Phil Jamieson from Grinspoon and Scott Russo from Unwitten Law are heading our way on December 21 to treat Newcastle to an early Christmas present. The pair joined forces for two sold out gigs in Sydney and Melbourne earlier this year, and now it’s our turn to experience their highly acclaimed show! We chatted to Phil a couple of days ago.
The unlikely pair met when both their bands were touring New Zealand as part of the 1999 Vans Warped Tour.
“We met on the bus from Auckland airport to the gig.” Phil tells me over the phone from his home in Port Macquarie.
“I don’t know why, but I was drinking White Russians that day. After we pulled over to top up our supplies, he was drinking White Russians too. He liked our bands music, and we’ve been friends ever since”.
After jamming together in hotel rooms over the years, the pair developed a sound that has manifested itself into a unique, stripped-back set, which justifies the presence of a live audience.
“We’ve been jamming with together for years, but now we’re charging!” he says during our short interview.
“I said to him, come out and we’ll do a lap of Australia before Christmas”.
“I go on first and do some introspective jamming. Campfire sing along, really. Then Scott jumps up and plays a set of his hits”.
Chatting to Phil it’s easy to forget just how important him and his band have become to the Australian music scene. While Jamieson is most recognised as the front man of legendary Australian band Grinspoon, after the announcement of their hiatus in 2013, he spent much of the past year establishing his own successful solo career. But that’s not the only thing he’s been working on.
“I’ve been jamming on some Christmas songs. Learning some Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra!”
Jamieson and Russo hit the stage at the Cambridge Hotel on December 21. Find out more about the show and purchase your tickets via the Oztix website.
