Cosmic Psychos - Sturm and Dung

It’s an incredible feat that the Cosmic Psychos are still together and churning out albums after 22 years on the scene. But what’s even more incredible is they’ve never financially supported themselves on their music. It’s always been a hobby, and even today, it’s just as much about the beer and the music as it ever was.

“The way we’ve recorded we haven’t changed anything much, that’s going in pretty green and just getting it down as quickly as possible. (We’re) not using as much tape as what you used to and (not) doing all that bloody rewinding…It’s made all the mistakes a lot easier. The only difference in the last ten years is that Lindsay Gravina has moved the studio another 200 to 300 metres further away from all the grog shops on Chapel Street. So it’s been a bit more of a task carrying bottles of beer back to the studio.”

It seems age is taking its toll on the band’s drinking habits. Knight admits the amount of alcohol he consumes has reduced over the years but that isn’t due to a lack of trying.

“The results are all the same…put it this way, if I do an all nighter it will take me days to get over it…I’m putting my hand up. I’m getting old. I’m not running away from the fact. But it’s not from a lack of trying. I’m still trying hard!”

It’s the same story at gigs. The Cosmic Psychos have had to tone down their drinking habits because their bodies aren’t coping as well as they used to. The Dwarf was curious to find out if there had been any particular poor, drunken, on stage moments over the years. Knight nominated a Tasmanian gig for that prestigious title.

“Probably the worst is when we went down to Tasmania a few years ago and oddly enough I was the only one who caught the plane. Everyone else missed it so I was joined by the rest of the crew late in the day. I’d been tanking on at the airport. Then we had a very long drive down to Devonport I think it was…I remember Bill and I were so pissed we just couldn’t play. We had to keep stopping every 30 seconds to try and start again. It was just a bloody absolute disgrace! It was terrible but it was a lot of fun!”

Unfortunately, the punters didn’t seem to have as much fun.

“At the time I thought they were in great spirits but from all the reports I got back from that show, it was a bloody disgrace! But who gives a rat’s arse! I didn’t have to pay to get in. I don’t think anyone else had to pay to get in either. So it doesn’t really matter!”

With that kind of attitude it’s easy to see why the Cosmic Psychos have stuck together for such a long time. Knight explained at one stage the band came face to face with the opportunity to earn a living from their music but he decided it was more important to keep work and music separate so the fun would remain. It’s safe to say not many bands would come to the same conclusion, but undoubtedly the decision has prolonged the Psycho’s musical career.

“We used to play a lot more in the nineties and tour a lot more…there was a window of opportunity of maybe doing something more full time with the band but when we all sat down and talked about it, I didn’t want to commit to being a band full time. It’s as simple as that because I think that would take away the fun. I don’t want to take something that’s really good fun and make it into something that turns into work.”

“Now I work during the week and then I jump on a plane on a Friday up to Sydney or Brisbane and come home on the Monday or the Sunday and I feel crook when I go back to work, but it’s just great fun!”

The Cosmic Psychos have just released a new album Dung Australia and will be touring it around the country for the next month or so. When faced with a question regarding digital distribution of the record, Knight was less than helpful, but as always, highly amusing.

“I’ve only just learnt how to use my car radio, let alone anything else. I don’t know if it’s available on the net or if you can download it. I don’t have a clue.”

Judging by that response The Dwarf assumed Knight hadn’t been put in charge of the band’s MySpace page. “Of course not. I couldn’t even turn the computer on!” So we wondered if Knight thought the increasing integration of the internet and the music industry was a positive development.

“I guess so. Bands who used to be selling millions of records are now just selling a couple of hundred thousand CDs. So the income has been slashed by all that kind of stuff (illegal downloading namely) but then again there’s the good side where it just makes the music more accessible and more affordable for the punter. So I think it’s great!”

“My theory about music is it’s there to be shared. I think it’s great but then you’re talking to someone who hasn’t made a penny out of music. Maybe if I was dependent on it, I might be a bit pissed off but you know, I don’t live in a mansion that costs half a million dollars to run every month either. So as far as I see, music is not my life. I work for a living and I play music for fun so I’m on the side of the battler.”

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