You Am I have just completed a lap of the country on the back of their highly anticipated tenth studio album Porridge and Hotsauce. Chatting about the past couple of months, lead guitarist Davey Lane is full of enthusiasm as if he has just left the stage from slaying down a monster set of tunes.
“We were really happy that we could get out and tour around the country. We are in a really privileged position at the moment, we can go on tour and we do have a loyal bunch of fans out there that will buy the records and come to the shows,” he says.
“Being a solo artist, I know how hard it can be and how expensive it can be to play gigs. The reaction has been great and we had a massive sense of creative gratification from playing new stuff.”
One of the coolest things about the new record from one of Australia’s most enduring rock bands (after mentioning to Lane that You Am I is to music as the Big Banana is to tourism attractions) is the offerings of merchandise that is available right now from the online store via their website. For the extravagant price of $275 you are able to get your hands on actual You Am I Hotsauce.
“As a hotsauce aficionado, I am pretty bloody happy about it,” he laughs.
“I have quite a few bottles of it in my pantry as I nicked some off the merch table on the last night of the tour. There are a couple of different varieties on offer, and they are bloody good. I haven’t tried it with porridge yet but I think that’s a feat that I will leave to Rogers.”
Although not officially in You Am I since it’s conception in 1989, Lane has been distantly involved with the group for many years before being asked to join in the early 00s.
Influenced by the likes of Pete Townshend and Brian May during his teenage years, for a bit of fun on the school holidays Lane transcribed all of the guitar parts to #4 Record. “I was looking for something to do on the holidays and because I was a fucking nerd who had no friends, I took to figuring out the album from start to finish. It was a pretty natural progression to joining the group from there.”
As part of Australian culture, over their career You Am I have had the opportunity to play shows with The Rolling Stones, The Who and Oasis. These gigs, as you would imagine, are childhood dreams come true and although Lane wasn’t present at the Oasis support slot, he has met the Gallagher brothers several times since. “They come out to our shows in London quite regularly and are just great guys, despite what the rest of the media say, they are great guys.”
Into 2016, You Am I are set to play at the Ballarat Festival in January and Lane cannot wait to get up on stage and share the bill with them. After informing Lane that Dave Larkin from Dallas Crane said Porridge and Hotsauce was one of the best records of 2015, Lane finishes our chat with these words. “It’s gonna be great to share the stage with Dallas Crane. If you like good ol’ ballsy Australian rock ‘n’ roll you can’t do much wrong with coming and checking out this show.”
With a new solo release planned for 2016, this isn’t the last we’ve heard from one of Australia’s true rock gods.
Written by Tex Miller
When & Where: Ballarat Beer Festival, City Oval Ballarat – January 16