Magic DirtTouring mini-festival Hotter Than Hell is in full swing, with a star-studded local line-up tearing it up around the country.
To get punters excited, we had Killing Heidi’s Ella Hooper and Magic Dirt’s Adalita interview each other, and result sees the Aussie music favourites discuss the evolution of rock’n’roll in Down Under, reconnecting with fans, how Hotter Than Hell relives the Big Day Out's glory days and more.
Adalita to Ella Hooper
You’ve played Hotter Than Hell in its first round and now you’re back again playing a few dates this year. What does it mean to be playing alongside bands you grew up alongside, still kicking and rocking out?
It's very satisfying! It's a bit of a dream actually being able to come back and kick it with the best of the acts from that era and feel like we can really hold our own and shine. We were so young the first time round, and it all happened so suddenly we didn't alwayyys nail our live shows, and now we definitely do! We've even added keys, backing vocals and lap steel guitar so the whole thing is a bit more nuanced and mature, which is good, because so are the crowds... Also it's just so nice to catch up with old friends backstage
Hotter Than Hell is all about the nostalgia of the glory days of Big Day Out and Livid and the kind of music that was getting around then at its peak. But, in saying that, it’s not like Aussie rock has gone quiet - so many exceptional bands have been coming through the ranks that are killing it. For you, how has the genre evolved over the past 20 years and where do you think it’s heading? More branches off for more diverse sounds, more political power?
It's definitely in a strong place right now I think.. but it has had some dips, as a genre, honest rock'n'roll. Headlines saying "Rock Is Dead" and all that. And I do think it fell kind of flat for a few years. Keyboards looked like killing off guitars for a while there. But recently with the explosion of young, especially female led and fronted rock bands (we have been spoilt for choice for Killing Heidi supports!) it's back in rude health. I think there's a passionate political edge emerging too, which I love, I really like it when rock'n' roll is about something. It doesn't always work, but it's great when it does.
How has it been to reconnect with fans who have been with you since the songs you’re performing first came out? There’s surely something special about playing these anthems to these people and seeing that, no matter how much things have changed, music is still always there.
It's a huge compliment. It truly was one of Jesse and my proudest moments when we heard Weir on GOLDfm... seriously! To realise your output, or at least some of it, is considered 'classic' is massive and we don't take it lightly. We love reconnecting with punters and fans, we've always been very accessible as a band and now is no different. It's a highlight.
You’ve spoken about how, in the period before Killing Heidi reforming, that you felt the need to define yourself as your own person and you released some amazing solo music. How did you come to terms with your identity on your own and how has this identity helped the reformation of Killing Heidi?
It has added so much to KH, me having a solo career, and the fact I haven't stopped making music and touring, I didn't get rusty, I got better! Woo!
Redefining oneself is a hard thing to comment on, it all feels very natural and incremental to me, especially because I tend to follow my gut rather than carve out a master plan, which makes my solo outfit a little hard to follow/put in a nutshell.. But I basically just do it to please myself!
You’ve been tipped to be in the running to represent Australia at Eurovision which is so exciting! You’ve spoken about how you like to do things for the adventure of it. How important is it to you to keep saying yes to things you “never thought” you’d do and what do you think this gives to your music both as a solo artist and revisiting Killing Heidi’s music?
I'm all about 'Yes' at the moment, now more than ever I'm trying to challenge myself and push myself even farther out of my comfort zone, which is always a mixture of scary and exciting, and I think that's why I'm becoming addicted to it. Addicted to the thrill!
You performed Weir last year with the incredible Alex Lahey who is a direct product of the music you’ve made over the years and the influence you have. Are there any artists coming through now that you’re particularly excited about?
Yes! So many! Eliza & The Delusionals, Miss Destiny, Batts, and my good friends, Mojo Juju, Kira Puru, and Gena Rose Bruce are all killing it. I'm so proud to have had anything to do with supporting the next wave. It's an honour.
Hotter Than Hell brings back the glory days of when you could go down to the pub and see big acts tearing it up on the local stage. How integral was this part of your journey of coming up in a time when this was happening and you could really cut your teeth as performers in the pubs as you were blowing up?
Well, we unfortunately kind of skipped that stage, I think we only played pubs a few times before it was off to theatres and the like. But I wish we were more a part of that scene, it was so vital, so rich with good bands, which is another reason I love Hotter than Hell - it's like sneaking back in to theatre scenes, going back in time, and this time I'm of age, I can party with big kids!
I know it’d be hard to narrow down, but off the top of your head, what’s one of your most favourite memories of Killing Heidi?
I think it would have to be the Big Day Out 1999, we were in the shed, not the main stage, and the water pipes in the ceiling broke spraying water over the crowd during Weir?!
For an artist getting started now, what’s one piece of advice that you’d give?
Protect your individuality, standing out is a good thing!
Ella Hooper to Adalita
How has the Hotter Than Hell tour been so far for you, including the many heatwaves you’ve been experiencing first hand?
Hotter Than Hell shows have been amazing. We were pretty nervous about coming back on the road after nine years and without Dean but this tour has been so awesome. The event itself is so well run, the organisers are amazing people who put so much love into these shows, and playing with our mates has been so good. And the fans are just incredible, we've just been having a ball. And I love the heat. Playing smack bang in the middle of summer and in some of the hottest part of the country creates a bond with the bands and the crowd, you know, like, "We're in the middle of this crazy heat together!!!" It's pretty awesome.
You’re not playing the same legs as Killing Heidi, so could you give us a rundown of what a Magic Dirt show is about and how it’s evolved over the years?
Magic Dirt shows are usually pretty sweaty, lots of rocking out, playing real loud and just having a good time. We've pretty much always played like this, every show from when we started to now. Playing live is in our blood. And every Magic Dirt show is different. We fly by the seat of our pants at every show. And we tend to just go with the flow, not much planning. So things can be sort of spontaneous.
How do you think the genre evolved over the past 20 years and where do you think it’s heading?
Yeah, I think rock music in Australia has always been strong. It's always been something I think the people need and want. Just to get out all that energy and rock out, it's just a part of who we are really. And I think that's never really gone away. And I think it'll continue. Most likely we will need it even more as we go through this crazy world together. We will need art more. We will need to express more and we will need an outlet and a way to keep community strong.
How has it been to reconnect with longtime fans?
Oh, we've been loving reconnecting with the fans. We've kept contact with all our fans over the years even though we've been on hiatus, we maintain that strong connection. And it's one of the main things we were looking forward to on the Hotter Than Hell tour, seeing the fans. They're just amazing and we know how much the music means to them. It's been great seeing them singing along, having a mosh, and we've been catching up with a lot of them after the show too. It's been awesome.
It’s been ten years since Magic Dirt went on hiatus. Can you tell me a bit about how it’s been to get back up on stage for you and the band?
Playing again wasn't an easy decision. You know, things are not the same without Dean nor will they ever be and it's hard without him. But we we have a legacy to fulfil and it's the right time to do it. And playing these songs again just feels so great.
You’ve not only released your own exceptional music as well over the past few years, but you’ve also been dabbling in some musical theatre! Can you tell me a bit about how that experience has been, and what pushing yourself completely out of your comfort zone has done for you now playing songs that are second nature to you?
Yes the musical! I worked with Shake & Stir theatre company on Green Day's musical, American Idiot last year. I got to play a villain called St Jimmy. It was one of the best things I've ever done. And yes totally out of my comfort zone! I'd dabbled in a bit of musical theatre as a teenager and loved it but never something as big as this. The training was quite rigorous and it required a level of performance that I wasn't used to, a la playing a character whereas I'm usually just myself on stage. You have to be really LARGE as a character in the theatre so you have to be fearless on stage and really reach out to the audience and be that character. You can't have an ounce of doubt, hesitation or self-consciousness when you perform in theatre whereas when I play music I am allowed flawed moments on stage but in musical theatre you cannot afford anything like that. And having a director coaching me was absolutely the best thing. I responded very well to direction and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Speaking of pushing you out of your comfort zone, your journey with your solo music has been so exciting to watch over the years. What was something you learned over that period while creating those records that you maybe hadn’t known before?
Making my own solo records has been a great experience. One of the main challenges that has come up is I have to basically make all the decisions. In Magic Dirt it was way easier to make decisions because it was a group and you could bounce off of each other but solo it's way harder. But I've learnt it's good to get other people's input and to be open to that to help you make a decision. I've also developed a lot more confidence just from doing solo shows because they are way harder to do when you don't have a band behind you.
How integral was the pub scene to your journey of coming up?
I have been playing pub gigs for nearly 30 years now and it's absolutely my favourite thing to do as a live performer. A lot of my first shows were at my local pub in Geelong which was a great place to cut your teeth live. I like the intimacy and immediacy of pubs. And Aussie bands are just so good at playing a live show - you know, they just get up and play. You don't need anything fancy, just a stage of some sort, an audience, a few instruments and microphones and turn it up and play. We're really lucky to have the scene we have and we're lucky to have those pubs that give a shit.
What’s one of your most favourite memories of Magic Dirt?
Playing the Big Day Outs were a real highlight. They were so exciting. We had the best times, just playing to such enormous crowds, the buzz in the air was just incredible, like nothing else.
For an artist getting started now, what’s one piece of advice that you’d give?
To an artist starting now I would say, just do what you want to do. Write what you want to write, play what you want to play. There are no rules.
Check out theGuide for all Hotter Than Hell dates and ticketing info.
