For those of you who have waited 13 long years for Motor Ace to get back together, guess what?
Motor Ace are totally getting back together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band first getting together. Squeal!
It was hard not to hear the iconic Aussie rockers when they released 'Five Star Laundry' in 2001. The album ruled the airwaves and the track 'Death Defy' was used as the theme song for 'The Secret Life Of Us'.
So anywhere there was a TV or radio, there was Motor Ace. Just four years and three albums later in 2005, it was all over.
Motor Ace disbanded amicably and life went on, as vocalist and guitarist Pat Robertson explains. “After [2002 album] 'Shoot This' I was pretty worn out.
"I think it was the relentless touring and probably a bit of a mid-20s, what-the-f...-am-I-doing-with-my-life funk, which is strange when you look back because it's ridiculous, I should have just been riding the wave and enjoying it,” Pat says.
“After 'Shoot This' we had a mini-break… I took a year off from doing anything then started writing the last album ['Animal']. We all agreed at the start of that record that it was going to be our last one; we kind of knew it was going to be our last one anyway.
"We felt creatively that we were still doing good stuff and it was nice to finish on a reasonably good note.”
Prior to 'Five Star Laundry', Motor Ace had experienced initial success and radio play with their self-titled EP, though Pat says it wasn't long before the reality of making a full album set in.
“I think recording our first EP in '99, we were a little bit cocky and I think we probably expected to become more successful than we were and quicker, which was just ridiculous at that time. We had absolutely no idea; 20 and full of sh.t basically,” he says.
“So even though we got some Triple J support on the first EP, I think we were surprised at how much work we actually had to do, and after that realisation and wake-up call we worked very hard at touring and building a fan base from the ground up.”
Motor Ace are a band that have truly endeared themselves to their fans, the mere mention of their return garnering excited rumblings from people for who the band's music formed a crucial part of their youth, misspent or otherwise.
“I'm a little surprised actually that people are still keen enough,” Pat muses.
“We literally disappeared and didn't keep up an active profile online either so it's very heartwarming, it's great.”
The upcoming 2019 shows will be a sweet ride down memory lane for fans as the band play through their back catalogue of hits, favourites and rarities.
As for new music, Pat says the prospect is highly unlikely at this point. “We certainly didn't put this together with that in mind, but having said that we didn't think three years ago we'd be doing anything ever again so you never know,” he says.
“The only issue for new material from Motor Ace is that it locks you in to some expectation; everybody will be judging it against previous material. I don’t like that aspect of it.”
Motor Ace 2019 Tour Dates
29 Mar - The Gov (Adelaide)30 Mar - Capitol (Perth)
5 Apr - The Factory Theatre (Sydney)
6 Apr - The Triffid (Brisbane)
12 Apr - 170 Russell (Melbourne) - sold out
14 Apr - 170 Russell (Melbourne)
