Steve Balbi has lived a remarkable life, a tale of incredible highs and rare lows, a rock ‘n’ roll reality with all the trappings that come with being a familiar face from one of Australia’s biggest bands of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. It’s a tale of excess. Of reinvention. Of surviving, and thriving. Now doing his own thing, Balbi has created something beautiful, with a hint of darkness in his solo album Black Rainbow has an overarching sense of optimism. It’s a sincere set of works. What could lie at the end of Balbi’s dark rainbow? Black gold, perhaps…
We caught up with Steve to chat about eating on the road, his favourite Aussie venue to eat at and cooking chocolate crackles for Baby Animals when he tours with them during October.
What were your food influences when you were growing up and what kind of food did you eat at home or with your family?
I ate pasta, pasta and pasta… good Maltese peasant food, with the odd rabbit thrown in from time to time.
Where’s your favourite music venue to eat in Australia and why?
I don’t normally mix my business but the best music venue with the best food would have to be any Lizottes venue.
How healthy was your diet in the studio throughout the recording of your new album ‘Black Rainbow’?
I would wake up at 6am in the morning and go for a walk then make myself, my wife and the kids some toasted muesli and fruit platter or eggs poached with mushrooms and tomatoes on sourdough, some freshly squeezed orange juice and a perfect cup of coffee to top it off. For lunch I would normally have a fresh salad or a selection of imported cheese, or something light. For dinner I would have Japanese.
None of the above is true apart from the perfect coffee. I would normally forget to eat while I’m recording, I just can’t stop.
What type of food do you make sure to avoid before a gig or going on stage?
I try not to eat after 4pm the day of a gig if I eat anything at all it will be a banana; I like bananas.
Imagine for a second you can request anything on your rider, what food do you put on it?
Hmm! Before the show some bananas and chocolate …and Japanese for after the show with a French style really, really bad for you chocolate moose desert – should tuck me in nicely.
What has been your biggest cooking disaster to date?
You presume I can cook? Well, I have trouble making anything that’s not boiling pasta. Sorry to disappoint you, even If I could cook I don’t have the time and my biggest recent food disaster was not ordering enough Naan bread.
When you tour overseas, what food from home do you miss the most?
I don’t miss food from home really, I have always loved eating in my way through Europe but if I had to miss something for the point of this exercise, I would say the ravioli from the Maltese café on king street Newtown, it’s as good as it gets, unless I’m in Malta, then I don’t miss anything.
What’s the most adventurous meal you’ve ever eaten?
A sandwich that my daughter made me when she was 4 years old. Ingredients? *Two slices of bread [ Wholemeal ] *A tablespoon of Dijon mustard * Indian curry powder * Some olives * Some black stuff * Some red stuff * Pineapple * something brown ? [ maybe ham ]
What are your favourite tour van munchies and why?
That changes over time, but it’s hard to go past a packet of beef jerky and a pineapple donut.
You’re heading out on the road with Baby Animals soon, if you could cook them a meal what would you cook them?
Chocolate crackles! There is a true story that goes way back to do with the chocolate crackle thing but you will have to ask Dave Leslie [from Baby Animals] because I cant remember, then again you better ask Suz [de Marchi, singer] because I doubt Dave will remember either, all I can tell you is we did chocolate crackles and beer I would think.
Black Rainbow is out now through Social Family Records. Listen to the album sampler here:
