1. What were your food influences when you were growing up and what kind of food did you eat at home or with your family?

We had the pretty standard meat and 3 veg kind of diet, always had a pudding too, self saucing chocolate pudding was my favourite followed closely by apple crumble. Being from NZ we ate a Hangi (Hung-ee) at special occasions through out the year. That’s a traditional way of cooking food in the ground. I love the flavour of a Hangi, it has a distinctive earthly taste and the meat will always come out very tender and moist.

2. What dish or cuisine do you most like to eat on tour and why?

I’m a sucker for a Golden Gay Time. Every fuel stop I have to resist the urge until without fail, I end up giving in to the sweet ice creamy goodness. I try to eat healthy on tour though, my favourite breakfast is a muesli and yogurt from the hole in the wall in Byron and eating it on the beach. Bliss.

3. What type of food do you hate, and what is the most disgusting thing you’ve ever eaten? Tell us the story.

Hate is a strong word but I really don’t like pumpkin. It’s a mix between the texture, the flavour and the smell. Roasted, boiled and even when it’s chopped into little pieces I really struggle to eat it. Pumpkin soup, I can eat.

When I was young mum would make me eat everything on my plate (as a good mother would) but one night I wasn’t feeling the best and had left my pumpkin to the end and said I was full and tried to get out of eating it but she made me and then I was sick at the table.

4. What type of food do you make sure to avoid before a gig or going on stage?

I usually don’t eat at least 2 hours before going on stage. There’s nothing worse than trying to play a show with a full tummy. I definitely don’t eat pumpkin and anything that will leave you feeling bloated like milk or potatoes.

5. Imagine for a second you can request anything on your rider at a gig. What food do you put on it?

 Fruit is essential, I’d ask for some vegetable rice paper rolls with a citrus soy based dipping sauce. Actually I’d probably ask for a kitchen a bunch of awesome ingredients and make a feast for the crew.

6. What has been your biggest cooking disaster to date? Tell us the story.

I’d tried to make a carrot cake for a friend’s birthday and it was a last minute thing and everything was going wrong! I couldn’t get it done so in stead of panicking I went next door and asked my lovely neighbour to help me and she ended up doing it and it was amazing, and I totally took the credit for it. J

7. When you tour overseas, what food from home do you miss the most?

I miss my beautiful lady’s omelets for breakfast. I mean it’s hard to say cause you can get most of the food in Australia around the world but nothing compares to my lady’s omelets.

8. This is your last day on earth, what is your final meal?

It would have to start with a salad involving mango and king prawn in the same mouthful, followed by a delicious serving of sashimi. If I wanted more I’d probably want to eat some more of those rice paper rolls with a citrus soy dipping sauce and a self saucing chocolate pudding to finish.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine