July 16, 2025 • 25 mins
Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians
What happens when you gather some of Australia's most celebrated musicians into one supergroup? The Fabulous Caprettos showcase exactly that magic, and founding member Rai Thistlethwayte joins us for an intimate conversation about the band's evolution, creative resilience, and the pure joy of collaboration.
Rai shares exciting updates about the group's changing lineup, including the addition of the incredible Wendy Matthews, whose presence has transformed their performances and given Rai the opportunity to play piano for her iconic hit "The Day You Went Away." We also learn about Joe Camilleri joining the ranks, bringing his extraordinary saxophone skills and vibrant energy to the shows despite recently suffering a devastating theft of his prized guitars and personal effects.
With characteristic thoughtfulness, Rai reflects on his own musical journey spanning over two decades – from his early musical foundations with piano-teacher mother and rock-musician father to the challenges of navigating an ever-changing industry landscape. "I still haven't had to have a real job yet," he jokes, while acknowledging the hard work, creative reinventions, and occasional heartbreak that comes with a lifelong commitment to music. Particularly moving is his candid discussion of the tragic road accident that affected Thirsty Merc, demonstrating how musicians process grief while continuing to create.
Looking forward, Rai teases upcoming international touring plans, potential new solo material, and exclusive merchandise available only at Fabulous Caprettos shows. The conversation culminates with Rai introducing his deeply personal composition "Always Dreamed of You," a contemplative piano ballad exploring childhood connections and lifelong aspirations. This revealing glimpse into Rai's creative process perfectly captures why he remains such a vital force in Australian music.
Don't miss The Fabulous Caprettos on their current Australian tour – check their schedule to experience these legendary performers bringing decades of hits to stages nationwide. As Rai says, these aren't just any musicians – they're truly "the greatest of all time."
What has The Fabulous Caprettos' Rai Thistlethwayte been up to lately? Let's find out!
Get out when you can, support local music and I'll see you down the front!!
Visit: ThatRadioChick.com.au
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Cheryl Lee (00:04):
that radio chick, cheryl lee here.
Welcome to the still rocking itpodcast where we'll have music
news, reviews and interviewswith some of our favorite
australian musicians and artists.
Rai Thistlethwayte, soloperformer and founding member of
thirsty merc, he's always oneof our favorites to chat to.
He is out and about with abunch of his legend friends, the
(00:28):
fabulous Capretos let's Hear orthe Goss.
To catch up on podcasts fromother favourite artists, simply
go to that radio chickcomau.
How's it going?
Rai Thistlethwayte (00:41):
Long time no speak.
Cheryl Lee (00:42):
I know right, it's not even quite six months.
Rai Thistlethwayte (00:45):
That's right .
It's good to be back on thevideo.
Cheryl Lee (00:49):
Let's get started, let's get stuck straight into it
, shall we?
Rai Thistlethwayte (00:52):
Sounds good.
Cheryl Lee (00:53):
Yeah, with Cheryl Lee, that radio chick, and I'd
like to welcome into the Zoomroom today one of the members of
the most legendary boy band inAustralia, racist Way.
Thank you for joining me thismorning.
Rai Thistlethwayte (01:06):
How's it going?
Cheryl Lee (01:07):
Pretty good, thanks, although I can't really call
you a boy band anymore, can I?
You've let a female into theranks.
Rai Thistlethwayte (01:15):
That's right .
There's a female Capretto.
Yeah, wendy Matthews has joinedus and she's doing tremendously
well.
We've had a great time.
I mean I've always wanted towork.
I've done.
I've done some gigs where she'sbeen on the bill you know these
multi-band things that we doand she's awesome, I mean.
I've also it's been given me anopportunity as a keyboard
player to play the piano part onthe day I went away, which has
(01:38):
been an old favorite of mine.
So she's great, good value,great hang.
She's awesome, just and greatvocalist and just a beautiful
human being all around so youguys are in the middle of your
current tour.
Cheryl Lee (01:50):
I think I counted you've got 11 dates to go,
including here at Hindley streetmusic hall here in adelaide,
bringing wendy with you.
Because, well, let's start fromthe.
For those that may not haveheard us chat before, what
exactly is a goat?
Rai Thistlethwayte (02:07):
Are you asking what is a capretto?
Cheryl Lee (02:09):
Yeah, great All the time.
Rai Thistlethwayte (02:12):
Well, look, I don't know whether that was
how the name came about, butthat's been the joke on stage
the goats.
Maybe it was old goats, I'm notsure, but the greatest of all
time joke comes up quite a lot.
Look, I think it's just.
Maybe it sounds a little bitlike you know one of those
Italian music terms if you putit into a context of a music
(02:34):
yeah like falsetto, that's right, the fabulous falsettos.
I think we're going to lookback on this band and really,
really appreciate the quality ofboy band members.
You started off with DarylBraithwaite in the mix.
(02:55):
He's sort of retired.
And then the amazing RussellMorris, who was a founding
member as well, is almostretiring.
He's joining you for a few moreon this tour.
Tour, isn't he?
yeah, he's sort of guesting on the ones
that I think.
Look, when you get to the pointwhere you've done that many
shows and that many albums andyou've had such a sort of
celebrated career, youdefinitely get to the point
(03:16):
where you're picking andchoosing what you want to do.
You know you're sort ofthinking, oh, if I'd like to
take a trip to tasmania and seethat, but make it a bit of a
work trip.
You know, get down there, playsome shows for my fans down
there, you know.
So he's sort of picking andchoosing certain routing and
coming on things that he does.
You know he came to Cairns theother night with us,
understandably in winter, ifanyone would want to go to
(03:38):
Cairns.
It's quite glorious up therewearing T-shirts and oh, shut up
and shirt and shorts.
Cheryl Lee (03:44):
Well, I've been down here in melbourne, it's cold
down here in adelaide as well,you've got dave gleason from the
screaming jets and jack jonesfrom southern sons and yourself,
of course.
Rai Thistlethwayte (03:58):
So your new member is joe camilleri yeah,
joe camilleri, and he's bringinga lot of energy to it.
Just a great performer.
And it's great because he playssaxophone.
You know sings, got some greathit songs, plays this beautiful
guitar and he's just amazing.
So he's been really, really,really fun to work with.
When he plays that song, youknow you Got Me In the Shape I'm
(04:22):
In.
Everyone gets up, it's time todance.
It's just one of those sort oftempos and feels and you know he
brings a lot of high energy tothe show.
Actually it's really reallycool.
Cheryl Lee (04:32):
I can imagine and I can't wait to see you guys.
When you hit our town just on,joe, he did have a bit of bad
luck.
I just thought I'd ask you ifthere was an update some big
stone nine of his.
Look at these fabulous guitars.
He must be heartbroken.
Any developments there?
Rai Thistlethwayte (04:51):
I haven't heard any exact developments.
I'm sure he's working day andnight on trying to, you know,
have people get back to him withany news and keeping the vibe
going in the industry that youknow, if anyone knows or sees
anything.
Yeah, he did three showsobviously already with us since
that all happened.
And you know they not onlystole all that but even the
(05:12):
thing where you know you've lostyour passport and all a lot of
your credentials and you knowhaving to get go to the births,
deaths and marriagesregistrations, this, and then
get this and then you can getyour driver's license.
But you know, just to get allthe physical stuff and get a new
passport, he's like it's goingto take three months to even
sort of be able to prove thatI'm Joe Camilleri, you know.
So he says it's just one ofthose things that knocks the
(05:34):
wind out of you.
But he's also, he said inanother sentence he says, look,
despite how tragic it's all beenand how violated you feel when
someone does this, it's one ofthose feelings where you have to
be able to sort of be preparedto say goodbye to material
(05:55):
things.
And he says I'm actually quitegood at that as a human being.
I've had to do that a few timesand that's the sort of human
thing in anyone's life.
If you can't do that, you know.
But that said, he's on the hunt, he wants to find the stuff
because some of those guitars,you know they were very, very
desirable.
Cheryl Lee (06:12):
Oh, yes, they were beautiful.
Rai Thistlethwayte (06:14):
Yeah, irreplaceable sentimental value,
and not to mention some of theother side of it.
But yeah, I was really feelingfor him because it's just so
much work.
You know he has nothing to dowith the event and now he's got
to go and piece it all togetherand do all the other stuff and
you know it's frustrating.
It's been really hard Bloodybastards.
Cheryl Lee (06:31):
I hope they catch them.
What are they going?
Rai Thistlethwayte (06:34):
to do with.
Cheryl Lee (06:34):
Joe's passport.
Really, what's it going to dofor them?
I know to do for them.
I know how does it benefitanyone.
I know it's good that he's gotyou know as positive attitude
about it as you can have.
It's like when my daughterwrote off her car like her first
car.
I said it's a thing you getanother one.
You're okay, that's the mainthing.
Rai Thistlethwayte (06:56):
It's so much more important to think you've
got you know if it was somethingto do with his health or
something like that.
Still the same old Joe get upthere and rock it with the best.
You wouldn't have knownanything negative or anything
had gone on in those shows onthe weekend.
He just absolutely rocked it.
If anything, he gave it all hisheart and soul and everyone was
(07:18):
having a great time.
You know, that's the thing.
He's a professional musician.
He gets up there and he knowswhat he's got to do.
It's a conversation with theaudience he was having that it
was working well.
Cheryl Lee (07:26):
I touched on the calibre of the artists that have
come through your well, not boyband now, but with your female
in Wendy.
But you yourself we've touchedon this before so we won't go
too in depth.
But you know your caliber isamazing.
(07:47):
Like it's clearly in your dna,mum was a piano teacher and dad
was in rock bands.
You know your pedigree ispretty groovy well.
Rai Thistlethwayte (07:55):
Thank you very much.
My pedigree is very groovy.
Well, that's a nice compliment.
I don't know how I'd follow upwith that.
Yeah, I'm lucky I had myparents be very supportive and
you know, as I might have evenmentioned to you I've definitely
said it to other people A lotof other parents were sort of
saying go get a real job.
And I still haven't had to havea real job yet.
(08:16):
But you know, it has been awhole lot of hard work, so maybe
it has been work in that sense,but it's been gratifying work.
It's made me a living quitenicely over the many, many years
I've been doing it.
It's been unpredictable, it'shad some tragic events that have
been hard to get through andall of that.
But I think that that's anycareer, if you look at a span of
(08:37):
20-something years, that'sgoing to happen to anyone.
I've had to sort of think aboutways of reinventing creatively
a little bit and do someoverseas travel, hook into some
other projects to sort of keepthings fresh for myself.
All musicians can be veryinsecure at times and question
whether you're worth anything,and you can have a project that
sends you into the public eyeand then you can be dropped by a
(09:01):
label, or you can be dumped bythis idea and, you know, go
through a change where you madea decision that might have been
regretful and all that.
You know that's what happenswhen you're in any career for
over a couple of decades.
So I'm still doing it.
The business has had so manychanges but it still hasn't
beaten the enthusiasm, yeah, outof me.
So I sort of think that that'sbeen a product and function of
(09:25):
my parents introducing me tothis creative energy of sonic,
kind of uh love in a lot of ways, which is sort of what music
ends up being when you look atall aspects of it.
They gave me that love as asparents.
So I think that sort of is howI translated it into you know,
using my skill set to sort ofcommunicate that with other
(09:45):
people as well and also gothrough my own version of
personal development.
Music's been like that for mebecause it's led me to meet
people that have been great onthe road, and that's often what
your work needs to be as well anetwork of people that are going
to keep you afloat as a person.
And I think, yeah, it's beenall of those things and more
(10:05):
definitely because I had myparents' support with it.
It was there so early on in mylife that I didn't have to bring
ideas of how cutthroat it is orhow difficult it can be or how
lumpy the income can be or howcrazy the machinery can be.
So, thankfully, I still sort ofthink back to those days, you
know, and that keeps me going.
Cheryl Lee (10:26):
You've had over the years lots of successes with
Thirsty Merc, with your own solocareer, but have you got a
scoop for us?
Is there anything on thehorizon for Rai coming up?
Rai Thistlethwayte (10:40):
Yeah, I mean I'm doing a few little things
around, with some more beingcool.
I haven't had to sort of drivesome of these projects so much,
but I've been very lucky to workwith a drummer from Perth, ben
Vanderwall.
I do a lot of.
I guess it's like a solo buildgig, but really it's a featuring
Ben kind of gig.
We want to do some more touringand typically we tour through
(11:02):
Asia or Southeast Asia.
I want to do some more touringand typically we tour through
Asia or Southeast Asia.
I want to do a bit moretraveling in that region.
I've been to America a lot.
Europe would be good to do somemore traveling too, and if I
can tie it in with music, that'dbe cool.
And I've got I'm talking to afew people about some potential
stuff for next year.
But I think in terms of my ownprojects I've got some good
material there.
I just need to work out how tosort of uh, you know I don't
(11:23):
want to like categorize it toomuch, but I guess in a an album
sense you do have to think ofsome sort of how is this going
to have a thread through it?
So I'm probably at the stagewhere I can do that now, you
know, previous to that stage ofa songwriter's kind of uh cycle
of creating work, you need toactually create the work, I
think.
But think I've got enough thereto you know.
Cheryl Lee (11:43):
So watch this space?
Rai Thistlethwayte (11:45):
You know the songs of the meat.
I think all I need to do is geta kebab skewer to put through
the middle of it and work out isthis going to sit in the right
thing?
And then we can fry it up andput it on the hot plate and then
make sure it's nice and, youknow know, cooked in the right
way, and then turn it over acouple of times and mix it and
then like, see if we want thesauce, yeah, what will the sauce
(12:06):
?
Oh, that's, that's reverb anddelay and chorus, all sorts of
other effects.
So maybe we'll do that so watchthis space.
Cheryl Lee (12:14):
Back to the coming up gigs for the caprettos.
I noticed on the socials you'retalking about some gig-only
merch.
It's not online.
You guys have got a new T-shirtwith the five of you on it 40
bucks.
This is what I'm reallyinterested in.
Bootleg Series live in concertfrom last year the CD.
(12:34):
So you can only get this merchat the moment if we head along
to a gig, right.
Rai Thistlethwayte (12:41):
Yeah, absolutely.
It's a gig exclusive.
I've got to get a cd player inmy current place.
I've got one in my car so I'llI'll have a listen to it.
But I actually was given one ofthose by the band and I stuck
it in my little suitcase and Ibrought it home so I'll have a
listen to it.
Sometimes listening to your ownwork is, you know, you don't
want to do it.
It's like it's like an actorwho has to look at the back of
(13:03):
their neck when there's a cameraangle from a certain place.
Cheryl Lee (13:06):
You're like, oh, I don't want to look at myself
that way, my eyes, my eyes, myears, my ears.
Rai Thistlethwayte (13:12):
But I'm sure it's a great compendium of
stuff, because the good thingabout anything Capretto is
you're getting a greatcross-section of songs from lots
of artists, so you know it'salways a good listen all the way
through.
Exactly right.
Cheryl Lee (13:23):
So get onto the Google-o-meter and find out when
the Caprettos the fabulousCaprettos are coming to your
town.
To finish off, how game are youto do my quick 10?
Rai Thistlethwayte (13:34):
Let's do the quick 10.
I'm happy.
Cheryl Lee (13:36):
Yeah.
Rai Thistlethwayte (13:37):
Do I have to answer them as fast as possible
?
I've got to go as fast.
Oh, Someday We'll All Be Free.
By Donny Hathaway.
As I said, I'm going firstthought.
Cheryl Lee (13:53):
Good on you Favourite live concert you've
ever seen.
Rai Thistlethwayte (13:57):
First thing that came to my mind not my
favourite, but I'll tell you itwas probably one of the first
big bills was a thing called theBig Backyard.
Midnight Oil headlined it.
Def FX was on the bill,caligula was on the bill.
I can't think of the otherbands that were on there, but it
was in the domain in Sydney.
I was about 15 or 16 and it wasan absolutely amazing
(14:17):
experience.
It sort of made me realise whata festival feels like.
Cheryl Lee (14:21):
An influential artist on your career most
influential.
Rai Thistlethwayte (14:25):
Artist, musically, as a band
configuration, I have to sayDeep Purple.
Cheryl Lee (14:29):
Right, yeah.
Rai Thistlethwayte (14:31):
Yeah.
Cheryl Lee (14:31):
Now Dead or Alive?
Who would you like to mostcollaborate with?
Rai Thistlethwayte (14:35):
I'd be shaking in my boots because he
just runs rings around.
Anyone but Keith Jarrett, thekeyboard player, the piano
player best improvised musicI've ever heard has most likely
come from this one person.
He's still around.
He's not playing live anymore.
From this one person.
He's still around.
He's not playing live anymore.
He's one of my favouritemusicians.
Apart from that, I'd probablysay Claude Debussy, the French
(14:57):
composer from you know, writingthings in the early 1900s.
This is going back to my pianoroots.
I'm a piano player at heart andjust to be able to watch
someone like that compose andplay would just be incredible.
Cheryl Lee (15:10):
Awesome Piece of advice that you've received.
That's been invaluable.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Oh, piece of advice.
Rai Thistlethwayte (15:17):
I'll just think of a silly one Don't talk
with your mouth open.
I think my dad said that whenhe was trying to give me some
different type of advice, butbotched it.
Cheryl Lee (15:28):
Don't talk with your mouth open.
Rai Thistlethwayte (15:29):
Yes, I think he was basically telling me to
shut up as long as I don't eatwith your mouth open.
Yes, I think he was basicallytelling me to shut up as long as
I don't eat with your mouthopen.
Cheryl Lee (15:36):
Close.
Rai Thistlethwayte (15:37):
Yeah, but I think don't talk with your mouth
open is better for me.
I love it.
Cheryl Lee (15:44):
Now, what is your favourite song to perform right
now?
What are you loving performingright now?
Rai Thistlethwayte (15:49):
All right, I'm going to go in and I'm going
to say Better by the ScreamingJets sung by Dave Gleeson, and I
get to play it and I get torock out on guitar at the
Capretto's gigs.
I know that's a biased answer,but it is just such a great song
.
Cheryl Lee (16:03):
Yeah, it is, isn't it?
What's been your mostchallenging moment career-wise?
Rai Thistlethwayte (16:13):
Well, career-wise, I think it might
have been having to endure theevent that happened when we had
a road accident in the band.
There was a fatal accident anda good mate, mick, had a
horrible time following that.
He was, yeah, very banged up,to say the least, but it's been
one of those things whereknowing that he's okay has been
(16:34):
really, really cool and, youknow, I have a great rave with
him on the phone and it's madehim a stronger person
emotionally on a lot of levels.
Yeah, just a horrible eventthough, you know, but that's
that was hard, you know that, areally really tough time for the
band.
Cheryl Lee (16:50):
Yeah, I bet.
And the last one is what is asong possibly maybe a Thirsty
Merc song or one of your ownsolo songs that you wish more
people heard and loved andplayed?
I won't say underrated, but youknow what I mean.
Rai Thistlethwayte (17:06):
Yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying.
Well, there's a song that Iwrote that is actually quite
appreciated online.
It's had quite a good amount of, you know, views on YouTube,
but the thing is I never reallyreleased it as a proper thing,
so maybe it's in a way that'sthe reason that it hasn't
received.
You know the sort of airtimethat maybe I think as a
(17:28):
songwriter, but I think as asongwriter it's one of my
favorite songs.
It's a song called AlwaysDreamed of you and it's one of
those weird almost dream scapealmost it could be a Disney sort
of movie ballad in its own way.
But there's something about itthat links that song for me to a
sort of childhood hope,something to do with a
(17:51):
connection with my own parents.
You know, something to do withwhat I wanted to do with my life
when I was a kid and kind of asupport song for someone else as
well.
It's got a sort of.
It talks about the person Ialways dreamed of.
Maybe Is it to do with a lovethat you're looking for, or is
it to do with actually a meaningthat you're looking for in the
(18:12):
embodiment of sort of maybe.
It's weird to think that my mumand me being a kid and that
connection that happens betweena child and the mum and she sort
of taught me music and there'sa connection there that I'm sort
of somehow talking about inthis song.
But I think it's there withevery child and their mother and
I think there's something inthat song that reminds me of the
way it was to be even beforeyou were the age of 10, you know
(18:36):
, before you've gone throughpuberty and sort of like
thinking what does this all mean?
And I think that song's thesort of question mark song of my
songs.
Beautiful, yeah, but it's kindof like a hopeful song.
So I don't know, always dreamedof you.
It's a.
I did a live piano and vocal atmy uh, my old place in sydney,
(18:58):
yeah, on a beautiful stewart andsons piano that was lent to me
by wayne stewart, an australianpiano manufacturer and complete
genius in terms of engineering.
He's based in in Tumut thesedays in South Wales, but yeah,
he lent me this piano for awhile and I was looking after it
and these pianos are hugesymphonic things.
So, yeah, it's probably thatone.
(19:20):
Nice of you to ask about that.
Cheryl Lee (19:22):
That song sounds beautiful, ray.
Would you like to introduce it,and I think we'll go out with
that song today.
Rai Thistlethwayte (19:28):
All right, no worries, this is a bit of a
softer note sound compared tosome of the stuff I've done
before, but it's called AlwaysDreamed of you, live piano vocal
recorded at home by yours truly.
Cheryl Lee (19:41):
I know you guys are pretty busy, so I really
appreciate you spending the timeand sitting down and having
another chat with us.
It's always great to catch up.
I look forward to seeing you onFriday, the 25th, here in our
town and, as I say, get onto theGoogleometer and catch these
goats, these greatest of alltime in your town.
Rai Thistlethwayte (20:00):
Sounds good, anything else you wanted to
mention.
No, that's been awesome.
Thank you so much for takingthe time.
Always fun to chat to you and,yeah, hope to see you at the gig
.
Cheryl Lee (20:09):
Oh yeah, I've got my tickets.
I'll see you down the front.
Rai Thistlethwayte (20:11):
Yeah, sounds good.
See you then.
Cheryl Lee (20:13):
Thanks, rai, bye for now.
Rai Thistlethwayte (20:15):
Bye-bye.
You are listening to StillRocking it the podcast with
Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (20:22):
As promised and as introduced by Rai himself.
Always dreamed of you.
(24:52):
You're with Cheryl Lee thatradio chick.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the Still Rocking it
podcast.
Hope to catch you again nexttime.
Get out when you can supportAussie music and I'll see you
down the front.
that radio chick, cheryl lee here.
Welcome to the still rocking itpodcast where we'll have music
news, reviews and interviewswith some of our favorite
australian musicians and artists.
Rai Thistlethwayte, soloperformer and founding member of
thirsty merc, he's always oneof our favorites to chat to.
He is out and about with abunch of his legend friends, the
(00:28):
fabulous Capretos let's Hear orthe Goss.
To catch up on podcasts fromother favourite artists, simply
go to that radio chickcomau.
How's it going?
Rai Thistlethwayte (00:41):
Long time no speak.
Cheryl Lee (00:42):
I know right, it's not even quite six months.
Rai Thistlethwayte (00:45):
That's right .
It's good to be back on thevideo.
Cheryl Lee (00:49):
Let's get started, let's get stuck straight into it
, shall we?
Rai Thistlethwayte (00:52):
Sounds good.
Cheryl Lee (00:53):
Yeah, with Cheryl Lee, that radio chick, and I'd
like to welcome into the Zoomroom today one of the members of
the most legendary boy band inAustralia, racist Way.
Thank you for joining me thismorning.
Rai Thistlethwayte (01:06):
How's it going?
Cheryl Lee (01:07):
Pretty good, thanks, although I can't really call
you a boy band anymore, can I?
You've let a female into theranks.
Rai Thistlethwayte (01:15):
That's right .
There's a female Capretto.
Yeah, wendy Matthews has joinedus and she's doing tremendously
well.
We've had a great time.
I mean I've always wanted towork.
I've done.
I've done some gigs where she'sbeen on the bill you know these
multi-band things that we doand she's awesome, I mean.
I've also it's been given me anopportunity as a keyboard
player to play the piano part onthe day I went away, which has
(01:38):
been an old favorite of mine.
So she's great, good value,great hang.
She's awesome, just and greatvocalist and just a beautiful
human being all around so youguys are in the middle of your
current tour.
Cheryl Lee (01:50):
I think I counted you've got 11 dates to go,
including here at Hindley streetmusic hall here in adelaide,
bringing wendy with you.
Because, well, let's start fromthe.
For those that may not haveheard us chat before, what
exactly is a goat?
Rai Thistlethwayte (02:07):
Are you asking what is a capretto?
Cheryl Lee (02:09):
Yeah, great All the time.
Rai Thistlethwayte (02:12):
Well, look, I don't know whether that was
how the name came about, butthat's been the joke on stage
the goats.
Maybe it was old goats, I'm notsure, but the greatest of all
time joke comes up quite a lot.
Look, I think it's just.
Maybe it sounds a little bitlike you know one of those
Italian music terms if you putit into a context of a music
(02:34):
yeah like falsetto, that's right, the fabulous falsettos.
I think we're going to lookback on this band and really,
really appreciate the quality ofboy band members.
You started off with DarylBraithwaite in the mix.
(02:55):
He's sort of retired.
And then the amazing RussellMorris, who was a founding
member as well, is almostretiring.
He's joining you for a few moreon this tour.
Tour, isn't he?
yeah, he's sort of guesting on the ones
that I think.
Look, when you get to the pointwhere you've done that many
shows and that many albums andyou've had such a sort of
celebrated career, youdefinitely get to the point
(03:16):
where you're picking andchoosing what you want to do.
You know you're sort ofthinking, oh, if I'd like to
take a trip to tasmania and seethat, but make it a bit of a
work trip.
You know, get down there, playsome shows for my fans down
there, you know.
So he's sort of picking andchoosing certain routing and
coming on things that he does.
You know he came to Cairns theother night with us,
understandably in winter, ifanyone would want to go to
(03:38):
Cairns.
It's quite glorious up therewearing T-shirts and oh, shut up
and shirt and shorts.
Cheryl Lee (03:44):
Well, I've been down here in melbourne, it's cold
down here in adelaide as well,you've got dave gleason from the
screaming jets and jack jonesfrom southern sons and yourself,
of course.
Rai Thistlethwayte (03:58):
So your new member is joe camilleri yeah,
joe camilleri, and he's bringinga lot of energy to it.
Just a great performer.
And it's great because he playssaxophone.
You know sings, got some greathit songs, plays this beautiful
guitar and he's just amazing.
So he's been really, really,really fun to work with.
When he plays that song, youknow you Got Me In the Shape I'm
(04:22):
In.
Everyone gets up, it's time todance.
It's just one of those sort oftempos and feels and you know he
brings a lot of high energy tothe show.
Actually it's really reallycool.
Cheryl Lee (04:32):
I can imagine and I can't wait to see you guys.
When you hit our town just on,joe, he did have a bit of bad
luck.
I just thought I'd ask you ifthere was an update some big
stone nine of his.
Look at these fabulous guitars.
He must be heartbroken.
Any developments there?
Rai Thistlethwayte (04:51):
I haven't heard any exact developments.
I'm sure he's working day andnight on trying to, you know,
have people get back to him withany news and keeping the vibe
going in the industry that youknow, if anyone knows or sees
anything.
Yeah, he did three showsobviously already with us since
that all happened.
And you know they not onlystole all that but even the
(05:12):
thing where you know you've lostyour passport and all a lot of
your credentials and you knowhaving to get go to the births,
deaths and marriagesregistrations, this, and then
get this and then you can getyour driver's license.
But you know, just to get allthe physical stuff and get a new
passport, he's like it's goingto take three months to even
sort of be able to prove thatI'm Joe Camilleri, you know.
So he says it's just one ofthose things that knocks the
(05:34):
wind out of you.
But he's also, he said inanother sentence he says, look,
despite how tragic it's all beenand how violated you feel when
someone does this, it's one ofthose feelings where you have to
be able to sort of be preparedto say goodbye to material
(05:55):
things.
And he says I'm actually quitegood at that as a human being.
I've had to do that a few timesand that's the sort of human
thing in anyone's life.
If you can't do that, you know.
But that said, he's on the hunt, he wants to find the stuff
because some of those guitars,you know they were very, very
desirable.
Cheryl Lee (06:12):
Oh, yes, they were beautiful.
Rai Thistlethwayte (06:14):
Yeah, irreplaceable sentimental value,
and not to mention some of theother side of it.
But yeah, I was really feelingfor him because it's just so
much work.
You know he has nothing to dowith the event and now he's got
to go and piece it all togetherand do all the other stuff and
you know it's frustrating.
It's been really hard Bloodybastards.
Cheryl Lee (06:31):
I hope they catch them.
What are they going?
Rai Thistlethwayte (06:34):
to do with.
Cheryl Lee (06:34):
Joe's passport.
Really, what's it going to dofor them?
I know to do for them.
I know how does it benefitanyone.
I know it's good that he's gotyou know as positive attitude
about it as you can have.
It's like when my daughterwrote off her car like her first
car.
I said it's a thing you getanother one.
You're okay, that's the mainthing.
Rai Thistlethwayte (06:56):
It's so much more important to think you've
got you know if it was somethingto do with his health or
something like that.
Still the same old Joe get upthere and rock it with the best.
You wouldn't have knownanything negative or anything
had gone on in those shows onthe weekend.
He just absolutely rocked it.
If anything, he gave it all hisheart and soul and everyone was
(07:18):
having a great time.
You know, that's the thing.
He's a professional musician.
He gets up there and he knowswhat he's got to do.
It's a conversation with theaudience he was having that it
was working well.
Cheryl Lee (07:26):
I touched on the calibre of the artists that have
come through your well, not boyband now, but with your female
in Wendy.
But you yourself we've touchedon this before so we won't go
too in depth.
But you know your caliber isamazing.
(07:47):
Like it's clearly in your dna,mum was a piano teacher and dad
was in rock bands.
You know your pedigree ispretty groovy well.
Rai Thistlethwayte (07:55):
Thank you very much.
My pedigree is very groovy.
Well, that's a nice compliment.
I don't know how I'd follow upwith that.
Yeah, I'm lucky I had myparents be very supportive and
you know, as I might have evenmentioned to you I've definitely
said it to other people A lotof other parents were sort of
saying go get a real job.
And I still haven't had to havea real job yet.
(08:16):
But you know, it has been awhole lot of hard work, so maybe
it has been work in that sense,but it's been gratifying work.
It's made me a living quitenicely over the many, many years
I've been doing it.
It's been unpredictable, it'shad some tragic events that have
been hard to get through andall of that.
But I think that that's anycareer, if you look at a span of
(08:37):
20-something years, that'sgoing to happen to anyone.
I've had to sort of think aboutways of reinventing creatively
a little bit and do someoverseas travel, hook into some
other projects to sort of keepthings fresh for myself.
All musicians can be veryinsecure at times and question
whether you're worth anything,and you can have a project that
sends you into the public eyeand then you can be dropped by a
(09:01):
label, or you can be dumped bythis idea and, you know, go
through a change where you madea decision that might have been
regretful and all that.
You know that's what happenswhen you're in any career for
over a couple of decades.
So I'm still doing it.
The business has had so manychanges but it still hasn't
beaten the enthusiasm, yeah, outof me.
So I sort of think that that'sbeen a product and function of
(09:25):
my parents introducing me tothis creative energy of sonic,
kind of uh love in a lot of ways, which is sort of what music
ends up being when you look atall aspects of it.
They gave me that love as asparents.
So I think that sort of is howI translated it into you know,
using my skill set to sort ofcommunicate that with other
(09:45):
people as well and also gothrough my own version of
personal development.
Music's been like that for mebecause it's led me to meet
people that have been great onthe road, and that's often what
your work needs to be as well anetwork of people that are going
to keep you afloat as a person.
And I think, yeah, it's beenall of those things and more
(10:05):
definitely because I had myparents' support with it.
It was there so early on in mylife that I didn't have to bring
ideas of how cutthroat it is orhow difficult it can be or how
lumpy the income can be or howcrazy the machinery can be.
So, thankfully, I still sort ofthink back to those days, you
know, and that keeps me going.
Cheryl Lee (10:26):
You've had over the years lots of successes with
Thirsty Merc, with your own solocareer, but have you got a
scoop for us?
Is there anything on thehorizon for Rai coming up?
Rai Thistlethwayte (10:40):
Yeah, I mean I'm doing a few little things
around, with some more beingcool.
I haven't had to sort of drivesome of these projects so much,
but I've been very lucky to workwith a drummer from Perth, ben
Vanderwall.
I do a lot of.
I guess it's like a solo buildgig, but really it's a featuring
Ben kind of gig.
We want to do some more touringand typically we tour through
(11:02):
Asia or Southeast Asia.
I want to do some more touringand typically we tour through
Asia or Southeast Asia.
I want to do a bit moretraveling in that region.
I've been to America a lot.
Europe would be good to do somemore traveling too, and if I
can tie it in with music, that'dbe cool.
And I've got I'm talking to afew people about some potential
stuff for next year.
But I think in terms of my ownprojects I've got some good
material there.
I just need to work out how tosort of uh, you know I don't
(11:23):
want to like categorize it toomuch, but I guess in a an album
sense you do have to think ofsome sort of how is this going
to have a thread through it?
So I'm probably at the stagewhere I can do that now, you
know, previous to that stage ofa songwriter's kind of uh cycle
of creating work, you need toactually create the work, I
think.
But think I've got enough thereto you know.
Cheryl Lee (11:43):
So watch this space?
Rai Thistlethwayte (11:45):
You know the songs of the meat.
I think all I need to do is geta kebab skewer to put through
the middle of it and work out isthis going to sit in the right
thing?
And then we can fry it up andput it on the hot plate and then
make sure it's nice and, youknow know, cooked in the right
way, and then turn it over acouple of times and mix it and
then like, see if we want thesauce, yeah, what will the sauce
(12:06):
?
Oh, that's, that's reverb anddelay and chorus, all sorts of
other effects.
So maybe we'll do that so watchthis space.
Cheryl Lee (12:14):
Back to the coming up gigs for the caprettos.
I noticed on the socials you'retalking about some gig-only
merch.
It's not online.
You guys have got a new T-shirtwith the five of you on it 40
bucks.
This is what I'm reallyinterested in.
Bootleg Series live in concertfrom last year the CD.
(12:34):
So you can only get this merchat the moment if we head along
to a gig, right.
Rai Thistlethwayte (12:41):
Yeah, absolutely.
It's a gig exclusive.
I've got to get a cd player inmy current place.
I've got one in my car so I'llI'll have a listen to it.
But I actually was given one ofthose by the band and I stuck
it in my little suitcase and Ibrought it home so I'll have a
listen to it.
Sometimes listening to your ownwork is, you know, you don't
want to do it.
It's like it's like an actorwho has to look at the back of
(13:03):
their neck when there's a cameraangle from a certain place.
Cheryl Lee (13:06):
You're like, oh, I don't want to look at myself
that way, my eyes, my eyes, myears, my ears.
Rai Thistlethwayte (13:12):
But I'm sure it's a great compendium of
stuff, because the good thingabout anything Capretto is
you're getting a greatcross-section of songs from lots
of artists, so you know it'salways a good listen all the way
through.
Exactly right.
Cheryl Lee (13:23):
So get onto the Google-o-meter and find out when
the Caprettos the fabulousCaprettos are coming to your
town.
To finish off, how game are youto do my quick 10?
Rai Thistlethwayte (13:34):
Let's do the quick 10.
I'm happy.
Cheryl Lee (13:36):
Yeah.
Rai Thistlethwayte (13:37):
Do I have to answer them as fast as possible
?
I've got to go as fast.
Oh, Someday We'll All Be Free.
By Donny Hathaway.
As I said, I'm going firstthought.
Cheryl Lee (13:53):
Good on you Favourite live concert you've
ever seen.
Rai Thistlethwayte (13:57):
First thing that came to my mind not my
favourite, but I'll tell you itwas probably one of the first
big bills was a thing called theBig Backyard.
Midnight Oil headlined it.
Def FX was on the bill,caligula was on the bill.
I can't think of the otherbands that were on there, but it
was in the domain in Sydney.
I was about 15 or 16 and it wasan absolutely amazing
(14:17):
experience.
It sort of made me realise whata festival feels like.
Cheryl Lee (14:21):
An influential artist on your career most
influential.
Rai Thistlethwayte (14:25):
Artist, musically, as a band
configuration, I have to sayDeep Purple.
Cheryl Lee (14:29):
Right, yeah.
Rai Thistlethwayte (14:31):
Yeah.
Cheryl Lee (14:31):
Now Dead or Alive?
Who would you like to mostcollaborate with?
Rai Thistlethwayte (14:35):
I'd be shaking in my boots because he
just runs rings around.
Anyone but Keith Jarrett, thekeyboard player, the piano
player best improvised musicI've ever heard has most likely
come from this one person.
He's still around.
He's not playing live anymore.
From this one person.
He's still around.
He's not playing live anymore.
He's one of my favouritemusicians.
Apart from that, I'd probablysay Claude Debussy, the French
(14:57):
composer from you know, writingthings in the early 1900s.
This is going back to my pianoroots.
I'm a piano player at heart andjust to be able to watch
someone like that compose andplay would just be incredible.
Cheryl Lee (15:10):
Awesome Piece of advice that you've received.
That's been invaluable.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Oh, piece of advice.
Rai Thistlethwayte (15:17):
I'll just think of a silly one Don't talk
with your mouth open.
I think my dad said that whenhe was trying to give me some
different type of advice, butbotched it.
Cheryl Lee (15:28):
Don't talk with your mouth open.
Rai Thistlethwayte (15:29):
Yes, I think he was basically telling me to
shut up as long as I don't eatwith your mouth open.
Yes, I think he was basicallytelling me to shut up as long as
I don't eat with your mouthopen.
Cheryl Lee (15:36):
Close.
Rai Thistlethwayte (15:37):
Yeah, but I think don't talk with your mouth
open is better for me.
I love it.
Cheryl Lee (15:44):
Now, what is your favourite song to perform right
now?
What are you loving performingright now?
Rai Thistlethwayte (15:49):
All right, I'm going to go in and I'm going
to say Better by the ScreamingJets sung by Dave Gleeson, and I
get to play it and I get torock out on guitar at the
Capretto's gigs.
I know that's a biased answer,but it is just such a great song
.
Cheryl Lee (16:03):
Yeah, it is, isn't it?
What's been your mostchallenging moment career-wise?
Rai Thistlethwayte (16:13):
Well, career-wise, I think it might
have been having to endure theevent that happened when we had
a road accident in the band.
There was a fatal accident anda good mate, mick, had a
horrible time following that.
He was, yeah, very banged up,to say the least, but it's been
one of those things whereknowing that he's okay has been
(16:34):
really, really cool and, youknow, I have a great rave with
him on the phone and it's madehim a stronger person
emotionally on a lot of levels.
Yeah, just a horrible eventthough, you know, but that's
that was hard, you know that, areally really tough time for the
band.
Cheryl Lee (16:50):
Yeah, I bet.
And the last one is what is asong possibly maybe a Thirsty
Merc song or one of your ownsolo songs that you wish more
people heard and loved andplayed?
I won't say underrated, but youknow what I mean.
Rai Thistlethwayte (17:06):
Yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying.
Well, there's a song that Iwrote that is actually quite
appreciated online.
It's had quite a good amount of, you know, views on YouTube,
but the thing is I never reallyreleased it as a proper thing,
so maybe it's in a way that'sthe reason that it hasn't
received.
You know the sort of airtimethat maybe I think as a
(17:28):
songwriter, but I think as asongwriter it's one of my
favorite songs.
It's a song called AlwaysDreamed of you and it's one of
those weird almost dream scapealmost it could be a Disney sort
of movie ballad in its own way.
But there's something about itthat links that song for me to a
sort of childhood hope,something to do with a
(17:51):
connection with my own parents.
You know, something to do withwhat I wanted to do with my life
when I was a kid and kind of asupport song for someone else as
well.
It's got a sort of.
It talks about the person Ialways dreamed of.
Maybe Is it to do with a lovethat you're looking for, or is
it to do with actually a meaningthat you're looking for in the
(18:12):
embodiment of sort of maybe.
It's weird to think that my mumand me being a kid and that
connection that happens betweena child and the mum and she sort
of taught me music and there'sa connection there that I'm sort
of somehow talking about inthis song.
But I think it's there withevery child and their mother and
I think there's something inthat song that reminds me of the
way it was to be even beforeyou were the age of 10, you know
(18:36):
, before you've gone throughpuberty and sort of like
thinking what does this all mean?
And I think that song's thesort of question mark song of my
songs.
Beautiful, yeah, but it's kindof like a hopeful song.
So I don't know, always dreamedof you.
It's a.
I did a live piano and vocal atmy uh, my old place in sydney,
(18:58):
yeah, on a beautiful stewart andsons piano that was lent to me
by wayne stewart, an australianpiano manufacturer and complete
genius in terms of engineering.
He's based in in Tumut thesedays in South Wales, but yeah,
he lent me this piano for awhile and I was looking after it
and these pianos are hugesymphonic things.
So, yeah, it's probably thatone.
(19:20):
Nice of you to ask about that.
Cheryl Lee (19:22):
That song sounds beautiful, ray.
Would you like to introduce it,and I think we'll go out with
that song today.
Rai Thistlethwayte (19:28):
All right, no worries, this is a bit of a
softer note sound compared tosome of the stuff I've done
before, but it's called AlwaysDreamed of you, live piano vocal
recorded at home by yours truly.
Cheryl Lee (19:41):
I know you guys are pretty busy, so I really
appreciate you spending the timeand sitting down and having
another chat with us.
It's always great to catch up.
I look forward to seeing you onFriday, the 25th, here in our
town and, as I say, get onto theGoogleometer and catch these
goats, these greatest of alltime in your town.
Rai Thistlethwayte (20:00):
Sounds good, anything else you wanted to
mention.
No, that's been awesome.
Thank you so much for takingthe time.
Always fun to chat to you and,yeah, hope to see you at the gig
.
Cheryl Lee (20:09):
Oh yeah, I've got my tickets.
I'll see you down the front.
Rai Thistlethwayte (20:11):
Yeah, sounds good.
See you then.
Cheryl Lee (20:13):
Thanks, rai, bye for now.
Rai Thistlethwayte (20:15):
Bye-bye.
You are listening to StillRocking it the podcast with
Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (20:22):
As promised and as introduced by Rai himself.
Always dreamed of you.
(24:52):
You're with Cheryl Lee thatradio chick.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the Still Rocking it
podcast.
Hope to catch you again nexttime.
Get out when you can supportAussie music and I'll see you
down the front.
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