I don’t think I’m talking out of school when I say that Tex Perkins is a man who wears many hats (and oh my, does he ever look stylish when he does).
If you’re a casual consumer of music, then band names like Beasts Of Bourbon or The Cruel Sea would come to mind upon mention of his name.
If you’re a bit more of a diehard, then I could start mentioning the likes of his solo work, the Dark Horses, the Fat Rubber Band, The Tennessee Four, The Band Of Gold, The Butcher Shop, The Ape, the Bush Oysters, the James Baker Experience, Minced Meat, Salamander Jim, The Dum Dums, Thug, and collaborations like T’N’T with Tim Rogers, and the wonderful Tex, Don & Charlie with Don Walker and Charlie Owen.
Good gravy, I think I’m going cross-eyed just mentioning them all.
And you know what? That’s not even all of them. Tex has been in more bands than I’ve had hot dinners, and frankly it’s a wonder he has time to do anything else in his life.
In recent years, we’ve seen The Beasts wrap things up, and we’ve seen The Cruel Sea release their first album in 24 years. If you’re listening to this thinking we’re about to be chatting about those bands, well, here’s a curveball for you – we’re actually chatting about Before The Show, Tex’s new album made in collaboration with Matt Walker.
It’s a stellar piece of work, and as the pair head out on tour, Tex was kind enough to donate his time to chat about his musical origins, and just what collaborating with an artist like Matt Walker is all about.
Anyway, have a listen to Tex Perkins and Matt Walker’s Before The Show, buy a ticket to their current tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.
Tex Perkins’ Trusty Chords
Tex’s One Influential Artist
- Brian Eno
Tex’s Three Impactful Albums
- The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers (1971)
- The Cramps – Songs The Lord Taught Us (1980)
- Lydia Lunch – Queen Of Siam (1980)
Honourable Mentions:
- Psychic TV – Dreams Less Sweet (1983)
Tex’s Five Trusty Songs
- Leonard Cohen – ‘The Partisan’ (1969)
- Beck – ‘The Golden Age’ (2002)
- Dolly Parton – ‘Jolene’ (1973)
- Nick Drake – ‘Pink Moon’ (1972)
- Psychic TV – ‘Black Moon’ (1983)