A quick word...with Matt Stroobant

By GRAHAM REID

Matt Stroobant of the fiery Rock'n'Roll Machine, is the man who set alight his guitar at the recent b. Net awards and trashed the stage. The Machine churn out raw'n'raucous garageband rock, have released a vinyl single, Rock'n'Roll Disease, and play tonight at Cafe 223 with Brother Love.

It's just spontaneous. You just go with it and don't want to plan anything, really.

You can have something up your sleeve. You don't just pull it out though; people can tell if you are just acting it.

Not at all.

Yeah, four months ago I jumped off the top of the PA and smashed my heel and was in a wheelchair for three months. The b. Net show was only the second we'd played since the accident. It's been a long road back.

I need to get some. It taught me something, that an unplanned moment is not all it's cracked up to be. And to tie my shoes on better.

Good, we've sold out the first pressing of 300, most of that overseas in places like Las Vegas and Japan. A certain amount went to collectors who like the format of seven inches. But on the internet you can get soundbites.

Vinyl's better to hold. It's bigger. If you buy it you feel like you've bought something. And it sounds better. Some people are vinyl addicts, I'm one of those although not as bad as some. I've got CDs as well.

Yeah, but we've got so much touring coming up. In about a week or so we are doing a few shows around the North and South Islands, we record the album, have a week's break then it's the North Island again with White Stripes from Detroit in November. Then we are off to Sydney and Melbourne for a few shows. It's busy, I don't quite know how we can pay for it, not when you've got the bills we get.

Damaged equipment, guitar repairs.

Sometimes I'll borrow other people's and then avoid them for a few weeks. I've got heaps of guitars so I just take bits off one and put them on to another to keep them going.

I've got my Gibsons and things, and my $70 guitars. It's surprising what sounds good. Sometimes expensive guitars sound like crap.

There's no cure, no cure. It just gets worse and worse.