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 An excitable MARCELLO MILANI proves himself a prompt pen pal, even when on tour. The bouncy TOOTHFAERIES frontman gives JAKEB SMITH his perspective on the Australian music scene.
JAKEB SMITH: You’ve been playing since the ‘90s. How have the Brisbane and national scenes evolved over the years?
MARCELLO MILANI: Holy frijoles! I thought this was a street press interview. Sounds more like dissertation territory to me! In one word: really well (OK, two words!).
As far as the national scene goes, I would have to say that the existence of cheap airlines has made a huge difference. Back in the ‘90s you jumped in a van and drove around the country for touring. That’s a lot of time just driving. I recall driving 20 hours to Melbourne and arriving just in time for soundcheck on many occasions. The need to stay sane in that situation involved ingestion of ridiculous amounts of herbal remedies. This led to a syndrome which we Toothfaeries identified and named Van Stoner’s Psychosis. Whoopee!
These days it’s much cheaper to fly and hire or borrow gear at the other end. It’s so much easier to do interstate gigs it’s ridiculous. But you will never meet the Queen Of The Roadhouses in Jerilderie this way ... assuming she hasn’t been deposed by an angry squad of Kamouflage Kamikaze Sheep, that is.
As far as Brisbane goes, it continues to be the inspiring and vibrant world-class cultural hub it has always been.
JS: The most stable revenue stream for artists these days is touring around and playing songs (thank God), has the way the industry has gone in recent years affected Toothfaeries in any way?
MM: Well ... since we don’t tour around playing songs the way we used to, we remain largely unaffected. We’re all still broke. The more things change they more they stay the same!
JS: You’ve played a few Woodfords (which people keep telling me to attend one year). How would you rate it compared to other Australian festivals?
MM: Woodford Folk Festival is definitely one of the best festivals in this country. Maybe the very best. The spectrum of music covered is insane. You can see whatever style your heart desires. It’s this amazing town that appears for a week every year and then just vanishes until next time.
JS: How important is connecting with the audience when Toothfaeries play live?
MM: It’s the only reason we do it!
JS: With presumably one of our hottest Summers in decades on the horizon, what’s the Toothfaeries’ tip for beating the heat?
MM: Air-conditioned shopping malls. At least until you get moved on by security. Then go to a swimming hole or the beach. Then back to the air-conditioned shopping mall until security moves you on again. Then to the pub until security moves you on. Rinse and repeat ...
JS: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever done while in an altered state of consciousness?
Sucked on a Berocca tablet. Man, those things just do ... not ... stop ... FIZZING! I can’t recommend it too highly. Either that or our first gig with Tavis on drums!
TOOTHFAERIES are on tour with Loren, hitting the Great Northern Hotel on Wednesday Nov 5, Joe’s Waterhole Thursday Nov 6, The SoundLounge Friday Nov 7, and finally The Zoo on Saturday Nov 8. www.myspace.com/toothfaeries
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