POND Paralytic Hobos
No longer known as just a Tame Impala side project, Perth rock kings Pond are in the midst of touring the world with their extremely well-received fourth album, Beard, Wives, Denim, in tow. Ahead of their brief return home for their album launch show at The Bakery this Saturday, April 28, Nick Allbrook chats to MATTHEW HOGAN.
Nick Allbrook started winning fans on Perth stages in his teenage years as frontman of Mink Mussel Creek, and now audiences across the US and Europe are getting to know him as a wild-eyed, flamboyant frontman in his own right, in addition to being the fourth member of Tame Impala.
2012 has been a breakthrough year for Pond. After their first two records (Psychedelic Mango and Corridors Of Blissterday – both released in 2009) became something of Perth cult hits, 2010’s Frond was released to wider acclaim through Sydney indie label Hole In The Sky. But few would have predicted the roaring critical success of their newly released fourth album, Beard, Wives, Denim, out now through Modular, as the album was greeted with near-perfect scores from international tastemakers NME and Pitchfork, among others.
“Man, I couldn’t really believe it,” says Allbrook of the reviews. “You never think your own album is particularly good compared to some of the other fucking talents that get put out.”
These top-shelf reviews were perfectly timed for the band’s first international jaunt – to buzz-band mecca South By Southwest to kick off a gruelling five-week North American tour. Allbrook says the Lone Star State was the ideal place to start their tour.
“We landed in Dallas, which was rad,” he says. “That whole shit-kicking Texas attitude appreciates rock so I dunno if that’s insulting to us or to Texas, but I think they just appreciated it more than discerning musically hip places would… Actually, LA and New York actually liked it as well, so I guess that kinda blows my theory.”
Playing eight shows over the SXSW weekend, the man also known as Paisley Adams says the vibe in Austin is pretty darn strange.
“Every single gig is pretty much sponsored by some kind of clothing or electronics or musical wares company,” he says. “Most of the shows have some big backdrop or something like that. It was a bit tricky. It’s kind of the centre of the commercial world for a few weeks there. The whole thing’s weird, really.”
The Pond boys even ventured to a showcase sponsored by Guarana-infused Doritos to watch a non-hologram legend of hip hop.
“That was so strange – we went there upon hearing the rumour that Snoop Dogg was going to be playing there,” says Allbrook. “The label cronies got us in, and it was just the most messed up scene. Like, this gigantic Doritos vending machine was the stage. I don’t know, man, it was just so odd. All these dolled-up tarts carrying around various Doritos-based snacks, and I didn’t even stay ’cause Snoop Dogg was being too much of a superstar and he was 45 minutes late so I left.”
The five-piece then left Texas and headed to the east coast followed by a three-show stop in Canada. Pond are not down with Canada.
“Everyone just let their anger at not being able to get money out of ATMs just convert into this all-pervading view that Canada’s the shittest place in the world,” informs Allbrook. “But I don’t think it is; I think it’s quite nice. They’ve got crap beer, whereas all through America is the most mind-boggling micro-breweries ever. Then you get to Canada and they’re just packing peppered dishwater. But I like it enough. We had a very fun time in Montreal with all the froggies. It actually looks ridiculously European.”
They then closed out their tour with a dream run down the west coast including stops in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco, a city which Allbrook had a particular affinity with.
“You still get kids rocking up 40 years late to Haight-Ashbury looking for the beautiful people, and the dreamers, for the free spirit and free love,” says Allbrook of the birthplace of the Summer Of Love. “And instead there’s a paralytic hobo on the side of the road with neo-goth hippy friends and shit like that. It’s a pretty strange crowd. Then you get those sugar daddies walking around with tiny dogs and a toned Thai boy. I guess the stereotype still flies!”
The band closed out their tour with a dream support gig at The Echo in LA, opening for Japanese psych rock gods Acid Mothers Temple.
“That completely blew my mind, it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen,” says Allbrook. “They were fucking awesome. Then we went and visited our kooky friend Farmer Dave in Venice Beach, ’cause Jamie wanted to see some girls in bikinis on rollerblades. But we didn’t see any. We did go into his friend’s surf shop and that was pretty stereotypical – like, sitting around surfboards cracking cans. It was great.”
Pond also took the opportunity to take advantage of California’s liberal laws.
“Just before the flight back to Australia, Farmer Dave, whose line of business is, um, he’s a really respected musician and his other line of business is almonds. Yeah, he really stepped up before we got on the plane.”
This excerpt originally appeared in Issue 1315 of X-Press Magazine, published on Thursday, April 25, 2012. Share your memories of this and other classic X-Press content by joining the Rewind Facebook group. Rewind: 40 Years of X-Press Magazine by Bob Gordon is on sale now in hardcover and softcover.
