Why You Shouldn't Draw Dick Pics On The Rubens' Mural

27 April 2016 | 12:44 pm | Uppy Chatterjee

"They're gonna be huge," Scott Baldwin admits.

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"This is the sickest thing that has ever happened to us."

We'd say the same thing too if our faces were painted in widescreen on the side of a huge building — by the infamous Scott Marsh no less — the viral Australian artist behind the now legendary Kanye Loves Kanye mural. Yep, the same one that incensed the highly-strung rapper so much he ordered for it to be removed.

"I'm worried about the big dicks that're gonna be drawn on it. They're gonna be huge," Scott Baldwin admits.

"I didn't know it was [Scott Marsh] doing it until just recently. I thought it was an awesome idea and it was just really cool that we were gonna get a mural done. It's a really insane thing that you never really think will happen. The fact that it is [by Marsh] is quite a big deal I guess! Thanks to you guys!" frontman Sam Margin says with a nod.

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When we suggest that Kanye might even cop a look just to make sure it's not of him again, we're met with ominous "oooooh"s from the rest of the band: Elliott Margin, Zaac Margin and Will Zeglis, all leaning in conspiratorially around the picnic table.

It's been nearly three months to the day since the indie rockers found out they topped the Hottest 100 this Australia Day. Hindsight is important — so does this feel like the "rise to success" that veteran rockers talk about decades into their careers?

"It's hard to digest, but we were aware of how amazing it was. I think touring and playing shows… although you have amazing experiences, I guess you probably don't take it all in until you have that kind of hindsight. Even something like Splendour In The Grass, you walk off stage and it was amazing, and you know how big a thing that was in your career, but I guess touring and slowly growing, it's hard to have sort of perspective," Sam explains.

"If I was in an up-and-coming band, I would not wait around in Sydney for them to get over it."

Baldwin reckons it's all about keeping the momentum going. "If you're sitting around, it doesn't take long for you to feel like you're not successful, do you know what I mean? If we don't have shows coming up, we feel like, 'oh geez, what are we doing?'"

When we ask what sort of opportunities the band have had presented to them since, the boys chatter away about the time their hometown's mayor wanted to give their "mayor-al thanks" in recognition of the band's success.

"Our hometown always wants us to do a gig, that's one thing that always comes up for me. I think the mayor wanted to give us a key or something…" says Baldwin. "Nah, the mayor wanted to do some kind of ceremony," pipes up Elliott. "I don't think it was a key — I think we made that up. We didn't do it 'cause it sounded weird to us."

Cutting their teeth on Sydney live music staples like Candy's, The Lansdowne Hotel and World Bar, The Rubens now find Sydney's situation dire. As we turn the conversation to Marsh's recent Casino Mike mural — complete with Penfolds wine, a kebab and a clock that reads 1:31am, which only half the band have seen — Sam leans forward to speak, having been quiet for a few minutes.

"I live in Melbourne now and I think the contrast between Sydney and Melbourne is so stark. The attitude towards culture and music are completely different when it comes to the government," Sam describes unhappily. "Here it seems like it's about money, everyone's just trying to make money, whereas in Melbourne there are so many late licenses, so many live music venues, they support it because they realise it's so important. Here, it's embarrassing. It's pathetic."

His brother Elliot jumps in — "I think the grossest part is that it started because of all the alcohol-related violence, the one-punch kind of stuff, and you look at it and see what measures they've taken and the fact that casinos are exempt from all these laws just makes it just… gross. How dare you use that [as an excuse to make the laws]?"

"It's just sad for music," says Sam. "Like, you guys are a music magazine, it's sad for bars and nightlife in general but for the music scene, it sucks. I don't know where bands are actually gonna get their break now." "Melbourne," Baldwin says deadpan.

"Honestly. I would move to Melbourne," Sam says, a little exasperated. "If I was in an up-and-coming band, I would not wait around in Sydney for them to get over it."

It's good news, then, that the band is well past that stage; soon they'll be playing their biggest shows to date nationally. They're going for a bigger production this time, with "cool lighting, fireworks, all that stuff" in the cards.

"We wanna get some special guests and stuff too, just because we did tour so recently. Our last tour wasn't that long ago, so I think we're gonna change a couple bits, get a couple of people in there to do some things," Sam is tight-lipped. "We're still trying to lock them in, but maybe a hip hop artist, maybe a female singer, we're still talking to people."

"Nah, the mayor wanted to do some kind of ceremony. I don't think it was a key — I think we made that up."

And if money were no object, who would they be inviting then? "Kendrick," the band agree almost unanimously.

Before the band head out though, they've got a few European shows to knock off as well as a slot on The Great Escape in Brighton, UK. Plus, they've just returned home from the US.

"It's just different, we have smaller crowds and it's like being back at the beginning. We play a certain type of show in Australia where we don't have to work for the crowd, I guess, then you get to America and you really gotta work," espouses Sam. "And it's cool, we've had a really good time doing it and the shows sold out and stuff. It's just such a big country with so many radio stations and so much work to do."

Baldwin adds, "It's weird, after the show in New York for example, I spoke to a few people and they were blown away by the fact that they were a couple of metres away [from us]. But then there's the complete polar opposite where they don't really know who you are."

In terms of goals, the band has a few things in their sights: First, "Europe. Heaps more Europe dates." "Selling out shows in the Europe and UK," say Baldwin and Zaac. Second, "Make another record. Much more quickly this time," Sam says. "We have a few songs written for it and we need to work harder, but we've got a good direction."

The world looks to be at their fingertips. But for now, The Rubens are gonna head to their personalised mural, "wait 'til people notice us and go 'yep, that's still us'", and take a shit-ton of photos before it's defaced with dicks.