“It’s really just flattering to be asked”.

It shouldn’t be that much of a shock, really. You Am I are one of the acts who over the years have almost become synonymous with the Big Day Out, having played at the event on no less than seven previous occasions. The four-year gap between the 2003 tour and the forthcoming events marks the band’s longest absence from the proceedings since its 1992 inception.

“We’re not particularly fans of festivals”, Tim Rogers, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the band, tells me.

“But with the Big Day Out, the social element is definitely there.  It’s a chance to catch up with people you may not have seen for quite a while.”

And coming off the back of a corker of an album, Convicts, the stage should be set for some classic shows.

“We really felt that that was exactly the album we wanted to make,” he says.

“That’s not to say we want the next record to sound anything like it. But it’s really got the band firing, and we’re enjoying playing these songs infinitely more than the older material .”

When the band last played the festival, the alleged ‘rock is back’ explosion was at its height. All of a sudden, the music You Am I had been playing for a decade was the new flavour of the month. Acts like The Vines, The White Stripes and The Hives were the toast of the mainstream rock press, yet You Am I found themselves almost on the outer.

I apologise for raising this point as I’m sure it’s been done to death, but Rogers is understanding:

“It’s a fair question,” he says. “But to be honest, we never felt like we were a part of that scene.  I always saw us as being far poncier than any of those other bands. And they all blew up because they have fantastic singers. You need a good singer to make it happen.”

“If there’s any of us who should be jealous, it’s [drummer] Rusty [Hopkinson]. He’s the best drummer in the world, I truly believe that, and he’s stuck in a band with me!”

During the conversation it soon becomes apparent that Rogers does not rate himself as a singer. When asked, having played with acts like The Rolling Stones and The Who, and being asked to play with The MC5 but turning it down due to Who-related commitments, ( he confesses he would still love to share a stage with MC5) the response is unexpected. “I’d like to play guitar in Steve Earle or Lucinda Williams’ band,” he says. ”Just take a step back, I really hate hearing myself sing.”

“That, or The Bronx. They’re extraordinary, I fucking love them.”

The 2007 Big Day Out dates is likely to end the Australian tour dates for Convicts. Following the festivals, the band will head to the United States, where the album has a January release. After that, anything could happen.

“We’re feeling pretty inspired at the moment,” Rogers adds. “This band always remains incredibly busy, simply because we have to.”

Catch You Am I doing what they do best at the Australian Big Day Out shows:

Sunday January 22: Gold Coast Parklands
Thursday January 25: Homebush, Sydney
Sunday January 28: Princes Park, Melbourne
Friday February 2: Royal Adelaide Showground
Sunday February 4: Claremont Showgrounds, Perth