The Devastations: “Yes, U” – You’ve Won!

Interview by Andrew Ramadge

After a string of support slots and an appearance at the Meredith Festival in December, The Devastations return to the stage next month for their first Australian headline tour in two years. The tour will also act as the unofficial local launch of the band’s third album Yes, U, which topped the second annual Mess+Noise Critics’ Poll.

A change in direction for the formerly Melbourne-based rock band now living in Europe, Yes, U was a collection of sinister love songs with a soulful and more electronic sound than their previous work that confused some fans and delighted others. The next album will be even more experimental, singer Conrad Standish promises, and at least one new track from it will be previewed at the upcoming shows.

How was your time back in Australia last month? What did you all get up to?

For me it was very brief. I only flew back for Meredith and the other shows, so I didn’t have much of a chance to do too much. I saw a tonne of friends at Meredith which was nice, and at our show at The Toff In Town [in Melbourne]. Tom and Hugo are still in Australia now. Tom’s down the coast with his daughter, and Hugo, I believe, is making himself acquainted with various couches around Melbourne. Thankfully he has about 3000 cousins, so he can spread himself thinly, so to speak. No real interesting stories as such. It was just nice to be back for a bit.

How did the support gigs go? Are you all warmed up for the headline tour?

The support gigs went well. We like supporting people. It’s very little stress – you can just get out there, do what you do, and fuck off again. Even though it probably wasn’t our audience, I think the shows were good. It will be great to do a proper tour this time, though. The main reason we played so many support slots on the last trip was because we were offered the Meredith gig at the 11th hour, and so we had to scramble a bit to book other shows to make it worthwhile.

Did you notice anything different about Australia since last time you were here?

Yeah, the prevalence of The Australian Male. He’s a pretty terrifying specimen. Seething silently in his boardies, looking for a hapless foreigner whose face he can smash in before he heads to a barbie with his mates to sink a few coldies, watch some porn and say “No drama’s....” I don’t think the redneck element has ever been so blatant. Maybe it’s just because it was summer. The sun seems to bring these types out – that and “the ice epidemic”. Everywhere we looked there was an anti-ice advertisement. I would have thought some ice would have been nice in that kind of heat, but obviously the Government doesn’t agree. Shame.

Last time we spoke you said the band had two new songs written for the fourth album. Will you be playing them on this tour?

Yeah, we’ll play at least one of them called ‘Moves, Moves’. The other one goes for 20-odd minutes and doesn’t have a name yet. Only if we are feeling particularly indulgent will we bust that one out.

You said the fourth album would sound different to Yes, U. Can you describe it?

It’s too early to say just yet. All of us have strong ideas, but these things always change over the course of the time it takes to prepare for making a new record. It’s fair to say it’ll be more experimental. Whatever than means.

Last year The Drones’ Gala Mill topped the Mess+Noise Critics’ Poll. What are your thoughts on that album?*

I’m not as au fait with it as I am with Wait Long By The River..., but there are some great songs on it. ‘Jezebel’ is great, as is ‘Sixteen Straws’. Gareth [Liddiard] is a great songwriter, and they’re an amazing band. They’ve been really close friends of ours for a long time now, since they arrived in Melbourne. It’s nice that we can sit atop this M+N perch together for a bit. In our boardies. “No dramas...”

Some people will complain that an album by a band based in Europe was chosen as the best Australian record of the year. What would you say to them?

Well, you know, you don’t stop being Australian just because you live somewhere else. That’s a silly argument. We probably feel more Australian than ever now, due to our distance from the place. So, I would say that, and: Suck shit.

East Brunswick Club, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday 2 February

The Troubadour, Brisbane, QLD
Wednesday 6 February

The Annandale, Sydney, NSW
Saturday 9 February

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Adelaide, SA
Saturday 23 February

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Melbourne, VIC
Sunday 24 February

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 1 March

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Sydney, NSW
Monday 3 March

+