Iconic Aussie band of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Tamam Shud, are enjoying something of a revival. They featured heavily on Festival’s recent 2CD A Life in The Sun: Australian Surfing Film Soundtrack Music of the ‘60s & ‘70s, while their classic Evolution LP got the vinyl treatment courtesy of US label Anthology/Mexican Summer. The band that Tamam Shud grew out of, The Sunsets, also featured on A Life In The Sun and had their material collected on the vinyl only LP release on Blank called The Hot Generation Soundtrack Sessions. Of course Tamam Shud were prominent also on the much-loved Morning of the Earth soundtrack, and that one is quite regularly revisited.
Most excitingly, the band is back in action. They’ve released a new album entitled Eight Years of Moonlight, and they’re back treading the boards as well (and we don’t just mean their surf boards).
Photo from Tamam Shud's Facebook page
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We cornered famed Tamam Shud/Sunsets mainman Lindsay Bjerre with a few questions ahead of their big upcoming show at the Bridge hotel in Rozelle on Friday May 5.
ILYOS: So Lindsay, what can we expect from Tamam Shud at The Bridge Hotel in early May?
LB: Our performance at The Bridge Hotel will be the show we worked on for our recent mini tour to Byron, Brisbane etc. We open with an early Pink Floyd cover to set the ambience and get a feel for the room and sound system. Then into three ‘Morning of the Earth’ tracks, one from the new album, two maybe three from ‘Evolution’, the Sunsets ‘Hot Generation’, ‘Stay’ - our mid Nineties Triple J hit - then tracks from our last album ‘Eight Years of Moonlight’. Some unreleased tracks to make a up the finale to our set.
Tamam Shud back on stage at Byron Bay's Great Northern Hotel. Photo by Al Heeney (Courtesy of i94Bar.com)
ILYOS: I know you released a new album last year – please tell us something about that including including the circumstances surrounding its creation and how you see it fitting in with the classic Shud stuff from the early 70s.
LB: We released ‘Eight Years of Moonlight’ in January 2016. For eight years I would occasionally hire Moonlight Studios to lay down tracks that I needed to preserve for the future. Just in case someone may want to release them one day in a far off future. Nigel and I would lay down the rhythm tracks with guide vocals. When Tim was in town he would work on his parts and slowly they took shape. I think of these tracks to be more mid to late 60's than 70's. ‘The Hot Generation‘ fits right in with this album.
The Sunsets - Hot Generation
ILYOS: It’s only recently occurred to me that the leap from Sunsets tracks like ‘The Hot Generation’ to Shud tracks like ‘Evolution’ and ‘Mr Strange’ isn’t really that great. The earlier stuff holds up really well. Do the Sunsets recordings capture what that band was like live? Were you aware in the ‘80s when the Sunsets stuff was being popular amongst a new generation of ‘60s fans, and when ‘The Hot Generation’ became a bit of Garage rock anthem thanks in part to the cover by Los Angeles all girl group the Pandoras?l
LB: There has been some great covers of that track over the years. The Pandoras being a stand out. Someone who had been to a recent gig commented that they liked the new punk version of Hot Generation. I replied that our current live version is the same as the original. We – The Shud - didn't play that track live back in the day as we wanted to shake the surf band image. Then ‘Evolution’ came along and that album was our live set plus fave covers. Peter Barron actually joined the band as The Sunsets. He pushed for the name change. We were doing what was regarded as underground psychedelic music with a name that suggested surf instrumentals.
The Pandoras - Hot Generation
ILYOS: Late last year saw a fair bit of activity with the old stuff too – tracks featured on Festival’s ‘A Life in the Sun’ compilation, and a reissue of Evolution on vinyl in the US. How does it feel to be the subject of new interest; in particular interest from young and hip audiences? There was also a vinyl reissue of the Sunsets stuff a couple of years ago.
LB: We're amazed how well this music goes down with the 20 plus year olds. They're into the old and new. Vinyl is growing in popularity as well. I talk to young people when in Bali. They all have Morning of the Earth and know the band.
ILYOS: Do you listen to much if any ‘60s music now, including bands who were your contemporaries at the time?
LB: I still listen to 60's bands in the car. Early Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, then I jump to The Pixies, Sex Pistols, early You Am I and Sonic Youth. At home it's early Pink Floyd, young unknowns like LA Witch and surf band The Mermen.
ILYOS: What did you do musically following Tamam Shud’s original split?
LB: Peter and I formed Albatross, phasing out of Tamam Shud. We began as a three piece ( acoustic guitar, bass and Kim Bryant on drums ). Very relaxed after the mad road through the Shud years. Cut an album called A Breath Of Fresh Air with Warners featuring guest musicians and a string quartet. My first delve into scoring string arrangements. Best gigs a festival in NZ, Sunbury and two support concerts with Frank Zappa. Mind blowing! Then a solo stint in the late 70's and the hit song ‘She Taught Me How To Love Again’. Cut two albums in that period… Formed a surf punk group in '79 called A Portable Beach. A forerunner to our current music, then Shu-Shu in '82 with Floyd Vincent playing guitar. Darker music. One track, ‘Only For You’, recently recorded by The Shud and performed live if time permits.
Albatross - Full Moon
ILYOS: A lot of musicians of your generation, including Shud’s Tim Gaze, drifted towards blues in the ‘70s and beyond. You never went down that path?
LB: More recently, I have delved into a more blues approach with my writing. They are currently only on my iPad. Though one track Cold Trained Dog, it on our live play list toward the back end of the show and yes..Tim absolutely shreds it! Another new track, ’The Ship’, also blues based, is ripping live so we may record it soon and release it as a download.
ILYOS: You remained a surfer all your life. How do you think your music relates to surfing, as compared to other artists, whether that be the Atlantics, Tully, or Midnight Oil. Is there any new music being made that connects with surfing? How do you explore the links with surfing through your music?
LB: I'm a dead set grommet. Surf everyday if its rideable. Just bought my 16th board, most purchased in the last three years. Watch nearly every heat of the WSL world tour and still learning. The scope of music played behind surfing is very wide. Surf music really no longer exists. I even noticed the difference between that played in the broadcast from Margaret River and later at Bell's Beach. Whatever floats ya boat I guess. Our current album opens with an instrumental named ‘Outer Reef’. I wrote it after a Fantomas concert at The Enmore. It takes no prisoners. Gnarly surf would be a perfect visual to go with it. Crazy thing is, I get heaps of song ideas out in the water. Go figure.
Tamam Shud - Outer Reef (Live, 2016)
ILYOS: What is next for you and Tamam Shud?
LB: What next? So much going on and so many options to choose from. Our live audience want to hear early tracks and are taking in our new material as well. We assembled a set list but it ran 2hrs 15mins. The venues required 1hr 45! We could release another album right away and follow soon after with another. The whole thing messes with my head a bit. I think surfing is where I hide out..let the world blow over.
Tamam Shud’s new album Eight Years of Moonlight is out now. You can get it from the band’s website here
If you’re in Sydney May 6 at 7:30 PM you can catch the band live at The Bridge Hotel in Rozelle. Get your tix here.
And for more info on the Festival Records collection, A Life in The Sun: Australian Surfing Film Soundtrack Music of the ‘60s & ‘70s (which was compiled by esteemed surf historian Stephen J McParland) look here.
- DL
