What happened to the first 36 engines?
They were essentially prototypes. We ended up selling them on Gumtree to an English backpacker.
I detect some form of Celtic influence to your tunes. A bit of ‘Yo-ho, Guinness whistle, slap me Patty-O’Riley’. Where does this come from?
The acoustic guitar in a heavy rock band defiantly adds a fiddle de Potatoish vibe from time to time. I’ve followed country/folk sine I was a wee tacker, so I guess it’s bound to rear its drunken head from time to time.
There seems to be an Engine Three Seven musk. Ever thought of bottling it and going into the perfume industry?
We did try that once. We collected it in a very similar way to the film clip of Silverchair’s Freak. Playing in a small sealed off room with our collective sweat being channeled into vats via one small hole in the corner of the room at its lowest point. It’s science.
If a midget and a sailor asked you for a light at the same time, who would you give it to first?
Neither. I’d be too busy questioning why I was in the company of these two individuals (and I’d feel a little weird enabling a dwarf to smoke. Is that wrong?)
You guys left Byron a while ago now. How has your time been in the Big Smoke?
It’s pretty crazy to think that we’ve already been here for nearly five years, but we’re still as pumped as the day we first arrived. Probably more so now that we’ve set the date to record our first full length record 😉
Have you ever been close to doing a Biebs/Gags and throwing a cheeky lil vommy on stage?
Truthfully, yes. I actually was fired from my first solo show in Mt Gambier over 13 years ago for that very thing. I still blame my mate and the brilliant idea he had to line up 10 ‘Shits On The Grass’ shots and insist I drink them all before the next song.
Everyone in your band plays heaps of music all the time. How do you find time for the simple things?
Playing music is the simplest thing. That’s why we do it all the time.
Casey Dean (Engine Three Seven) questions Forbes McKail (The Khyber Belt) …
What’s the creepiest thing that’s ever happened to you?
Tys and I saw the midnight showing of the Exorcist Directors Cut once. Waiting for a cab on an empty street at 2 in the morning was pretty creepy after that fucking movie.
Why is it that no matter what colour bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
It’s the same as how no matter how many burrows the Easter Bunny has come through on Easter morning, his fur is always snow white. Some things are not for us to question, just for us to love.
How far away is the actual Khyber Belt?
It’s inside each and every one of us. All you have to do is close your eyes and feel deep within yourself.
What’s the first memory you have of music?
It’s actually Michael Jackson’s Thriller film clip! I was very little and bumbling around some school fete with my family and there he was, red leather suit dancing in front of a bunch of zombies. What a fucking introduction! I was consumed in that moment and remember thinking to myself, ‘That’s what I wanna do’. Still working on the dance routine though.
When someone tells you to “STOP”, do you A) hammer time or B) collaborate and listen…
Totally collaborate and listen. I’m a team player and work really well when working with others. Bouncing ideas off each other. You know. I tried hammer time once. It didn’t work well with my tennis elbow.
What are your thoughts on torrent downloading, and its effects on the Australian music industry?
I’ve never been able to figure out the whole torrent thing. Confuses the shit out of me. I don’t think the ease of distributing music has negatively affected the industry. It’s definitely altered its focus though. The internet has flooded the market with mediocrity now. Which in turn is forcing dedicated artists/bands to work their asses off to be the cream that rises to the top. It’s also more about your live abilities now.
What time are you guys on stage, and which stage are you on for Creepshow?
10.45pm in The Dead Forest (Front Bar) at Creepshow Saturday October 20 at The Espy, just before you lads. See you then doooods!
