...You Am I
You know who: Never heard of You Am I? Unfamiliar with the group's charismatic frontman Tim Rogers? Then you can't possibly be an Aussie. You Am I are one of Australia's most consistently popular bands of the past 15 years, with several chart-topping albums to their name and numerous industry awards in their trophy cabinet, but mention them to anyone from the northern hemisphere and you'll more often than not draw a blank. Yet they've been a strong influence not only on other Aussie bands such as Jet and The Vines, but also on Oasis and The Strokes. They'll be crowding into Dublin's Crawdaddy and Galway's Róisín Dubh on September 25th and 26th, when Rogers comes here for solo shows accompanied by his best mate, Nick Barker.
Not a drill: Tim Rogers hails from the mining town of Kalgoorlie in western Australia; his instigation into rock'n'roll came when he was just 13, following a fateful visit to the dentist. There, behind the sound of the drill, Nick heard the opening chords of The Rolling Stones' Start Me Up, and he was hooked. Still under the influence of the laughing gas, he ran home and announced to his mother that he was going to buy a guitar and become a rock'n'roll star. You Am I formed in around 1989 as a trio comprising Rogers, his brother Jaimme, and his schoolfriend Nick Tischler. Jaimme and Nick left a year later, and the band eventually settled into the current line-up of Rogers, bassist Andy Kent and drummer Russell Hopkinson, with Pictures guitarist Davey Lane augmenting the line-up. Their debut album, Sound as Ever, was produced by Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. One Aria award later, and You Am I were on their way up.
Going walkabout: Over the years, Rogers has refused to stay within the confines of the band, but has been involved in various extracurricular activities. He has released three acclaimed solo albums, and his side projects include The Temperance Union and The Twin Set. He worked with Lisa Miller and Tex Perkins, and recorded the soundtrack for the movie Dirty Deeds. He's also acted on TV and in films, and in recent years gained a reputation as a bit of a party animal in the mould of his hero, Paul Westerberg. At a festival appearance in Tasmania in 2004, Rogers drunkenly slagged off the other "hippy" bands on the bill before staggering off the stage mid-set. He later apologised to fans, admitting that he had a bit of a problem with "intoxicants".
Pairing up: Recently, Rogers has cleaned up his act, following his marriage to Rocio and the birth of their daughter Ruby. He's been writing material for a new You Am I album - which will be released as soon as the band finds a new label - and is releasing a double album with The Temperance Union in September.
Kevin Courtney
