November 22, 2024 • 36 mins
Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians.
Join our conversation with the legendary Jimi The Human Hocking, the extraordinary guitarist renowned for his work with The Screaming Jets.
Jimi opens up about his personal life, revealing the joys and challenges of parenthood. He shares heartwarming stories of his children's budding musical talents and his approach to making music fun for them. Experience the excitement and nerve-wracking moments of his "Rock the Boat" cruise, a rare adventure for him and his partner, allowing them a cherished first getaway since becoming parents.
Take a trip down memory lane as we explore the vibrant Australian music scene through Jimi's eyes. Relive the moments with old friends, from reminiscing about performances with the Astro Boys to the emotional tribute to a lost bandmate. We shine a light on the support from fans that has been crucial in the band's journey.
Adding a touch of humour, Jimi shares his surprise at discovering his own Wikipedia page, encapsulating the whimsical side of modern fame.
Get an inside look at the dynamic world of The Screaming Jets and their organic evolution over the years. We discuss the complexities of band dynamics and shared histories that bind the members together, from navigating lineup changes to fostering new musical talent during tours.
Explore the rich tapestry of influences that shape their sound, from blues to country, as Jimi reflects on beloved collaborations and personal interests beyond music.
What has Jimi The Human 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 (00:02):
That radio chick, cheryl Lee, here.
Welcome to the Still Rocking itpodcast where we'll have music
news, reviews and interviewswith some of our favourite
Australian musicians and artists.
Today I was lucky enough tocatch up with one of the nicest
men in rock and roll, JamesKevin Hocking.
He's got a huge body of his ownwork that you should definitely
(00:26):
check out when you get theopportunity.
He even played for the Angelsback in 1988 when lead guitarist
of the time, Bob Spencer, brokehis wrist after an onstage
collision with frontman DocNeeson.
But you know him best as JimIthe Human Hocking, fabulous
guitarist for the Screaming Jets.
To catch up on podcasts fromother favourite artists, simply
(00:49):
go to that radiochick.
com.
au.
I was so glad when the PR girlssaid that I was going to catch
up with you because, to tell youthe truth, I was a bit sick of
Dave.
Jimi Hocking (01:00):
Well, me too, I know what you're saying.
I room with Dave still, so I'veheard it all you know.
Cheryl Lee (01:06):
Yeah, because, well, he's been busy.
You know, I caught up with himand Swanee when they did a gig
here together in Adelaide and,of course, caught up with him
with regards to his other boyband, you know the Fabulous
Caprettos.
So it's nice to catch up withyou again.
Thanks for joining me in theZoom room, didn't?
Jimi Hocking (01:26):
we talk.
Last year we had a chat, didn'twe?
Yeah, my kids are young.
My years are just like veryelastic at this point.
Cheryl Lee (01:32):
We chatted in the Zoom room once before.
Good memory, because you mustchat to thousands of us.
Jimi Hocking (01:39):
Yeah, but I kind of feel like I know you a little
bit better than some of thepeople I speak to for the first
time or whatever.
But my timeline is really outnow.
You could have just said to methat was five years ago and I
would have said oh yeah, right,how old are the little ones?
Well, my kids are.
One's about to turn 10 and oneis seven, so clearly I'm 10
years behind where I should bewhen it comes to kids.
(02:00):
These are my only kids.
What that means for me is thatI think I'm relishing the
experience far more than I mayhave if I was younger and more
ambitious.
So it's really the cream for meto have had a career in music
and to still be working as I amwith the Jets and other things
and to have two boys.
For me it's just the best ofboth worlds.
Cheryl Lee (02:22):
And it's the best job in the world parenthood.
I know they're only young, butare they showing any signs of
following in dad's footsteps?
Jimi Hocking (02:29):
well, I try not to force my will upon them, but
I'm using reverse psychologywhen I do that, because I am
forcing my will upon them, uh.
So I'm trying to make it fun,but both the kids are surrounded
by music, so so I feel like byosmosis they're gaining an
appreciation and an interest.
My oldest started piano lessonswith me about two or three
(02:50):
years ago and then we moved intoa formal situation last year
and he's going absolutelygangbusters on the piano.
He has a real natural ability.
His grandfather, my dad, was abrilliant piano player, so he
somehow has that gene.
I started on the piano.
That's why the piano was ourgo-to thing.
It doesn't hurt your fingers.
You can start to understandmusic as a thing before you
(03:11):
maybe pick up a guitar orwhatever.
So he's been going great withthat.
He's composing and can readmusic better than me.
Now after a couple of yearslike it's crazy.
And my little guy he just saidto me this morning he'd like to
start piano lessons.
I was kind of waiting for thatto happen.
He's still there, very youngand distracted, but he also
loves a harmonica.
So I've been having sit-downswith him occasionally where we
(03:32):
play harmonica together and helikes doing that and they both
like getting out their favoriteguitars and laying them on the
ground in my office and pluggingthem into amplifiers and making
a racket.
So even though poor old mum isshaking her head, I assure her
this is the road to it being ofinterest to you.
Cheryl Lee (03:49):
Yeah.
Jimi Hocking (03:50):
I feel like if they're too young and you're
sitting down and saying, well,we're going to learn to see
major scale, it's as boring asbatshit.
Yeah, you need to want to do itand want to enjoy it.
So I'm more about them makingsounds and having fun at this
point.
Cheryl Lee (04:03):
Absolutely.
I look forward to followingtheir journey.
Jimi Hocking (04:06):
Let's hope, let's hope.
Cheryl Lee (04:08):
Going to teenagers.
Jimi Hocking (04:09):
When I pop off, you know what they inherit will
be bitching, you know.
Otherwise it'll be no fun atall.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
You are listening to Still Rockin' it.
The podcast with Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (04:23):
Let's have one of my favourites from their very
first album Come On from the AllFor One record and we'll be
back to speak some more to Jimishortly, apart from the new Life
Blood tour, which is three down.
Five to go national tour youwent on Rock the Boat.
(04:45):
Five to go national tour youwent on rock the boat, you lucky
bugger.
Jimi Hocking (04:48):
Yes, I'm still moving.
I've never been on a cruisebefore in my life, so I was
probably, out of all of us, themost apprehensive slash scared
about going on a boat.
It's not a rational fear, butI'm a bit of a car-sick kid so I
thought that maybe it would benot a pleasant experience.
I managed to talk the good ladyinto coming with me on the boat
(05:11):
.
The good grandparents came andstayed at our house and looked
after our boys, and that was ourfirst time away together since
we've had kids so 10 years so itwas really good that we were
there together and most of theother partners managed to come.
So, even though we were kind ofworried about well, it's a lot
of time to be on the boat foronly one big performance I would
have loved to have done more,to be honest, but we really had
(05:32):
a good time together and maybethat was good timing in the
course of what's happened thisyear that we just spent time not
so much working but justhanging out.
You know we were eatingtogether every day, of course,
and it was good to have thepartners there who got to bond a
little bit more because we alllive interstate.
It's not like when we were in ayoung band, and you hang out
together all the time.
(05:52):
We all live a long way awayfrom each other, so the bands
see each other on tour, ofcourse, but not the wives.
Yeah, they don't know eachother as well as you might
imagine, only because of thetyranny of distance.
So that changed up a little biton the boat and there was lots
of great bands on the boat thatwe have known for years.
Anyway.
We watched a lot of stuff.
(06:12):
We ate too much food, we allgot a bit fatter, we spent money
on cocktails, I'm afraid, andhad a great time and you had the
drinks package.
So I think some of us are stilllimping a bit from overdoing it
on the boat.
Cheryl Lee (06:26):
I've done two Rock the Boats 2015 and last year and
, try as I might, I could notconvince hubby to get back on
this year, oh really, Next year.
Jimi Hocking (06:43):
I'm still working on it and making lots of lamb
roasts.
It's called bribery, but I'mdown, don't worry, I get it.
I think we'll do it again atsome point.
Cheryl Lee (06:52):
I think it was a tick for us, For both, I reckon,
artists and punters, both.
It's an absolute hoot and someartists I know in the past have
flown in and flown out,especially headliners flown in,
done their couple of gigs andflown out.
But I was going to ask you, youdidn't do that.
Good on you.
You got the whole seven-dayexperience.
Jimi Hocking (07:11):
I can't pretend that before I knew anything
about it I didn't kind of thinkabout that idea because we were
going to Numia originally butthere's issues there, so they
went to Cairns.
But really the experience isabout being on the boat, so it's
not so much about the stop.
So I did contemplate where theywere programming us on the week
and maybe I would fly to Cairnsand join the boat there.
But once I did some financialsums on the whole thing I was
(07:34):
like, look, I'm just going towaste money on airfares and
messing around.
If Alana you know the good ladycomes along well, then maybe
it'll be different.
So probably because she came, Ithought, oh well, we'll do the
whole week.
So we were glad we did in theend.
Cheryl Lee (07:49):
I'm glad you did and I'm glad you enjoyed it and
hopefully we'll see you cruisinganother year down the track.
I think Barnsley's on next year.
So you know, being an Adelaidegirl, chisel, that's my thing.
Jimi Hocking (07:59):
Oh yeah, I get that, don't worry about that.
I, I get that, don't worryabout that.
I love Jimmy Barnes.
We actually a couple of yearsback before the lockdown and all
that kind of stuff, theyactually did approach me about
playing in a form of house bandthat was going to involve.
They had the format differentand they were going to have, I
think Jim Barnes and David andyou know, John and all be the
headliners and have a house band.
(08:19):
And they asked me if I would doit and I was so apprehensive
about the boat thing I said no.
So I was like because I wasworried that what if I got sick
and then I'm just a disaster andI've got all this
responsibility to play for allthese people.
But I think they trashed thatformat and that didn't go ahead
in the end anyway.
Let's have another favouriteone from that 1991 debut album
(08:42):
All For One.
How about better?
How good is it?
Back to speak to JimI againshortly.
One, two, three, four.
Jimmy never could have.
They don't care, Still not no.
Speaking of Chisel, I saw Daveleaving the other night because
they headlined at our Vailo racehere.
(09:04):
Caught up very briefly withDave and his family, Did you get
to see any of the 50thanniversary tour?
I did not, I'm very sorry to say.
I would have loved to.
It can be tricky, of course,because my kids are young too.
When I go away and do thesetouring weekends I'm pretty
mindful of not going out toomuch on my nights at home, and
(09:27):
so, look, you know, that phasewill only be probably another
couple of years actually by thelooks of things, but the way the
kids are growing.
Yes, I didn't go.
I watched some footage thatpeople saw and I was kind of
enthusiastic.
I love Mossy's, just one of thegreatest, you know, if not the
greatest, guitar player thecountry has probably ever
produced, and I would have lovedto have seen them.
I've seen them back in the day,and in fact, when Chisel did the
(09:50):
Last Stand and I think the verynext tour was Jimmy Barnes I
think it wasn't Too Fires, itwas Body Swerve, maybe it was
his first solo tour, and I wasthe opening act in my band
called the Astro Boys and I wasthe opening act in my band
called the Astro Boys, which isvery early 80s.
I was the opening act of threefor oh nice on that tour, and
that's when I first met JimmyBarnes.
(10:12):
I've always loved Jimmy Barnesand although I've heard all
sorts of stories, I've never hada negative experience on one of
the Barnes tours.
I've only ever had a good timeand Jim has always come into the
band room.
You know, even for us shitkicker, first band saying
welcome to the tour when youought to have it.
You know, enjoy yourselves like.
He's always been that guy in myexperience and I've always
appreciated that.
Cheryl Lee (10:32):
After that we popped into the crown and anchor for a
roadie on our way home, andthat's when I thought of that
time it was just over 12 monthsago that we were there with you
guys, and I think if it wasn'tyour very first gig back after
the devastating loss of Paulie,it was certainly one of, and it
was a bit of a weird feeling,wasn't it?
(10:54):
I mean, I'm sure you guys feltit even more than we did in the
audience.
Jimi Hocking (10:58):
That was one of those gigs.
They weren't really long, theywere like half an hour or 40
minutes or something.
Yeah, that was the very firstweek, I think maybe we maybe
that was the first one becausewe did, of course, when we every
most capital cities, we didlike a launch come preview of of
what we were doing.
In actual fact, that idea wasalways in the works to do it in
(11:18):
that way and do like these shortsets, and that was, strangely
enough, the reason that weagreed we could do it, because
had they have been sets whichwere like our regular show,
which was compared to an hourand a quarter and an hour and a
half long, I don't thinkeverybody in the group would
have had the emotional strengthjust to do that.
But because they were half-hoursets as a promo thing, we felt
(11:42):
like that was doable.
So it was ironic that that'swhat was on the slab, because it
was also on the slab that wewere going to play at the afl
grand final that week and but wejust said we couldn't do it,
you know.
So that was in a realtransitional moment there and we
had really decided, not so muchas a band but just as people,
that it was possible for us todo that and it was still
(12:03):
difficult.
But I've got to say I know we'removing us to do that and it was
still difficult, but I've gotto say I know we're moving on to
happier pastures.
But I was really amazed at theamount of people that reached
out personally to me and to allof us in a very real way and not
in a fanboy or girl way, justin a really real way about what
we were experiencing and atreally random times, you know,
(12:24):
like people in the supermarketwere coming up to me and just
saying listen, I don't want tobother you, but you know, I just
want to say this and I actuallyfound that really helpful.
I think we all did and it washard to respond to the amount of
people that did that, but itwas actually really a positive
for the band to in the decisionmaking process about what to do.
So we were in the middle ofthat and it was.
It was difficult but it waskind of heartwarming as well.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
You are listening to Still Rockin' it the podcast
with Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (12:54):
Okay, so I've dug one out of the vault.
Here is a very early the Astroswith Second Skin, and then
we're back to speak to Jimi, theHuman Hocking, shortly.
(13:14):
We're certainly glad that thedecision was made to keep going,
that's for sure.
And of course you know Paul.
He is irreplaceable.
But Paul Elliott is now showingas a current member of the
lineup on Wikipedia, so it mustbe true is it.
Jimi Hocking (13:34):
Well, if it's on Wikipedia, I guess you know it's
done by the hands of the gods,as far as I know, because no one
knows who writes that stuff.
Certainly it's not us Magic.
I didn't know there's aWikipedia page for me for years.
And then somebody said to me ayoung girl who worked at one of
the venues I played.
She said I feel famous becauseI'm a friend of somebody who's
on Wikipedia.
I'm like what's Wikipedia?
(13:54):
She said well, you're on it,you must know.
But the Screaming Jets one ofthe strange ways that we work is
in a really shambolic way oforganization, and we had some
great people come in the firstmonth Dario came in to play some
bass and a number of otherpeople who were all really great
.
But we were really not in amindset about what to do next.
(14:17):
We just simply weren't.
And I think it's fair to saythat Dave and I workshopped a
lot of ideas and I feel like itwas me that said listen, the
idea of replacing Paul is not anidea, because the guy is simply
replaceable.
But maybe what we do is we dolike I don't know, like the
Divinals did at one point wherethey had a couple of people who
came into play on a tour by tourbasis and I mean it's not ideal
(14:40):
but maybe that's what we lookat, because emotionally we
couldn't come at this idea ofreplacing Paul.
But organically during the year, paul Elliott, who was a great
friend of our Paul's and I metPaul Elliott when he was the
best man at Paul's first wedding, so that was 30 years ago he
sort of said, listen, he's aguitar player, he said.
But he said I know Paul and hismaterial really well.
(15:03):
If you get stuck and needsomebody to come and do some
stuff, we'll just hand it up forit.
You know, a number of goodpeople actually did that, which
was really nice of them to,because I know it came from the
right place.
But you know, because we hadshared history and obviously
shared stories about Paul, ourPaulie, it was a very easy way
to emotionally connect.
So Paul Elliott came on boardand, although I think he'll even
(15:26):
agree that he hadn't worked asa bass player, he played some
bass but it wasn't his firstinstrument.
We were all a bit unsure abouthow that was going to work.
But he's really done a lot ofwork and he's a musically
intuitive guy.
He's a great thinker, he's alow-maintenance kind of
individual and you know, I thinkit's fair to say that a lot of
(15:46):
people who have even come in towork for the band over the years
have been not fit as well asthey thought, because we're very
idiosyncratic.
You know, we've all gotdifferent things going on and
you really need to have anarmchair degree in psychology to
work in this environment.
Every crew member, everyonewill tell you that.
Pe Paul Elliott.
He just came in and cruisedthrough all of our weirdness and
(16:12):
so he's been a joy to haveplaying for the last, I guess,
nine or so months.
Now.
There won't be a band meetingabout it, it'll be just a thing.
Cheryl Lee (16:21):
It'll be organic.
Jimi Hocking (16:22):
It's organic.
That's the way it's kind oflike when I returned to the band
after my absence for a fewyears, there was no band meeting
about it.
It was just like remember yousaid if we got into trouble
you'd come back and do some play.
Remember that I was like, ohyeah, all right, he goes.
Well, can you do a gig?
I'm like, well, when is it?
He goes Friday.
Cheryl Lee (17:08):
I was going to ask you about your little break,
yeah, and I was going to saywhat did you do in that time?
But I see what you've done.
Jimi Hocking (17:12):
Good grief, you've got a whole piece of paper
there.
Cheryl Lee (17:15):
You've got 19 albums of your own, yeah probably 19.
Jimi Hocking (17:19):
The Jets have only got 10.
Yeah, I've made more recordsthan the Screaming Jets.
Cheryl Lee (17:23):
Exactly Nearly double, so you were busy.
Jimi Hocking (17:27):
I was busy.
You know, I left the band atthe end of the 90s and the way I
came into the band was kind ofby default in some respects,
because Richard Lara, who wasthe original guitar player, who
did the first two records.
They're great records.
Come the second record Tear ofThought, had been released in
Australia and it had done almostnothing because the band were
in America and they weren'ttouring to support it in
(17:48):
Australia.
Even when people kind of talkabout the timeline I've been a
fan of it it's like the firstalbum was the only record that
had done anything locally.
Tear of Thought, which is agreat record, had really not
done anything.
I think Shivers was the singleand that was getting some
airplay, but no one had boughtthe album.
It wasn't even a gold recordyet.
When they were in AmericaRichie got sick and needed some
time off, but it was clear thathe had fallen out of love with
(18:18):
the band and he kind of didn'twant to do it.
I think is fair to say so.
Chuggy said to me well, I dothree weeks with this band.
Richard just never came back.
I was there from 93 till, Ithink, 98 or something like that
.
So I was like nearly the end ofthe 90s.
It wasn't my plan to be in theScreaming Jets for the rest of
my life at that point.
I had other things I wanted todo.
But I had some complications athome and there was some
politics in the band which Ididn't agree to.
I didn't want to sign into thecompany.
(18:38):
So I ended up leaving the bandat the end of the 90s thinking
I'll go back to what my originalpath was to do this, this, this
and this.
I had a number of things Iwanted to do and it's probably
worth mentioning that in thosedays.
At that time I joined the band.
The band came back from America,we decided to tour Tear of
Thought, to success almost.
So I was very much part of thattour.
(19:00):
I replaced some of the guitarparts on the singles that were
released.
So I sort of played on some ofthe material.
And then we made the Gorillaalbum.
We made the Well Gone Crazyalbum.
I recorded both those records,made the Gorilla album.
We made the World Gone Crazyalbum.
I recorded both those records.
And I had a sideline interestin taekwondo.
So don't laugh, but I had neverdone a black belt grading
because I'd broken two bones inmy foot when I'd previously
(19:21):
tried to do it.
On my to-do list was a number ofthings.
I had an opportunity to go toNew York and play in a thing.
I was about to get my asskicked by a short marriage.
I was getting divorced so Ilost all my money and I wanted
to do my first degree grading intaekwondo.
There was all these things.
So I went away and ticked allthe boxes off my list.
I spent time making blues, acouple of blues records and a
(19:43):
couple of other bits and pieces.
I went to the States and I kindof based loosely out of New York
for a little while.
I think I'm gone for abouteight or nine years in real
terms, but in that time the bandstopped playing altogether for
about three to four years andDave made a solo album at my
place.
Dave and I remained tight thewhole time and he came and
(20:05):
stayed with me down the coastand we worked on a bunch of
demos and then we recorded therecord.
We were going to do it atThorpey Studio but that deal
kind of fell over.
So at the last minute I had abasic home studio that we could
track in and we tracked it allthere.
So Wanted man was the record wemade.
Cheryl Lee (20:22):
I love that album.
Jimi Hocking (20:23):
Yeah, so that's me playing everything.
I got a rhythm section togetherto do it in Victoria and I
played the rest of the stuff andDave and me kind of arranged
the songs.
He wrote all the songs, Iengineered and recorded the
record.
So I enjoyed that project and Ithink that even when people saw
that I was working togetherwith David, then there was
(20:45):
speculation about that.
I wasn't really out of the loopin some respects and Izzy was
playing in the band.
Izzy's a great guitar playerbut he was the same.
He got to a point where he waslike he had other things he
wanted to do, so it just sort offlip-flopped back around and I
came back to the band as theshort story.
Cheryl Lee (21:07):
We'll play one of those songs now from the album
Wanted man that Jimi made withDave.
There's so many beautiful songson the album.
I play it on the radio all thetime and this one always makes
me cry.
Sitting in the studio all bymyself, blubbering like a baby,
those rusty train tracks.
Back to speak some more to Jimishortly back to speak some more
(21:31):
to Jimmy shortly.
We'd learnt that Dave is alittle bit country from that
(21:54):
Wanted man album.
By the way, I keep hassling him, and now I know I can hassle
you as well.
We need another one.
Jimi Hocking (22:02):
Well, I'm really happy that you like that record.
It was a labour of love forboth of us and you know, dave
had always been a country musicfan.
I mean, I know about JohnnyCash, waylon Dings and all these
guys through Dave.
When I first met Dave before Iwas even in the band I had a
band called Jimi the Human andSpectre 7 and the Screaming Jets
opened for me in Victoriabecause my audience was much
bigger than theirs at that timeI had no audience anywhere else
(22:25):
but in Victoria.
I had a top 12 album, you know.
But Dave walked in the band roomwith a big white cowboy hat on
and it wasn't a joke at the time.
I think he was obsessed withGarth Brooks and Johnny Cash.
When we were driving aroundtogether in those early days I
was listening to Neil Young andBB King, he was listening to
Garth Brooks and Johnny Cash,all he was listening to all this
kind of English mod, the who.
(22:45):
And you know like we were.
We were a very eclectic groupof guys and I think people don't
expect that when they come intothe fold.
Cheryl Lee (22:53):
Yeah, you are.
So he's a little bit countryand, it's fair to say, you're
probably a little bit bluesy.
Yeah, a little bit of a bluesslant there, yeah, yeah.
Jimi Hocking (23:01):
And I even have an interest in jazz, which is a
dirty word for a rock and rollmusician, you know but that's
like something else.
I grew up with my dad playingpiano and things and I kind of
not all of it, but I loved allof that stuff.
Cheryl Lee (23:14):
There's a song on the latest album which is a
little bit country.
Lying With Her, it's got a bitof a country slant to it.
Jimi Hocking (23:21):
I would say it's a lot country.
So it's Dave.
It's not a new song.
Dave had written that song.
Dave's a great lyricist, youknow.
But in the years that Paulie waswriting the body of the
material, we all felt thatPaulie's writing style was very
much part of the Screaming Jetssound.
There's been times where Daveand I have decided to start
writing songs, but theunderlying theme would be to
(23:42):
motivate Paulie to write songsbecause he'd be like whoa, whoa,
whoa, that's my job, what areyou guys doing?
So that's often been the way.
So Dave had always writtensongs.
He wrote that one with SteveBalby, of course, who you would
know from my Sex and Noiseworks,and I knew Steve back when he
(24:03):
was a bass player for the firsttime ever on a major touring
circuit with Kevin Borich.
So we all go way back, all ofus guys.
So Balby and Dave put that songtogether and it was always
lying around.
Just in the last days ofrecording the album tracks for
Professional Misconduct we did awrap-up.
We didn't want to get anythingout of the ideas that you just
want to play.
I had a couple and we recordeda couple of those, but they
(24:24):
didn't make this album.
Dave said well, I've got thissong that I did with Balbie I
don't know what do you think ofthis.
So he played it to us and wewere like hang on a minute,
that's really got something.
Cheryl Lee (24:35):
That's all right.
Jimi Hocking (24:37):
Yeah.
So Scotty Kingman picked up theacoustic guitar and he played
that part.
I'm also a keen mandolin player, played mandolin on a number of
Screamy Jets tracks over theyears, much to the horror of
some hard rock people.
But I was like you know, Irecorded the mandolin at home.
I was like send me the trackand I actually want to come up
(24:58):
with an idea.
So I actually want to do is Iplay a lot of stuff and then let
Steve James, our illustriousproducer, just cherry pick what
he likes.
He just added a few little bitsand even though it's a rock
record, I still think that LyingWith Her is one of the standout
moments on the record.
Cheryl Lee (25:41):
Speaking of writing, because I think Paulie had a
hand in every single song.
I reckon on the ProfessionalMisconduct album.
Jimi Hocking (25:49):
Pretty much.
I think Lying With Her is theonly one he didn't really have a
writing thing going.
Yeah, I think you're probablyright.
Most of the songs were born oftracks that Paulie and Scotty
Kingman were working up togetherover the last couple of years.
Even throughout lockdown wewere kind of throwing ideas
around and you know, we madethis album as a result of
(26:10):
post-lockdown ideas and it wasnot the way we've made albums in
the past.
In the past we would sit aroundand acoustically play through
probably Paul's ideas Because wecouldn't get together for the
longest time.
Paul and Scotty were amusingthemselves by throwing up guitar
riffs and bass lines back andforth over the internet or in
the hotel rooms and they workedout a bunch of stuff, but they
(26:32):
weren't songs yet, they werejust a lot of musical ideas.
So normally we have a much morecomplete picture of songs when
we go in the studio to record.
We didn't have that onProfessional Misconduct.
We had all these verse andchorus ideas and a lot of stuff
was still in Jigsaw.
So we pieced together most ofthe stuff from the ideas in the
studio.
So the songwriting process wasvery different, on Professional
(26:56):
Misconduct, to any other recordwe've done.
I think it was the best way tomake a record.
Probably not, uh, but you stillmade a great record and you know
that that occurs because wehave all these collective ideas
and we all have a strong ideaabout arrangement and we all
have enough experience to makethat work.
And Steve James, who has beenour producer for most of our
(27:19):
career.
I wouldn't even want to do arecord without him.
He's such an ace in the sleeveof the Screaming Jets way to
create music.
He's like your sixth member.
Truly, when it comes to writingand recording.
Steve knows us all, he knowswhat we can do, he knows what
our strengths are and you knowyou can't buy that kind of
(27:40):
insider knowledge.
Cheryl Lee (27:41):
That's right.
And speaking of songs andalbums, I've heard just recently
that there's still quite a lotof material left over that Paul
Lee has had a hand in.
So he is.
Am I right in saying that hiswriting is going to feature
pretty heavily in the next songsfor the next album?
Jimi Hocking (28:01):
I would say that's accurate, because it was.
The process was as I said.
You know, we had all thesemusical ideas that we kind of we
formed and that meant, you know, Paul ie brought all his lyric
books out and David him workedon those with Steve and you know
we were cutting.
You know, let's try this doublelength, let's try this half
length.
We ended up with six songs, toomany for a record.
Cheryl Lee (28:20):
That's half an album .
Jimi Hocking (28:22):
It's half an album .
You know, when we came topicking tracks, I think a lot of
the tracks that got picked werethe ones that were closest to
being over the line.
You know, at a certain point itwasn't because the tracks that
were kind of being developedweren't any good, it was simply
a logistical decision for us.
I would be sorry to not seethose other tracks see it a lot
of day.
I think there was some reallygood ideas.
(28:42):
I would say four out of six ofthose songs were pretty close to
being finished and what thatmeant was Paulie had played on
them.
So when we come out withanother recording which I'd say
is on the cards, Paul Woseen'sbass playing will still be part
of that project.
Yeah, awesome, that would befantastic, you know.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
You are listening to Still Rockin' it.
The podcast with Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (29:06):
Another one of my favourites from the Professional
Misconduct album from last year, written by Dave Gleeson and
Paul Woseen.
It's a beautiful song.
Second Chance Back to chat toJimi the human after this.
If you had the chance right now, do you know what you would
know what you would say?
(29:28):
I haven't got a timer, but I'msure my time's up so we better
talk about the tour.
So, as I said, three down fiveto go, get onto the Googleometer
screamingjetscom for the restof the dates.
For the Adelaideans, you'regoing to be here at the Gov
Friday December 13.
(29:48):
I already bought my tickets forthat VIP meet and greet, mind
you.
Yeah great.
We're really looking forward tothat.
I've got two other quickquestions.
So how important.
You've got Mammal and Lolacoming to Adelaide with you and
you've also got Large Mirage onthe tour.
How important is it and howdifficult is it to select your
(30:09):
support act on a tour?
Jimi Hocking (30:11):
Well, it's extremely important to us and
it's become more difficultbecause we have a lot of love
for a lot of the new bands thatwe've stumbled across.
If you will, mammal have beenaround for a while.
They've got their own thing andtheir own following going.
We want to have a great show.
We don't want to havelacklustre support acts to make
us look good.
We want to have kicklustersupport acts to make us look
(30:32):
good.
We want to have kick-asssupport acts and people are
spending their hard-earned moneyto come out to see a show.
We want them to see a show fromstart to finish that they want
to watch.
I didn't know anything aboutLarge Mirage or Lola much until
a few months ago when we startedlooking through ideas, and of
course, we look online and watchvideo clips and come up with
what we think are opinions.
But some years ago theScreaming Jets collectively had
(30:54):
a discussion about the right ofpassage that we went through,
which was to support biggerbands as we were coming up
through the seam, and there's alot of reasons now that bigger
promoters won't take risks withputting unknown acts on or
lesser known acts on.
They want all headline acts.
We've decided to put our moneywhere our mouth is and always
trying to have an up and comerat least on a bill with us.
So we all kind of have our earsand eyes open for things.
(31:17):
Some of the decisions arepolitical as well, but for the
most part we all have to agreeon our opening acts.
I have been absolutely blownaway with Large Mirage and
Mammal.
I haven't seen their wholeshows yet.
I knew that Mammal were areally heavy band, but they are
really this band that get thecrowd going and you know they're
very showy and I really likethat about them.
And Large Mirage I haven't seenLola yet live, but they're
(31:39):
joining us in Adelaide.
But Large Mirage are also.
They look like they're straightout of a 70s kind of classic
rock ensemble.
There's a little bit of StevieNicks about Molly the singer,
who's a very attractive and verytalented singer, but the band
are absolutely bitching.
They're great guitar playerlike.
They're kind of a band after myown heart.
They remind me of my early daysplaying my earliest original
(32:01):
material.
I gotta say so I already, afterlike only a couple of gigs,
have a lot of a lot of love forthe bands that are opening.
I'm really excited about it.
Cheryl Lee (32:09):
I really love that you're sort of giving back and
giving those opportunities,perhaps a little bit against you
know, the current trend andgiving opportunities to the new
up and comers, like theopportunities that were given to
you.
Yeah.
Jimi Hocking (32:23):
Well, you know it's a thing and you know, look,
we're not a bunch of hippiesabout it, but there's this idea
of like, keeping a good balanceof things.
It is what happened to us someof those opportunities panned
out some of them did, by the way, when we were younger.
But you know, I just think it'sif you're going to talk the
talk, you've got to walk thewalk.
So if you're going to say, yeah, that that'd be great, stick
your neck out a little bit andmaybe make it work.
(32:45):
My opinion is that, because theScreaming Jets have been around
now some 35 odd years, ouraudience have grown with us and
a lot of them are older crewthat have followed the band all
this time.
We're very fortunate to havethese people support the band,
but because of their age andthey've grown older and wiser
with us, they want to see new.
They're enthused to see a youngband as well that are keeping
(33:05):
the flame alive.
We've had a number of greatopening bands, know, and so I
have conversations with peoplewho say, man, it's so cool to
see young kids who are oldenough to be our children,
basically, who still loveclassic rock and who still are
writing songs.
They're not cutting and pastingstuff together with a fruity
loops drum beat.
(33:26):
They're actually playing andsinging harmonies and ripping
our guitar solo, like we are soenthused by that, you know.
So I think our audience for themost part feel the same way.
Cheryl Lee (33:35):
I think it's terrific because you're not
scared that they're going toupstage you.
In fact, you know they'reprobably pushing you hard.
I think, shit, we better pullout a good one.
Jimi Hocking (33:43):
I think, some years ago.
It's not that we've lost ourfire, but we lost our irrational
sense of competitiveness withother bands.
Because when you're young youhave this yeah, we're going to
show them, we are the best rock,you know.
And I think that's just part ofyour youthful mentality.
And now we're lovers of musicand so when we see great music
(34:04):
it doesn't strike a fear of likeoh, you know that.
No, we want to see it.
We say that'll be great tobring on the road because that
will really enhance our show.
To have good talent, you know.
Cheryl Lee (34:14):
Yeah, and you can appreciate it.
Yeah, still rockin' It thepodcast with that radio chick,
cheryl Lee, his dream machine,by Large Mirage on tour with the
Screaming Jets, and then backto say goodbye to Screaming Jets
guitar man Jimi the HumanHocking.
There's a lot of 50thanniversary tours on at the
(34:43):
moment.
We mentioned Chisel Angels havegot theirs, you know, 99 not
out or no 59.
Jimi Hocking (34:50):
99.
Cheryl Lee (34:51):
So have you guys got another 15 years in.
You, you know 99 not out or no99.
So have you guys got another 15years in you.
Jimi Hocking (34:54):
You know I hope so .
You know I limp a little bitnow and, of course, you know my
ears are bad.
I've got RSI.
I'm not the man I used to be.
I think we do Like who can sayI think that you want to be able
to do it at a certain level,and the other fallback idea is
that we just don't have anotherplan.
You know, when this, what arewe going to do?
You know we and we face thisquestion at the loss of Paulie,
(35:17):
like this is.
You know we've spent all this,all these years, working on this
vehicle called the screamingjets.
At what point do you just dropit and go?
I know it just doesn't workanymore.
I don't think you do.
Cheryl Lee (35:26):
You're kind of married to the idea.
Jimi Hocking (35:27):
I played a bunch of different things here and
there and you know I still getto do that.
I do some teaching.
I have some other interestsoutside we mostly all do.
This has been our main thing.
This has been what we've putall our time and love into for
decades now.
So unless somebody comes alongwith a big hook and hook us off
the stage and pulls us into thewings, I think we just keep
(35:48):
doing it until we just can't doit.
Cheryl Lee (35:50):
Yeah, I think We'll still keep coming.
We'll be in our frames, ourwalking frames, yeah.
Jimi Hocking (35:56):
We've sure to put that in Wikipedia.
So Jimi Hocking said is thescreaming just going to end?
It's like no, because we justdon't know what else to do.
Cheryl Lee (36:02):
No, what's that R word, retire?
All right, I'm going to get onwith your day.
I really appreciate you beingso, so generous with your time.
We're really looking forward tocatching up with you guys at
the Gov On the 13th.
I shall see you down the front.
Jimi Hocking (36:16):
So awesome.
Thanks so much, Cheryl.
Cheryl Lee (36:18):
See you, jimi, have a great day Thanks again.
You're with Cheryl Lee thatradio chick.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the Still Rockin' it
podcast.
Hope to catch you again nexttime.
Get out when you can supportAussie music and I'll
That radio chick, cheryl Lee, here.
Welcome to the Still Rocking itpodcast where we'll have music
news, reviews and interviewswith some of our favourite
Australian musicians and artists.
Today I was lucky enough tocatch up with one of the nicest
men in rock and roll, JamesKevin Hocking.
He's got a huge body of his ownwork that you should definitely
(00:26):
check out when you get theopportunity.
He even played for the Angelsback in 1988 when lead guitarist
of the time, Bob Spencer, brokehis wrist after an onstage
collision with frontman DocNeeson.
But you know him best as JimIthe Human Hocking, fabulous
guitarist for the Screaming Jets.
To catch up on podcasts fromother favourite artists, simply
(00:49):
go to that radiochick.
com.
au.
I was so glad when the PR girlssaid that I was going to catch
up with you because, to tell youthe truth, I was a bit sick of
Dave.
Jimi Hocking (01:00):
Well, me too, I know what you're saying.
I room with Dave still, so I'veheard it all you know.
Cheryl Lee (01:06):
Yeah, because, well, he's been busy.
You know, I caught up with himand Swanee when they did a gig
here together in Adelaide and,of course, caught up with him
with regards to his other boyband, you know the Fabulous
Caprettos.
So it's nice to catch up withyou again.
Thanks for joining me in theZoom room, didn't?
Jimi Hocking (01:26):
we talk.
Last year we had a chat, didn'twe?
Yeah, my kids are young.
My years are just like veryelastic at this point.
Cheryl Lee (01:32):
We chatted in the Zoom room once before.
Good memory, because you mustchat to thousands of us.
Jimi Hocking (01:39):
Yeah, but I kind of feel like I know you a little
bit better than some of thepeople I speak to for the first
time or whatever.
But my timeline is really outnow.
You could have just said to methat was five years ago and I
would have said oh yeah, right,how old are the little ones?
Well, my kids are.
One's about to turn 10 and oneis seven, so clearly I'm 10
years behind where I should bewhen it comes to kids.
(02:00):
These are my only kids.
What that means for me is thatI think I'm relishing the
experience far more than I mayhave if I was younger and more
ambitious.
So it's really the cream for meto have had a career in music
and to still be working as I amwith the Jets and other things
and to have two boys.
For me it's just the best ofboth worlds.
Cheryl Lee (02:22):
And it's the best job in the world parenthood.
I know they're only young, butare they showing any signs of
following in dad's footsteps?
Jimi Hocking (02:29):
well, I try not to force my will upon them, but
I'm using reverse psychologywhen I do that, because I am
forcing my will upon them, uh.
So I'm trying to make it fun,but both the kids are surrounded
by music, so so I feel like byosmosis they're gaining an
appreciation and an interest.
My oldest started piano lessonswith me about two or three
(02:50):
years ago and then we moved intoa formal situation last year
and he's going absolutelygangbusters on the piano.
He has a real natural ability.
His grandfather, my dad, was abrilliant piano player, so he
somehow has that gene.
I started on the piano.
That's why the piano was ourgo-to thing.
It doesn't hurt your fingers.
You can start to understandmusic as a thing before you
(03:11):
maybe pick up a guitar orwhatever.
So he's been going great withthat.
He's composing and can readmusic better than me.
Now after a couple of yearslike it's crazy.
And my little guy he just saidto me this morning he'd like to
start piano lessons.
I was kind of waiting for thatto happen.
He's still there, very youngand distracted, but he also
loves a harmonica.
So I've been having sit-downswith him occasionally where we
(03:32):
play harmonica together and helikes doing that and they both
like getting out their favoriteguitars and laying them on the
ground in my office and pluggingthem into amplifiers and making
a racket.
So even though poor old mum isshaking her head, I assure her
this is the road to it being ofinterest to you.
Cheryl Lee (03:49):
Yeah.
Jimi Hocking (03:50):
I feel like if they're too young and you're
sitting down and saying, well,we're going to learn to see
major scale, it's as boring asbatshit.
Yeah, you need to want to do itand want to enjoy it.
So I'm more about them makingsounds and having fun at this
point.
Cheryl Lee (04:03):
Absolutely.
I look forward to followingtheir journey.
Jimi Hocking (04:06):
Let's hope, let's hope.
Cheryl Lee (04:08):
Going to teenagers.
Jimi Hocking (04:09):
When I pop off, you know what they inherit will
be bitching, you know.
Otherwise it'll be no fun atall.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
You are listening to Still Rockin' it.
The podcast with Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (04:23):
Let's have one of my favourites from their very
first album Come On from the AllFor One record and we'll be
back to speak some more to Jimishortly, apart from the new Life
Blood tour, which is three down.
Five to go national tour youwent on Rock the Boat.
(04:45):
Five to go national tour youwent on rock the boat, you lucky
bugger.
Jimi Hocking (04:48):
Yes, I'm still moving.
I've never been on a cruisebefore in my life, so I was
probably, out of all of us, themost apprehensive slash scared
about going on a boat.
It's not a rational fear, butI'm a bit of a car-sick kid so I
thought that maybe it would benot a pleasant experience.
I managed to talk the good ladyinto coming with me on the boat
(05:11):
.
The good grandparents came andstayed at our house and looked
after our boys, and that was ourfirst time away together since
we've had kids so 10 years so itwas really good that we were
there together and most of theother partners managed to come.
So, even though we were kind ofworried about well, it's a lot
of time to be on the boat foronly one big performance I would
have loved to have done more,to be honest, but we really had
(05:32):
a good time together and maybethat was good timing in the
course of what's happened thisyear that we just spent time not
so much working but justhanging out.
You know we were eatingtogether every day, of course,
and it was good to have thepartners there who got to bond a
little bit more because we alllive interstate.
It's not like when we were in ayoung band, and you hang out
together all the time.
(05:52):
We all live a long way awayfrom each other, so the bands
see each other on tour, ofcourse, but not the wives.
Yeah, they don't know eachother as well as you might
imagine, only because of thetyranny of distance.
So that changed up a little biton the boat and there was lots
of great bands on the boat thatwe have known for years.
Anyway.
We watched a lot of stuff.
(06:12):
We ate too much food, we allgot a bit fatter, we spent money
on cocktails, I'm afraid, andhad a great time and you had the
drinks package.
So I think some of us are stilllimping a bit from overdoing it
on the boat.
Cheryl Lee (06:26):
I've done two Rock the Boats 2015 and last year and
, try as I might, I could notconvince hubby to get back on
this year, oh really, Next year.
Jimi Hocking (06:43):
I'm still working on it and making lots of lamb
roasts.
It's called bribery, but I'mdown, don't worry, I get it.
I think we'll do it again atsome point.
Cheryl Lee (06:52):
I think it was a tick for us, For both, I reckon,
artists and punters, both.
It's an absolute hoot and someartists I know in the past have
flown in and flown out,especially headliners flown in,
done their couple of gigs andflown out.
But I was going to ask you, youdidn't do that.
Good on you.
You got the whole seven-dayexperience.
Jimi Hocking (07:11):
I can't pretend that before I knew anything
about it I didn't kind of thinkabout that idea because we were
going to Numia originally butthere's issues there, so they
went to Cairns.
But really the experience isabout being on the boat, so it's
not so much about the stop.
So I did contemplate where theywere programming us on the week
and maybe I would fly to Cairnsand join the boat there.
But once I did some financialsums on the whole thing I was
(07:34):
like, look, I'm just going towaste money on airfares and
messing around.
If Alana you know the good ladycomes along well, then maybe
it'll be different.
So probably because she came, Ithought, oh well, we'll do the
whole week.
So we were glad we did in theend.
Cheryl Lee (07:49):
I'm glad you did and I'm glad you enjoyed it and
hopefully we'll see you cruisinganother year down the track.
I think Barnsley's on next year.
So you know, being an Adelaidegirl, chisel, that's my thing.
Jimi Hocking (07:59):
Oh yeah, I get that, don't worry about that.
I, I get that, don't worryabout that.
I love Jimmy Barnes.
We actually a couple of yearsback before the lockdown and all
that kind of stuff, theyactually did approach me about
playing in a form of house bandthat was going to involve.
They had the format differentand they were going to have, I
think Jim Barnes and David andyou know, John and all be the
headliners and have a house band.
(08:19):
And they asked me if I would doit and I was so apprehensive
about the boat thing I said no.
So I was like because I wasworried that what if I got sick
and then I'm just a disaster andI've got all this
responsibility to play for allthese people.
But I think they trashed thatformat and that didn't go ahead
in the end anyway.
Let's have another favouriteone from that 1991 debut album
(08:42):
All For One.
How about better?
How good is it?
Back to speak to JimI againshortly.
One, two, three, four.
Jimmy never could have.
They don't care, Still not no.
Speaking of Chisel, I saw Daveleaving the other night because
they headlined at our Vailo racehere.
(09:04):
Caught up very briefly withDave and his family, Did you get
to see any of the 50thanniversary tour?
I did not, I'm very sorry to say.
I would have loved to.
It can be tricky, of course,because my kids are young too.
When I go away and do thesetouring weekends I'm pretty
mindful of not going out toomuch on my nights at home, and
(09:27):
so, look, you know, that phasewill only be probably another
couple of years actually by thelooks of things, but the way the
kids are growing.
Yes, I didn't go.
I watched some footage thatpeople saw and I was kind of
enthusiastic.
I love Mossy's, just one of thegreatest, you know, if not the
greatest, guitar player thecountry has probably ever
produced, and I would have lovedto have seen them.
I've seen them back in the day,and in fact, when Chisel did the
(09:50):
Last Stand and I think the verynext tour was Jimmy Barnes I
think it wasn't Too Fires, itwas Body Swerve, maybe it was
his first solo tour, and I wasthe opening act in my band
called the Astro Boys and I wasthe opening act in my band
called the Astro Boys, which isvery early 80s.
I was the opening act of threefor oh nice on that tour, and
that's when I first met JimmyBarnes.
(10:12):
I've always loved Jimmy Barnesand although I've heard all
sorts of stories, I've never hada negative experience on one of
the Barnes tours.
I've only ever had a good timeand Jim has always come into the
band room.
You know, even for us shitkicker, first band saying
welcome to the tour when youought to have it.
You know, enjoy yourselves like.
He's always been that guy in myexperience and I've always
appreciated that.
Cheryl Lee (10:32):
After that we popped into the crown and anchor for a
roadie on our way home, andthat's when I thought of that
time it was just over 12 monthsago that we were there with you
guys, and I think if it wasn'tyour very first gig back after
the devastating loss of Paulie,it was certainly one of, and it
was a bit of a weird feeling,wasn't it?
(10:54):
I mean, I'm sure you guys feltit even more than we did in the
audience.
Jimi Hocking (10:58):
That was one of those gigs.
They weren't really long, theywere like half an hour or 40
minutes or something.
Yeah, that was the very firstweek, I think maybe we maybe
that was the first one becausewe did, of course, when we every
most capital cities, we didlike a launch come preview of of
what we were doing.
In actual fact, that idea wasalways in the works to do it in
(11:18):
that way and do like these shortsets, and that was, strangely
enough, the reason that weagreed we could do it, because
had they have been sets whichwere like our regular show,
which was compared to an hourand a quarter and an hour and a
half long, I don't thinkeverybody in the group would
have had the emotional strengthjust to do that.
But because they were half-hoursets as a promo thing, we felt
(11:42):
like that was doable.
So it was ironic that that'swhat was on the slab, because it
was also on the slab that wewere going to play at the afl
grand final that week and but wejust said we couldn't do it,
you know.
So that was in a realtransitional moment there and we
had really decided, not so muchas a band but just as people,
that it was possible for us todo that and it was still
(12:03):
difficult.
But I've got to say I know we'removing us to do that and it was
still difficult, but I've gotto say I know we're moving on to
happier pastures.
But I was really amazed at theamount of people that reached
out personally to me and to allof us in a very real way and not
in a fanboy or girl way, justin a really real way about what
we were experiencing and atreally random times, you know,
(12:24):
like people in the supermarketwere coming up to me and just
saying listen, I don't want tobother you, but you know, I just
want to say this and I actuallyfound that really helpful.
I think we all did and it washard to respond to the amount of
people that did that, but itwas actually really a positive
for the band to in the decisionmaking process about what to do.
So we were in the middle ofthat and it was.
It was difficult but it waskind of heartwarming as well.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
You are listening to Still Rockin' it the podcast
with Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (12:54):
Okay, so I've dug one out of the vault.
Here is a very early the Astroswith Second Skin, and then
we're back to speak to Jimi, theHuman Hocking, shortly.
(13:14):
We're certainly glad that thedecision was made to keep going,
that's for sure.
And of course you know Paul.
He is irreplaceable.
But Paul Elliott is now showingas a current member of the
lineup on Wikipedia, so it mustbe true is it.
Jimi Hocking (13:34):
Well, if it's on Wikipedia, I guess you know it's
done by the hands of the gods,as far as I know, because no one
knows who writes that stuff.
Certainly it's not us Magic.
I didn't know there's aWikipedia page for me for years.
And then somebody said to me ayoung girl who worked at one of
the venues I played.
She said I feel famous becauseI'm a friend of somebody who's
on Wikipedia.
I'm like what's Wikipedia?
(13:54):
She said well, you're on it,you must know.
But the Screaming Jets one ofthe strange ways that we work is
in a really shambolic way oforganization, and we had some
great people come in the firstmonth Dario came in to play some
bass and a number of otherpeople who were all really great
.
But we were really not in amindset about what to do next.
(14:17):
We just simply weren't.
And I think it's fair to saythat Dave and I workshopped a
lot of ideas and I feel like itwas me that said listen, the
idea of replacing Paul is not anidea, because the guy is simply
replaceable.
But maybe what we do is we dolike I don't know, like the
Divinals did at one point wherethey had a couple of people who
came into play on a tour by tourbasis and I mean it's not ideal
(14:40):
but maybe that's what we lookat, because emotionally we
couldn't come at this idea ofreplacing Paul.
But organically during the year, paul Elliott, who was a great
friend of our Paul's and I metPaul Elliott when he was the
best man at Paul's first wedding, so that was 30 years ago he
sort of said, listen, he's aguitar player, he said.
But he said I know Paul and hismaterial really well.
(15:03):
If you get stuck and needsomebody to come and do some
stuff, we'll just hand it up forit.
You know, a number of goodpeople actually did that, which
was really nice of them to,because I know it came from the
right place.
But you know, because we hadshared history and obviously
shared stories about Paul, ourPaulie, it was a very easy way
to emotionally connect.
So Paul Elliott came on boardand, although I think he'll even
(15:26):
agree that he hadn't worked asa bass player, he played some
bass but it wasn't his firstinstrument.
We were all a bit unsure abouthow that was going to work.
But he's really done a lot ofwork and he's a musically
intuitive guy.
He's a great thinker, he's alow-maintenance kind of
individual and you know, I thinkit's fair to say that a lot of
(15:46):
people who have even come in towork for the band over the years
have been not fit as well asthey thought, because we're very
idiosyncratic.
You know, we've all gotdifferent things going on and
you really need to have anarmchair degree in psychology to
work in this environment.
Every crew member, everyonewill tell you that.
Pe Paul Elliott.
He just came in and cruisedthrough all of our weirdness and
(16:12):
so he's been a joy to haveplaying for the last, I guess,
nine or so months.
Now.
There won't be a band meetingabout it, it'll be just a thing.
Cheryl Lee (16:21):
It'll be organic.
Jimi Hocking (16:22):
It's organic.
That's the way it's kind oflike when I returned to the band
after my absence for a fewyears, there was no band meeting
about it.
It was just like remember yousaid if we got into trouble
you'd come back and do some play.
Remember that I was like, ohyeah, all right, he goes.
Well, can you do a gig?
I'm like, well, when is it?
He goes Friday.
Cheryl Lee (17:08):
I was going to ask you about your little break,
yeah, and I was going to saywhat did you do in that time?
But I see what you've done.
Jimi Hocking (17:12):
Good grief, you've got a whole piece of paper
there.
Cheryl Lee (17:15):
You've got 19 albums of your own, yeah probably 19.
Jimi Hocking (17:19):
The Jets have only got 10.
Yeah, I've made more recordsthan the Screaming Jets.
Cheryl Lee (17:23):
Exactly Nearly double, so you were busy.
Jimi Hocking (17:27):
I was busy.
You know, I left the band atthe end of the 90s and the way I
came into the band was kind ofby default in some respects,
because Richard Lara, who wasthe original guitar player, who
did the first two records.
They're great records.
Come the second record Tear ofThought, had been released in
Australia and it had done almostnothing because the band were
in America and they weren'ttouring to support it in
(17:48):
Australia.
Even when people kind of talkabout the timeline I've been a
fan of it it's like the firstalbum was the only record that
had done anything locally.
Tear of Thought, which is agreat record, had really not
done anything.
I think Shivers was the singleand that was getting some
airplay, but no one had boughtthe album.
It wasn't even a gold recordyet.
When they were in AmericaRichie got sick and needed some
time off, but it was clear thathe had fallen out of love with
(18:18):
the band and he kind of didn'twant to do it.
I think is fair to say so.
Chuggy said to me well, I dothree weeks with this band.
Richard just never came back.
I was there from 93 till, Ithink, 98 or something like that
.
So I was like nearly the end ofthe 90s.
It wasn't my plan to be in theScreaming Jets for the rest of
my life at that point.
I had other things I wanted todo.
But I had some complications athome and there was some
politics in the band which Ididn't agree to.
I didn't want to sign into thecompany.
(18:38):
So I ended up leaving the bandat the end of the 90s thinking
I'll go back to what my originalpath was to do this, this, this
and this.
I had a number of things Iwanted to do and it's probably
worth mentioning that in thosedays.
At that time I joined the band.
The band came back from America,we decided to tour Tear of
Thought, to success almost.
So I was very much part of thattour.
(19:00):
I replaced some of the guitarparts on the singles that were
released.
So I sort of played on some ofthe material.
And then we made the Gorillaalbum.
We made the Well Gone Crazyalbum.
I recorded both those records,made the Gorilla album.
We made the World Gone Crazyalbum.
I recorded both those records.
And I had a sideline interestin taekwondo.
So don't laugh, but I had neverdone a black belt grading
because I'd broken two bones inmy foot when I'd previously
(19:21):
tried to do it.
On my to-do list was a number ofthings.
I had an opportunity to go toNew York and play in a thing.
I was about to get my asskicked by a short marriage.
I was getting divorced so Ilost all my money and I wanted
to do my first degree grading intaekwondo.
There was all these things.
So I went away and ticked allthe boxes off my list.
I spent time making blues, acouple of blues records and a
(19:43):
couple of other bits and pieces.
I went to the States and I kindof based loosely out of New York
for a little while.
I think I'm gone for abouteight or nine years in real
terms, but in that time the bandstopped playing altogether for
about three to four years andDave made a solo album at my
place.
Dave and I remained tight thewhole time and he came and
(20:05):
stayed with me down the coastand we worked on a bunch of
demos and then we recorded therecord.
We were going to do it atThorpey Studio but that deal
kind of fell over.
So at the last minute I had abasic home studio that we could
track in and we tracked it allthere.
So Wanted man was the record wemade.
Cheryl Lee (20:22):
I love that album.
Jimi Hocking (20:23):
Yeah, so that's me playing everything.
I got a rhythm section togetherto do it in Victoria and I
played the rest of the stuff andDave and me kind of arranged
the songs.
He wrote all the songs, Iengineered and recorded the
record.
So I enjoyed that project and Ithink that even when people saw
that I was working togetherwith David, then there was
(20:45):
speculation about that.
I wasn't really out of the loopin some respects and Izzy was
playing in the band.
Izzy's a great guitar playerbut he was the same.
He got to a point where he waslike he had other things he
wanted to do, so it just sort offlip-flopped back around and I
came back to the band as theshort story.
Cheryl Lee (21:07):
We'll play one of those songs now from the album
Wanted man that Jimi made withDave.
There's so many beautiful songson the album.
I play it on the radio all thetime and this one always makes
me cry.
Sitting in the studio all bymyself, blubbering like a baby,
those rusty train tracks.
Back to speak some more to Jimishortly back to speak some more
(21:31):
to Jimmy shortly.
We'd learnt that Dave is alittle bit country from that
(21:54):
Wanted man album.
By the way, I keep hassling him, and now I know I can hassle
you as well.
We need another one.
Jimi Hocking (22:02):
Well, I'm really happy that you like that record.
It was a labour of love forboth of us and you know, dave
had always been a country musicfan.
I mean, I know about JohnnyCash, waylon Dings and all these
guys through Dave.
When I first met Dave before Iwas even in the band I had a
band called Jimi the Human andSpectre 7 and the Screaming Jets
opened for me in Victoriabecause my audience was much
bigger than theirs at that timeI had no audience anywhere else
(22:25):
but in Victoria.
I had a top 12 album, you know.
But Dave walked in the band roomwith a big white cowboy hat on
and it wasn't a joke at the time.
I think he was obsessed withGarth Brooks and Johnny Cash.
When we were driving aroundtogether in those early days I
was listening to Neil Young andBB King, he was listening to
Garth Brooks and Johnny Cash,all he was listening to all this
kind of English mod, the who.
(22:45):
And you know like we were.
We were a very eclectic groupof guys and I think people don't
expect that when they come intothe fold.
Cheryl Lee (22:53):
Yeah, you are.
So he's a little bit countryand, it's fair to say, you're
probably a little bit bluesy.
Yeah, a little bit of a bluesslant there, yeah, yeah.
Jimi Hocking (23:01):
And I even have an interest in jazz, which is a
dirty word for a rock and rollmusician, you know but that's
like something else.
I grew up with my dad playingpiano and things and I kind of
not all of it, but I loved allof that stuff.
Cheryl Lee (23:14):
There's a song on the latest album which is a
little bit country.
Lying With Her, it's got a bitof a country slant to it.
Jimi Hocking (23:21):
I would say it's a lot country.
So it's Dave.
It's not a new song.
Dave had written that song.
Dave's a great lyricist, youknow.
But in the years that Paulie waswriting the body of the
material, we all felt thatPaulie's writing style was very
much part of the Screaming Jetssound.
There's been times where Daveand I have decided to start
writing songs, but theunderlying theme would be to
(23:42):
motivate Paulie to write songsbecause he'd be like whoa, whoa,
whoa, that's my job, what areyou guys doing?
So that's often been the way.
So Dave had always writtensongs.
He wrote that one with SteveBalby, of course, who you would
know from my Sex and Noiseworks,and I knew Steve back when he
(24:03):
was a bass player for the firsttime ever on a major touring
circuit with Kevin Borich.
So we all go way back, all ofus guys.
So Balby and Dave put that songtogether and it was always
lying around.
Just in the last days ofrecording the album tracks for
Professional Misconduct we did awrap-up.
We didn't want to get anythingout of the ideas that you just
want to play.
I had a couple and we recordeda couple of those, but they
(24:24):
didn't make this album.
Dave said well, I've got thissong that I did with Balbie I
don't know what do you think ofthis.
So he played it to us and wewere like hang on a minute,
that's really got something.
Cheryl Lee (24:35):
That's all right.
Jimi Hocking (24:37):
Yeah.
So Scotty Kingman picked up theacoustic guitar and he played
that part.
I'm also a keen mandolin player, played mandolin on a number of
Screamy Jets tracks over theyears, much to the horror of
some hard rock people.
But I was like you know, Irecorded the mandolin at home.
I was like send me the trackand I actually want to come up
(24:58):
with an idea.
So I actually want to do is Iplay a lot of stuff and then let
Steve James, our illustriousproducer, just cherry pick what
he likes.
He just added a few little bitsand even though it's a rock
record, I still think that LyingWith Her is one of the standout
moments on the record.
Cheryl Lee (25:41):
Speaking of writing, because I think Paulie had a
hand in every single song.
I reckon on the ProfessionalMisconduct album.
Jimi Hocking (25:49):
Pretty much.
I think Lying With Her is theonly one he didn't really have a
writing thing going.
Yeah, I think you're probablyright.
Most of the songs were born oftracks that Paulie and Scotty
Kingman were working up togetherover the last couple of years.
Even throughout lockdown wewere kind of throwing ideas
around and you know, we madethis album as a result of
(26:10):
post-lockdown ideas and it wasnot the way we've made albums in
the past.
In the past we would sit aroundand acoustically play through
probably Paul's ideas Because wecouldn't get together for the
longest time.
Paul and Scotty were amusingthemselves by throwing up guitar
riffs and bass lines back andforth over the internet or in
the hotel rooms and they workedout a bunch of stuff, but they
(26:32):
weren't songs yet, they werejust a lot of musical ideas.
So normally we have a much morecomplete picture of songs when
we go in the studio to record.
We didn't have that onProfessional Misconduct.
We had all these verse andchorus ideas and a lot of stuff
was still in Jigsaw.
So we pieced together most ofthe stuff from the ideas in the
studio.
So the songwriting process wasvery different, on Professional
(26:56):
Misconduct, to any other recordwe've done.
I think it was the best way tomake a record.
Probably not, uh, but you stillmade a great record and you know
that that occurs because wehave all these collective ideas
and we all have a strong ideaabout arrangement and we all
have enough experience to makethat work.
And Steve James, who has beenour producer for most of our
(27:19):
career.
I wouldn't even want to do arecord without him.
He's such an ace in the sleeveof the Screaming Jets way to
create music.
He's like your sixth member.
Truly, when it comes to writingand recording.
Steve knows us all, he knowswhat we can do, he knows what
our strengths are and you knowyou can't buy that kind of
(27:40):
insider knowledge.
Cheryl Lee (27:41):
That's right.
And speaking of songs andalbums, I've heard just recently
that there's still quite a lotof material left over that Paul
Lee has had a hand in.
So he is.
Am I right in saying that hiswriting is going to feature
pretty heavily in the next songsfor the next album?
Jimi Hocking (28:01):
I would say that's accurate, because it was.
The process was as I said.
You know, we had all thesemusical ideas that we kind of we
formed and that meant, you know, Paul ie brought all his lyric
books out and David him workedon those with Steve and you know
we were cutting.
You know, let's try this doublelength, let's try this half
length.
We ended up with six songs, toomany for a record.
Cheryl Lee (28:20):
That's half an album .
Jimi Hocking (28:22):
It's half an album .
You know, when we came topicking tracks, I think a lot of
the tracks that got picked werethe ones that were closest to
being over the line.
You know, at a certain point itwasn't because the tracks that
were kind of being developedweren't any good, it was simply
a logistical decision for us.
I would be sorry to not seethose other tracks see it a lot
of day.
I think there was some reallygood ideas.
(28:42):
I would say four out of six ofthose songs were pretty close to
being finished and what thatmeant was Paulie had played on
them.
So when we come out withanother recording which I'd say
is on the cards, Paul Woseen'sbass playing will still be part
of that project.
Yeah, awesome, that would befantastic, you know.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
You are listening to Still Rockin' it.
The podcast with Cheryl Lee.
Cheryl Lee (29:06):
Another one of my favourites from the Professional
Misconduct album from last year, written by Dave Gleeson and
Paul Woseen.
It's a beautiful song.
Second Chance Back to chat toJimi the human after this.
If you had the chance right now, do you know what you would
know what you would say?
(29:28):
I haven't got a timer, but I'msure my time's up so we better
talk about the tour.
So, as I said, three down fiveto go, get onto the Googleometer
screamingjetscom for the restof the dates.
For the Adelaideans, you'regoing to be here at the Gov
Friday December 13.
(29:48):
I already bought my tickets forthat VIP meet and greet, mind
you.
Yeah great.
We're really looking forward tothat.
I've got two other quickquestions.
So how important.
You've got Mammal and Lolacoming to Adelaide with you and
you've also got Large Mirage onthe tour.
How important is it and howdifficult is it to select your
(30:09):
support act on a tour?
Jimi Hocking (30:11):
Well, it's extremely important to us and
it's become more difficultbecause we have a lot of love
for a lot of the new bands thatwe've stumbled across.
If you will, mammal have beenaround for a while.
They've got their own thing andtheir own following going.
We want to have a great show.
We don't want to havelacklustre support acts to make
us look good.
We want to have kicklustersupport acts to make us look
(30:32):
good.
We want to have kick-asssupport acts and people are
spending their hard-earned moneyto come out to see a show.
We want them to see a show fromstart to finish that they want
to watch.
I didn't know anything aboutLarge Mirage or Lola much until
a few months ago when we startedlooking through ideas, and of
course, we look online and watchvideo clips and come up with
what we think are opinions.
But some years ago theScreaming Jets collectively had
(30:54):
a discussion about the right ofpassage that we went through,
which was to support biggerbands as we were coming up
through the seam, and there's alot of reasons now that bigger
promoters won't take risks withputting unknown acts on or
lesser known acts on.
They want all headline acts.
We've decided to put our moneywhere our mouth is and always
trying to have an up and comerat least on a bill with us.
So we all kind of have our earsand eyes open for things.
(31:17):
Some of the decisions arepolitical as well, but for the
most part we all have to agreeon our opening acts.
I have been absolutely blownaway with Large Mirage and
Mammal.
I haven't seen their wholeshows yet.
I knew that Mammal were areally heavy band, but they are
really this band that get thecrowd going and you know they're
very showy and I really likethat about them.
And Large Mirage I haven't seenLola yet live, but they're
(31:39):
joining us in Adelaide.
But Large Mirage are also.
They look like they're straightout of a 70s kind of classic
rock ensemble.
There's a little bit of StevieNicks about Molly the singer,
who's a very attractive and verytalented singer, but the band
are absolutely bitching.
They're great guitar playerlike.
They're kind of a band after myown heart.
They remind me of my early daysplaying my earliest original
(32:01):
material.
I gotta say so I already, afterlike only a couple of gigs,
have a lot of a lot of love forthe bands that are opening.
I'm really excited about it.
Cheryl Lee (32:09):
I really love that you're sort of giving back and
giving those opportunities,perhaps a little bit against you
know, the current trend andgiving opportunities to the new
up and comers, like theopportunities that were given to
you.
Yeah.
Jimi Hocking (32:23):
Well, you know it's a thing and you know, look,
we're not a bunch of hippiesabout it, but there's this idea
of like, keeping a good balanceof things.
It is what happened to us someof those opportunities panned
out some of them did, by the way, when we were younger.
But you know, I just think it'sif you're going to talk the
talk, you've got to walk thewalk.
So if you're going to say, yeah, that that'd be great, stick
your neck out a little bit andmaybe make it work.
(32:45):
My opinion is that, because theScreaming Jets have been around
now some 35 odd years, ouraudience have grown with us and
a lot of them are older crewthat have followed the band all
this time.
We're very fortunate to havethese people support the band,
but because of their age andthey've grown older and wiser
with us, they want to see new.
They're enthused to see a youngband as well that are keeping
(33:05):
the flame alive.
We've had a number of greatopening bands, know, and so I
have conversations with peoplewho say, man, it's so cool to
see young kids who are oldenough to be our children,
basically, who still loveclassic rock and who still are
writing songs.
They're not cutting and pastingstuff together with a fruity
loops drum beat.
(33:26):
They're actually playing andsinging harmonies and ripping
our guitar solo, like we are soenthused by that, you know.
So I think our audience for themost part feel the same way.
Cheryl Lee (33:35):
I think it's terrific because you're not
scared that they're going toupstage you.
In fact, you know they'reprobably pushing you hard.
I think, shit, we better pullout a good one.
Jimi Hocking (33:43):
I think, some years ago.
It's not that we've lost ourfire, but we lost our irrational
sense of competitiveness withother bands.
Because when you're young youhave this yeah, we're going to
show them, we are the best rock,you know.
And I think that's just part ofyour youthful mentality.
And now we're lovers of musicand so when we see great music
(34:04):
it doesn't strike a fear of likeoh, you know that.
No, we want to see it.
We say that'll be great tobring on the road because that
will really enhance our show.
To have good talent, you know.
Cheryl Lee (34:14):
Yeah, and you can appreciate it.
Yeah, still rockin' It thepodcast with that radio chick,
cheryl Lee, his dream machine,by Large Mirage on tour with the
Screaming Jets, and then backto say goodbye to Screaming Jets
guitar man Jimi the HumanHocking.
There's a lot of 50thanniversary tours on at the
(34:43):
moment.
We mentioned Chisel Angels havegot theirs, you know, 99 not
out or no 59.
Jimi Hocking (34:50):
99.
Cheryl Lee (34:51):
So have you guys got another 15 years in.
You, you know 99 not out or no99.
So have you guys got another 15years in you.
Jimi Hocking (34:54):
You know I hope so .
You know I limp a little bitnow and, of course, you know my
ears are bad.
I've got RSI.
I'm not the man I used to be.
I think we do Like who can sayI think that you want to be able
to do it at a certain level,and the other fallback idea is
that we just don't have anotherplan.
You know, when this, what arewe going to do?
You know we and we face thisquestion at the loss of Paulie,
(35:17):
like this is.
You know we've spent all this,all these years, working on this
vehicle called the screamingjets.
At what point do you just dropit and go?
I know it just doesn't workanymore.
I don't think you do.
Cheryl Lee (35:26):
You're kind of married to the idea.
Jimi Hocking (35:27):
I played a bunch of different things here and
there and you know I still getto do that.
I do some teaching.
I have some other interestsoutside we mostly all do.
This has been our main thing.
This has been what we've putall our time and love into for
decades now.
So unless somebody comes alongwith a big hook and hook us off
the stage and pulls us into thewings, I think we just keep
(35:48):
doing it until we just can't doit.
Cheryl Lee (35:50):
Yeah, I think We'll still keep coming.
We'll be in our frames, ourwalking frames, yeah.
Jimi Hocking (35:56):
We've sure to put that in Wikipedia.
So Jimi Hocking said is thescreaming just going to end?
It's like no, because we justdon't know what else to do.
Cheryl Lee (36:02):
No, what's that R word, retire?
All right, I'm going to get onwith your day.
I really appreciate you beingso, so generous with your time.
We're really looking forward tocatching up with you guys at
the Gov On the 13th.
I shall see you down the front.
Jimi Hocking (36:16):
So awesome.
Thanks so much, Cheryl.
Cheryl Lee (36:18):
See you, jimi, have a great day Thanks again.
You're with Cheryl Lee thatradio chick.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the Still Rockin' it
podcast.
Hope to catch you again nexttime.
Get out when you can supportAussie music and I'll
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!