"We've been around for a few days, done a few things, been a few places, it's amazing, and we also do a lot of interviews – so where did you start? Ever look on Wikipedia? I haven't looked on Wikipedia," he laughs. "What does it say? We have some pretty amazing fans, they normally keep that stuff up to date – we love you for that and that you appreciate us and put food on our table."
"So ask me anything," he says "just not ‘where did you start in music'?!?!" (For extra credit for this interview, please see links listed at the bottom of this page.)
This opportunity was huge. The chance; one in a lifetime. What else could you ask a man who's gone from strength to great-fitting-pant-defined strength?
What is the meaning of life.
This ability to highlight the finest points of existence is part of his cool appreciation and love of the simple things. As a musician, "you can be as talented and prolific as you want to be, but in this industry, it's just stupid luck. We are some of the luckiest individuals I've ever known. For all intents and purposes we should not be still doing this. For the past 10 years we've played a style that is considered dead, yet we still sell out shows, from 800 to 3000 people. Which doesn't make sense? But we're not going to fight a gift horse in the mouth. Not to say our fans are horses," he leaps to his own defence, "if anything… ok, well if horses, they are at least thoroughbred," he laughs. "It can always be taken away so quickly – through technology and today, people can lose focus on something, anything too quickly," so they all focus on what they know and appreciate.
The band, Reel Big Fish has gone through band members, tours and albums. It's the only thing for Scott that he could ever be happy doing. Just the idea itself is "totally terrifying! From High School I had nothing, no expectation or interests or goals. I just wanted to play music and started going to college until I got this call; ‘hey you wanna make money from music and touring?'" (This back in the very early 90's), so if it wasn't for the success of his music, "I'd probably be homeless."
"When I started college I didn't care about anything, I started a course in History which started from the beginning of recorded history to 1738 (then stopped) and then Literature as Film. Which really was just watching movies all day and then once a month, write a paper. I took classes cause I didn't care – like I didn't care for history of architecture but my brother would drive me there." Remembering ‘way back when' (which was only a little over 10 years ago), "if it wasn't College I'd have to pay rent to my parents," so really the plan was just that simple.
For Scotty, the ‘big break' all happened in January of 1996 when he signed a temporary contract and "we started by being paid a huge $400 a month! BIG MONEY! I remember the date as I just started dating this girl, she was picking me up," laughing "I didn't drive till 24, so she picked me up for a date but we had to go past my manager to sign contracts." The relationship didn't work out, but the big money and years that followed did (apparently Scott was hard to handle, but he's really a big sweetie). The success hasn't gone to his head, admitting that he stills feels as though the point he's at now and "for all my knowledge and wisdom [was] gained after mistake by mistake."
So far, all these ‘mistakes' lead him to be part of a band heading for Australia once again (even though he is afraid of flying). Scott "loves it in Australia, we really do. It's a relaxing way of touring, people are always so nice. I live in New York so to be going over in December is a nice break," rejoicing at the prospects, "I'm going from snow to summer heat." Realising suddenly, "it will be hard to find shorts. I have to make sure I hold onto them and not put them in storage. Oh! And flip flops. Then tan will come," he giggles.
In case fans fear the worse of seeing Scott here branded head to toe in fake orange goo, take a deep breath. He's never really tried for an actual tan to look good, or for any outfit. "We did the work for (the last) tour this summer in shorts, but I just don't care. My legs will not change colour! My face, arms they tan but my legs never tan," he sighs. "Maybe it's some misplaced super human power? You know, some people have speed, or strength I get non-tanning legs. It may not be awesome or heal mankind," he says definitely, "but it's my thing." He has tried only once on a trip with his wife to ‘fit in', "I went to Cabo St Lucius for Thanksgiving, I'm a bit hairy – so thought ‘you know being outside, at the pool maybe I should wax', or something." His wife "was so excited… super excited," he said. But describing this act to blend into society? "It was an invigorating experience."
The adventures of the skin were probably something paranormal, like toying with Mother Nature; it was something that should just not be messed with. "You know how the box tells you do a text patch?" he says, "well I didn't and I had an allergic reaction. I itched, it burned, we got to Cabo, then put on heaps of sunscreen, to try and sooth it," but the cream didn't help, so he "cut back on the cream from 45 (SPF) to 15," he sighs. "Then I got sunburnt."
"That was the last time that I tried to change myself to be more visually pleasing," he admitted, "if I can't be happy with myself, if I can't work with what I've got – what can I do? Western civilisation is so stuck on the visual image – we are so stuck on it. Unless you have certain pleasing properties, and status, your self-worth plummets," almost upset by the situation. "I could have sworn there was more people should give value; patience, tolerance, honestly – these were things of value, not making sure I don't have the right Mark Jacobs pants," he declares. "Not to say I don't love him as a designer," confessing, "I'm actually weird about pants."
The admission of his passion / habit / addiction explained is that he will "search long and hard for a comfortable pair, although I do have my limits. I blame that same girlfriend who was there when I signed that contract. Back then I wore $25 Dixies, then she made me get a Guess pair. They were $100! I thought I would lose my mind! But they fit so good and felt so sexy, I have lost all my say and hope for humanity, I could have been a man of the soil, but now I'm a slave to textiles."
The style of Reel Big Fish, who have been around in sound since 1992, hasn't changed a great deal. Much like that of Scott's tan lines (and apparently body hair) it is obvious that a great thing shouldn't be messed with. They have managed to survive what can only be described as a normal progression of sound, with big bands with such a vocabulary of live instruments not making it past the local pub. Although consistent through genre their methods of application have settled down a touch. "We're not a big ‘going out' kind of guys," he said, "that's the thing that's changed." Thinking of the past 20 odd years, "we party a little bit now. But we're not the crazy partiers we used to be. Now, when we're on the road the show comes first, that is the most important for us. We spend lot of time putting on shows and (years ago) we were getting drunk and realised that too many people were spending their hard earned to see us so we learnt to be professional."
"There was a time we were assholes and we were ‘Rock Stars' and made general jackass of ourselves," he said, but feels even more fortunate that they all "got the chance to turn it around and realise what the whole point of this was, it is to give something back; making connections, that's what it all should be about. It's not like these kids come to see us, we come to see them. We go out to see people we want to see and show then what we work hard on for them, we are in a service industry. This is about providing something to people whether that they need it or not; that is why we continue. It's delivered whole hearted with pride and enthusiasm."
The dedication, passion and faith their music isn't just words to sound tough in this interview; "we've all played shows with 103 fevers," Scott said, "5 years ago I got sick, was paralysed and kept off the road." Having to stay at home, he "hated that I was home and not able to work. I had a physical and emotional collapse to not be out there with them." Talking more on the anguish to be with the band on tour, the almost agonising connection is the "loving of this ‘thing', we love do to it. It is an amazing gift, a treat and honour. The moment we forget that, is the moment we will start to lose it."
Debating whether this could ever happen, or even if the band could ever tempt the consideration of the idea of stopping anytime soon, Scott laughs. "We plan to stick around for 10 years after we should have stopped, 'til people are sick of us! But by then we'll be back in fashion," and can tour again for years for their ‘farewell'. "We could be like Jay-Z, say we'll be Ministers or something, he's got a great business strategy."
With time running out and poor ol' Scott a little under the weather, there was really only one more matter that needed to be discussed; how the beard was going. "I still have the beard," he laughs, "I shave the beard once a year in October and it's now growing back. (Stroking it) I'm more comfortable with a beard, I feel like a perpetual 12 years old and it's the only thing I can do to feel grown up. The wife is ok with it; in October it brings spice into the marriage ‘oh where is my husband' she'll giggle. There is just something about it, you feel and look more thoughtful. It's like having a bonsai tree and pet on your face. Takes a little care and trimming but you have to talk to it it, pet it, stroke it, brush it." Like the impact of his music the world over, the beard has a similar lifestyle, "I friend of ours got married and almost sent an invite to myself, my wife and my beard saying it was like inviting another guest." Shortly after the event, "There were all sorts of comments on Facebook," he said, "like ‘I didn't realise you invited Cat Stevens?'"
The impression and power of the beard is an experience he's seen different around the world. "Beards are versatile," he said "it depends how you want to rock it." Living in the US, the impression his beard has is safer than that experienced abroad. "In Russia, someone asked about the beard. So many great men have beards but the comment was so many bad people had beards too, so it was very confronting." When looking back at men of history, people in their past "who were mean had beards, I felt bad." Joking that the world over "needs more beards! I mean, Santa Claus has a beard for goodness sake! Look at the Beatles during Abbey Road!"
The "relationship" between man a beard "is so powerful," he pondered, "you can walk by young people under 40 and if they have beard and if you have a bread, they give nod like 'how you going'. You don't do this with anyone else. In Brooklyn, New York, if you have a beard, you say hi." But to be sure, "we don't include those moustache people."
Reel Big Fish are to music as the Beard is to man, "Beards aren't supposed to be ironic. The Moustache is ironic – when you turn hair into chic; you've betrayed facial hair."
The Band:
Website
MySpace
Wikipedia
A photo with Scott's beard in it
The Tour:
TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY 7 OCTOBER
THURSDAY 2 DECEMBER BRISBANE, THE TIVOLI – 18+
www.ticketek.com.au 132 849, Rockinghorse and Kill The Music
FRIDAY 3 DECEMBER SYDNEY, UNSW ROUNDHOUSE – Licensed All Ages
www.ticketek.com.au 132 849
SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER, MELBOURNE, BILLBOARD – 18+
www.ticketek.com.au 132 849, www.billboardthevenue.com.au
SUNDAY 5 DECEMBER, HQ ADELAIDE – 18+
www.venuetix.com.au & Venuetix outlets
TUESDAY 7 DECEMBER PERTH, CAPITOL – 18+
www.moshtix.com.au & Moshtix outlets
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