January 1, 2026 • 7 mins
The Hoodoo Gurus are returning to New Zealand to perform at the Greenstone Summer Concert series, alongside Iggy Pop and Joan Jett, and New Zealand's very own Zed.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from news Talk zed Be
follow this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
The Hoodoo Gurus are from Australia and they've got four
decades of hits from that song also like Wow, wipe
out that great. They've got big guitars, they've got big choruses,
and they've got a live show that's still razor sharp.
And they're returning to New Zealand to perform at the
Greenstone Summer Concert Series alongside Iggy Pop and Jone Jet
and New Zealand's own z. They're playing Topor and for
(00:38):
the first time Wonica. They're doing it at the end
of January. Sorry Auckland, you miss out. But I'm joined
now by the lead vocalists and guitarist and founder of
the band, mister Dave Faulkner. Good morning to you, Good morning,
so good to hear your voice. But we're hearing your
voice quite a bit. You will last hear in April.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah, we had a ball too, It was fantastic.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Now here's the thing. Four decades of hit What keeps
you coming back after nine albums, forty years on the road,
forty years on the stage.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Well, coming back is probably not the right word sticking
at it. Really, we just literally love our job and
love playing music. It's just something that's you know, life
blood to us.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yes, But bands, bands change, and you know, members leave
and rejoined and go all over the place. How hard
is it to keep out all of that? Yeah, of course,
how hard is it to keep a band alive through
all these personality clashes and changes and circumstances.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Well, a big one for us was when Mark Kings
and all our drummer of most of our career left
about eight years ago now or maybe six when he
was weird. He left, then he came back, and then
he left again. So as you say about people rejoining
and leaving, he was a big one because obviously he
was so much a part of our sand and we
really had to consider whether we want to continue without
(01:55):
him and whether it was going to be too big
a change and what we'd feel about that.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
But luckily we found.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
The ideal person in Nick Grief, and we've made an album,
had a great time doing that, and it's a whole
new sort of lease in life for us.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
As long as you're having fat as well as the
band's having fun and as long as the audience is
having fun, well why not keep on having fun?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
That's right, right, Well, when your audience is usually are
having fun all the time. But we all we felt
very much. You know, it had to be for the
right reasons, and you know, for us it was about
you know, creativity and how it all worked from then on.
You know, the change next personality of the drummer is
different to Marks, and it's been a positive change. So
you know, not not that we you know, Mark was
(02:33):
a negative, it's just that, you know, we've got a
direction here that's interesting to us, that you know, unusual
for us.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Now, I've been a fan for for a very long time,
ever since I was in student radio. And I remember
in student radio playing your band called the Victims. Yes,
and you wrote a great little song called Television Addict,
which is often referred to as Australia's greatest punk songs,
and I agree. So so here's here's my question. Are
(03:02):
you still a punk or is pain indeed? Well, I am,
I am, I'm not. I'm not.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
I'm not literally a punk, but I mean, as far
as the lessons I learned from punk rock have never
left me, that sense of economy and energy and also
you know, humor and has got a cheekiness. I like
all of those things that came out of punk.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
So punk is a state of mind, not a product
of age.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Oh well, it's a philosophy as well in terms of like,
you know, music, as I say, it's about not you know,
kind of exaggeration. But you know, don't borius get to
the chorus in a sense, you know, have something to
say and say it, you know, really with a lot
of emphasis. And you know, whether it's even a ballad song,
it can still have the kind of you know, no
messing around kind of attitude about that as well.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, and Australia has always been a home, a great
home for punk. I'm thinking of the Saints, I'm thinking
of the victims, you know, all this sort of thing,
and you.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Continue to this day.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
There's onely great punk bands coming out of Australia at
this very prison this present time.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You know, you keep hearing about new ones.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, this is my question. You're a published music critic,
you've got your ears to the ground. What new artists
give you hope for the future of rock and roll,
in the future of punk.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Well, I've got to be honest, I haven't been paying
tension too much to the to the rash roots lately
because I stopped.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Doing the music critic thing.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
I did it for about eight years or something running
for the Saturday Paper, and I really enjoyed it. But
I was always kind up in a way, a bit
of a fraud.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
I wasn't the usual sort of critic, could you know,
sort of land based people. I only play, you know,
praise people the things that I liked rather than look
at the things I hated.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
So I was a different sort of critic. So but
to ask the questions, I say, I don't really know.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
You know, hum an old man, as Brad Shepherd says,
you know the memory bank's full. You know, he's got
to throw records out now to get new ones.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
In true, you may be an old man, but you
have a young heart and you have a very loud guitar.
So this is this is all good. You're playing the
Greenstone Fest with Eggy Pop. Did you know that mister
Pop recently posted a video of his cocker Tooo dancing
to your track Where Nowhere Where is?
Speaker 4 (05:02):
So that's correct? I mean, that's that blew my mind.
I mean we did see that. It was a very
real experience seeing Biggie Pop that's named the parrot gyrating
widely with his mask, are sitting there, amused, really encouraging
nole thing.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Will you?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Will you bring it up with Eggy when you both
perform at Greenstone And the other question is is he
going to bring the bird?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I'd love to see it.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Look, obviously if we see he will be after kissing
his feet and you know, you know, offering hosannas of praise.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Well, of course we will ask him, how did you
choose that song?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Because it's a bit of a deep dive and you
know it's it is very stooge as this though, So
I guess he found the one that's the most like
what he's known for and obviously what Biggie Pop likes
to dance to.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I remember seeing Iggy Pop when he came out with
a big day out and the leads. Singer and writer
of Franz Ferdinand described him as a three thousand year
old teenager.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Well, we're catching up to him, but yeah, I know
exactly what he means. The man is, the energy is
incredible and he's still got that career is that's never
going to change.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
You're a two thousand year old teenager, so there we go.
And I want to play What's My Scene because I
love the song and that song got a second life
when it was remade for the league season and they
remade it as What's My Team? And I think it
was the best song for league ever, What's My Team?
And so here's the thing. Are you a league fan?
And if so, what is your team?
Speaker 4 (06:31):
My team is the Krwnler Shark, So yes, I am
a rugby league fan, and yes we've had mixed, you know,
fortunes most of the time I've been following them. I
come from Perth, w A originally, which is not a
rugby league state, but I adapted to the code when
I came to live in New South Wales. So yeah,
they're my team. I don't know why I chose them,
but I stuck with them. And you know, we did
(06:51):
have one Premiership while I was following them, so that
was something I never thought i'd ever see.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well, Dave, Dave, I I love your attitude, I love
your music, and I love the fact that you are
still freaking loud and I'm really looking forward to hearing
you at the Greenstone summer concert series with Eggie and
Joan Topa and Wonica but not Auckland And if you
don't mind, I'm going to play What's My Scene? And
I want to thank you for your time. By the way,
I can't wait to see you at the end of
(07:17):
the month.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Thanks Andrew. Look forward to it.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
For more from News Talk st B. Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to a podcast from news Talk zed Be
follow this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
The Hoodoo Gurus are from Australia and they've got four
decades of hits from that song also like Wow, wipe
out that great. They've got big guitars, they've got big choruses,
and they've got a live show that's still razor sharp.
And they're returning to New Zealand to perform at the
Greenstone Summer Concert Series alongside Iggy Pop and Jone Jet
and New Zealand's own z. They're playing Topor and for
(00:38):
the first time Wonica. They're doing it at the end
of January. Sorry Auckland, you miss out. But I'm joined
now by the lead vocalists and guitarist and founder of
the band, mister Dave Faulkner. Good morning to you, Good morning,
so good to hear your voice. But we're hearing your
voice quite a bit. You will last hear in April.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah, we had a ball too, It was fantastic.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Now here's the thing. Four decades of hit What keeps
you coming back after nine albums, forty years on the road,
forty years on the stage.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Well, coming back is probably not the right word sticking
at it. Really, we just literally love our job and
love playing music. It's just something that's you know, life
blood to us.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yes, But bands, bands change, and you know, members leave
and rejoined and go all over the place. How hard
is it to keep out all of that? Yeah, of course,
how hard is it to keep a band alive through
all these personality clashes and changes and circumstances.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Well, a big one for us was when Mark Kings
and all our drummer of most of our career left
about eight years ago now or maybe six when he
was weird. He left, then he came back, and then
he left again. So as you say about people rejoining
and leaving, he was a big one because obviously he
was so much a part of our sand and we
really had to consider whether we want to continue without
(01:55):
him and whether it was going to be too big
a change and what we'd feel about that.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
But luckily we found.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
The ideal person in Nick Grief, and we've made an album,
had a great time doing that, and it's a whole
new sort of lease in life for us.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
As long as you're having fat as well as the
band's having fun and as long as the audience is
having fun, well why not keep on having fun?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
That's right, right, Well, when your audience is usually are
having fun all the time. But we all we felt
very much. You know, it had to be for the
right reasons, and you know, for us it was about
you know, creativity and how it all worked from then on.
You know, the change next personality of the drummer is
different to Marks, and it's been a positive change. So
you know, not not that we you know, Mark was
(02:33):
a negative, it's just that, you know, we've got a
direction here that's interesting to us, that you know, unusual
for us.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Now, I've been a fan for for a very long time,
ever since I was in student radio. And I remember
in student radio playing your band called the Victims. Yes,
and you wrote a great little song called Television Addict,
which is often referred to as Australia's greatest punk songs,
and I agree. So so here's here's my question. Are
(03:02):
you still a punk or is pain indeed? Well, I am,
I am, I'm not. I'm not.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
I'm not literally a punk, but I mean, as far
as the lessons I learned from punk rock have never
left me, that sense of economy and energy and also
you know, humor and has got a cheekiness. I like
all of those things that came out of punk.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
So punk is a state of mind, not a product
of age.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Oh well, it's a philosophy as well in terms of like,
you know, music, as I say, it's about not you know,
kind of exaggeration. But you know, don't borius get to
the chorus in a sense, you know, have something to
say and say it, you know, really with a lot
of emphasis. And you know, whether it's even a ballad song,
it can still have the kind of you know, no
messing around kind of attitude about that as well.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, and Australia has always been a home, a great
home for punk. I'm thinking of the Saints, I'm thinking
of the victims, you know, all this sort of thing,
and you.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Continue to this day.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
There's onely great punk bands coming out of Australia at
this very prison this present time.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You know, you keep hearing about new ones.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, this is my question. You're a published music critic,
you've got your ears to the ground. What new artists
give you hope for the future of rock and roll,
in the future of punk.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Well, I've got to be honest, I haven't been paying
tension too much to the to the rash roots lately
because I stopped.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Doing the music critic thing.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
I did it for about eight years or something running
for the Saturday Paper, and I really enjoyed it. But
I was always kind up in a way, a bit
of a fraud.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
I wasn't the usual sort of critic, could you know,
sort of land based people. I only play, you know,
praise people the things that I liked rather than look
at the things I hated.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
So I was a different sort of critic. So but
to ask the questions, I say, I don't really know.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
You know, hum an old man, as Brad Shepherd says,
you know the memory bank's full. You know, he's got
to throw records out now to get new ones.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
In true, you may be an old man, but you
have a young heart and you have a very loud guitar.
So this is this is all good. You're playing the
Greenstone Fest with Eggy Pop. Did you know that mister
Pop recently posted a video of his cocker Tooo dancing
to your track Where Nowhere Where is?
Speaker 4 (05:02):
So that's correct? I mean, that's that blew my mind.
I mean we did see that. It was a very
real experience seeing Biggie Pop that's named the parrot gyrating
widely with his mask, are sitting there, amused, really encouraging
nole thing.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Will you?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Will you bring it up with Eggy when you both
perform at Greenstone And the other question is is he
going to bring the bird?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I'd love to see it.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Look, obviously if we see he will be after kissing
his feet and you know, you know, offering hosannas of praise.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Well, of course we will ask him, how did you
choose that song?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Because it's a bit of a deep dive and you
know it's it is very stooge as this though, So
I guess he found the one that's the most like
what he's known for and obviously what Biggie Pop likes
to dance to.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I remember seeing Iggy Pop when he came out with
a big day out and the leads. Singer and writer
of Franz Ferdinand described him as a three thousand year
old teenager.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Well, we're catching up to him, but yeah, I know
exactly what he means. The man is, the energy is
incredible and he's still got that career is that's never
going to change.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
You're a two thousand year old teenager, so there we go.
And I want to play What's My Scene because I
love the song and that song got a second life
when it was remade for the league season and they
remade it as What's My Team? And I think it
was the best song for league ever, What's My Team?
And so here's the thing. Are you a league fan?
And if so, what is your team?
Speaker 4 (06:31):
My team is the Krwnler Shark, So yes, I am
a rugby league fan, and yes we've had mixed, you know,
fortunes most of the time I've been following them. I
come from Perth, w A originally, which is not a
rugby league state, but I adapted to the code when
I came to live in New South Wales. So yeah,
they're my team. I don't know why I chose them,
but I stuck with them. And you know, we did
(06:51):
have one Premiership while I was following them, so that
was something I never thought i'd ever see.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well, Dave, Dave, I I love your attitude, I love
your music, and I love the fact that you are
still freaking loud and I'm really looking forward to hearing
you at the Greenstone summer concert series with Eggie and
Joan Topa and Wonica but not Auckland And if you
don't mind, I'm going to play What's My Scene? And
I want to thank you for your time. By the way,
I can't wait to see you at the end of
(07:17):
the month.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Thanks Andrew. Look forward to it.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
For more from News Talk st B. Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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