“We have a rule that you actually have to be dead in order to not get up onstage,” Frasca says. “Last year we were on the road for 50 weeks. When we went in to record the album, on the third day I had to go in and get a root canal, but I walked straight back into the studio after the job was done and kept going.
“But really man, a big part of being in a band is keeping the band together. It takes the right people, the right mix, the right personality, and definitely the same vision. It might sound like quite an obvious one, but if someone’s goals are to maybe play around Melbourne and not be away from home much, that’s not going to work. We’ve been together ten years now, which is a pretty massive feat. We still really enjoy discovering different ways of songwriting, channelling different ideas. It’s endless, what you can learn. When we get to the point where we think we know enough, well, that will probably be the day that we stop.”
That day is likely quite distant. Before embarking on their seventh European tour, the Dallas Frasca band are heading bush to work on some new tunes that they’ll test-drive on the Wallapalooza and CherryRock crowds. Their Euro tour is particularity notable given they’ll be once again hitting the road with US soul rockers The Bellrays. The two bands toured Australia last year, and the fruits of that union are only now about to be revealed.
“Our next tour is going to be a big one,” says Frasca. “We’re doing 25 dates in 28 days across five countries. We toured with them last time they were in Australia. Lisa [Kekaula] and I kicked it off really well, and I don’t think I’ve ever met a female performer that I’ve identified with as much as her. She’s amazing. I learned a lot of stuff vocally off her, and every single night I was front row, fan-girling.
“We did a three week run and I approached her one day, knowing they had a half-day in Melbourne before we went on the road again, and I said, ‘I’ve got this fantasy. What would Lisa Kekaula think of Dallas Frasca and The Bellrays going into the studio?’ And she said, [mimicking Kekaula’s deep voice] ‘I fucking dig that idea, man.’ So their new release, which they’ll put out in Europe, features that song. It was a huge honour.”
Even after ten years of performing across the globe, there’s no guarantee your adventures will intersect with those of other artists whose work you have long admired. Frasca counts herself incredibly lucky to have formed a friendship with The Bellrays’ frontwoman, but that’s not the only esteemed figure she’s had the pleasure of encountering.
“Man, Patti Smith was so rad. It was on Corsica, which is one of the most beautiful places that we’ve ever been. I had appendicitis and had to cancel a few shows. I was advised not to do this show at all, but I was like, ‘Fuck that. There is no fucking way I’m missing this. It’s my surreal, incredible dream.’ We rolled up, and I wasn’t exactly walking very well, but we got a call from our label saying that Patti Smith had decided that she wanted to go on first. So we’re thinking, ‘Fuck, alright, everyone is going to go and see Patti Smith and then they’re going to disappear.’ But the entire audience stayed. It was a really lovely night. She is still this incredible powerhouse, but so humble and direct, and that energy is so present and overwhelming. And I totally got a little photo with her, of course.”
The more you hear about Dallas Frasca’s European escapades, the more you develop a fear of missing out. They’re a band at the peak of their powers, and their live shows are widely renowned for their high energy. But although we might miss out on Frasca’s back and forth with The Bellrays, the crowds in France will see exactly the same band that we’ll see at home next weekend.
“Our show doesn’t change. It’s our own piece of art, and it doesn’t matter what kind of audience you’re playing in front of. You have to connect. There’s always an element of improv, because every show will be different. But we’re really looking forward to playing with Electric Mary, we love those guys. It’s going to be a cool gig, and there’s a couple of bands that we haven’t seen yet, that we’ll be discovering. It’s going to be fucking rad.”
BY ADAM NORRIS
