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Sydney Morning Herald Interview
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Download the mp3 of this song (approx 3.4MB)
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Tripod:
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I watch a weary old man with his briefcase,
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Each year of city life a wrinkle on his tired face.
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Is this the man that I will turn into?
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Then I think of you.
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Interviewer:
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How did you meet and decide to form Tripod?
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Gatesy:
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We started this singing group, and sang our favourite songs and stuff, and then people would turn up to the gig, and they would laugh at us. So we turned the act into a comedy.
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Scod:
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Hmm.
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Yon:
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It's basically, you know, we decided to get laughed at on purpose, rather than just incidentally.
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Interviewer:
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Tell us a bit about the creative struggle that results in your songs and your shows.
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Gatesy:
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Yeah, we fight a lot - a lot of fighting, but we bring it to the stage.
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Scod:
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Yeah...
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Yon:
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Yeah...
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Gatesy:
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And people think it's all well-rehearsed, you know, banter - no, no - it's real stuff. We exorcise a lot of demons up on that stage.
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Scod:
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Oh yeah!
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Yon:
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Being on stage is what keeps us together because we can actually say the things we want to say.
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Tripod:
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(Continuing the song) We'll take the road out to the countryside, my dear,
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Where the mountains go forever and the birds are always near.
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Build a better life, we'll leave the city far behind us.
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Living where the outside world will never find us...
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Stockpiling weaponry.
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Interviewer:
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Does your humour travel well or are audiences easier for you in Melbourne?
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Gatesy:
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It certainly travels well overseas - Edinburgh (?) really like the Australian kind of comedy - self-deprecating...
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Scod:
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The larrikin sense of humour...
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Gatesy:
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The larrikin, that's what they call it.
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Yon:
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Mateship...
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Tripod:
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(Changing songs) And suddenly I woke up,
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And suddenly I woke up,
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And found out I'd done a wee in the cupboard.
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Interviewer:
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What do you hope audience members take away with them after a Tripod show?
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Yon:
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Lots of merchandise!
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Scod:
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(Changing songs) This is one about the, you know, environment.
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Scod:
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The trees are dying,
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I'd hate to be a tree in this new century.
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Tripod:
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The trees are crying,
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I'd hate to have what's done to a tree, done to me.
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Interviewer:
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Do you have a message for the people of Australia?
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Scod:
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If you're too cool to, like, let on that you like Christmas, we're the act for you. 'Cause we use irony as kind of a back door into actually feeling quite Christmassy by the end of the show.
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Gatesy:
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You don't even have to admit to yourself that you're into Christmas.
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Scod:
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That's right, no-one needs to know. We won't tell.
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Gatesy:
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'Cause we're all laughing at it - you know...
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Scod:
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"Ha ha ha, Christmas, imagine that..."
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(Meanwhile the song is continuing in the background)
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Tripod:
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The trees are crying,
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I'd hate to have what's done to a tree, done to me.
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Yon:
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'Cause they cut them down and turn them into wood.
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They rape entire forests for the corporate good.
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Scod:
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A million awful things are done to trees.
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But worst of all...
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Yon and Gatesy:
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Worst of all...
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Tripod:
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Trees get chained to hippies.
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Scod:
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Trees get chained to hippies.
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Yon and Gatesy:
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Free the trees...
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Scod:
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I'd rather have a squirrel store his nuts in me.
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Yon:
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Hmm... yeah...
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Gatesy:
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Yeah, me too.
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Scod:
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Help! I'm chained up to a hippie.
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Yon and Gatesy:
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Free the trees...
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Scod:
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Smoking weed right near me.
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Yon and Gatesy:
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Free the trees...
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Scod:
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And not offering me any.
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Yon and Gatesy:
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Free the trees...
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Scod:
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Playing bongos badly.
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Gatesy:
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Keep thinking, people!
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Scod:
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Yeah...
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