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 Stories of sudden fame, internal crisis and eventual redemption have been told a million times before by countless other bands, but THE LIVING END’s double bass whacking SCOTT OWEN reminds MITCH ALEXANDER that the ol’ ones are the best. Especially when it comes to Livid memories.
You’ve been in the band since 1994, reaching stratospheric heights towards the end of the millennium and traveled the country and much further more times than you dare to count. From the dinkiest little zine to the most highly-regarded music publications Australia has to offer (or Rolling Stone, at least), I’m guessing you’ve heard every possible question in the torn and frayed interviewers handbook, right? Fear not, as I bet you never counted on an arrogant young writer making a split-second comparison between The Living End and some ‘70s coked-out hair rockers…
“So, that first song on the album, [How Do We Know?] … have you guys been listening to a lot of Aerosmith?” I ask bluntly. (In my defense, I just assume everyone likes them, even if they keep it a secret.)
“Aerosmith! (anxiously long pause) Wow!” Owen responds, clearly still calculating how this interview will go.
“Yeah, just that slightly bluesy, really chunky riff,” I continue protectively.
“Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from, but I can’t say that’s what really inspired us. I’m more of a Liv Tyler fan than a Steve Tyler fan,” he concludes with a laugh.
While this may not have kicked off in the greatest fashion, it becomes obvious how important that album opener actually was for the band. Dumping it on Triple J’s doorstep for a free download only days after new album White Noise was mixed, it reminded Australia that this band could still rock the balls off of any skinny-jeaned Casio boy. Certainly a gusty move, but the renewed interest in the group after years in the wilderness (a wilderness full of car accidents, member departures and label woes) tastes better than a well-earned longneck.
“When that song came into the rehearsal studio via Chris’s hands, it kind of set the ball rolling for a direction of the album. He played those first couple of riffs that are in that song after we’d done some demos that were, in all honesty, just OK, not fantastic.
“Now he’s got this big giant octave pedal going through the guitar … when he came out with that, me and Andy were like ‘woah’!” he says with enthusiasm. “I almost fell over! It gave us the idea of fattening things up, using riffs instead of fancy chords and arrangements. And we were so excited that we thought ‘fuck it, let’s put it on the internet, you can do that these days!’”
To end the chat, proving that I actually enjoy the band’s music and am not just some Aerosmith-obsessed nutjob, I tell Scott that my first Living End memory shaped much of my first Livid experience. It was 1998, my dad sat beside me on the pavilion chairs as the trio played all the anthems from their debut and a dramatic cover of Sunday Bloody Sunday, despite Scott’s double bass being broken whilst flying into Brisbane. Dad’s reaction? “That sounds a lot like U2,” he said. Sigh. Scott’s reaction?
“Oh … yes, I remember that, very vividly,” he says in uncharacteristic deadpan. “I could hardly play it, let alone stand on it. It was so close to falling apart, it was ridiculous”
Pushing through the ridiculous parts to put on an outstanding show, one that will remain memorable until senility kicks in? Although they never really went away, The Living End are back.
THE LIVING END will tear through The Arena on Friday Sep 19, although it’s sold out. May I suggest the Southport RSL on Sep 16; the Powerhouse, Toowoomba, Sep 17; or the Caloundra RSL, Sep 18? WHITE NOISE is out now through Dew Process/Universal. For more information get onto www.thelivingend.com
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