24 Nov, 2009

Where are you right now?

In Minneapolis, Minnesota. We have a show tonight. I go on, like, 20 minutes after talking to you.

Do you get nervous at all?

Some gigs I do. I get nervous just before we go on at Homebake or something like that. I get nervous in front of certain people. Mainly ’cause I have friends there, my girlfriend will be there. Normally, you’re so used to performing, you sort of become a cartoon of yourself when you’re up there. You put on a show, but you wouldn’t walk down the street like that. Up there onstage, you’ve got a bravado, though it makes it pretty real when you’re doing it in front of people who know you outside of the band.

How has the band changed since your debut album?

I guess the first album [Get Born] was us being really excited; just young and full of enthusiasm and just absolutely loving rock and roll, and discovering things. And our first record, like most band’s first record is, like, your baby record. This new record [Shaka Rock] is us getting away from our influences and really just becoming ourselves. That’s the main thing.

Jet’s been around for many years now. Are you still having fun with it?

The living on the bus thing is fun. It almost has, like, a camping vibe. You become a pretty tight-knit group. But the trick is really finding those moments to yourself. When you get an opportunity to do something on your own – go for a walk in a new city on your own where you just sort of do your own thing – it’s really refreshing and kinda what keeps you going. There’s about 10 of us, and you work together every day and get one day off every three shows. So you live, work and hang out with the same people day in day out.

Wow, that sounds full-on!

Yeah, it is intense. As soon as someone goes into a town and has a friend there that no-one else knows, they’re off. And it’s not ’cause we don’t get along. Just think if you picked 10 of your friends – your ten best friends – even ones you get along well with and have never had a fight with, after two weeks, you’ll be at each other’s throats.

Does Jet have any pre-show rituals?

Yeah, I guess. We all maybe have a beer or two. And just before we go on, we have this stupid song we’ve been singing for years. We made it up to take the piss out of Kings Of Leon when we were on tour with them. They had a song and we didn’t, so we made one up to be stupid.

What percentages of your life are comprised of sex; drugs; and rock and roll?

Um, well, drugs none, ’cause I don’t take drugs anymore. I’m on tour at the moment, so there’s no sex; I have a lovely girlfriend. So I guess it’s all rock and roll!

You’re much taller than the other guys in the band. Does this have its advantages?

I guess, it has its disadvantages on a tour bus because I’m exactly the same length as the bunk, so I can’t actually stretch out. It’s f%#*ing horrible. And, in the UK, they have double-decker buses, which are lower in the ceiling and I can’t stand up in them. I’m a fair bit taller than the rest of the blokes. I don’t know how many advantages it has. Maybe if we’re at a concert watching a band, I could see better.

What’s the first you do when you get home?

Normally, I’ll go to local restaurants that I miss. I eat all the things I miss. In the first week, I don’t really get much rest, because all I do is go and see people, see my nephew and brothers and sisters. I do miss my dog a lot. Having a dog makes it twice as tough.

Do you find your get extra special love from a Melburnian audience?

I get a little nervous. When you play in Melbourne, it’s your home town, it’s all your friends, man. I end up getting really stressed ’cause you do a guest list and you always forget somebody and someone’s calling you 45 minutes before you go onstage saying "you forgot to put me on the list!".

What’s the best and worst part of fame?

It’s weird ’cause I don’t really consider myself famous. I’m pretty lucky in that I can walk down the street and no-one really knows who I am, which is pretty good. I moved to Brunswick in Melbourne a few years ago and I went to my local bar; I go there all the time. After a while, one of the guys behind the bar was like, "Mark, what do you do? You’re never at work; I never see you do anything but walking your dog, eating out and hanging around." And I said, "Oh, I’m on holidays. I’m in a band called Jet." And he just didn’t believe me. He was like, "You’re lying."