Issue 502

Powderfinger Where do you start when it comes to Powderfinger? They barely need an introduction anywhere in this country and they won't require one ever again come the end of 2010 now that they have declared their final days as a touring and recording band. Guitarist Ian Haug openly dished out his views on the band's inimitable career and amicable split which will follow a grand-scale national tour consisting of two laps of Australia starting this week. The bittersweet announcement made in April this year shocked some, others could sense the end was nigh long ago while some sceptics gave a flippant "They'll pull a Farnsey on us, they'll be back." But Haug made it clear that Powderfinger are well and truly, albeit happily, done and dusted. "Everyone jokes about that but no, we're not going to, we won't." So, no chance of a Crowded House-style reunion then? "Shoot me! Shoot me if you see that happening!" Haug laughs, "We're all in the same boat. I think it's poor form if that happens. We really don't want to do anymore work after this year, we want to make it really clean cut so this is it. We won't be doing anymore touring or TV appearances, videos or anything like that." Haug speaks from Brisbane which, in a conscious decision, has been home for all five members of the band since they began. It's also something Haug credits the band's humble and grounded nature to while still being one of the seminal acts of Australian music in the last two decades. The successes and achievements of Powderfinger's 21 year career are astonishing, making it hard to get your head around the fact that the band themselves would call it a day while they are still at the top of their game. Haug revealed that people hypothesised with each release that the band was ready to dust their hands of this music thing, but they have willingly expressed that there's no better time than now and their reasoning shouldn't be too strongly pondered. The band's final record, 'Golden Rule', began with the boys turning up to their first day in the studio with nothing prepared and to the public might have set alarm bells ringing. Instead, for the band it was a testament to the enjoyment reaped from making a great record. "That was actually really refreshing to not have much direction so if anything we enjoyed making this record more, definitely than the last one. It was another thing that made us decide that it probably wasn't going to feel as good as this again. We loved not having limitations put on ourselves as much on this record and I think it turned out well, we're all pretty happy with it. It's probably one of my favourite couple of records that we've done, so it's nice to be able to leave on that one." "I think we could say more musically," Haug deliberates when asked about why they feel they've said all they can as a music group, "But we've been doing it for more than twenty years and there's just other things to do. We're all excited about the options that are going to be out there. You don't have to plan your holidays around four other peoples' schedules, you know, it's simple stuff like that as well as the business or band side of stuff, cause it is a job. But it's a good job." With any job though there are crap bits but Haug cites, looking back, the good memories far outweigh the bad. Five people spending much of their time together in a band over twenty years doesn't mean they get along one hundred percent of the time but to Haug the prospect of agreeing on everything would be "unrealistic" and "actually pretty boring". Overall though, what Powderfinger have said and done for Australian music and even society's awareness through their involvement with numerous charities and organisations is satisfying. "In retrospect there's always extra things you could have done but I don't think it's worth dwelling on those things. Musically perhaps we could have put out more records or something but I'm not going to beat myself up over that one. It's a shame that sometimes it's four years between albums but it's pretty consistent." Over the years, this enthusiasm for change is something that has kept this iconic Aussie group under the glare of publicity with each release and in a strange kind of happiness, Australian's are awaiting the day Powderfinger visits their town to impart their last words and wave their final goodbyes. Powderfinger will play Memorial Drive on Thu 16 Sep and Sat 30 Oct for officially the last time ever. dB salutes them. By Monika Laskowski