Anyone who got along to an early Grinspoon gig will know the gritty joy of moshing with a fine selection of your filthiest peers.
If you never experienced this pure and sweaty bliss, or are keen to relive it, your chance has arrived. The Grinners will be spending a large chunk of 2017 celebrating the 20th anniversary of their first album, 'Guide To Better Living', with a massive Aussie tour.
The lads keep in touch with their fans through social media and knew there was a lot of Grinspoon love out there, but have been overwhelmed by just how much. More than a third of their shows sold out within weeks of being announced and they’ve had to scramble to add new dates, so people don’t miss out.
Lead guitarist, Pat Davern is both happy and humbled. “A lot of people have been asking for this for a long time. It’s amazing how well it’s been received by all our fans. We’re absolutely thrilled.”
You can’t underestimate the power of the music you loved as a kid. Musical tastes evolve, but there’s no denying the smash of tingles that rise from your belly to your cheeks when you hear the tunes you thrashed to growing up. For the band, that feeling is magnified.
“Our music is like our baby, and 'Guide To Better Living' was our first baby. So it’s always going to have a special place in our hearts.”
Pat is perhaps more nostalgic about the music he loved as a youngster. “The '90s was a great time for music festivals. I’d love to revisit the age before the internet and social media. People got their music in different ways and there were so many more festivals. It was a great time in Australian music.”
While Pat would happily cut a rift in the space-time continuum to dunk himself back in the middle of a '90s mosh pit, he would skip the dingy hotels they used to stay in.
“I’m glad we don’t have to do that anymore. It wasn’t glamorous. We were pretty much shit-kickers. It wasn’t until way later on that we actually got a bit of comfort on tour. I’m glad we get to do round two of 'Guide To Better Living' without the squalid conditions we had the first time."
The lads have definitely aged well with a lot of consideration going into the construction of the new tour. “We realised if we want the consistency of the shows to be good, we need to have breaks in there. So we’re doing three or four shows a week max and there are some bigger breaks in there. We want it to be the best it can possibly be, every night, for every audience.”
While the mammoth tour they’ve plotted is their current focus, Pat hinted there is the possibility of a new Grinspoon album in the future. But no guarantees.
“I’ve got a studio in Byron Bay and I’ve invited Phil to come up and do some writing. If anything comes of it, who knows. It could be something, it could be nothing. The great thing is, there’s no pressure on it like there used to be. It can just be what it is or not happen at all.”
Grinners also headline Shakafest at Miami Tavern (Gold Coast) 19 August.
