FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Listen to a New Dan Melchior Track From His Australian and New Zealand Tour Cassette

The UK singer/songwriter and guitarist is a master of idiosyncratic and adventurous music.

Images: Emily Bobb

Dan Melchior is a uniquely creative individual and one of the greatest living songwriters. The Londoner’s artistic output includes writing, painting, and photography but it’s his vast body of music, that has been released on labels such as Siltbreeze, In the Red and Castleface, that is most impressive.

From his involvement in the early 90s UK Medway scene that included collaborations with Billy Childish and Holly Golightly, to his bands the Broke Revue and Dan Melchior und Das Menace, to his more experimental work, Melchior (who now lives in the US) continues to push an idiosyncratic envelope that includes garage, pop, blues, Krautrock and punk.

Advertisement

Next month he will bringing his unique talent to New Zealand and Australia for a series of musical performances and the odd art exhibition. He has shared "Difficult Man", a track from the tour cassette Australia's Big Things.

Originally to be released on the the Broke Revue's most recent album Lords of the Manor, Dan says that it ended up getting replaced. “But listening back, it's probably better than the track it was replaced by," he jokes.

Take a listen and read a short interview.

Noisey: How was your recent UK Christmas visit?
Dan Melchior: It was good. I would probably move back if I could afford it! What was your childhood like? What were you listening to in your teen years?
It was fine, quite unremarkable I think. I was listening to a lot of hip-hop in my teen years, that was the main focus of my musical interest. I was pretty fanatical about it.

You are from Shepperton, which was also the home of JG Ballard. Have you read much of his stuff?
No, I haven't read any of it to be honest. I like the idea of it, but it's not really my type of thing. I'm more of a non-fiction reader really. He used to live a few houses down from an old girlfriend of mine. She told me he had a car crashed in his front room. Do you keep up with current UK music? You’ve said that you are not a fan of garage rock.
I don't really, no. I don't really keep up with music other than the type of stuff I like, which is quite hard to define anyway. I did like a Weeknd song I kept hearing over there. No, I don't really like garage rock at all, but then I suppose it depends what you call garage rock. Some people think that's what I play! I don't enjoy people dressing up in antique clothes and playing antique music, but some of the other people who get lumped in with the whole thing make great records. You have moved a bit. To New York, then North Carolina and now Akron. Do you find your music is influenced much by your location?
I think it is, but I also think it's part of a general progression that takes in influence, life events, etc. I think I often do what I'm doing artistically as a form of escape - so in that way it is very influenced by where I am. I really loved living in North Carolina, and it was a very productive time for me but I'm probably doing even more now, as I have more space, and I don't get out as much. You come across as a true musician. Playing for the love of the music and the song. You don’t seem to play the game even by garage/punk standards. Are you able to make a living from music?
I am able to just about scrape a living out of music, art and selling old records. I am flattered that you see me as a true musician. I do love recording and making art. I am not anywhere near as keen on playing shows, or getting on planes to play them, but I do like it once I get going.

You have collaborated with some great musicians. Is there any from Australia who you would be interested in working with?
I really enjoy the music that has come out on the Alberts Basement and Breakdance the Dawn labels. It's quite varied, but most of the records have all the elements that I love. I would really like to work with some of those people. It is fairly hard to get all the releases over here, but the things I have heard have been some of my favorite 'rock' (in its loosest definition) records that I've heard over the last eight years or so. You will be playing with Richard and Leon from the Oooga Boogas on your Australian trip. How easy is to usually set up a set with new people?
It's usually very easy, as I don't have any set idea about what's going to happen. In fact I am actually very happy if something very different from the recording comes out of it, as I can't imagine anything much duller than replicating the same version of a song night after night. All these things are ephemeral anyway, and as long as you communicate some sort of excitement and enthusiasm (which is easier to do when you're flying by the seat of your pants anyway) I think the audience will get something from it. Obviously if you're in U2 that approach probably won't go down so well. I never really go to gigs that involve someone trying to sounds exactly like their recordings.

Dan Melchior Australian and New Zealand Tour
Feb 11 – Dunedin at Chicks
Feb 12 – Auckland at Wine Cellar
Feb 13 – Wellington at Moon
Feb 17 – Melbourne at Old Bar (+ art exhibition)
Feb 18 – Canberra at the Phoenix
Feb 19 – Sydney at Marrickville Bowls Club
Feb 20 – Brisbane at Trainspotters
Feb 21 – Brisbane at Bearded Lady
Feb 24 – Hobart at the Brisbane Hotel
Feb 25 – Geelong at Black Hatt
Feb 26 – Melbourne at the Tote
Feb 27 – Adelaide at the Metro
Feb 28 – Melbourne at the Curtin