Beat a Go Go

This trio from Melbourne, Australia consists of drummer Jim White, guitarist Mick Turner and violinist Warren Ellis. In 1993 they released their first CD, Sad And Dangerous, first available only in Australia and the US, then two years later in Europe (Poon Village 1995) and the same year they released Dirty Three (Big Cat). Since this time, they have released many CDs and have toured all over the world. Warren Ellis is one of the very special performers who expresses gentleness and passion at the same time. He plays his violin like nothing else exists in the world. In concert, Dirty Three draw you into the story and you stay in it until the last tone. The songs are composed in such a way that they rise in intensity - like a kind of love story, from courting to real love. As Warren says in our interview, "They are all love songs."

How did you decide to play the violin? Did you learn to play the violin in school?

A man came to my class when I was 10 years old and asked who wanted to learn violin. I put my hand up because I noticed all the girls had put theirs up.

How did you first have the idea to play rock on the violin? How did people react when they first heard you?

Well, I always disliked violins in rock music, and if the truth be known I probably still do. I was asked to play a show with a friend 15 years ago, and I put a guitar pick-up on with a rubber band, and have continued to play electric till this day. I don't know how people reacted - I was too busy trying to play, and dodge the cans.

The classic rock band includes guitars, bass, drums and vocal. What do you think about using other instruments - for example Jethro Tull using the flute, John Cale playing the viola in The Velvet Underground and Apocalyptica playing heavy metal on cellos? What can these unusual instruments give to rock?

I liked what John Cale did with the viola. He certainly made me see that it could be incorporated in a good way in rock music, but then again they weren't your average rock band, and were treated accordingly. I guess I am open to anything if it works and is sincere. I don't really get into people trying to validate rock music by playing it in a classical way. It stands on its own.

In the '90s there was a lot of stuff going on in Seattle - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, "grunge"... and in Australia, Midnight Oil. And the older bands went through a kind of rebirth and went on tour again - Pink Floyd, Yes, etc. Do you think we'll look back on the '90s as a special time for music?

People already are. There were some good things going on for sure.

Which music influenced you the most while growing up? Did you listen to The Who a lot?

I was listening to AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Charlie Parker, Hank Williams.

In one Rolling Stone magazine, I read that Pete Townshend went to one of your concerts and it was very emotional for him. He said your music brought tears to his eyes.

Really? That's very touching.

What kind of music do you listen to now?

I listen to lots of stuff: Neil Young, Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Arvo Pärt, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bach, Felix Lajko, Miles Davis, Bartok, Stravinsky, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin...

Is "Horse" from Horse Stories a kind of a love song?

They are all love songs.

Is "Irish Red" from Lowlands a political song?

No, it was recorded in Ireland.

Can you describe how your last album, She Has No Strings Apollo, came to be created? What are your feelings about it?

Well, I haven't listened to it for a long time, but I still enjoy playing the songs live, and that¹s a good sign. It was a difficult album to make. They don't get any easier for us - the more you make, the less you seem to have to choose from next time. We had tried to make it a year earlier and failed, so I guess we were staring at the end of the group, in fact the album felt a bit like a life or death situation. When we play together it is like nothing else - we play in a way which is uniquely Dirty Three and that was what we wanted to keep alive, purely for selfish reasons. I think we all care very much about this group.

How was your last tour in the US? What was the most memorable/important concert for you?

I really enjoyed our last tour of the States. I was certain it was going to be a nightmare. I enjoyed watching Will Oldham play in Chicago. Nothing like being put in your place, hey? I think the three shows in San Francisco were a high point for the band, three really different shows, and playing with Zac Sally from Low for the whole tour was an absolute delight.

Yes, in the US tour you were transformed from Dirty Three to Dirty Four. Is it better to have more dirty guys hanging around?

It was really good for all of us - after so long together, it¹s good to have different people around, new blood. I would play with Zac again in a heartbeat.

Mick Turner made all these beautiful and interesting pictures on your CDs. I think a lot of musicians have more than one artistic talent. Is he a painter too? Did he study it?

He is a wonderful painter. I don't believe he has had any formal training.

Is there a difference between the audiences in the US, in Europe and Australia?

Australia is always quite hard for us because we are from there. It¹s hard to generalize with crows, but you never can know how people are going to react - sometimes a few people can be more rewarding to play to than a whole lot.

Whales - one of the most beautiful and the biggest animals of the world - come to a part of the Australian coast every year. I've watched it on TV once and it was amazing. Have you ever been there to see them?

I did go once, but none showed. I would love to see some.

I saw Dirty Three four times in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and once when you played with Nick Cave. At your last concert in Orto (a club in Ljubljana), the crowd sang the songs with you at the concert....it was great. Do you remember this evening? When shall we see you in Ljubljana again?

Yes, I do remember that evening. I hope we will come back in 2004. Were you at the concert when I cut my hand? That was quite a night.

Finally, some philosophy: what do you think is the most important attribute in life?

Self-motivation.

From Taisija: Yes, I was there at the concert where he cut his hand. It was in the middle of November 1996. Orto was completely crowded, full of people to the last corner. (By the way, this is one of the best rock clubs in Ljubljana.) People were drinking and smoking a lot. It was so crowded that the waiters had a lot of problems getting through to deliver drinks to customers. Warren was on the small stage, surrounded with people. As he does most of the time, he was facing the other two, the drummer and the guitarist, with his back to the public. The concert was at its peak and Warren was in his "moment" when he swung his hand back and hit a glass that someone was carrying past. The glass broke and cut his hand.

They brought him to the hospital immediately. We were shocked. We thought the concert had ended. But after a half-hour or so, Warren was back with his hand in a bandage. He took the violin and resumed the concert. The crowd was yelling enthusiastically. It was crazy... incredible. He played the concert to the end and the crowd stood up to show respect. He was shining like a diamond and the shine went to the crowd.

After the concert, he was sitting with a girl at a table drinking. It was nearly early morning when I left the club with my cousin. Warren¹s eyes caught mine and when I passed him, he stood up, gave me his hand and kissed me. It was a friend saying goodbye to a friend. Even though we didn't know each other, we had shared a very special world of emotions, courage, sincerity, art and magic. The lovers of great music understand what I mean.

Dirty Three, keep on rocking... see you at the next concert.

Dirty Three (or Four, counting Zac Sally on bass) in Chicago, April 2003