Gyroscope And Bodyjar Interview Each Other Ahead Of 2023 Australian Tour

In a matter of mere days – on Friday September 1, to be exact – Gyroscope and Bodyjar will embark on one of the most exciting Aussie rock tours in recent memory.

The co-headlined run will celebrate the anniversaries of two iconic albums in the bands’ respective catalogues: Bodyjar’s fourth album, 1998’s No Touch Red (which has now soundtracked skate shops nationwide for a quarter of a goddamn century) and Gyroscope’s third, 2008’s Breed Obsession (which although ten years younger, is just as much of a classic).

After kicking off at Sydney’s Manning Bar on Friday, the bands will round out this weekend with shows in Brisbane and the Coast Coast. They’ll next head to WA for gigs in Perth and Bunbury, before wrapping up the nine-date trek – remaining tickets to which can be found here – with back-to-back dates in Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne. Klinger will open for all but two of the shows (being those aforementioned WA dates), while most of them will also feature local openers.

Before the bands get rowdy on the road, we had Gyroscope put Bodyjar frontman Cameron Baines in the hot seat, grilling him on his favourite up-and-coming Aussie bands, guilty pleasures and packing mishaps. But then the tables were turned, with Bodyjar questioning Gyroscope’s Brad Campbell for his takes on themed catering, having tour-mates as babysitters, and the scent of guitarist Zoran ‘Zok’ Trivic.

Bodyjar vs. Brad Campbell of Gyroscope

What song/album gets played often in the van?

The entire Twelfth Man back-catalogue.

Would you support themed catering at gigs involving dress-ups related to the origin of said food?

You guys get catering? We’d be happy with a couple of bologna and sauce sandwiches before soundcheck, but we’re always up for a free feed if you guys are buying.

What quirky riff or song gets jammed at soundcheck sometimes?

Mainly Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtrack songs.

Which member of Bodyjar would you let babysit your kids?

[Drummer Shane] Wakker seems like the most responsible choice, but I reckon Tom [Read, guitar] would be the fun uncle. Pretty sure our kids would be getting hand-balled back pretty quickly though. Absolute punishers.

Does Zok smell as good as he looks?

Believe it or not he smells better than he looks. A musky aroma of working class man and rock ’n’ roll outlaw with a hint of citrus overtones. Keep an eye (and a nose) out for the cologne dropping in the fall of 2024, Parfum de Zok.

If you could swap one song of Gyro’s set for a song out of Bodyjar’s set, what would it be?

We’d happily flog any of your songs to play in our set, but I reckon [the song on the] top of our list would be Windsok. We would call it Windzok and proceed to butcher it totally. You guys are the kings of the cover, so we would love for you to grab any song of ours and Jarify it. We would love to hear what you could do with Baby I’m Getting Better or Snakeskin.

Gyroscope vs. Cam Baines of Bodyjar

Any favourite young Aussie bands at the moment?

I really dig Chasing Ghosts and Lola, anything with good melodies and something to say.

Have you ever taken a guitar case on tour but forgot to pack the guitar?

Fuck you dude! Yes we have and guess what happens? Some legend from from another great band from NSW, Padre, gives you a guitar to take back to Melbourne in it. Im gonna try it again on this next tour. Also, if you take an empty guitar case with you, you can get into pretty much any gig for free – security will just let you in, assuming you’re in the band. Then just fill the case with your favourite beers.

Are there any bands, past or present, that you would love to tour with? Besides Gyroscope of course.

Would love to tour with ALL or Black Flag (not the modern-day Black Flag), Bad Religion, No Use For A Name and Magic Dirt!

If you forgot your jocks for a gig, whose jocks would you borrow?

That’s really hard. I’d probably say Tom, Nick [Manuell, bass] wears G-strings and I’m not really into that.

Any guilty musical pleasures you care to share with us?

I have an eight-year-old daughter and she listens to Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa. every now and again I hear some crazy memorable melody and think, “My god, that’s genius.” That’s what a team of writers can do. The chorus in Blank Space gives me chills.

We currently have a labour shortage in WA’s building sector. Do you think Adnam the one armed bricklayer might be available to help?

Yes. We did a tour playing that song, and my God, what were we thunking? Can you make a song any more complicated to play? Thus the title – it’s busier than a one-armed bricklayer in Tibet!

Are you guys the same, have you changed and do we need you anyway?

Yes, no, and yes you do need us, otherwise you’d never tour you lazy bastards.

GYROSCOPE + BODYJAR

2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
WITH SPECIAL GUEST KLINGER

Friday September 1 – Eora/Sydney, Manning Bar (with Raised As Wolves)
Saturday September 2 – Meanjin/Brisbane, The Triffid (with Talk Heavy)
Sunday September 3 – Yugambeh/Gold Coast, Coolangatta Hotel (with Talk Heavy)
Friday September 7 – Boorloo/Perth, Magnet House (with RATSALAD. and Covoids)*
Saturday September 9 – Noongar/Bunbury, Prince Of Wales (with RATSALAD.)*
Thursday September 14 – nipaluna/Hobart, Uni Bar
Friday September 15 – Kaurna/Adelaide, Lion Arts Factory
Saturday September 16 – Naarm/Melbourne, Corner Hotel (with Cheap Skate)
Sunday September 17 – Naarm/Melbourne, Corner Hotel (with Cheap Skate)

* Klinger not appearing

Tickets: bodyjar.com