Project Description
Interview with
MICK PEALING
from STARS
by Vicky Hebbs
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Stars are the iconic 1970’s Australian Country Rock band best know for hits the Mighty Rock, Look After Yourself and Last of The River Boats.
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How did you first get into music? Where did it all begin? How different was live music in the pre computer, no social media era?
I first got in to music at a young age in Adelaide, my father would play his Jazz records while my mother would listen to local radio stations, not at the same time of course. My father’s music would influence me later on, in particular singers like Tony Bennet, Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme. The local radio in the 60’S thru the 70’s was incredibly eclectic, you would hear all styles at any time so that obviously shaped a boys imagination and taste.
Live Music in the 70’s and 80’s was pretty much what everyone was into , so live venues where virtually in every second pub all across the country, which led to working up to 6, sometimes 7 nights a week without doing the same venue twice in a month.
We would have regular meetings with our manager/agent and pick up work sheets for the next 2-3 weeks, all advertising for these gigs would be street posters, radio, local news and music papers. Sometimes advertising by skywriting wouldn’t be out of the question.
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What made you decide to reunite now after almost 40 years? Have you been itching to write or performing live most?
After guitarist Mal Eastick and I were inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame a few years back we decided it would be a nice idea to get the band back together, all the members from the first album Paradise were still active in Music and I suggested Nick Charles as a great replacement for Andy Durant. Nick had been writing for his own solo albums for a number of years and sparked something inside me to start writing and after a relatively short time we found we had enough songs for our new album. I get a kick out of performing live but also finishing a new song is a great feeling.
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You released a new album, “Boundary Rider” in March this year. Can you share the origins or inspiration for the album?
The first song we wrote for “Boundary Rider” could be sub titled “The Ballad Of Stars”, the rest came easily after finishing that one, it’s more or less a continuation of the sound of 70’s Stars. The song ‘Boundary Rider’ was an unfinished Andy Durant song which Mal took and completed sometime ago and included on one of his solo albums, we thought it would be a nice bridge from 70’s Stars to now and a great title for the new album.
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What was it like to be making a new album after so many years?
It was only going to work of course if everything clicked and fortunately it did. After a series of live shows the band was cooking and ready to hit the studio with our new songs.
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Are there any songs you feel especially proud of or know people will deeply connect with?
I’m proud of all the songs Nick and I wrote together and hopefully people who know our music from the 70’s will feel that we have succeeded in bringing the sound of Stars back to life without dropping the ball.
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If someone had never listened to Stars before, what song of yours would you recommend to them if they could only listen to one?
Probably ‘Look After Yourself’.
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The video for track, ‘Time Stands Still’ is really beautiful, filled with images of Stars throughout the years.
Yes, thank you, I put that together, some wonderful memories to go with a song about Stars.
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STARS
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You’ll be touring the album this November. What are you most excited for about going on tour?
Getting back to some venues we have done before and a couple of new ones, and of course treading the boards with the boys in the band.
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What is your favourite thing about being on tour? Least favourite thing?
My favourite thing is performing, the least favourite is hanging around waiting to perform.
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In your opinion, how has the Australian country scene changed over the past 40 years? Any suggestions of new country artists you’ve been listening to?
The country scene in Australia has probably been brought to a larger audience by artists like Kasey Chambers who can operate just as well in country music festivals as they do at rock shows. I believe it’s called Alt Country. New country artists – Bennet , Bowtell & Urquhart and Mustered Courage.
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Who are your country music inspirations?
My inspirations in country music are Johnny Cash, Flying Burritos, Guy Clark, Gene Clark, Poco, the list could go on …..
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If you could pick absolutely anyone to bring on tour with you, whom would you pick and why? (Dead or Alive)
Rodney Crowell, a great songwriter, singer and storyteller.
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What’s in store from here? Do you have any major goals or milestones for the future?
Nick and I have been writing for our next album which we’ll drop early next year, Stars will keep on broadening horizons, we want to see more cities and states next year. More festivals I think is the way to go.
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Finally, this is a paragraph dedicated to some quick discovery. Really corny, but for the fans, can you tell me your favourite album, artist, movie, place, drink, meal and person (living or dead) and some brief reasons why? Answer some or all please?
Album – If I was pushed and shoved would be Stephen Stills’ Manassas, a great double album made shortly after the demise of Crosby, Still, Nash & Young, featuring country, rock and blues.
Artist – I always love seeing Wilco live.
Movie – Once Upon A time In The West, brilliant spaghetti western and more.
Place – Sunshine Beach, QLD – I’ve got a place there
Drink – Mineral Water unflavoured
Meal – Risotto, spicy.
Person – My partner ……x
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Follow STARS
Facebook
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Follow MICK PEALING
WEBSITE
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