“I’ve always been a bit of a dictator when it came to the band,” he says. “I was excited on this record to really open it up. A few of the songs have sections that are totally written by the band. The music for Beer Barrel Bar, I had nothing to do with. I was essentially Anthony Kiedis, shitfaced in the corner of the room while the band jammed, and I just came in and held the microphone and crapped on. It’s not often you’ll hear me mention the Red Hot Chili Peppers when it comes to my own composition style, but it was true.”
It might seem odd that after 15 years of successful operations – during which time Henry Wagons’ name has been inscribed into the pages of local rock’n’roll lore – he’s now loosened his grip. But, as much as Wagons’ onstage demeanour suggests excessive egotism, his chief focus is the creative output.
“I feel like I’m more open to all kinds of ways of getting a song together,” he says. “Any songwriter would be foolish not to keep learning and leeching off society every single day of their lives. I’ve learnt so much over the last few years. The new horizons that have opened up to us have had a massive impact. Going to America, getting to play a lot means that I end up seeing a lot and meeting some incredible people. I think all of those things have been sifted through the mincemeat grinder of my mind and somehow been a good influence on me.”
He’s not wrong there. Acid Rain & Sugar Cane came three years after Wagons’ last full length, Rumble, Shake and Tumble. In the interim, Mr. Wagons knocked out his first solo release, the slightly deranged-sounding mini LP, Expecting Company. Acid Rain & Sugar Cane doesn’t exactly pick up where Expecting Company left off, but it’s similarly adventurous.
“We’re finally hitting our stride,” Wagons says. “We’re figuring out how to make good records. I love our other records; they’re like tattoos on my forearm. They’re significant parts of our history that I know and love, and love revisiting, but this is a new sleeve that I’m proud of so much. I think it’s our best.”
It’s not just the band that’s especially fond of the latest release. Since dropping the record in May, Wagons’ live commitments haven’t let up. In addition to their biggest Australian shows to date, the quintet found time to cruise through the UK and North America. Being the suave showman that he is, Wagons zealously welcomes the increased audience fervour. But reeling in a massive following isn’t the number one objective.
“When I first started playing music, I was never fame or success-driven and I don’t think my band are either,” he says. “It’s one of the secrets to why we communicate live, because we’re actually enjoying ourselves and we have no ambitious expectations while we’re playing. We didn’t ever get together and play this music in the hope of world domination and success. Ultimately, when it comes down to it, we just love doing what we do.”
Underlining the band’s sheer enjoyment isn’t just a nice way of saying, ‘We don’t give a fuck.’ Rather, Wagons still endeavour to roll out the best show possible every time they take the stage. “I do take honing my craft seriously and I do think about people’s entertainment and I want people to have a really good time. I’m a populist at heart and I love brainwashing as many people as possible.”
Chances are you’re now hankering for another Wagons fix. Luckily, there’s one last opportunity to catch the band before the year is out. On New Year’s Eve, Wagons will headline a bumper night of entertainment at the Yarraville Club, backed up by Graveyard Train and Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk. It’s certain to be a cracking night of revelry, which may even include to a Wagons-Graveyard Train super band performance. Though, anyone in the mood for juvenile carnage and floors lined with passed out bodies ought to look elsewhere.
“When you ask what people are doing on New Year’s Eve, it’s most often met with a groan,” Wagons says. “Both us and the Graveyard Train are coming to the night knowing that, and we’re hoping to buck the trend. Everyone in that dark cavern of a place I want to have as good a time as I know I’m going to have playing music. It’s a tough ask, but we’re going to channel all the spirits of good New Year’s past and make it a good time.
“We haven’t played with Graveyard Train for a long, long time,” he adds. “It’s got to be seven or eight years. It’s good that we’re meeting at our hometown and joining forces. I couldn’t think of a better place to be.”
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
