Posted September 4, 2002
JUST
TO SAY GOODBYE:
RON PENO ON
DIED PRETTY'S FINAL TWIST
In 19 years, Sydney band Died Pretty have carved out a unique niche on the Australian music scene. Starting as an unpredictable pub combo with long, slow songs that had a touch of the Velvets about them, they were in contrast to the rest of the Detroit and '60s garage-fixated scene around them. Moody, almost operatic in their majestic, psychedelia-tinged work-outs, they debuted on the mighty Citadel label with a single ("Out of the Unknown" b/w "World Without") that was like nothing else around. It was the amazing "Next to Nothing" EP that really hinted at the greatness to follow. Guitarist Brett Myers played soaring counterpoint to Frank Brunetti's simplistic keyboards while singer Ron Peno - his voice a fifth instrument - sounded possessed.
Died Pretty became Citadel's most successful export, blazing a trail through Europe for a host of Australian bands to follow. Line-up changes and a string of albums followed, with Peno and Myers the constant core members. A flirtation with a major label (Sony) ensued before the band came "home" to manager John Needham's Citadel label. Died Pretty branched out into electronic music ("Using My Gills as a Roadmap" and "Everydaydream") before ultimately running out of steam. Their four-gig, three-city farewell tour starts this week.
Ron Peno remains an incandescent figure, live and on record, and he's long been a potential guest in the I-94 Bar. A former singer for Radio Birdman supports the Hellcats, back in the days of the Oxford Funhouse, he moved to Brisbane to front The 31st, one of the earliest bands in that city's early'80s underground scene. In short, he has a lot of stories to tell. THE BARMAN, assisted with some questions from JOHN McPHARLIN, caught up with Ronnie on the eve of the final Died Pretty tour (and just after he'd had dinner).
Q So what was for dinner?
I just had a piece of steak and vegetables and salad.
Q I suppose you're interviewed out by now?
Yeah. I just got back from Melbourne, all of a sudden (manager John) Needham's
going: 'Interview here, interview there'. I thought they were going to be done
by the time I came back for these shows.
Q I'll get straight into it...Died Pretty was to the stage where you were
playing one or two shows a year, but everyone seemed to be enjoying it. Why
pull the pin now?
Brett and I got together at the end of last year, start of this year, at our
home studio. We did something like 23 songs and we were going to shop around
for another album (deal) actually. Damn good songs in there too. And we just
sort of...the whole rigmarole of getting a publishing deal...would we be able
to get the money?...with each album we'd released over the last few years, sales
had been declining (laughs). 'Is any publishing company going to be interested..like,
here's $50,000 or whatever and go and do another album?'
We're only playing twice a year. We're all a little older now and have other
things that are more important in our lives. To tour and stuff like that, we're
not doing that these days. Brett said: 'Well, why not wrap it up then?' There
are songs there, about 20 or so.
Q Are we ever going to hear them?
Umm, no. Brett and I got together and said: 'Let's wrap it up. It's been 19
years and it's been fine. We've had a really good run'. I said: 'Yep, fine,
let;s just do it and make it closure for ourselves and the fans that are still
out there following us'. Make it a way of saying goodbye. Most people probably
thought we'd split up five years ago because we've played so infrequently. It's
not the case. We did have another album in the pipeline.
Then Brett said: 'What about a solo thing for you' And I entertained the idea
for about five seconds. Age being a dominant factor and, I just don't know if
anyone would be really interested. It could be there...
Q You're living in Melbourne now aren't you?
I'm relocating to Melbourne after the shows. I have a son down there who's
turning five at the end of the year. He'll be starting school next year so I
just want to be there and it's much more important to me at the moment than
anything musical. Just to be closer to him and be with him. Guide him through
as best I can.
Q I know Brett had talked about doing some sort of duo thing with you, when
you promoted the last album.
Yeah. It's down to Brett and I. people say Died Pretty is down to him and I.
When we had the home studio, the last two albums, done in our studio. Just Brett
and I and the groovebox and we'd give it to the rest of the band. We sort of
steered into the electronica territory for the last two albums.
If there was to be another album - which there's not going to be at this point
of time - I wanted to get more into the original Died Pretty sound which is
less electronic. We're sort of, been there, done that now, with varying degrees
of success. I just wanted to get back to the original Died Pretty sound.
Q The single certainly reflects that.
Do you like the single?
Q
Yeah, it's great.
I just sort of came up with the title "My Generation Landslide" and
I ripped off two of my favourite songs by two of my favourite bands, "My
Generation" by the Who and "generation Landslide" by Alice Cooper.
I just put the two of them together and thought it was very clever of me to
do that, but that's sort of worn off now (laughs)It was going to be a single,
if there was another album. I just turned it around lyrically when Brett and
I said let's pull the plug. I turned it around lyrically: "I know what
it's like to feel old/I know what it's like to be told". Let's call it
quits.
Q You know that idea of a solo album by you has been around since 1983.
You floated it in B Side magazine.
Oh yeah...I had a solo album I wanted to call "Doughboy Hollow" many
years ago. It never eventuated. I had people like Charlie Owen who was very
interested in playing on it. I'd like to keep writing and collaborating with
people, once I settle into Melbourne.
Q It's a pretty vibrant scene down there.
It's fantastic. I love Melbourne. It's my favourite city in Australia. Ever
since Died pretty went there in, what, 1985, I've always loved it. Nineteen
years later, I'm going to relocate there! The music scene seems a lot more brighter.
Q More cohesive with more venues.
Yeah, there seems to be lots and lots and lots happening down there musically.
Once I get the personal scene going - bond with my son - maybe I'll do something
musically.
Q Brett's moving to Italy, isn't he?
For a month. Something to do with university, an exchange thing. I'm not too
sure about it. That's happening in October. He was one of the five selected,
I think.
Q Italy was a happening place for Died Pretty, wasn't it?
Ha, we had major success there.
Q Was that your favourite spot for touring?
I liked France. Italy and France, yeah.
Q You hear some bizarre stories about touring in Italy. Some of the venues...
I remember in Sicily we played in a fish market...BY DAY it was a fish market.
It was a rock and roll venue when we played there at night. About 1985-86, or
'87. It was quite bizarre in Italy. I had to have bodyguards, it was amazing.
We played in an open air park, some park in the middle of Rome. Thousands of
people. It was like: 'DY-ED PRETTY! RON-NIE! ' I had to get an escort to get
through the crowd. 'Wow! Now I know what it's like to be the Beatles!'
Q I'm sure it'll be like that at The Metro in Sydney on September 21!
Oh, I don't know. I guess people are still interested. We still have fans out
there. For these shows it's just to say goodbye and thank you for so much. We
released the single "My Generation Landslide" as a gift to the fans.
We know it's not going to sell. That's a moot point. No big deal to us. It's
a a parting gift to the people, as closure. For ourselves and them, just to
say: 'You won't see us again'.
Q What sort of set are you going to tour with?
It's - ahhhh, Christ! I've been rehearsing for the last two weeks since I've
come back from Melbourne. Last Sunday was the last rehearsal before the tour.
Just doing a set list was sort of nightmarish. A lot of songs, we had like 30,
then we had to whittle it down!
We're just going to do really old stuff. We're doing nothing off the last two
albums so you won't be getting any electronica at all!
I think we're starting off with "Doused". "Stoneage Cinderella".
A track off "Free Dirt" that I haven't done since about 1987 called
"Round and Round". Just a bunch of stuff. "Ambergris", which
was great to do in rehearsals. Just old stuff, up until "Doughboy Hollow".
There's "Crawlsaway" off "Lost".
Q Will you involve any former members? There are a few...
No, it's not really necessary, It's just for us to say goodbye to the people,
as cornball as it sounds.
But, (original keyboard player) Frank Brunetti is going to be DJ'ing at the
Prince of Wales! That's a bit bizarre. Apparently Needham's lined up Frank to
DJ.
Q Speaking of collaborators, there was a rumour you were involved with The
Moops, now known as the Persian Rugs.
Yeah, yeah. Dave (Faulkner) and Brad (Shepherd) being friends of mine - and
I hang out with Dave a bit - he wanted to get some sort of combo going and I
think we were going to call it The 13th Power (but I really didn't like that
name.) Brad came up with that, a band from some old '60s show. Dave wanted us
to get up in Mexican death mask stuff on our faces and black skivvies and wigs
and stuff and it was...mmmmm....and Dave and I write some songs together and
they're coming out on the Persian Rugs album, if and when it surfaces. A few
Peno/Faulkner songs on that album, very '60s garagey stuff.
But The 13th Power never eventuated. It was another idea that flew out the
window. I just didn't get into it. I really don;t want to get up in wigs and
Mexican death mask make-up and pretend I'm in the Seeds or the 13th Floor Elevators.
Q Fair enough.
I think if I do anything next, it'll be as stately as possible. I'll go the
Nick Cave route.
Q Here's one from left field...if you had a choice of one of your songs
being covered by someone else, who would it be?
Ummm....I think a huge band so I'd get lots of money from it...U2 or REM...and
it would be...I don't know...maybe Dionne Warwick doing "Brighter Ideas".
I think she'd be brilliant because I got the idea from Burt Bacharach for that
song. I did it in my best Dionne Warwick voice.
Q The move into R & B and electronic music. How did that happen?
It was a bit like the Bee Gees doing Saturday Night Fever and discovering they
could sing in these high voices. You know, disco beat behind it. We joust brought
the groovebox along to a rehearsal and he started pulling up all these sounds
and all of a sudden I (affects high voice) STARTED SINGING LIKE THAT....it's
like: 'Ooooh I've never sung like that before'. Usually it's (gravel voice)
LIKE THAT!
It was - wow - I've got this other vocal.
Q I thought it may have been helium!
No, it was all very natural and much to the rest of the band members' dismay
when we played it to them. I think they liked it but they were like: 'Ooooh
- what's happened to your voice? It's c-h-a-n-g-e-d'!
It was just something for us to do, something different.
Q A lot of the newer stuff grew on fans though.
A lot of people liked "Everydaydream". Somebody said it was like
Died Pretty doing a Madonna album, or something! (Laughs).
Q I have to touch on lyrics and I'm not going to ask you to explain them
all -
We've got them coming out - we have a web
site - and I'm going to get involved in that after these shows and have
a Peno Page where people can ask questions. If they want to know lyrics, I have
a whole bunch of them that they've sent in and have to be corrected.
Q Do you find the fascination with your lyrics funny?
It is. It's very entertaining. When I was given a print out of the lyrics at
rehearsals the other day and I went: 'Wow, that's a very good line. That's better
than the original!' Basically, a lot of them are quite correct. There's just
a word here and there. 'It's how, not cow'. Things like that. I must sing really
weird!
Q I know Rob Younger says he likes to preserve the mystery of his lyrics.
Yeah, I'm not going to give too many lyrics away! I'll give some away. When
I first heard REM I thought, 'What the hell is he singing?' Just the enunciation
and tone of his voice, and having he vocals pulled back in the mix. These days
Stipey's vocals are well to the front and his lyrics are fairly deciperhable.
Q Supporting those guys had be a high point for the band?
Oh yeah!
Q What else stands out?
The high points? Oh, lots! Just touring overseas, playing in Italy and the
first tour of Europe was just amazing. Supporting REM. Playing with the Fleshtones
and the Smithereens. Lots of stuff. Probably REM would be up there. They continue
to be one of my all-time favourite bands. And just lovely, lovely, lovely people.
Q I know I wasn't going to ask about lyrics but I just remembered...in "Igloo"
[a 31st song, co-written with Mick Medew, later of the Screaming Tribesmen],
who were the "Shoeshine Boys"?
An old '50s doo-wop band. From Alabama! (Laughs).
Q It came up on the Divine Rites mailing list. Marko from Finland asked.
Someone asked me...this came up the other night in an interview with (journalist)
Andrew Stafford, who's writing a book on the Brisbane music scene. Lovely guy.
He asked me too: 'Like in "Igloo", who are the Shoeshine Boys?' "Igloo"
or "A Stand Alone"? "Igloo", I think. The song actually
came from me reading Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis". It was me talking
about an igloo being all white and positive, the Shoeshine Boys being negative.
The black-and-white, positive-negative thing, you know. Optimism and pessimism.
I dunno, one of those silly things I was going through when I was very young.
Q How did you end up in Brisbane anyway [where "Igloo" first surfaced]?
A friend was going to form a band. I went up there. He didn't actually like
my singing style. The other guys in the band did and said 'we'll stick with
you'. Funny how influential I can be like that! I formed The 31st. That was
about it. Met Michael Medew. We wrote our first song "Igloo" together.
Q Are you ever going to put those demos out?
What? The 31st ones? I gave them to Needham actually. He said they were really
raw sounding. He didn't say yes or no. They're the only ones I know that are
around. [Discussion continues about their origin, Ron having last heard them
in 1979 prior to them surfacing last year.] Dave Faulkner gave them to me. We
were just over at his place having a vino. He said he had a present for me and
put it on his stereo and I was 'Oh my god!' This is The 31st! Oh no!' It didn't
sound TOOO bad, not for 1979. I wasn't squeamish about it.
I was obviously still carrying the Radio Birdman thing. I was heavily fixated!
You can tell it was Radio Birdman running through there, and me trying to be
one of my heroes Rob Younger.
Q So how did you happen to become involved in the Oxford Tavern-Radio Birdman
scene?
I was just a little scatterbrain living in Gosford and answered an ad in RAM
magazine. A guitarist [Charlie Georgees] wanted to form/join a band and he name-dropped
the MC5, the Stooges and Blue Oyster Cult. I was going: 'Wow! There is somebody
else out there like me!' (Laughs)
Q How did you hear of those guys?
I first heard of the MC5 when I was watching this [Australian '70s music TV]
show called GTK and this wonderful journalist Lillian Roxon -
Q Part of the Sydney Push [group of '60s intellectuals.]
- was on GTK, she'd been living in America, and she was asked what bands really
exited her, and she said: 'The MC5'. I was like: 'The MC5, huh?' They may have
had a snippet of them. 'Oh, my god'. That was about 1970 or so. I was just living
in the country. Lillian Roxon. What an amazing person.
The NY Dolls, I just read about in "Rock Scene" magazine, which was
one of my favourites because it had lots of pictures and not too many words
(laughs)..."The Ramones go shopping...the Ramones go to rehearsal on the
subway". It was great stuff. I just read about Iggy and the Stooges in
"Circus" and "Rock Scene", "Creem".
I think someone had given my brother-in-law this album in 1973 and I thought:
'What a weird cover'...black and white...he put it on and I thought 'This is
fantastic'...it was "Tyranny and Mutation" by the Blue Oyster Cult.
So I was right into all of them right from the start. Once I answered this
ad in 1976, I came down to Five Dock [Sydney suburb] and we got the Hellcats
together. We sort of palled up, used to go into [Sydney record store] White
Light. [Psychosurgeons/Lipstick Killers guitarist and owner] Mark Taylor would
get all the latest stuff, English punk was huge then. I always thought the English
punk thing was very comical. Slaughter and the Dogs, Eater and the Sex Pistols.
I always thought that was really comical. Vaudevillian. I was more into American
stuff.
Fronting
the Hellcats in 1976.
Q If you don't mind me delving into the back pages a bit more...where do
the bands you were involved with fit in like Frozen Stiffs, Virgin Frogs and
Uncle Mils?
The Frozen Stiffs were more or less Mark Taylor's band. Before the Hellcats,
Charlie and I joined them. They wanted to do something and we were like, 'No,
let's form our own band'.
Q That's right, a precursor to the Psychosurgeons.
Yeah, like the Psychosurgeons. Virgin Frog was just something I had in the
country, I made up a band name. A very left field thing to do. I put it into
"Sounds Blasts" (music column.) My friend and I were at school in
Narribri and put it in to see if they'd print it.
Uncle Mils, when I was in Gosford. My friend Warwick Fraser - my best friend
- I first met in 1973 when I moved there from the country. [Discussion follows
about a spirited exchange involving Mr Fraser on the Yesterday's
Letters Died Pretty Mailing List in which a kneejerking Barman made
a dickhead of himself.] We were going through the glam thing together and they
were looking for a lead singer. The classic Stones line-up. I just went out
to Ettalong Memorial Hall - - glammed up - and did a few songs from "Get
Your Ya Yas Out". 'Do you guys know "Straycat Blues?", do you
know "Live With Me"?' So I was in. We did a couple of shows in Gosford
and that was it.
On
stage with Brett Myers.
Q Do you remember the first time you crossed paths with Brett Myers? He
was in The End then?
I was in The 31st. We hadn't actually played with each other. I'd seen The End.
They were playing this club in Fortitude Valley. Myself and the 31st bassplayer
Tony Robertson walked into this bar, they (The End) started doing this stuff.
Me, being a little older than Tony, thought: 'This is cool'. Tony said: 'We
can blow these guys off the stage'. I was: 'No, LISTEN, pal...this is cool'.
As I said, he was younger than me, still going through his Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers stage -
Q (Laughs)
I love Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, by the way! And after the show - I'd
had a few Bundy and Cokes by then - I said: 'You did "Wet My Bed"
by Iggy and the Stooges'. He's like: 'Wow, yeah, you knew that song! Incredible!'.
Our friendship just went from there. We ended up going to see each others' bands.
I used to go to his place. We played the NY Dolls and a band I wasn't heavily
into (though I knew "Rock and Roll Animal" and "Transformer")
which was the Velvet Underground. I just didn't know much about them. Brett
introduced me to that stuff. And Dylan. I wasn't into Dylan, apart from one
album called "Desire" and the obvious songs like "Lay Lady Lay"
and '60s Dylan.
And we both loved a band called Television. Tom Verlaine.
Q Know 'em well.
We both adored that band. We both loved NY City. 'Wouldn't it be great to go
to CBGBs'. Of course, years later we both went to NYC and played at CBGBs. A
dream come true for both of us.
Q It's a toilet, isn't it!
Oh god yes, the toilet within a toilet! It was very weird. We were told not
to go down to the toilets downstairs. 'Why? I want to do a piss!' [American
accent:] 'No, don;t go down there'. I descended those stairs and, god! I took
[drummer] Chris Welsh with me. 'Come down with me, mate'. I didn't know what
to expect! It was pretty yukky.
But just to be there. We took photos outside of CBGBs. Brett and I used to
talk about this years before.
Q I have to ask...is there anything live worth releasing?
I have some cassettes from 1995 that could be worth releasing. I don't know.
I think these farewell shows are being taped...JUST IN CASE...
Q The thought occurs, with the web site happening, it could be a good channel
to reach fans and something could be out out with minimal overheads.
Yeah, exactly. That's what it boils down to now. We're not going to sell [lots
of] records. It's been and gone. I just love writing songs. I get a little tender
about performing because I'm getting old and horrible (laughs)...'Where's my
hair going? Stop receding, damn you!' I love writing songs and I just have to
think of it that way. Like this latest single, no it's not going to sell, you
know what I mean? It's just for the people who are interested. If there's a
live thing down the track -
Q Well, whatever happens from here is a plus really.
Yeah, yeah. From here on in, of course. No, the dream of being successful is long gone. We're all a bit long in the tooth and I' still happy to have all my faculties and to be able to create songs and to write. That's what I'd love to do, to collaborate with other people.
Died Pretty's final shows are about to happen. Catch them at the Waterloo Hotel, Brisbane, on September 7, the Prince of Wales, Melbourne, on September 13, The Corner Hotel, Melbourne, on September 14 and The Metro, Sydney, on September 21. Tickets are on sale from the venues.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH BASSPLAYER ROBBIE WARREN HERE
