Following the culmination of the first stop of the Tracks Party Tour in Newcastle, we decided to touch base with Goons of Doom guitarist Vaughan Blakey to get the lowdown on the band’s origins, some of his favourite Goons songs and more.
Vaughan and the rest of the Goons will be heading to Bells this Friday 29 March for the second stop of the Tracks Party Tour where we will be taking over the Torquay Surf Lifesaving Club alongside DJ Eddy and Purple Disturbance.
JS: So take us back to the start, how exactly did Goons of Doom start?
VB: We started in 2003, we had all been living together in Ozzie’s house and we had just made a surf movie called Doped Youth. We needed props to make the movie as it was about a bunch of surfers in a rock and roll band. Art kind of imitated life and it just went from there really. We started playing as Doped Youth and then quickly changed to Goons of Doom in 2004.
JS: How did you all come to meet?
VB: We’ve been childhood mates since we were six-years-old and the funny thing is at the start of the band hardly any of us could play instruments, we just learnt gig by gig and had such a good time doing it. I think that’s why people always came to our shows because they loved the energy we had for it. Even now, we all have very different lives but every time we get together and start bashing it out, it still feels just as fun as when we started, we just don’t age, when we get together we’re all still frothing.
JS: What made you guys go down the surf punk route when deciding on what kind of music to play?
VB: It was all Ozzie’s idea to do rock and roll. At the time Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and that acoustic sound was so big in surfing, it was the soundtrack to most surf films. However, we just wanted to rip it up and being into rock and roll ourselves, it made sense. The launch of Goons was perfect timing as that rock n roll vibe kicked back in and surfing and surf films were becoming a lot more grunge, metal and rock inspired.
JS: For those who are still unaware, what can people expect from a Goons of Doom concert?
VB: I would really recommend getting pissed, wear a tee-shirt you don’t like and if you’re going to stand in the back and do nothing you’ll have a shit time. Come and be a part of the band and join in the one big room of mess, noise and fun.
JS: What’s your favourite Goons of Doom song?
VB: I really like Cousin Mike, it almost sounds like an Irish pub tune, it’s a proper fun one that everyone can really get into. I also love Fkd up, that’s where Killer goes crazy on the guitar and it always get the mosh pit going.
JS: If you were to make a band out of professional surfers, who would be in it and what instrument would they play?
VB: Haha, wow that is a good question, I dunno hey. I reckon for the drums I’d go with Jacko Baker because Ginger Baker was on drums for cream and we need a bit of fire, I reckon Jacko has got that in his locker. I’d have Steph Gilmore on lead guitar, she’s a groover and would suit that well I reckon. Occy has to be the lead singer, he loves a tune or two. Then for bass guitar, I dunno, it needs to be someone really smooth. I’ll go Yago Dora. Haha wow what a band that is. They’ve got to play black magic woman eight times in a row, that’s all they’re allowed to play, the whole crowd gets free beer until they decided to throw a glass at the band.
JS: That’s a cracker of a band, not sure how many people would buy tickets to watch them but if there’s free beer involved I wouldn’t say no. Thanks for chatting mate and see you at Bells.
The Tracks Party held at the Torquay Surf Lifesaving Club this Friday is supported by Yeti, Rip Curl, Dragon & Blackmans Brewery.
The tour will then head to the Gold Coast on 10 May before concluding in Sydney on 17 May.
Bells Beach tickets – Purchase here – Supported by Yeti, Rip Curl, Blackmans Brewery & Dragon
Gold Coast tickets – Purchase here – Supported by Yeti
Sydney tickets – Purchase here – Supported by Yeti, Curley Lewis & Oneill
