The highly acclaimed trio The Necks have just finished a brief national tour and will soon release a new album, Chemist. Drummer Tony Buck told Peter Jordan that after nearly 20 years the group is still evolving and its members continue to enjoy improvising together.
How did the tour go?
The tour has been really good. I think we played some great pieces. I particularly enjoyed Brisbane and the second Melbourne shows.
Did you get good crowds?
The crowds were generally pretty good from memory. The second Sydney show had a few publicity problems due to confusion over a the date so it was a little quieter than the rest of the gigs.
What can you say about the type of people turn up to a Necks gig?
It seems all sorts of people come to Necks gigs. It has somehow always been like this and continues to be so.
Before this recent round of concerts how long had it been since you had played together?
We played together in September in Australia, which was unusual for us, but we had some studio work to get finished so I was out here from Berlin.
Is it easy to pick up where you all left off?
We tend to play pretty regularly, usually touring Australia in summer, and getting to Europe a couple of times a year, with one-off gigs here and there, so there really is a kind of consistency to our activities. It all feels like part of a continually growing project.
Do you still enjoy playing together? Why?
I think the band is continuing to develop and incorporate more and more approaches into our basic concept. It seems to me that we are getting into areas that a band would only really start to get into after many years of playing and trusting each other. In some ways the group hasn’t changed much at all, but in other ways it is a radically different band to The Necks of ’89. I can’t imagine us coming up with a recording like Mosquito even five years ago, for example.
Has success of the group surprised you?
I don’t really know how successful we are. I mean, we manage to continue playing, touring and releasing records, which is a blessing, I guess. People seem interested in seeing us, which is great and we are really appreciative of the people that support us, but in the scheme of things, it is a pretty humble little operation. Our recordings are available around the place but we really don’t sell many records. It seems to roll along OK, though.
There haven’t been many improv bands that could stage a gig at a venue like Sydney’s The Metro, which is better known for hosting international rock groups.
Yeah, maybe. I am sure there are a few but then I don’t know if the fact we improvise is the biggest point about us.
What else is in the pipeline for The Necks? What are your plans?
We have a new CD Chemist coming out soon. There is a TV thing we are doing next week with some people from ABC – a series on improvised music in Australia. There are a lot of live recordings we have been talking about listening to with the idea of getting some pieces worked up for release.
Are you still based in Berlin?
Yes, although I haven’t been there much in the last 18 months or so. I will be heading back there in a few weeks.
What do you like about living in Germany/Europe?
Berlin is a great city to base yourself to be involved in the European-wide music scenes. There is a very close knit community of musicians and artists that collaborate and support each other.
What sorts of projects are you involved in at the moment?
I have a number of small projects on the go – a series of duos that play in different contexts. This summer in Europe there are a number of bands doing some concerts in festivals. I have a couple of projects I have been involved with in the States, one with Ned Rothenberg and one with New Zealand guitarist David Watson and Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Renaldo.
Do you travel much?
I have been traveling pretty constantly for the last couple of years, although I have been in Sydney for the past few months. But soon it’s back to Europe and a steady flow of gigs in different countries over the next six months or so.
What are some of the European developments that interest you?
I am quite interested in how the whole minimal electronic thing is changing. People seem to be getting tired of such static, austere soundscapes, and seem to be incorporating elements of harmony and melody and a general interest in something beautiful.
Who are the people to watch?
There is a young piano player called Magda Mayas who I have been doing some playing with who is extremely talented and is sure to make a big impact when she starts to play more around the place. Axel Doener the Berlin trumpeter who was out here last year is a continuous inspiration and major figure. From the jazz perspective, a bass clarinet player, Rudi Mahal is quite amazing and I am surprised he isn’t a big world star by this stage. Toby Dalius is an amazing sax player. I think he will be here for Wangaratta this year.
Have you had a chance to hear much music while you’ve been back in Australia?
No, I haven’t heard much.
Favorite album(s) at the moment?
Ummm. Blood on the Tracks – Dylan; Shellac – Live at Action Park and a band called Glifted, who I know very little about.
