Father's Day Special: music with the Howl & Echoes Dads

Today is Father’s Day, that special day of the year when you get to hang out with your family, give your dad some gifts, make him feel loved. Mums have already had their turn, but now we get to celebrate all the men who meant something to us when we were growing up – the dads, the step-dads, the uncles, the grandparents.

We’re music writers, so it’s pretty clear that we developed a serious interest in music somewhere along the way. Somehow, we all ended up here. We decided to start our investigation by asking our dads about their favourite music. The music they loved at our age, concert memories and more. So without further ado, we bring to you.. Music with the Howl Dads 2015!

Happy Father’s Day!

Emma‘s dad, Ewen

What was the first concert you went to?
My first concert was Deep Purple at the Milton Tennis courts. 1974 or 75. Richie Blackmore had just left the band and Tommy Bolan had come in as the new lead guitarist so there was palpable let down about that because it was Richie’s band. You could feel the sound hit you and for three days after all I could hear was ringing. It was $5 too.

What’s your favourite musical memory?
Paul McCartney and Wings. Still the best concert I’ve ever been to. 1975. I was a big Moody Blues fan, but then Denny Lane had left the band to form Wings. Go Now is still one of my favourite songs and that was one of the songs in the encore. I’ll always remember that.

Who was your favourite artists?
Are you talking other than The Beatles? For me, it’s The Beatles, Queen and The Who. But of the current bands I’m a massive fan of Joe Bonnamassa. I do like Tame Impala and anything my daughter puts in front of me. I could spend my whole life listening to The Beatles and be happy, but if you don’t listen to new stuff you miss out.

What did you listen to when mum was pregnant with me?
Your mother wasn’t that big of a music fan. But I do remember when we came home from the hospital and for some reason I had it on 4BH, and Brian Cadd’s ‘Little Ray of Sunshine’ was playing. I actually met him and told him that, and he said he gets that story all the time.

Who did you have a music crush on?
Whitney Houston. She was absolutely beautiful. Also Wendy James, the lead singer of Transvision Vamp. She’s the one.

Evangeline‘s dad, Malcolm

My mother and father have been friends since as long as I’ve had memory of them. They were never together. I love my dad and see him all the time, and I also love my step-dad. We all get on pretty well, which is rare and quite lucky.

Ok I’m recording, what was your first concert?

My first concert was the Police.

What was your favourite concert memory?

Ohhh, um… The same thing, can I say the same thing? Same thing. The Police at the Horden Pavilion singing whatever that first record was really really super loud. Da na na na – yeah I can’t remember it.

Who was your favourite artist?

My favourite artist? Like musician? Far out, I don’t know. It depends! I’m tempted to say something really cool and obscure but it probably isn’t honest. I’ll say two and you can pick which one, Jim Morrison and Morrissey. Morrissey was when I was more like 18 years old and Jim Morrison was more like 15 years old.

Cool. When has music been most important to you in your life?

Probably my late teens, when I was.. I don’t know, you know?

I start humming Daniel by Elton John, the song my dad used to play in the garage with his best friend almost every time I stayed over at his. Which was once a week. It was a sad time, as Dad was having troubles in his relationship.

Yeah no no no. Nah nah nah. That was like when I was a little kid! Far out, that’s embarrassing.

That you like that song?

Yeah I did I liked it when I was about five years old.

You used to play it with Mark in the garage!

Yeah, well we had nothing to do. We were like… lost souls at that time. That’s when we were like forty. Nah what did Morrissey sing when you’re like at the club and the girls there and you go home and you cry and you want to die.

That’s the Smiths! I start singing the Smiths ‘I am human and I neeeed to beloooooong, just like everybody ouuuuut theeeeeere.’

Ruby‘s Dad, Hugo

What was the first concert that you ever went to?

Congreso

Was that in Chile?

Yes. I was 14, 15. I saw Congreso in Athens as well, in exile.

Do you have a favourite concert memory?

One in Athens… John Mclaughlin, Paco De Lucia and Al Di Meola About 81, 82. And in the last few years taking your brother to see Metallica. That was good.

Did you like that because you like the music or because you took Andreas?

Ahh… Both? The music and the atmosphere and being there with him… and that he was enjoying it. He was 14 or 15.

Who was your favourite artist and who is now?

Jethro Tull before. Now it’s The Living End.

What about Queens Of The Stone Age!?

Yeah… I like them… but the Living End.

What did you listen to when I was little?

Oh… all the records I’ve got in here. They’re all in there. All sorts of rock music, you know? Pink Floyd. Yes.

You really like Yes! I remember that. … That’s what I remember growing up… lots of music all the time. Was there a lot of music around when you were growing up?

Yeah. I guess. Rock music, Chilean music… People playing music. Lots of cover bands or whatever you call them.

… Chileans have you now connection to aural history and music is a part of that… You would go to a party and there’s always someone there with a guitar. Always.

But… the difference say between me and your mother growing up is that I was in a country under a dictatorship. There was a coup and curfews and there was only a limited number of things you could do.

Any form of artistic expression (music, theatre, poetry, literature, visual art) was suppressed… It was shut down and you couldn’t really access it. And so many bands were exiled. I didn’t really see much live music until after I left Chile. I saw Congreso and just locals bands at things like carnival but other than that I don’t really remember seeing much growing up.

Sam‘s Dad, ~~Keith Richards~~ Steve

What was your first concert?

I reckon it was probably Queen at Colston Hall in Bristol around the time they released Killer Queen. They were supported by … Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

What was your favourite concert memory?

Led Zeppelin at Knebworth in 1979. I only got into Led Zeppelin late, and they hadn’t played for several years so I never thought I’d get to see them again. They split up not long afterwards. It was fantastic. My second favourite was when I went to see The Clash at the Locarno in Bristol (a year earlier). A band called Suicide was playing and the crowd decided they didn’t like them very much so they gobbed (spat) them off the stage. The crowd carried on gobbing even when the clash came on but Joe Strummer was just wiping the gob off his guitar.

Who was your favourite artist?

I suppose you’d have to have to say Led Zeppelin are my all-time favourite. Joy Division too. And the Smiths… Morrissey is a tosser but his vocals and lyrics are incredible. If you asked my favourite song of all time… it would be Atmosphere by Joy Division. It came out as a single just after Ian Curtis died. It is so haunting and mysterious. So ethereal and sad.

What music did you play when mum was pregnant with me?

God, the early 90s… I dunno… I didn’t like 90s music much so probably the same stuff I was listening to in the 80s! Elvis Costello, New Order, Bob Dylan. Actually if it was around the time your mum was pregnant I would probably have had my headphones on! (Mum glares at dad)

Which musician did you have a crush on growing up?

(Without hesitation) Clare Grogan from Altered Images.

What current music are you into?

Like bands that are still releasing music? You mean like the Rolling Stones? (laughs) I like Elbow. Tame Impala… though he just sounds like John Lennon. I like The War on Drugs. I generally like unusual vocals and what you’d call ‘depressing music’.

What I can’t stand is that radio rock stuff like… Imagine Dragons… on Triple M – middle of the road, hard but not hard – Kurt Cobain would be turning in his grave. He’d be taking the piss out of those kind of bands.

And what your site reported… what Keith Richards said about rap… I agree with that. Just all that ‘motherfucker’ swearing nonsense, I don’t get any of that. And at the risk of offending you Sam… Kanye West… what a wanker. But he doesn’t think he’s a wanker. He thinks he’s fantastic. He takes himself very seriously. All that bollocks about running for president.

(I glare but maintain my professionalism) Radiohead?

Well I got you into Radiohead.

Dani‘s dad, Vaughn

What was your first concert?

My first concert was when I was 15, went to see AC/DC at the old Theatre Royal in Mackay. They were incredibly loud, Bon Scott was up front & was just brilliant. I didn’t realise it then but my future best mate Karl was also there that night in the audience. It was just the band, no props just raw, hard Aussie pub rock. Blew me away.

What was your favourite concert memory?

My fav concert was AC/DC on their Black Ice Tour at the QE2 stadium on the out skirts of Brisbane in 2013. I had raised my kids early to appreciate music & in particular hard rock with bands like AC/DC, Guns & Roses, and hundreds more. It was just awesome that night, the music was so loud it rattled my teeth fillings literally. The props were unbelievable – a 39 foot high train on set with smoke coming out of the chimney (for the song Runaway Train) and when Whole Lotta Rosie came on there was a 50 foot Rosie doll straddling the train and a 3 metre foot tapped in time with the music.

Who was your favourite artist?
My favourite group growing up was KISS, and so they get an honourable mention for favourite concert, in Mackay in 2013. I was in the moshpit and was only 15 feet away from Paul Stanley all night. I have all their albums until they unmasked and was the biggest KISS freak of anyone that I knew, so to see them live, in Mackay was ridiculous. And it was a great show, just awesome. The music was tight, they had this huge crane that went out over the audience laterally, I’ll never forget that either! The back up act was Motley Crew who I loved in the 80’s. Strange story though: In 1989 I was doing a live-to-tape broadcast for the football finals on the exact same area that the Kiss concert was set up on. When I went to post produce the visuals off tape I edited play outs to go to the break and the two songs I chose to run under the visuals we’re Kick Start My Heart and Dr. Feelgood. So on the night of the concert 24 yeas later I’m in the pit rockin’ to those same two songs in the exact same spot that we recorded the football final. Who woulda thought!

What music did you play when mum was pregnant with me?
Some songs I was listening to when Mum was pregnant with you were: Blame It On the Rain by Millie Vanilli, yep ashamed to admit but I loved that song. She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals, still love that song. Like A Prayer by Madonna – I don’t know why she gets such negative press because she is iconic and was just brilliant in the 80’s & 90’s & still is now. Love Shack– the B52s, this was a huge song & still one of my favs. Bust A Move by Young MC. And was also listening to 1927’s If I Could, which was released the year before but I played it the time.

Which musician did you have a crush on growing up?
The closest I came to a crush on a musician was Suzi Quatro. Such a powerful voice, great Southern USA rock and quite cute back in the day. Still love her to this day!

Jess‘s dad, Ross

What was your first concert?
That was probably the Commodores. They were touring Australia and a friend of mine loved them, so he suggested we go and see them. We got a three course meal and the concert as a package. I would have been probably 22.

What was your favourite concert memory?
Lionel Richie.

(Mum interjects: Oh, I love Lionel! You didn’t take me there!)

I didn’t know you! That was the best concert. That had the best visual effects I’ve seen, the best lighting, the best performance. He was actually walking on the ceiling during ‘Walking On The Ceiling’! It was at the Convention Centre and it was superb.

How come you never took Mum to any concerts?
Umm…

(Mum interjects again: Yeah Boofhead!)

I did take Mum to a concert. Jesus Christ Superstar! *laughs*

Anyway, moving on. Who was your favourite artist when you were younger?
Queen, I liked Queen. I liked Cold Chisel. Sherbet. That’s about it.

(Mum interjects yet again: You liked ABBA!)

Mum, this isn’t your interview!
(Mum: Oh, sorry.)

Who did you have a crush on?
Oh! What was her name? Her second name was Bush. What was her first name?

(Mum: Kate Bush!)

That’s it! Kate Bush! Back in the 80’s.

What music did you play when I was little?
I played Shania Twain, Shaggy, Eiffel 65.

What songs do you like now?
Oh now! I like Power by Will.I.Am and Justin Bieber. Powerful by Major Lazar and Ellie Goulding. And I Can’t Feel My Face by The Weeknd.

Monique‘s dad, Monty