It's rare that you get to interview a living legend. A Kiwi icon, a true taonga no less.
I could have asked Dave Dobbyn a thousand different questions; about his illustrious career and how he has been a pre-eminent influence on the New Zealand music scene.
I asked him for guitar lessons instead.
It's not easy learning your first instrument at 50 something. Fingers are stubborn, memorising chord positions takes time and could somebody please explain the circle of fifths? A dozen video tutorials and I'm still convinced it has something to do with pagan rituals and little with music theory.
Dave might be a good bloke to ask I figured. And was right.
It won't go down as the definitive rock and roll interview. But here's what did go down.
Disclaimer: I have never actually met Dave Dobbyn, save for when he played at Cooks Gardens once and I was at least the 476th closest person to him, so that probably doesn't count. This time we did things over email. So I'm getting closer.
Dobbyn: "I love Warren Maxwell. His gifting is massive and his feel is so instinctively cool. The man is breathing music nonstop and lighting fires in every audience. He is a thriving beaming citizen, and I think he's older than Tane Mahuta."
Tane Mahuta is a tree. A big and apparently very old Kauri. Warren Maxwell I had to look up. Boy do I feel a chump.
Maxwell is gifted indeed. And a highly-celebrated NZ muso. The Arts Foundation lists him as leader of psychedelic blues quartet Little Bushman. His sound described as "raw, rocky and psychedelic".
Warren's album Citizen with band Trinity Roots was brutalised in a 2015 review by critic Simon Sweetman who wrote: "The lyrics. The song lengths. Heck, even the song titles ... all of that is shitty, try-hard, faux-earnest, over the top nonsense. And if it's not - s***, if these guys are really feelin' it - then it's just f*** embarrassing."
A radio critic was somewhat kinder: "But the most profound development might be found in Warren Maxwell's writing. Always a thoughtful, personal lyricist, prone to the odd political parable, this time around he isn't holding back. He's called the album Citizen for a reason. These are the songs of a citizen, exercising his right to speak truth to power."
You can't deny the guy is gifted. I feel I will be a better musician now that I have discovered Warren Maxwell. Thanks Dave.
Chronicle: Favourite guitarist (from anywhere) and why, choose only one.
Dobbyn: "Tom Verlaine of Television. His melodies are transporting and his tone is a clean dirt that cuts beautifully. The quintessential beat poet guitarist. Naked sounds from wood and wires."
Things are beginning to get embarrassing. Back to Wikipedia: "Tom Verlaine (born Thomas Miller, December 13, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman of the New York City rock band Television."
It takes commitment to sit at work and listen to music for hours in the name of research. The music was weird. And now I'm going to receive hate mail from old hippy rockers. Hope Dave forgives me.
I love the way the interviewer opens with a long rambling intro followed by the world's most pretentious question only to have Verlaine answer: "Err .... neither .... basically we put an amp in front of a mic and moved it around til it sounds good."
Classic.
Chronicle: Okay name two more.
Dobbyn: "Robert Fripp, especially his work with Brian Eno. Bent and prolific, his guitar treatments are fantastical and sumptuous. "Brett Adams of The Bads. Definite virtuoso guitarist /songwriter with killer instinct and a cool swagger. Brett can play anything at all, but his style is so tasty and tactically loose. Nails it every time."
Fripp, an English guitarist, composer and record producer, ranked 62nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2011 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All and 47th on Gibson's Top 50 guitarists of all time.
And Brent Adams caught the attention of critic John Pain who wrote for Audio Culture: "When Brett Adams of The Bads performs live it's not too hard to spot the people who are seeing him play for the first time. Some are slightly stunned, with dropped jaws and matching raised eyebrows; they weren't expecting to encounter bona fide guitar-hero virtuosity down at their local."
Dobbyn: "Yes entirely. No excuses - If you play for just 10 minutes every day, you'll be amazed how quickly you get your twang on."
My dear wife will attest to the twanging. She may however have an alternate opinion about its appeal. Suffice to say I can no longer feel my finger-tips, but I'm taking that as a step in the right direction.
A guitar forum suggests soaking your fretting hand in vinegar to harden up the finger-tips. I think fish and chips is a better use for vinegar.
Dobbyn: "Don't be discouraged by comparing yourself to others. As soon as you get three chord shapes sussed, play them slowly over and over with your eyes closed. This way your fingers learn where to feel the shape of simple chords. Listen uncritically as you learn. There is no hurry. Don't slouch. Dance if you have to. Must play once a day."
Chronicle: Career highlight and why?
Dobbyn: "Every highlight that comes along."
Succint. Lets consult the accompanying press release.
Dobbyn's extraordinary musical career began with high school band Th'Dudes. His first try at writing a song was a 'disaster' and never saw the light of day, but he took the next attempt to the band. That song - 'Be Mine Tonight' - went on to be Th' Dudes first release and winner of Single of the Year at the National Music Awards in 1979.
Four decades on, Dave Dobbyn's music has become part of the nation's soundtrack. He has an astonishing 10 songwriting credits on APRA's Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time, featuring songs released by Th' Dudes, DD Smash and as a solo artist.
He's won Best Male Vocalist a record six times and the most awards of any New Zealand musician - three Silver Scroll awards and 29 New Zealand Music Awards across his career. The music hasn't stopped coming - he released a 10th studio album as a solo artist, Harmony House, just last year.
All these songs and many more will feature in a theatre tour with Dobbyn and his full band, along with anecdotes about how the songs came to be written, told in his inimitable style.
"Playing provincial New Zealand gigs is my favourite thing," Dobbyn said. "I love it so much, it's pure pleasure. Just being aware of the community and community life - everyone's celebrating, there's an energy flow that's healthily contagious."
Chronicle: Funniest thing to happen to you on tour?
Dobbyn: "Falling off stage . It happened a few times. My favourite was when I got one bar into the first song and stepped off the stage front, crashing loudly onto the parquet dance floor. The band couldn't play after that , for laughing."
Chronicle: Is it cool to be a musician from New Zealand and why?
Dobbyn: "Yes. I belong here. That's a cool thing to share wherever I am. I get to enjoy the company of provincial audiences and be a part of encouraging people to celebrate themselves really. That's the real buzz."
Chronicle: Any special/fond memories of Whanganui?
Dobbyn: "The Opera House. Cannot wait to step onstage again."
The tour is a classic rock n roll roadtrip down the country that kicked off in Whangarei and will wrap up in Invercargill at the end of April.
Dobbyn appears in concert at the Whanganui Opera House on April 21.
