2003 was a big year for music. We lost Slim Dusty, Barry White, June and Johnny Cash, while 50 Cent told us it’s our birthday and the first season of Australian Idol marked the beginning of a strange new era in Australian music.
Away from da clubs and touchdowns, somewhere in Sydney – Dappled Cities were gearing up to release their first album, A Smile.
Ten years on, Dappled Cities are one of Australia’s hardest working bands. Vocalist, guitarist, and original member Dave Rennick says the band always envisioned a long career: “We’ve always been under the impression it was a long term thing.”
“We’ve never seen ourselves as one of those bands that spikes really early, which is lucky, because we didn’t,” Rennick explains with a laugh.
“Our influences are all bands that stuck around for a long time and that’s something we aim to do – be making music together when we’re truly heritage material.”
Dappled Cities will be performing a plethora of hits in Melbourne to celebrate their 10th birthday this Saturday night and Rennick is pumped: “We are very excited actually.”
“We’ve been rehearsing and digging out all of these old songs. At first it was a bit daunting but then it’s weird how the muscle memory just picks up old songs so quickly when you get excited again to play them.” “We’ve never seen ourselves as one of those bands that spikes really early, which is lucky, because we didn’t.” – Dave Rennick
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Fans of the band have been requesting songs via the group’s Facebook page. While that handy muscle memory works sometimes, Rennick says it’s not always that easy, “we were trying to play ‘Blame It On The Boys’ and we were like ‘Oh my god how HARD is this? We’re not physically going to be able to play this!’”
If you were one of the many who requested it, he’s got bad news, “if we can’t play it, we can’t – and that’s it. We’re just focusing on other songs that are a little bit more… forthcoming.”
How does a band with over a decade of songs choose their favourites for a show? One would assume it’d be like picking a favourite child.
Rennick says they’ve had fun looking back but the process also makes them want to move forward. “We look at some of the old stuff and think ‘Is that really what we did? Was I really doing that?’”
He gives another comforting laugh before adding, “you can’t really believe it with all the stuff we know now, but that’s all part of it isn’t it?”
Having continually evolved and tried new projects, Dappled Cities have made the most of their first decade together. This included a baroque restructuring of their back catalogue with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra at Sydney Festival this year, which became the catalyst for the anniversary shows, says Rennick.
“That was really exciting. It was something we really embraced and had fun doing. It was quite hard but it was also an exciting project to be part of”
With the chance to reminisce, Rennick does just that. Looking back with great fondness on the band’s stint living in New York City performing 2006’s Granddance. He explains,
“We did two pretty massive tours across the States on the back of that,” he explains. “That was the high point of our career in many ways because I feel it’s when we had the most momentum in the States. It was the most exciting time.” “We’re like The Church now – playing three hour shows with four encores.” – Dave Rennick
An unlikely side-project arose for the band when they performed 26 songs for Disney kids show Alphabreaks. The end result provided golden results and the decision wasn’t hard for the group.
“I think we’re a band that could easily slot into it because we’ve always got away with doing whatever we want and people think it’s alright,” Rennick proffers.
“It was right in the middle of making Zounds which was a big, heavy epic record so it was quite a relief to do something incredibly silly!”
If you think Pitchfork are tough critics, try performing to children; “we made friends with many of the kids but then some of the others just really turned on us. They really thought we weren’t cool and one in particular was a bit of a bully!”
Dappled Cities have never had any trouble winning over the Triple J crowd however and Rennick is very thankful, admitting the support from the station helped get them going initially.
“Definitely. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Triple J really hold the key to how much you can get played and tour in Australia. We’ve been very fortunate from the beginning and they’ve been very supportive.”
Rennick concedes that in ten years of live shows, not all of them were glamorous. “The bit that’s getting tiring now is sitting at an airport and you think ‘I’m too old… and sleepy. Someone just wheel me to the next venue please?’”
He is certain, however, that the performance side hasn’t lost its charms. “Quite honestly – getting on stage and playing is just as exciting as it ever was.”
Fans will know their shows are always jam-packed with energy, charisma, and fun and as they prepare for the anniversary parties, Rennick picks out some of the standout live moments – with a few that came straight to mind. “Once I pierced my face on stage with my guitar and there was blood everywhere – it was wild!”
“Another gig we did in Arizona, we played in a male strip club. We didn’t realise we were the headline act for this battle of the bands… at a male strip club,” Rennick deadpans. “Another gig we did in Arizona… We didn’t realise we were the headline act for this battle of the bands… at a male strip club.” – Dave Rennick
“That was so dodgy and the weirdest thing we’ve ever done – it was rammed full of people and the PA fell over mid set and literally almost killed Tim [Derricourt, guitarist]. Any show that’s a little bit off the wall and unpredictable – they’re the memorable ones.”
While taking time to reminisce and reward long term fans their anniversary gigs, Dappled Cities do have new music in the works, we just won’t hear it this week.
“I have bad news, it’s all old stuff – a serious walk down memory lane. Every single hit,” Rennick says of the shows. That would seem quite impossible in terms of time limits but Rennick is an ideas man; “we’re like The Church now – playing three hour shows with four encores.”
Rennick has some golden tip nuggets for young bands looking to endure: “My advice is just to not take yourself too seriously. Have as much fun as possible and play as many gigs as you can possibly play; meet many people and have a good time.”
A couple of shows are enough to satisfy Dappled Cities’ nostalgia. Next on the agenda is some fresh music, “we have a new album we’ve just started writing in the works and we’ve all got a bunch of side projects we’re individually working on,” Rennick reveals.
“We just have to keep active you know – just write another album.”
That they must, and perhaps in another 10 years we will meet again and reminisce.
“I think the second ten years could be a little bit more subdued than the first ten but that’s the way life goes, isn’t it?”
Dappled Cities play their 10th Anniversary show at Melbourne’s Ding Dong Lounge tomorrow, Saturday 27th April, with support from Collarbones and Donny Benet. Tickets available through OzTix or better yet, win a double pass on Tone Deaf, details here.
