We interviewed Black Cab, who will be headlining Friday Nights at NGV on 19 February 2016.
Describe your sound in 5 words or less?
Electricity. Rock. Drums. Sequences. Vocals.
If your music was an artwork what would it look like?
Piss Christ. Andre Serrano.
Do you have a favourite artist/artwork?
Not really. Musically we draw a lot of inspiration from anyone who has had the temerity to keep working in the face of public indifference, commercial failure and industry neglect. And that’s basically any great artist or band you care to name.
What’s your favourite gig you have played to date?
Supporting Tangerine Dream at the Melbourne Town Hall.
What inspires/influences your music the most?
Creating a powerful shared experience is the holy grail.
What song do you wish you wrote?
Happy Birthday.
What part of making music excites you the most?
When two ideas merge to form one.
What can someone expect from your live show?
Beats and lights.
Tell us about the last song or album you created?
It was called Games of the XXI Olympiad. It took four years to make.
What is your favourite part of being involved in Friday Nights at NGV?
Playing in an iconic Melbourne space.
Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei showcases over 300 artworks that explore the parallels and intersections between the practices of these two exemplary artists. Are you excited about the exhibition?
Yes.
Andy Warhol famously said: ‘Art is what you can get away with.’ How would you respond?
That sounds like a mantra for a subversive artist. We’re not really all that subversive. What you see is what you get. We’re not really trying to get away with anything and if we ever referred to the music we make as “art” we’d be labelled pretentious. Fair enough too.
Ai Weiwei once said: ‘A small act is worth a million thoughts.’ How would you respond?
Well, we’re a small act so yeah, maybe its true.
What else are you working on now? Or where are you next touring?
We’ll play around Melbourne and Sydney this year road testing new material. Expect to see songs come and go as we work towards another reinvention of the band and who knows… maybe a release or two.