One of Australia's most enduring punk bands, The Meanies are about to set out on a massive Australian tour to celebrate 30 years of playing together.
The band is coming together from all over the world to celebrate their 30th anniversary, and the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough album, '10% Weird', as well as a number of other milestones.
After being apart for so long, Meanies bassist Wally is keen to get out there and stretch his legs with the band once again.
“I would have liked for it to be twice as long to tell you the truth, but that would've probably killed poor Linky. So it's probably best we don't do that because his wife would be a bit pissed off with me.
“It's going to be good fun, I really miss it. When The Meanies were really going hell for leather in that first six or seven years of our existence we were doing lots and lots of shows, travelling a lot and I f...ing loved it. And that's one thing I miss when we toned it down a bit, kind of became a hobby instead of a lifestyle.”
The success of 1994's '10% Weird' saw the band playing alongside international acts like Nirvana and Beastie Boys. Yet, what amazed Wally the most wasn't the people he was playing with but the people he was playing for.
“The thing that surprised me the most about doing international tours is, because it was before the days of the internet, so there was no social media to spread stuff around, you'd be playing a remote town in Spain thinking 'how the f... do these people know who the f... we are?’.
"Yet the venue would be packed and people would be going nuts, going crazy. But otherwise the fans overseas are the same as over here, they're all f...ed up and drunk.”
The Meanies have been a source of inspiration for a number of Australian bands, most notably Frenzal Rhomb. Yet Wally doesn't see it as a point of pride for the band.
“They got a band together to play music based on their love of that record, which is a very nice thing to hear. But if I was to walk around thinking I've inspired a bunch of people, I'd be a complete and total wanker.”
Along for the ride on this tour are a long list of support acts, ranging from fresh talent to veteran acts the band has a relationship with; the one thing that unites them all is The Meanies' respect for them.
“We've got Glitoris, an all-girl band from Canberra, playing with us on a couple of shows; got our good-old mates Tumbleweed joining forces with us for four gigs; old mates from Brissie, Budd, who are personal favourites of ours and Tumbleweed's actually.”
As if the offer of seeing such an enduring act doing what they do best alongside a carefully curated line-up of supports wasn't enough to motivate you, Wally has a call to arms to get people to the shows. “Come on, get off your arse and come to the show, 'cause who knows when it'll happen again.
“Because with two band members living overseas it becomes increasingly difficult to arrange tours. Not because it's hard to fly places, but the older Link gets the less likely he's gonna want to get off the couch.”
The Meanies 2019 Tour Dates
Tue 5 Nov - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)Fri 8 Nov - Theatre Royal (Castlemaine)
Sat 9 Nov - River Rocks (Geelong)
Sun 10 Nov - River Rocks Rehab (Geelong)
Fri 15 Nov - Caringbah Inn Hotel (Sydney)
Sat 16 Nov - Paddo RSL (Sydney)
Fri 22 Nov - Jive (Adelaide)
Sat 23 Nov - Rosemount Hotel (Perth)
Sun 24 Nov - Indian Ocean Hotel (Perth)
Fri 29 Nov - Kingscliff Hotel (Kingscliff, NSW)
Sat 30 Nov - The Valley Drive-In (Brisbane)
