Project Description

Interview with
DAVE GLEESON
from
THE SCREAMING JETS
(May 2020)

Interviewer – Tam Schilling

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Photo – Chelle Carr Photography

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Two months ago, Coronavirus struck and ripped away a years’ worth of work for many musicians. Dave Gleeson was one of those people. Gleeso has a very passionate support network of fans out there and being the performer, he is, he just wanted to get out and show off somehow and that began the Streaming Not Screaming weekly Sunday sessions. Gleeso go to six weeks of doing the weekly streaming with Crafty before announcing he was bringing out some merch to help support his weekly streaming sessions. If you are a fan of Aussie music and you have been watching the weekly streaming sessions, if you are able to please jump over to the Screaming Jets website and pre-order some of the amazing Dave Gleeson & Crafty isowear. This line is limited edition. You have until 19th May to get your pre orders in and then this range is gone!

I sat down to have a chat with Gleeso about Streaming Not Screaming and being a musician in iso.

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First of all, thank you so much for keeping us all sane with your weekly streaming. How did your streaming not screaming idea come about?
Oh, just out of necessity, when you are a performer you need to show off. *laughs* We were just sitting around and obviously everyone that I know has all been put out of work. I was just kind of sitting there and I’m not very technology minded, and I thought that maybe there was a way that we can at least stay in people’s minds and the Streaming Not Screaming came up.

I had not heard about Crafty before your streaming sessions, I’m assuming you guys are friends around Adelaide.
Yeah, when I first moved here, I met him. He played in a cover band that I did a few shows with.

I’m assuming Crafty has gotten a bigger following since he’s been doing the Streaming not screaming with you.
He’s certainly gotten to a bigger audience around the country. He does a bit of work up in the Northern Territory. I am sure he has gotten a few more people knowing who he is, he’s a brilliant musician.

Yeah, he’s great. Does he play in a band of his own?
Yeah, he is one of those guys who constantly works. He has had a few original bands over the years, but yeah, he is Crafty the Music Man!

How do you & Crafty come up with a setlist each week and how do you guys agree on the songs?
Well firstly they have to be songs that I can play or that I’m going to be able to play because I’m not a great guitar player. We send our ideas between each other between Tuesday and Thursday and then we nut out a setlist from there.

Do you guys rehearse?
Yes, we do, that’s one of the other great things. Saturday arvo Crafty will come over and we will have a few beers and go through the songs a few times and then have a few more beers. We get ready on the Saturday night so it’s fresh in my mind for Sunday.

So, it involves a lot of beers then? *laughs*
Beers beers and more beers! *laughs*

I particularly love that you have made this into a family affair including your kids Bella & James into the weekly sessions. How are they adapting to being your personal roadies on a weekly basis?
They absolutely love it. James as you can see, he can’t be stopped. He would get up there and play the whole show if I would let him. Bella is great, it’s a bit of excitement that comes into the house. For the last four or five years I’ve probably had about ten weekends at home so it’s a bit of a novelty for them to have me around on the weekends.

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Dave Gleeson has also launched a fabulous line of #Isowear, perfect for kicking back and watching your favourite music online!  Featuring track pants, a hoodie, beanie and stubby holder, the range is strictly limited – fans should get in quickly to secure one of these covetable Iso items!  For more see HERE.

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Yeah, you are a busy man between touring with The Angels & The Screaming Jets so you must be enjoying having the stuck at home routine for a change?
Yeah, it’s unreal actually. The kids were at home from school for like six or seven weeks so that was a really good way to keep your mind off things. Since they have gone back to school there is a little more sad times sitting around thinking when is this all going to end and when are we going to be back on the road again. Anytime spent with the kids is a great time for me.

Does that mean you were home schooling them? *laughs*
Yeah, Bella was doing her classes by zoom & James was just getting work sent home from school. I wasn’t being a teacher dad or anything like that though. *Laughs* I’m no good like that.

You got to week six of your free streaming not screaming sessions before announcing there would be merch coming for everyone to show their support for you and Crafty. Since you have been doing this for free for seven weeks now, I personally have one pre ordered from the great isowear range to show my support to you guys. Do you know how the preorders are going and can we expect to see another launch of merch with “I Love Gleeso” on it as I’ve seen many fans asking for it!
*laughs*Thank you, awesome! It’s funny because I did a post yesterday with the beanie on and it’s got Dave Gleeson & Crafty on the front. I won’t be able to wear it out in public because people will think “Oh there’s Dave Gleeson playing celebrity heads”. It’s been really great; the positive response has been fantastic. There is just no money coming in for a lot of musos and it was just kind of a way that I could pay Crafty some money and pay the people who have been helping out with the production of the show, so it’s been fantastic.

I did see some people commenting about it being too expensive and I, myself got angry at that.
Yeah, it’s really hard. I know that everyone is doing it tough. I think that I had about $75000 worth of work disappear in a day. I’m not crying poor or anything like that, it certainly isn’t something I have done as a money grab. There is no other work, I can’t get any other jobs *laughs*. I’m terrible, I’m unqualified for anything other than singing. Anything that comes in will help me pay the guys helping to put the weekly stream on.

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#StreamingNotScreaming
When: SUNDAYS – 3.00pm CST Adelaide / 3.30pm EST / 1.30pm WST
How:  Facebook.com/DaveGleesonSinger

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You don’t want to be a Coles check out chick?
*laughs* I could do that. I wouldn’t mind being an uber eats driver. But I would be one of those ones sneaking a few chips out of people’s orders. *laughs*

For someone who is not very tech savvy when it comes to the internet how have you been adapting to the zoom/facetime meetings?
*laughs*
I got to tell you it took a little while and I’ve had to use my son, my wife and my daughter to set me up. I have to say band meetings use to be the bane of my existence and now they are the highlight of my week. Just to see all the boys faces and catch up has been fantastic.

Has it been difficult doing the recording over the internet?
No, it’s actually  been pretty easy. Scotty our guitarist he is very tech savvy and probably everyone else in the band except me is actually. *laughs* Then obviously Steve James, our long-time producer got on board and produced it. We were stoked with the way it came out; it sounds fantastic.

Screaming Jets were supposed to be working on a new album this year, I’m assuming that has been scrapped unless you have been working on it over zoom?
Yeah, well now that we have done Helping Hand, we have decided that we might try a few more tracks over the coming weeks and months. I guess it was kind of our recording exercise to see whether there was an option for us to record a full album like that. It’s obviously still in the works but it’s been delayed.

Have you been doing any meetings with The Angels over zoom whilst this has been going on?
No, I’ve just been keeping in touch with those guys. The Angels has a release coming out very shortly which is a couple of new original songs. It’s all going on and I just keep in touch with those guys via text. We are hoping that maybe I can get Sam & John Brewster up here for a Streaming not Screaming Angels special.

Oh, that would be awesome. You know sometimes I am at work when your weekly streaming session is happening & I opt to stand at the door to count people in and out of the shop just so I can have your streaming session going on my phone so I don’t miss it! *laughs*
Thanks so much, that’s unreal!

Screaming Jets released the rework for “Helping washed hand” recently, how hard was that to put together with you each recording your own parts separately?
It was actually pretty easy. Once everything is done to a click track that keeps everyone in time. It was very easy for me because after a Sunday session I just left all the mics set up and I just recorded it in the open, so that was a bit of fun. I think everyone kind of did it in one take, so that was pretty exceptionally.

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I did see Jimi’s son popping up and down in the video, that was quite cute.
Yeah, funnily enough and this is how self-centered or how its all about me. I watched that video four times and I didn’t even see young maxi, I was just watching me. *laughs* Then I was showing Katie and the kids and Bella said, “Oh look there’s max” and I was like “what, it is too!”.

What have you been doing in isolation other than dying your hair black?
*laughs* yeah Katie did that she decided that darker was better.

We haven’t actually seen it properly.
No, I’ll get it out this week. I live on a property so there is always plenty of work to do. I’m just watching a breeze blowing probably about 10000 leaves swirling around me at the moment, as they drop off the tree, I will have more raking and leaf blowing to do.

So, you are like a country man then?
Yeah, I moved down to my wife’s family property probably about 15 years ago now and that’s how I pass my time when I’m not doing Rocking and rolling, I help out around the property.

Can we see you recording any more country songs?
Indeed, yes! Just before all this crap happened, I was doing some stuff with Steve Balbi from Noiseworks and Mi-Sex now. Him and I have been writing together and we are just looking for a time where we can get into the studio and do some recording.

Do you have any messages for your loyal Aussie fans before we go?
Look, thank you so much for all your support and staying fans of the Jets. Fingers crossed within 12 months or so we will be able to in some way be able to tour. I think our tour that was supposed to be happening now has been postponed to February/March next year which will actually coincide with the 30th anniversary of the All for One album. You have got to find your fortune in all of this misfortune at the moment. Thanks to all the fans for tuning in weekly and supporting the jets.

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The Screaming Jets

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AMNPLIFY – DB