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The Huckleberry Swedes.
Tom Waits is one of those rare artists for whom, if you're not
already a fan, there'll always be that vague feeling that maybe
you're missing out. It's that sense of mystery to the man and
his music that has ensured a steady growth of new - yet no less
devoted - fans as the years move on and his vast catalogue of
work continues to grow.
Troy Loakes, of local Wilco/Ryan Adams-inspired outfit Huckleberry Swedes, relates his initial encounter with Wait's music and tells how it lead to this upcoming gathering of other likeminded musicians to present a tribute night devoted to the man's body of song. "I think this is a classic case of putting your own personality alongside someone else's music and their craft," Loakes considers, "because a lot of it really comes down to how you discover an artist like Tom Waits. There's a nostalgic attachment to the music you hear in your youth. I remember the first recording that I heard was [1985's] 'Rain Dogs' because my dad asked for it as a birthday present. I was about twelve years old at the time and at that point I thought Bob Marley was God, I'd never heard anything like Waits before and from there on music was never the same for me again.
"From that point I started to discover what he'd done before that and the more you go back on his work, the more you learn about his influences and movements like the Beat poets, and that's what I found fascinating because I wanted to know what inspired him and where he was coming from. Because I was first introduced to 'Rain Dogs', and then to the album before that, 'Swordfishtrombones', I kind of trapped myself within that period of his music," he explains. "But then I started to explore the album he did before those two, which was 'Heartattack And Vine', which seemed to be a lot more simplistic and I couldn't understand the huge leap between those albums. It seems that nearly every musician immediately becomes categorised with a label, and that's one of the worst things that can happen to them in terms of the commerciality of their music, but when I began looking into Tom Waits' career I realised that it didn't have to be like that. If you look at 'Heartattack And Vine' and his previous work, and then at 'Swordfishtrombones' onwards, you'd realise that he's a genuine musical genius that can reinvent himself without ridicule or compromise. It's something that Frank Zappa had and it's something that's pretty unique, especially over a long career."
Loakes' passion for Waits is undeniable, claiming to be able to recite every lyric from any album pre-'Mule Variations' (1999); often peppering answers with a suitably sung line or two amongst his words. "Getting all the bands together was great fun because the response to this was just awesome," he enthuses. "There's a real mixture of artists as I wanted it to be as diverse as possible, but I was also scared that everyone wanted to be Tom Waits, which will be great as I'm sure some people will be putting on the gravelled voice but you're also going to hear all these other interpretations too. And that's what I'm excited about; it's not going to be a tribute to him but more a tribute to his music being presented by lots of different acts. There are a lot of people who have heard his name but have never heard his music, so this will be a great opportunity to see bands that they probably know perform some of his songs. And unlike, say The Beatles, you rarely hear these songs so they're not overplayed. And Tom Waits nuts are going to have a great time," he assures me, careful not to reveal any of the chosen sets, "and I think everyone should make an effort to dress up like him on the night too. We want to see plenty of ragged suits and goatee beards, and perhaps there'd be a free bourbon for the best look-alike."
Steve Jones
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The Huckleberry Swedes, The Audreys, Ramonettes, Problem Pony, Lyndon Grey, Michael Dixon, Steven Leski, Horrahedd, Harry Vanvenetti and Mick Bradshaw pay tribute to Mr Waits at the Fad Bar & Gallery on Sat 17 Dec.
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