Keep Marching In

For an artist who has been somewhat reviled for nearly three decades, Chris Bailey remains remarkably chipper. As the frontman for Brisbane punk legends The Saints, Bailey has long been the victim of the more vicious side of industry myth-making. When the original line-up of the band dissolved in 1978, Bailey decided to continue with the band's name under a revolving line-up – and he's been chastised for it ever since.

Criticism has come from quarters remote (disgruntled punk classicists) and local (former Saints guitarist Ed Kuepper – who supposedly named his band The Aints in ironic tribute to Bailey). Still, the frontman remains unbothered. His voice punctuated with characteristic irony and humour, Chris Bailey always seems more amused than anything else when it comes to the melodrama.

“You get used to that. I don't want to sound like I'm schizophrenic, but there's the bloke that sings in a rock band and then there's me. And I don't take a lot of the rock band bullshit that seriously,” he offers. “I think it's important that I have pride in work and do good work but, if someone would care to critique me, then that's their right. I don't care. It's not about me. These people don't know me.

“You know, how could I take it personally when it's often second, third, sometimes tenth-level knowledge or access that people have when they form these amazing opinions? And, occasionally, they are actually very funny,” the frontman says with a good-natured laugh. “You know, I'd actually fucking love to be some arrogant fucking shithead bastard. That sounds terrific.”

Which is really for the best. Bailey's history is more deserving of pride than any twisted form of shame or guilt or arrogance. In addition to genuinely making music history with The Saints' groundbreaking punk records, the frontman has managed to sustain a career and a legacy for nearly forty years – expanding The Saints' already surprisingly diverse foundation with forays into soul, pop and even heavy metal.

“I think there's always a general desire for change. One of the key advantages of keeping The Saints going is that it allows for that kind of exploration. You know, ideally, I like the last thing I've done to be the total opposite of the next thing,” Bailey explains. “I've often said that if I didn't come up with tunes, I wouldn't be in a rock band. My imagination still seems fairly well-lubricated. Really, I just hope the well doesn't run too dry.”

The Saints' latest album is a fine example. Worlds away from the initial punk fervor of (I'm) Stranded, it's nevertheless an exceptionally crafted piece of work. In comparison to his more experimental sparring partner and friend Kuepper (“Yes, we're still working on that album,” Bailey says of their fabled collaboration. “It'll happen eventually), Bailey has always been a classicist songwriter – and King Of The Sun is a product of such interests.

“I think it's a quality piece of work. It feels good to be back in the more singer-songwriter arena after spending the last couple of records in a more heavy metal kind of sound,” the frontman says of the record. “I mean, I have a theory – there's no evidence, I just came up with it one night when I drank too much – that songwriters, if they're really lucky, get about four songs and then they spend the rest of their life rehashing them. It's nice to have that change. I mean, there's no harm in aiming for the stars, is there? I mean, you may only get as far as the treetops but, really, that's still alright, isn't it?”

The Saints will be playing the following dates: