ANNOUNCING a tour using Facebook has been a surreal experience for Motor Ace frontman Pat Robertson.
But also a “surprisingly positive” one, given its been 13 years since the Melbourne alt rock band took to the stage.
“Obviously Facebook wasn’t really around when we were, which is a frightening thing to say,” Robertson told Community News.
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READ NOW“We never really had the opportunity to publicise a tour through social media so I was kind of stunned by the reaction to be honest.”
Robertson said it was also surreal to be doing media interviews again, having been out of the industry since the band finished up at the end of 2005.
He said the idea of a reunion tour had been talked about “maybe in 2011 or 12” but he “just didn’t really feel like there was any reason to do it”.
“A lot of bands were reforming and doing those album tours and it just didn’t feel right,” he said.
“But I think now there is some kind of reason to do it.
“It has been 20 years (since we formed in 1998) and I feel like there’s a very, very long gap between our last shows and there’s some genuine interest in us doing it.
“When we finished up, everyone got on with their own lives so there wasn’t a pressing need to do it but now it just felt natural.”
However Robertson has been performing with drummer Damian Costin since 2016 as Nighthawk, which has been a good start to “realising we could actually still do it”.
“I think that gave us a lot of confidence to realise we could potentially do a Motor Ace thing when the 20th year came around,” Robertson said.
So far for Robertson, preparations for the 20th Anniversary – A Five Star Reunion tour have been to listen to the records.
“I’m hoping the muscle memory will kick in and I think it will,” he said.
“We were doing five or six nights a week for six weeks at a time, six months at a time so it’s so engrained somewhere in there.”
However, he joked fans should “probably set their expectations a little lower” when it comes to producing the same high-energy shows they were known for.
“Maybe take 30 per cent off – I think that’s probably safe,” he said.
“I can’t really remember what it was like but the bones are definitely creaking a bit more than they used to.
“We might dial it down slightly but I think the set will be more on the rock side.
“We’re not going to play the quieter songs because I think we’re definitely keen to play the songs that people want to hear.”
And though it was Costin that suggested the reunion tour because he “loves a bit of the romance and nostalgia thing”, Robertson said he was ready to re-live the Motor Ace days for two weeks.
“Anyone who’s going to be at these shows is probably a fairly hardcore fan so I think there should be a lot of love in the room going both ways,” he said
“I’m really looking forward to actually being in close quarters with these guy for a few weeks and having a good time – it should be fun.”
The tour kicks off in Adelaide on March 29, before heading to Capitol in Perth on March 30, then moving through Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
The band will also host pre-show Q&A sessions for about an hour, with signed posters and drinks.
THE ESSENTIALS
Who: Motor Ace
What: 20th Anniversary – A Five Star Reunion tour
When: March 30
Where: Capitol, Perth (18+)
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au