Keep Turning That Shit Up With ADY MATT From TESTEAGLES

The turn of the century was an interesting time to be alive. You
had the doomsdayers who were convinced some bug called Y2K was
going to wipe out the planet via technological genocide, and others
who were convinced the world was going to come to a screeching halt
at the stroke of midnight. For every theory was a counter theory,
to the point where people were being driven to drink just to
maintain some semblance of sanity.
Into the world was born an anthemic tune that was just good enough
to divert people's attention away from all of the fear and
uncertainty in the world and allow us to refocus on the one thing
that will never let us down.
Music.
So when three young upstarts from Adelaide started a sonic movement
that bucked the growing tide of uncertainty, its wings spanned the
entire world, with people as far away as Transylvania heard running
through the streets and yelling four simple words that, when put
together, became the voice of a generation. The voice your mother
warned you about. The voice of change. I can still picture myself
screaming above the live band in those times, shouting those same
four words that have now become as much a part of music folklore as
Iron Maiden and those that came before or after them. Those
words?
Turn That Shit Up. And the band responsible?
Adelaide's Testeagles, that's who. After putting out just the one
sensational metal/indie rock album laced with electronic beats and
samples called Non Comprehendus, Testeagles vanished into the
abyss. Job done. Order restored.
Over the years, there have been many calls for Testeagles to return
and finish what they had started, most of which fell on deaf ears
until the band was coaxed out of retirement and onto the stage of
last year's Froth & Fury Festival. The response was so
overwhelmingly powerful and positive, it was only a matter of time
before that one-off comeback became a fully fledged reunion, and
the band did not disappoint, recently bowing to public demand by
announcing a national tour in celebration of 25 years since the
world collectively turned their shit up.
Returning to our early days of musical indulgence, HEAVY sat down
for an entertaining chat with Testeagles drummer "Ady" Matt to fill
in the many blanks. We start by asking how rehearsals are going
with the first show only weeks away.
"We played a show last year for the first time in like 20 years or
something ridiculous, and that was a nightmare trying to get ready
for," Ady laughed. "We had our doubts because we hadn't played
properly for a really long time, but this time around we've kept it
together ever since we did that one-off show. And we've been
jamming. We built this really cool rehearsal space so we get to do
this all day, every day, and it's got us really firing."
With Testeagles having large electronic components to their music,
we ask Ady how their live show has had to change in order to keep
up with advances in the music industry.
"We weren't sure if we should just do exactly the same as what we
used to, or if we should spice it up a little," he admitted. "We've
ended up making a few changes - mainly due to all the different
technology available - and it gives you all these ideas. We sat
down and had a chat about it together, and thought about back in
the day, and how it would sound now if we never stopped. We were
always looking for the latest type of equipment and the latest
tricks and things to do. I guess that's how we justify changing
now, or thinking if we never got out of it, we would be completely
different now to what we were then. So we've embraced some new
technology, which is letting us do some extra things. I think it's
a way better show now than we ever could have done back in the day,
and it makes it probably more entertaining and interesting."
In the full interview, Ady conveyed confidence in the band's
preparations for the tour after a long hiatus, despite the
challenges of relearning older songs and accommodating the health
needs of their bass player, Dave. He reflected on the band's
musical journey since their formation in 1994, noting their
eclectic influences ranging from rock to electronic music.
He recounted the unexpected success of their track Turn That Shit
Up, which propelled Testeagles into the spotlight, while also
revealing some initial doubts about their music's reception before
it was released.
As the tour approaches, Ady expressed a mix of excitement and
anxiety about performing as the main act, emphasising the
importance of nostalgia for fans by prioritising classic songs in
the set list. The conversation also touched on the eclectic
blending of genres at Testeagles disposal and how they get the
balance right in the creative process, and more.


Become a supporter of this podcast:
https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.