You’re now two shows into the Boho Ball tour – how did the first two go?
They were smoke-filled, silk-draped and sensational! It’s a crazy troupe of cats in a rainbow coloured bus traveling the road and creating mayhem and art so the shows are always fun, and so far the audience have joined the party in full swing.
Other than yourselves of course, who are some of the other highlights on this national tour?
We’ve been honored to join the fabulous Mr Fibby and Mojo Juju, The Crooked Fiddle Band and Ghostboy and the Golden Virtues will be gracing stages as the Ball heads north.
I imagine you got to experience a few acts over the weekend for the first time?
Yes! And that experience has changed us, for example, since seeing The Great Zambini in Candelo we try to maim much more of our audience members. For life.
And as for yourselves, what can we expect from your show at the Boho Ball?
Well, Carlos will probably take a nap in the shower backstage. But the rest of us will be there!
Will you be changing things up from show to show?
We all wear vintage wigs during our shows, so we’ll be swapping them between ourselves throughout the gigs. One night Aviva might have a powdered judges wig, the next night she might have a miniature recreation of the Eiffel Tower.
I understand you “rehearsed in a well-known Melbourne squat” when you started out. Where do you rehearse now?
We like to rehearse anywhere we can! From Tour Director Si’s house to the front of Woolworths in Canberra we’ve rehearsed everywhere! One time we even rehearsed on the the surface of the sun. Someone died, but we replaced them!
You’re getting ready to release your new EP, Knots and Tangles – now most of us are familiar with BoT live – so how does that experience translate on record?
Our live shows are an energy exchange that can’t be replicated on record, however we have tried to create an EP that represents the bands’ passion for composition and quirk, and still makes you dance, writhe and squirm.
Can you talk a bit about capturing that essence… about the recording process?
Most of this EP was recorded in a Lithuanian club hall in Melbourne, live, with the occasional elderly gentleman wandering through to offer us slibowitz and gold watches. I think that has come through in the sound of the record.
What tracks off the EP are your favourite to play live?
All our songs are written to be played live and really take on their own shape each time we play them, so there are different favourites depending on the gig, venue or audience.
You were one of the most talked about acts at this years Byron Bay Bluesfest… can you talk a bit about that experience?
Bluesfest is one of the biggest festivals we’ve played, and I think we just wanted to make the most of our time, so we put a lot of energy into the shows and found the audience fed it straight back to us. It’s times like that we know we have the best job in the world!
While on the road, I’m sure you’ve caught a lot of amazing acts – especially at Bluesfest! Who have been some of your own musical highlights over the last couple of years?
Playing with Gogol Bordello, one of our all-time favourite bands was a huge highlight, along with Besh-o-drom and Vulgargrad, C.W. Stoneking and making body percussion patterns with Greg Sheehan to name a few.
And finally, do you guys have any sort of ritual before you get onto the stage to pump yourselves up?
We have been known to down carbohydrate shots, howl at the moon and arm wrestle just to get started.
