Children Collide

Tue 21st Jul, 2009 in Features

Having just completed their most extensive tour of the United States yet, Children Collide’s amiable drummer Ryan Caesar easily nominates Philadelphia as the band’s favourite city. That’s possibly in spite of being there in the midst of the furore that surrounded Michael Jackson’s death.

“We were there the day he died,” Caesar recalls. “We just got so sick of hearing about it in the end, it was ridiculous. Everywhere you went people were playing his songs on the radio and in the shops, so it was hard not to hear all the tributes. We were driving when it was announced and we’re just like, – œWhoa. We are going to remember this exact moment for the rest of our lives.’ But you know, we didn’t cry or anything.”

Having recently signed to the California-based Filter Recordings – who released their debut album, The Long Now internationally late last year – it seems this dynamic Melbourne three-piece is no longer exclusively courting the affections of its homeland. “The Americans seemed to really like the album,” Caesar tells me. “They’re an enthusiastic bunch and they’ll definitely let you know if they like your stuff. It seemed to go down really well.”

I do my best coax an anecdote of tour-related disaster or mischief out of him, but sadly, it was to no avail. “It was way less dramatic than I thought it would be,” he assures me. “We’ve toured enough together already to know how not to get sick of each other. But it is good to be home. It was a long, hard tour. Lots of driving on lots of long roads; eating at lots of truck stops. I ate a lot of beef jerky.”

If this sounds like the perfect recipe for Oh-my-god-someone-get-us-a-new-tour-bus, you’d be right. “Well by the end of it the bus didn’t smell too good,” Caesar finally admits. “Me and the tour manager were the only ones who got away with not doing any washing – Heath [Crawley] and Johnny [Mackay] did theirs. So I’m publicly apologising to those guys now for not doing any washing the whole time.”

After playing Splendour In The Grass this weekend and supporting rock royalty Jane’s Addiction, the guys will take a couple of months’ rest. Children Collide return to the road in September for their most extensive headlining tour yet to promote new single, Chosen Armies. They’ll be stopping at Gosford’s Coaster Festival along the way.

For Caesar, the outing is a chance to realise a childhood dream. “I’m really looking forward to headlining at the Corner Hotel,” he enthuses. “I’ve wanted to play there since I was a kid. But really, I’m excited about most of it. It’s the biggest tour we’ve done as a headline act and we get to do it with The Scare, so if sure there’ll be a bit of tomfoolery to be had with those guys.”

Ask anyone even remotely interested in the local live scene, and chances are they’ve seen Children Collide’s relentlessly vigorous show at some point. With their uncanny ability to constantly pack out a venue with fans, it’s likely to have been a rousing experience. “I wouldn’t say it’s a nervous energy, but it’s probably all the adrenaline that comes out when we play,” Caesar reflects. “Maybe a bit of anger, I don’t know. The show is also fluid enough to not just be a carbon copy of what’s on the album. But whatever it is we just really enjoy playing live and it’s great that we’re able to keep playing to good crowds.”

Not only has Chosen Armies scored an Australia-wide tour to mark its release, but the band went all-out when making the video clip too. The interactive DVD version gives viewers the chance to scroll around the room to see into every corner. “I’d recommend watching Heath – he’s always fun to watch. And Johnny moves around a bit, sort of dancing on the spot. We had heaps of bouncy balls being thrown around everywhere. Every time we shot, we had to clean everything up and I had to keep my head down because I was getting smacked in the head by these fucking bouncy balls,” recounts an animated Caesar. “The cleaning up was the most time-consuming part of the whole process.”

It might seem unpleasant enough to have to fight off a number of wayward bouncy projectiles while the camera is rolling, but that was nothing compared to what Caesar had to go through to produce the grey-skied romantic zombie fantasy that was last year’s Farewell Rocketship clip. “I was a fucking giant in the last one,” he sighs. “I’m not an actor, so it’s really hard to take yourself seriously when you’re dressed like a fucking giant baby, and we’re all constantly laughing at each other anyway. Heath was okay because he doesn’t have to do much to make himself like a mad scientist, because he pretty much looks like one anyway.”

I tell him I didn’t want to be the first to say it, but Crawley certainly does look like he was born to play that part. “And Johnny just had to play a fairly lukewarm character,” Caesar quips playfully, “but that’s his fault for writing his lukewarm lyrics.”

Still, nothing really beats the prospect of having to play an overgrown ogre who has been cast out by a bunch of twitchy, faceless townspeople. “It took two days to shoot, most of which I pretty much had to stomp around being a grump. But I think making the videos is really important. We’re part of a generation where music videos are such an important part of being in a band.”

Children Collide’s – œChosen Armies’ tour makes the following stops, including a place on the bill of Coaster Festival.

Thursday 3rd September – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Friday 4th September – The Corner Hotel, Richmond
Saturday 5th September – The Republic Bar, Hobart
Sunday 6th September – Hotel New York, Launceston
Wednesday 9th September – Roi Bar, Albury
Thursday 10th September – The Harp, Wollongong
Friday 11th September – The Gaelic, Sydney
Saturday 12th September – Coaster Festival, Gosford Showgrounds
Thursday 17th September – Fowlers Live, Adelaide
Friday 18th September – The Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Saturday 19th September – Prince Of Wales, Bunbury
Sunday 20th September – Newport Hotel, Fremantle
Thursday 24th September – The Sands Tavern, Maroochydore
Friday 25th September – Miami Tavern, Gold Coast
Saturday 26th September – Sounds Of Spring, Brisbane
Sunday 27th September – The Step Inn, Brisbane
Saturday 31st October – Stonefest, University Of Canberra