‘I like to hear that people would defend rock ’n’ roll with their lives. I know I will’ — like all great bands, Australia’s Airbourne understand the importance of rock (and rock clichés)
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“Rock ’n’ roll is like the blues — it never dies. Every few years it circulates back to the forefront, comes back like a storm, rears its ugly head and raises hell. Then it drops back into the underground,” says Airbourne guitarist and singer Joel O’Keeffe.
Welcome to the eye of the latest rock ’n’ roll storm. Kicking up more than just a bit of dust over the past half-decade thanks to raucous shows and bare-bones, no-frills music, Melbourne-cum-Warrnambool, Australia’s Airbourne (O’Keeffe, brother and drummer Ryan, guitarist David Roads and bassist Justin Street) are quickly ushering in a new wave of blues-based boogie rock.
Inspired by — as in, blatantly cribbing as a point of pride — the likes of AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Thin Lizzy and ZZ Top, Airbourne’s debut effort Runnin’ Wild may only be weeks old, but its gritty, booze-fuelled take on four-chord rock ’n’ roll in the grandest ’70s tradition speaks louder to party rockers than Marshall amps on 10. Then again, as O’Keeffe noteshe didn’t have much choice once he sat down and listened to his uncle’s record collection many moons ago. Rife with the aforementioned fuzz-hounds, the brothers were quickly enraptured with the simplicity and unforgettable drive of good old rock. They were destined to put a fresh spin on some old wax.
“It was always rock ’n’ roll from day one,” he beams. “I’ve been obsessed with it from the beginning. I can’t play it that well, but I love it. I’m in awe of guys like Eddie Van Halen because they can play a million notes, but the contrast is B.B. King. His one note blows all of Van Halen’s away. [King’s] one note can make a woman tremble and a city crumble. How can you not want to try and do that?”
Striving to re-create the sounds emanating from the vinyl tracks embedded in his brain, O’Keeffe says that picking up a guitar was the inevitable repercussion of devoting one’s life to music. Eventually, Airbourne formed, the amps got louder and endless police visits forced the quartet to move from miniscule Warrnambool to the great Mecca of Melbourne.
“Once I grabbed that guitar, school grades went down and time with my guitar went up. As soon as I picked up a guitar — I didn’t realize you could be in a band, I was so in love with the guitar — but I was hooked. I guess other people have felt that need for primal rock ’n’ roll, ’cause since we moved to Melbourne, things have picked up for the band,” he relates, if one calls international record deals, tours and performing with the likes of Mötley Crüe and, oh, The Rolling Stones, “things picking up.” Yet with his typical Australian humility intact, O’Keeffe notes that Airbourne has a greater, down-to-earth mission than the clichéd rock star attitude that overtakes most bands.
“What we want to achieve is pretty simple,” he says. “Our songs are about having a good time... forget your problems for awhile. At the end of the day, when it’s time to rock ’n’ roll, have a drink, listen to the band, pick someone up and hopefully you’ll take ’em home. Maybe the next morning you won’t remember their name or where you were. Even if you don’t remember who we are, at least you had a good time.”
“We’ve dedicated our lives to rock ’n’ roll, and it’s rewarding to see that others have as well,” he concludes, hoping that the band’s relatively expedient climb into the public conscious indicates a long-term resurgence of straight-up rock bands. “We definitely feel like the new kid on the block. When you’re out there and hear that you’ve fucked up, the fuck up feels way bigger than it really is, but most people don’t even notice as long as they’re enjoying themselves. If their fist is in the air and they’re screaming, you didn’t do anything wrong. I take a swig of Jack and carry on. We’ll never lose the belief in rock ’n’ roll, but it’s great to hear other people say it, too. I like to hear that people would defend rock ’n’ roll with their lives. I know I will.”
