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DALLAS CRANE |
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 On this page:
*Dallas Crane interview (with Pat Bourke)
*Dallas Crane Discography (available on Whammo)
*Dallas Crane Australian Tour dates
DALLAS CRANE - THE WHAMMO INTERVIEW - JULY 8, 2004
Being subjected to the flippant desires of media certainly doesn't prepare us for good music; it creates a quick-hit mentality that distracts us from acts that may be capable of long-term contributions to rock. Case in point: Dallas Crane. Sure, The Casanovas are great fun, The Vines released one good album and Jet are a great live drawcard, but the next wave of rock is much more promising. Dallas Crane will cringe at the thought of being considered as a new act and after a long apprenticeship on the pub circuit, I don't blame them; but unless you've lived in the city and had access to their famous live sets, their recently released self-titled album will be a very pleasant surprise. Of all the new rock efforts over the last two years, Dallas Crane is the first slab of tunes that successfully creates the album mentality that led to so many classic LPs in the 70s. That mentality involves choosing a tracklisting that doesn't present itself as a list of potential singles; instead it requires some songs that are instantly likeable and - more importantly - other tunes that slowly unravel to become the true long-lasting favourites. Blues, honky-tonk and rock-infused grooves were a staple diet on Australian stages and radio in what folks still refer to as 'the hey-day' and Dallas Crane have a natural talent for those grass-roots and organic-sounding sub-genres of rock. It was a pleasure to recently chat to Pat Bourke about the important subjects of rock, alcohol and Iron Maiden; but first I had a confession to make:
Whammo: I was sitting at the Jack Awards, in your seat...
Pat: (laughs)
Whammo: ...and I was wondering if you were going to come down and kick me out.
Pat: The Jack Awards was a funny one because all we did was come out, watch You Am I, see if we'd won an award and then went back to the bar.
Whammo: That was the way everyone was. It was one of the most spectacular piss-ups for a while. I mean, Jack Daniels is a great sponsor to have if you want to get drunk. Next year it could be...
Pat: The Jack/Stoli Awards?
Whammo: I think Stoli has to be involved. Heaps of Stoli coming out of massive vats, straight into drips. But that's a tough call; opening a televised performance. I mean, I've done it myself and I always thought it was pretty intense to come out and turn on the energy hardcore...
Pat: ...for two and a half minutes.
Whammo: (yeah) Then walk off...um...and get drunk. But you guys did it so well that it convinced me to give the single another listen. Of course, now I love the album. Well done, it's great.
Pat: I was hoping we'd get a few good responses. We're just starting to get a few reviews. We've been confident about what we're doing so we haven't worried too much about reviews but it's great to get some good ones.
Whammo: But now that you've got the full slab of tunes, it's such a better representation of your repertoire.
Pat: I think so, but the fact that it's been recorded the way we wanted to record it and we had time to pull it together properly with no rushing...I'm really happy with it.
Whammo: It doesn't sound like it was recorded this year, it sounds like it was recorded 30 years ago.
Pat: It's probably 70 or 80% live and the guy who recorded it - Wayne Conolly - he's big on tone and room-mic'ing. All the gear was vintage and we spent a lot of time getting tones that are true and gnarly but not super-distorted. They're how guitars should sound; rough around the edges but real.
Whammo: I actually think it's Wayne's finest work.
Pat: Well, he's pretty proud of it, which is good. Every time we give him a copy, he fuckin' gives it away!
Whammo: (laughs) And you're going "don't give em away to people who might buy it!"
Pat: I had a chat to him at the Jack Awards and he said it's in his top 3, so that's good.
Whammo: To be honest, I first heard the single, Dirty hearts, and I was undecided but then I heard it at the Jack Awards and I remember thinking that I liked the song a lot more on the second listen; then heard it on radio and realised that it was a true 'grower'.
Pat: That's good.
Whammo: I think the album will be the same.
Pat: Well, all my favourite records are like that. You have your initial few favourites and then others pop out. I'm glad you say that because that's what we all love in a record. We've tried to give it some depth and longevity. I want it to still be a good record in ten years. I hope that happens.
Whammo: I reckon that attitude was common when bands were strong. I can still remember the music of bands being so consistent that on the date of a release, you'd go down to your local record store and grab one straight out of the box.
Pat: Exactly. That kind of thing is what I love in records. I might be aiming too high but I want - in 10 to 15 years - people to say to each other: "have you heard this record?" I get excited if someone hasn't heard a record that is my favourite: "what, you haven't heard this; here borrow my copy." That's the kind of thing that we all love and still, to each other, we swap records and say "you've got to hear this." We're still discovering great stuff so hopefully this (the album) has some longevity.
Whammo: I was surprised by the diversity on the album and the fact that the whole thing feels very natural. No offence to Jet, The Casanovas and the other rock bands around at the moment, but I feel as though their efforts have sounded a little contrived and forced. I think your album is the most naturally rock of the whole bunch. It sounded like you've decided to have the attitude: "this is Dallas Crane and this is how we are; take it or leave it".
Pat: (laughs) It's true. We've been doing our own thing for years. It's evolved and changed over time, but it's always just been what we do. Usually if someone has an idea and it sounds forced or contrived, we just say "dude, that's shit."
Whammo: (laughs)
Pat: And we all just respect each other's opinion enough to say "okay, we'll go back to the drawing board with that one." But I'm glad the record comes across like that because we had quite a few songs to chose from and good songs were left out to make a complete entity. Basically, it's not full of singles. I get really bored of listening to albums that are full of singles. i want to hear album tracks that have their job on the record.
Whammo: Well, I've been obsessed with Aussie rock since I was about 5 years old and it takes a fair bit to really impress me.
Pat: Well, it takes a bit to impress me too. Recently in an interview someone asked me what I listen to out of the stuff that's come out over the last 5 years and I struggled. There was fuck-all; nothing really came into my head. Sure, good songs come out, but a full album from start to finish that I love...I haven't heard anything for a while.
Whammo: I think the multitude of mediums don't do anything to create a prestigious aura around the album as opposed to a single or track.
Pat: yeah, I agree. It may be a bit of a lost thing; albums where people will say "that is a great record, from start to finish; not a bad moment". It's rare. Like you said, it's because of the format and the way things get hyped. Basically, you hear one or two songs and people buy the record based on that. It's a bit worrying really.
Whammo: I don't know about you but when I was a kid, I pretty much annoyed the fuck out of my local record shop. They'd constantly be saying: "get out from behind the counter"; or "you can't listen to another album here, go home".
Pat: I can still remember a bunch of us from school, wagging the last few classes to go up to the local shopping centre and wait for the record store to open, so we could get a copy of the new iron Maiden record. When it wasn't there, we were ropable. "It's coming out today - where is it?!"
Whammo: Yeah, you basically just wrote a small chapter of my life.
Pat: (laughs)
Whammo: Do you remember arguing about lyrics in the school-yard?
Pat: Oh, I loved it. I had this mate and for a few years we were obsessed with Iron Maiden. He'd make me tapes of all his favourite Bruce Dickinson tracks and I'd make him tapes of all my favourite Paul D’ianno songs. Actually, the guys from Augie March, especially Glen the singer, he loves Iron Maiden. It doesn't really show in his music.
(at this point, the operator gives us a one-minute warning)
Whammo: Oh, no...we've blown the whole interview, talking about Iron Maiden!
Pat: (laughs) You've done it again!
Whammo: I've blown another interview because of Maiden. Maybe I could do a series.
Pat: Guys from Aussie bands talking about Iron Maiden?
Whammo: That is gold.
Pat: (laughs)
Whammo: We may not have achieved much today but...
Pat: We've planted seeds. |
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 DALLAS CRANE
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Dallas Crane opened the recent Jack Awards ceremony with Dirty Hearts, their catchy current single. It represented one of the hardest tasks possible for a band; to walk onto a cold stage in front of a pensive audience and perform for the cameras; one chance at glory. It took them about 2 seconds to hit 100% intensity. It was that moment that turned me into a fan of the band and in a time of fairly lacklustre releases, Dallas Crane's self-titled LP has lifted my spirits again. This is an album that screams 'Oz Rock!' That means the riffs are edgy (Wrong Party), choruses are powered by gripping hooks (Iodine) and the band know how to infuse their licks with a honky-tonk groove (Can't Work You Out) which reminds me of my formative years, hugging a transistor radio, absorbing the music of AC/DC, Ted Mulry Gang and Billy Thorpe. In true TMG style, Dallas Crane is an act that thrives on having a broad scope, careful to write wistful ballads, blues-ridden grooves, as well as the staple diet: gritty rock that only sounds correct when heard at a filthy pub. Dallas Crane, with this album, has set a standard for the ridiculous amount of new rockers hoping to achieve success, and their advantage is blindingly obvious; they really mean it. Yep, it doesn't sound like one riff or word or beat is contrived. And thanks to this album, I just realised that almost every other new rock band is simply bulls**ting. With songs like Numb All Over (my new favourite), Dallas Crane are ready to steal the new rock mantle from current pretenders; a 'changing of the guard' that will be welcome at Whammo.
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 DALLAS CRANE
Add to basket. Normally ships within 10 days $4.95 (US $3.20) (UK £1.71)
cd
Dirty Hearts is custom-built for radio, which will allow the song to get a crucial second chance with radio audiences. That's all it takes. An older, sentimental rock sound emerges from the crusty 6 strings, driving bass and thumping drum tracks. With anthemic simplicity, Dallas Crane taps into the 60s and harnesses the essence of the era, then ties the basic elements together with one of the most distinctive voices on the circuit at the moment. It definitely requires more than one listen and after hearing it a few times, my enthusiasm for the song continues to grow. A live version of Iodine gives fans a reminder of the Dallas Crane live show, while b-sides Sold Me and Come Again provide a great insight into the forthcoming album. Both tracks display more melody than the title track; especially Come Again, which really isn't quite complete without an audience of keen fans chanting the sing-a-long lyrics.
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DALLAS CRANE : NATIONAL TOUR DATES
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* supporting You Am I
# Dallas Crane only
+ supported by The Cops and 67 Special
- supported by The Pictures and 67 Special
August
17....Manning Bar, Sydney University NSW # (day)
17....Annandale Hotel, Sydney NSW (night)
18....Imperial Hotel, Tamworth NSW #
19....Trocaderro, Gold Coast QLD +
20....The Zoo, Brisbane QLD +
21....Great Northern, Byron Bay NSW +
26....Barwon Club, Geelong VIC +
27....Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne VIC +
28....Westernport Hotel, Phillip Island VIC +
September
1......Corova Lounge, Ballarat VIC -
2......Enigma Bar, Adelaide SA -
3......Amplifier, Perth WA -
4......Three Bars, Dunsborough WA -
5......Mojo’s, Fremantle WA -
17....Uni Bar - University of Tasmania, Launceston TAS -
18....Republic Bar, Hobart TAS - |
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