Still Rockin' It - Cheryl Lee
Still Rockin' It - Cheryl Lee
What has Dale Ryder and Boom Crash Opera been up to lately? OR The secret to Still Rockin' It at 70 years young
Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians.
What does it take to keep a rock band together for 40 years? According to Dale Ryder, lead singer of Boom Crash Opera, it's understanding hierarchy, staying flexible, and genuine friendship. As the iconic Australian band celebrates four decades in the business with their first new single in 28 years, Dale opens up about his remarkable journey from knowing he wanted to be a singer at just six years old to still fronting one of Australia's most beloved rock acts at age 70.
The conversation takes an unexpected turn when Dale reveals why he performs barefoot these days – a serious accident left him with a broken neck, two broken arms, broken ribs, and chronic nerve damage that makes feeling the stage essential. "The only time I don't feel any pain is when I get on stage," he confesses, highlighting the transformative power of performance even after decades in the business.
Born in India to an English father who was an opera singer, Dale's musical DNA runs deep. He shares stories about joining Boom Crash Opera in the mid-80s, their admiration for The Models (who they're currently touring with), and the collaborative process behind their new single "Latest Hustle." With his self-deprecating humor intact, Dale jokes that it's "a scandal that we're actually releasing something at the age of 70, after 28 years."
Music lovers won't want to miss this candid conversation that proves rock and roll might truly be the fountain of youth. Catch Boom Crash Opera on their extensive Australian tour running from March through August, including a stop at Adelaide's Governor Hindmarsh on April 24th. As Dale puts it: "Gotta make a living... sleep when we're dead."
What has Dale Ryder been up to lately? Let's find out!!
Get out when you can, support local music and I'll see you down the front!!
Visit: ThatRadioChick.com.au
That Radio Chick, cheryl Lee here. Welcome to the Still Rocking it podcast, where we'll have music news, reviews and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians and artists. Boom Crash Opera are one of Australia's most loved bands, with 13 top 50 singles and five top 50 albums. I was lucky enough to catch up with lead singer Dale Ryder the other day. I hope you enjoyed the chat with him as much as I did. 70 years young, still going strong, still recording new music and still touring. To catch up on podcasts from other favourite artists, simply go to thatradiochickcomau. You're with Cheryl Lee that Radio Chick and I'd like to welcome to the show today a man who really needs no introduction Dale Ryder, lead singer of Boom Crash Opera. Dale, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 2:You're welcome, Cheryl. Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 1:Always a pleasure. We've got some exciting news to share with everybody. But if you don't mind, can we maybe just take a couple of steps backwards before we look at the exciting stuff going forward? Yeah, when did you know, Dale, that music was going to be your destiny? Is it in your DNA? Do you come from a musical family?
Speaker 2:It's probably in my DNA. My dad was an opera singer back when we lived in india. I was born in india and my dad is english and, yeah, when the english took over india, we were there. Yeah, he was a singer, but you know, he had eight kids by the time he was 35, I think, and so, wow, singing went out the window. Yeah, yeah, well, there's not much to do in india, um, and he's a christian. So there you go. You know I was. I think I was about six when I realized I wanted to be a singer. I didn't want to be an astronaut or a fireman or anything like that. Yeah, I always wanted to be a singer, sang at any party. In fact, I was a bit of a nuisance, you know. I ran parties and I just started singing, but yeah, I always wanted to be a singer nothing else.
Speaker 1:So you just knew from a very early age, by the sound of it, that this was your passion.
Speaker 2:Because all we had was the radio and you know we just listened to many of the Beatles and stuff like that, and so you know, I always envisaged myself on stage with Paul McCartney and you know I just had dreams, dreams and stuff like that, you know. And yeah, took it from there.
Speaker 1:The boys from Boom Crash Opera sort of met late 84, 85.
Speaker 2:How did you join up with these likely lads? I was in a car driving. I had a cover band called the Dada Ryder Band and I was in the car with the drummer, peter Maslin boom crash, hopper drummer and he paid me a demo of a band and he said look, I really loved it. You know, it was a really cool track. And he said, oh, funny, because they're looking for a drummer and a singer. So I think I had a shot at it and, yeah, I was in.
Speaker 1:Did you have to have an audition?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, obviously, yeah. I mean, you know I thought I was pretty good, yeah, but yeah, they tried a bunch of other singers before me and you know, nothing fit, and I think I was slightly different enough to be given a shot and yeah, it all worked out really well.
Speaker 1:They were obviously waiting for the right guy to come along, and it was you and here we are. You're celebrating your 40th anniversary with a brand new single which we will get to. Everybody probably knows the answer to this question, dale, but I don't, so I hope you don't mind me asking you, because I've seen you guys play many, many times at the gov, here, at, at Days on the Green and Red, hot Summer Tours, and what have you? And you tend to sing in bare feet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's kind of a recent thing, it's probably a couple of years. I broke my neck a couple of years ago when I set up and broke my neck and I've got a plate in there and my back was put out. I broke two, both my arms and some ribs, and so a lot of nerve damage at my age and it's not getting any better. So, shoes, sometimes big stages, you know there's a lot of leads and stuff I need. I need clear feeling, basically my feet. So yeah, and then, uh, I kind of like it and I was born in india, you know I never wore shoes so it just feels good for you yeah, it's, it's.
Speaker 2:You feel the ground, you feel the grass. You can be grounded. You feel the grass.
Speaker 1:You can be grounded.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you get dirty. You get grounded yeah, absolutely grounded, and it's kind of fun.
Speaker 1:Daryl, do you mind me asking what on earth happened to cause you to have broken arms and back and all of that?
Speaker 2:Oh, nothing nefarious, I just blacked out. I stood up and had a brain drain, one of those passing out things blood pressure, you know and fell face forward into a wall and woke up, helicoptered out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was pretty serious. I'm not meant to be walking, but I'm walking.
Speaker 1:And you haven't even really got a good story to tell about it. Like the same as my husband tripped over his scooter and broke his elbow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but that sounds much more interesting than mine elbow, but that sounds much more interesting than mine.
Speaker 1:I just fainted. I'm glad you're recovered pretty well and you still can enjoy performing, even with bare feet.
Speaker 2:That's awesome it's the only time I don't feel any pain is when I get on stage. Otherwise I'm in pain 24 7 in my back but, like I said, I'm 70 now, so it's I'm just too old to to get it go back to surgery and stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah music is like that, isn't it? It's a great healer in general, really.
Speaker 2:Oh, look, after the gig, I'm in serious pain. I stumble down the stairs going. What was that? Normally I'm feeling it.
Speaker 1:It's good that you get some relief while you're out there entertaining us all. Yeah, you are listening to Still Rocking it the podcast with Cheryl Lee.
Speaker 1:We're due for a song, and I think we'll start with Great Wall. It was the first single from Boom Crash Opera's 1987 self-titled album. It reached number five on the Australian Kent Music Report and it won the Countdown Australian Music Award for award for best debut single. Then we're back to speak some more to dale rider, who, by the way, wrote this song. When dale rider can listen to whatever he wants while you're driving in the car or what have you? What's on your playlist at the moment?
Speaker 2:At the moment. I'm completely infatuated with a guy called Jordan Rakey, or, as he pronounces, rakey. I think he lived in Melbourne. He's a New Zealand boy and he writes amazing jazz, pop, funky, r&b, rock stuff, yes, and it's incredibly interesting. So I've been listening to him for the last I don't know five or six years and ended up buying every one of his albums. I actually saw him live in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago. I put up with the pain of standing for about three hours and he was awesome. Yeah, so that's pretty much on high rotation. I like Kimbrough, but she hasn't put anything new out. There's a band in Australia called and they haven't put anything out recently called Paper Kites. I really love them. There's a few things, but mainly Jordan Rake.
Speaker 1:Do you have a favourite song of Jordan's?
Speaker 2:And I might tell you that in a minute it's called Selfish. Yeah, it's a reggae. I mean, if you like Selfish, then you should have a listen to his catalogue. It's really interesting. I definitely will. It's really interesting, I definitely would. It's mainly jazz because he's very, very. He's an incredibly talented musician, plays all the instruments and stuff. He's really good.
Speaker 1:I'm going to look him up and we're going to play him later in the show. This is the first new material in 12 years 28 years. Yeah, 28 years, first single yeah in 28 years. You must have done something new 12 years ago.
Speaker 2:Maybe they just released an acoustic version of all the songs. Yeah, I think it was. Liberation released a compilation of acoustic remakes of our stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, A loose definition of new, isn't it? Yeah, so first single in 28 years. It's called Latest Hustle. Who wrote that one?
Speaker 2:Oh, it's basically Peter Fine comes to the band with lots of ideas and almost almost finished but not quite realized, and then I helped rewrite some of the lyrics because I've got to sing it. Yes and uh and um, you know, talk to him about what, what it is all about, and you know what's the meaning of it all, and blah, blah, blah and yeah, but then you could manage the drummer to to put his expertise on it and everybody else does a little bit. There you go, you've got a song, you know it's. It's a group effort, mainly by peter fine and rice, the 80 of it. It's a group effort. For the other 20, I would.
Speaker 1:I would say yeah, please say hi to pete. I had a good chat with him last year. Say hi from me. You said your head is spinning. You've been reborn. So clearly you're loving recording and playing the new song.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, the song is basically about. You know, in general the song is about a daily hustle that people have to go through to get happy in the end. You know, the quip is that it's a scandal that we're actually releasing something at the age of 70, after 28 years, and that's basically my put on it. You know it's like ah it. You know it's like, uh, you know it's what a scandal. Some old guy putting out a single what's going on and that's that's kind of the joke of it all. But basically it's about the hustle that people go through. That's what the film group's all about just trying to get through the day so you can enjoy the rest of it, which most people want still rocking that podcast with that radio chick, cheryl lee.
Speaker 1:Let's play that song now, shall we? Brand new single from Boom Crash Opera hot off the press, latest hustle and let's see if you can hear the nod to a previous Boom Crash Opera anthem in there. And then we're back to speak to Dale Ryder very shortly. I think you guys in particular are living proof of my theory that rock and roll is the fountain of youth.
Speaker 2:It's something Keeps you young. Yeah, my wife and I talk about it all the time. You know like we'll be driving somewhere and she'll go that guy's 70. And I go what? And then she'll go. Yeah, it's just your rock and roll stuff keeps you young and my kids go. Dad, you look the same as you did. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1:yeah you do, yeah you do, they're right, you know yeah whatever keeps me young, I'm happy doing it yeah exactly the producer of your debut album said the most important thing a group can do is stay together, keep it together and you can do anything you want. So you guys have done that, haven't you? It's been a pretty stable lineup almost right from the start yeah, we're all pretty good friends.
Speaker 2:Still, you know I think that's one of the things bands need to need to work out really quickly is there is a hierarchy you've got to get used to it and the hierarchy changes so depending on what job it's meant to be done.
Speaker 2:And if you can cope with that, there'll be no ego clashes so everybody knows their place yeah, well, you know, sometimes you're down the down the rung a little bit, and then the next time it's it's part of your job to do this thing and then you're up, you know you're in charge and if you can get all that inside your head, that things are going to change, there is a hierarchy, it's a dictatorship. Sometimes it's just that's the way it works. You know, you just got to do it be flexible, study fluid and then you don't.
Speaker 2:You don't have fights. Yeah, very amicable. You know we have arguments about stuff, but it's it's. They're all very, very productive, because you know there's no point having unproductive arguments 40 years, you know.
Speaker 1:You know that's longer than most marriages. So good on you don't bring that up you've just been to our beautiful town.
Speaker 2:It was so hot in Adelaide. Jesus, it was so hot. I've never been to Adelaide when it's so hot. It was crazy hot, but it was awesome. We got lost. We were looking for something to eat.
Speaker 1:So you were here with Roxette during our Fringe time. Did you actually get to see any of our Fringe?
Speaker 2:I've done the Fringe show a couple of times With my cover band at the Spiegel tent and I used to love coming to, but I kind of won't make it this year.
Speaker 1:But yeah, no, it's always good fun actually I think I've seen you there as well, you know it's been good, yeah, the next time you are coming back to our town is a double a side tour.
Speaker 2:The models with the models and at the gov. Yeah, that'll be fun. Models are great. Love the models, always love them. We tried to be like them but we just weren't good enough. No, that's a serious thing. Like we loved them. Sean Kelly's an awesome guy, you know. The whole band are awesome, but there was a time when we wanted to be them, you know, back in the 80s this is before Boom Crash I think all of us had a slight crush on the models.
Speaker 1:Didn't we all? It's a pretty extensive tour for the adelaideans. Get onto the googleometer, grab the tickets 24th of april at the gov.
Speaker 2:I think you got like 20 plus dates from march to august yeah, and then there's I think there's something else coming up in november, so well, you know why you've got to just work, exactly right, gotta make a living what do say Sleep when we're dead? Yeah, exactly, keep going.
Speaker 1:Look, the Gov need to give you free bed and breakfast, don't they? You've been there. I reckon I've lost count of the times I've seen you there.
Speaker 2:Would you want to stay at the?
Speaker 1:Gov, it would be so loud.
Speaker 2:What's that band doing now that says shut up?
Speaker 1:We love all the back catalogue. I'm going to play some old, some new. Remind us why we love Boom Crash Opera. Can you say it for me, and then we'll let you go, because I think our 15 minutes is up. So four decades after the band began, the start of Onion Skin remains an irresistible rallying cry oh, kick it in and cut it out, kick it out. Well done, I think those are the lyrics, thank you.
Speaker 2:I don't sing that part, by the way. No, I had to actually think about it. Well, done. Thank you, cheryl, really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I loved chatting with you and I shall see you down the front at the Gov on the 24th. Thank you very much, fijian. Be good and chill then. Thank you, Bye for now, bye-bye. You are listening to Still Rocking it, the podcast with Cheryl Lee. Hear the song that is on Dale's playlist at the moment by New Zealand Australian music singer, songwriter and record producer Jordan Rakai, with Selfish. And then we're going to go out with Keep it In, cut it Out, kick it Out. Onionskin by Boom Crash Opera. You're with Cheryl Lee, that radio chick. Thank you so much for joining me on the Still Rocking it podcast. Hope to catch you again next time. Get out when you can support Aussie music and I'll see you down the front. Bye.