Australian singer-songwriter Josh Pyke has long been hailed for his unique blend of folk-tinged rock and imaginative storytelling. Since the release of his first single ‘Middle Of The Hill’ in 2005, the Sydney artist has sold out tours both in Australia and across the world, won two ARIAs, and released four studio albums to critical acclaim.
To celebrate the release of his latest album, The Beginning And The End Of Everything, Pyke is currently touring the country. We caught up with the musician between shows to chat about the top five gigs that made a huge impact on him as a musician.
1. Motley Crue, 1990, Sydney Entertainment Centre: Dr Feelgood Tour
“This was the first concert I ever went to and it totally blew my mind.
“Tommy was in his revolving drum cage, the crowd was filled with hair metal-heads, and I was 12 years old. It changed my life because I became addicted to the adrenaline of a live performance, whether watching or playing in my high school band. It was the first extravaganza show I’d been to, and it set the bar for all the concerts to follow.”
2. Metallica, 1993, Sydney Entertainment Centre
“This was an amazing concert. Incredibly performed, amazing production, and lights, etc. But also I was there with my four best buddies, and we head-banged so hard that one of us was diagnosed with whiplash and had to take some time off school. The concert showed me the dark side of metal, with 5,000 kids chanting “DIE, DIE, DIE”. It was amazingly powerful!”
3. Helmet/Suicidal Tendencies, 1993, Hordern Pavillion
“This was such an intense gig. Two stages were set up side by side – almost a battle of the bands. One half of the crowd were wearing the bandannas over their eyes like the dudes from Suicidals, and one half wearing flannelette shirts and skater shoes. I was one of the latter, but was a huge fan of both acts. It made me see how music can bring separate groups together.”
4. Big Day Out, 1996
“I’ve been to many BDOs, but this year in particular was amazing.
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“The whole day was mind-blowing, but the highlight was being in the front row for Rage Against The Machine, getting completely crushed by the moshing mass at my back, and watching as Zack De La Rocha cleared the three meter gap from the stage in an epic crowd dive that left me speechless.”
5. Big Day Out, 2005
“This was the first BDO I ever played at and it was on one of the small stages. ‘Middle Of The Hill’ had come out not long before, and I hadn’t really had a chance to see if there was any big impact from the radio airplay. Just before I went on, I started to notice that the crowd was starting to get pretty big. By the time I went on, it was packed. I was really surprised and amazed. It was a show where I suddenly realised that maybe I had a shot at this music thing. The same day the song made it into the Hottest 100, and it all kinda kicked off from there.”
Josh Pyke Australian Tour 2014
Tickets on sale now via www.joshpyke.com
Fri 28 Feb Twilight Series @ Melbourne Zoo | Melbourne VIC
* Children under 15yrs to be accompanied by an adult 17+
Fri 07 Mar Tanks Arts Centre | Cairns QLD (15+)
Tickets on sale now
Wed 12 Mar Live At The Quarry | Perth WA (18+)*
Tickets on sale now. *U18 can attend with a parent/guardian
Thu 13 Mar Live At The Quarry | Perth WA (18+)*
Tickets on sale now. *U18 can attend with a parent/guardian
Fri 21 Mar The Small Ballroom | Newcastle NSW (18+)
Tickets on sale now
Sat 22 Mar Zierholz @ UC | Canberra ACT (18+)
