Sure we’ve heard about you before, but we think it’s time for Tone Deaf to get to know you a little better. Slip in to something comfortable while we put on some music, pour us a couple of drinks and turn the lights down low.
Who are you and what do you do in your act?
My name is Ryan Meeking and I write songs. I’ve been told my set is ‘honest’ and ‘emotive’ but I’m pretty sure people are generally more interested in my robotic backing dancers and laser-coated smoke balloons.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parent’s record collection and why?
I left my Dad’s 45s behind when I moved out of home but that was long after I’d danced my four-year-old arse off to Devo’s Working In A Coal Mine and Holiday In Cambodia by the Dead Kennedys. Why? Because they’re freaking good tunes man!
What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?
The Strokes new album, Angles shuffling it up with Warren Zevon’s Excitable Boy and Lippy Kids by Elbow (goose-bumps every time).
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‘Home taping is killing the music business’ was the catch-cry of the record industry in the 1970s, but it managed to survive until now. What do you think is the difference between mates taping copies of friend’s records back in the 80s and 90s and file sharing now?
Well I guess the people that manufacture blank cassette tapes are pretty screwed now.
You must answer this question honestly or we steal your rider. What was the first gig you went to? Where was it and what was the venue?
ACDC at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne with my Dad – and if you touch my rider I’ll fucking kill you.
What’s your favourite site to download music from and do you ever pay for it? Can we find any of your releases there?
Gotta admit it, iTunes on the iPhone has me pretty hooked – especially when it’s combined with Shazam and you can get my stuff on there. I still buy CDs if an album is super rad.
What artist made you want to pick up an instrument and/or sing?
Probably Michael Jackson initially – the Dangerous album rocked like crazy. Later on I’d say Jeff Buckley was a pretty big influence for me and then I discovered the Beatles.
Have you ever been arrested?
Nope. Makes it really easy to find employment.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
I have a little card I keep in my wallet that my Grandma gave me. It has a poem on it that keeps me thinking straight when I’m freaking out. Other than that there’s always a lot of high-fives going on.
What’s been your most outrageous rider request?
The band and I played a venue in Coffs Harbour once. We asked for free soft drink and they thought it was pretty outrageous. We can be a little greedy sometimes I suppose.
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with? Tell us why?
Probably Bernard Fanning. For some reason people think it’s fun to say I look like him when I clearly don’t. I figure it would be a good opportunity to get a photo of us standing side by side to disprove the myth. Oh yeah and he’s a really good songwriter.
Right, let’s get really intimate. Tell us what releases you have that we can listen to with the lights down low, or even better, where we can see you play in person next.
Saturday May 14th at Workers Club in Fitzroy with Tessa and the Typecast. The lights will be low. Except for the laser-coated smoke balloons.
