hope the audience likes it but not even that is guaranteed.
I'm not about approving people or not approving people. Touring with Turbo Negro in Norway was the only time I played with a guy who put a bottle up his ass onstage.
Eugene Chadbourne 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 13 Oct - Static Open (Melbourne)Sat 14 Oct - Merri Creek Tavern (Melbourne)
Sun 15 Oct - The Gem Bar (Melbourne)
Fri 20 Oct - Glenys Rae Space (Alice Springs)
Mon 23 Oct - The Wheatsheaf Hotel (Adelaide)
Tue 24 Oct - Gabriella Smart Residence (Aldinga)
Wed 25 Oct - The Eastern (Ballarat)
Thu 26 Oct - Red Hill Hotel (Castlemaine)
Fri 27 Oct - Trash Cult (Bendigo)
Sat 28 Oct - Drill Hall Gallery (Canberra)
Sun 29 Oct - Side B Vinyl Bar (Blue Mountains)
Wed 1 Nov - The Great Club (Sydney)
Thu 2 Nov - HalfBack Books (Sydney)
Fri 3 Nov - Season 3 Instruments (Brisbane)
Sat 4 Nov - The Cave Inn (Brisbane)
Sun 5 Nov - The Red Rattler (Sydney)
Tue 7 Nov - Bar Open (Melbourne)
Wed 8 Nov - The Toff In Town (Melbourne)
