…keyboard-wielding Sydney siblings CLAYTON and LACHLAN DOLEY, who together make soul-funkers THE HANDS.

How hard is it being related and constantly touring together? Do you ever want to Chinese Burn the other in frustration?

Lachlan: As far as brothers go, we’re certainly no Liam and Noel Gallagher. We manage to work as well off stage as we do on stage.

Clayton: We don't get in each other’s way much, but if we do we take the frustration out on our instruments.

You have played as tour musicians with some interesting acts – Powderfinger, The Divinyls – what has been your best/funniest experience on the road on a ‘big’ tour?

Lachlan: Well during the Across The Great Divide tour with Powderfinger and Silverchair, we were flying out of Cairns and heading for Darwin. As I went through security I got stopped for a random swipe test on myself, and my carry on luggage. Would you believe it? Somehow it turned up traces of TNT. Therefore they had to haul my luggage off the plane to check there were no explosives inside, strip search me and go through all my stuff in which there were some embarrassing items which will remain nameless. All the time, the whole Across The Great Divide bands and crew are waiting not so patiently in the plane. Half an hour later, after the all clear, I was escorted onto the plane. Walked in the cabin to a huge cheer and somewhere in my silly head I thought it would be funny to shout out ‘Yay, I’m a terrorist’. That was not a funny thing to do at all…

How does being a session player compare to your own shows?

Clayton: Nothing comes close to the feeling of playing your own songs with your own band to an appreciative audience. I feel very lucky that big artists ask me to go on big tours but my passion is The Hands and The Hands always come first.

Lachlan: It’s a completely different thing. Playing with major acts in huge venues is an incredible buzz, but it still doesn’t compare to playing your own material, in your own show to an adoring crowd. You could never get tired of that!

THE HANDS launch their album EVERYTHING’S WONDERFUL at The Step Inn on Thursday Sep 4.

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