Regurgitator: Show Us Your Clips.

Regurgitator play the Blue Stage from 4.45pm at the Big Day Out, Gold Coast Parklands on Sunday.

It is a rather relaxed and sunny sounding Ben Ely who answers the phone to chew the Gurge fat. Sunny sounding, because synonymous Vegas boy Ben has flown the coop and re-located to Sydney, something most bands do when they are trying to court fame, not when they are fully established bands.

But, as most punters know, Regurgitator isn’t just any old band. From his Bondi batch pad, Ely sounds slightly miffed that he can't see the beach. But concedes that living in el Big Smoke Sydney suits him right now.

"I'm staying in Bondi actually, darling." lisps Ben in his best glamourama dialect. "It is good, I'm glad I'm here. I don't really know that many people here, so it's good not having distractions. I guess. I just lock myself away and nerd out for awhile."

While Ben with his tats and penchant for punk may not seem like a nerd, he assures me that he is, in fact, sitting at his pooter feverishly editing the film clip for the groups next single Hullabaloo off the trio's latest opus Eduardo and Rodriguez Wage War On T-Rex.

"I'm just cutting a video that we made in Japan that was pretty funny to do, we made like a Tokyo vampire movie, like a horror film," explains Ben. "We came back and I cut it on my computer and Quan showed us how to use the gear and we cut it up, and it's pretty funny. Yeah it will be a film clip for the next single Hullabaloo. It's just Quan getting chased through Tokyo by four different vampires. So it's kind of fun. I was just looking at it then thinking 'Fuck, that looks pretty evil', but it looks funny too, so it's evil funny."

Bands on major labels making their own clips? How low rent, I hear you mutter, yet, it is encouraging that a group in Regurgitator's position take such a hands on, cottage industry approach to their music, image and marketing.

"DIY man, you gotta take the power back." enthuses Ely. He agrees that it is vital for creative types like he and Quan to have an almost totalitarian grip on the production values Regurgitator espouse.

"Yeah, I think it is good to express what you want to and you don't have to spend $200,000 to make a record, that's a very 80's ethic that still exists in Australia, which is a bit sad because a lot of bands could buy their own studio for half of that price. If you get a deal its probably best to support yer own studio rather then someone else’s."

But by the same token, if the Gurge hadn't become big, and hadn't sucked the cock that got them where they are, if they had stuck to their indie guns and remained in some homegrown studio, then they would not have had the opportunity to work with and meet influential artists. Take Andy Gill of Gang Of Four notoriety, one of rock's seminal name's and producer of the Gurge's latest disc. Would Mr Gill tweek the sounds of just ANY garage band? No. And Ben concedes that one of the major label bonuses is the opportunity to work with or meet such brand name entities.

"Andy? He's a nice fella." But was he scary? "He was actually at first. But, it became pretty cool, he just kinda chilled back, smoked cigars and hung out. He was very relaxed."

Has there been incidents where the celeb in question was an arsehole?

"Yeah, but... I did go up to the guitarist from the Bad Brains at Mt Fuji and I was like 'I loved the Bad Brains, I just had to say that', and he was like 'hmm, whatever' and walked off. I was a bit disappointed. But that doesn't mean I like them any less."

Ely must have had many similar experiences, being such a recognisable face in Vegas, I comment that despite the bands place in the Oz music universe, rarely is Ben seen without a smile.

"Generally. I got me a nasty streak but."

But they did get some weird attention.

"A little I guess...sometimes its funny but we mostly ignore that kind of stuff."

The other neat thing about the Gurge vibe is how they seem to joyously embrace their set's, no matter what. The current album definitely seems to lend itself to a rollicking live set, as witnessed at Livid.

"It is kinda nice playing these songs live, I think as long as it has got a high energy to it, then the songs fit and you can go from guitars to electronics, as long as its up and a bit crazy. Besides, it's pretty hard not to smile at Livid, Livid is pretty good fun."

Spoken like a true Brisbanite.