Mikelangelo and his Tin Stars

(Photo- Cathy Kirkpatrick)

I must have first met Mikelangelo at the Spiegeltent in Melbourne and, from hazy memory, there was some tapping invovled with his Black Sea Gentlemen. His southern European charmer character was already a star and women you wouldn’t expect, and many of them, were melting at a mention of his name. He was fun, eloquent, musically talented and, best of all, intoxicating ridiculous.

Several years later, Yanni (Kronenberg) and I bumped into Mikelangelo as he entertained the pants of festival goers at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival (review and pic here, quick grab itv in our Sunday Arts program below). For all those feeling you’d missed out back at home- now is the moment. Mikelangelo is touring Australia with his ‘Surf’n Western’ band The Tin Star and it’s gonna be hot. He talks with Ruby TV before arriving in Sydney for a concert at NOTES this Friday- April 1.

For the few who may not know, what are the origins of Mikelangelo?

I have a song I perform with the Tin Star called ‘Le Torro’ that lays out the Mikelangelo creation myth. In the song, my parents are getting amorous beneath an olive tree and an egg falls down from the branches and into my mothers lap. They take the egg home to their barn and 9 months later, amongst the farmyard animals, Mikelangelo hatches out. My parents have not refuted these claims, so it’s highly likely that this is a true story.

Tell me about the Tin Star.

We call our style surf ‘n’ western, and are inspired by old westerns and twanging greats like Link Wray, Duanne Eddy and The Shadows. It’s a pretty wild show. I get to channel my deep love of rock ’n’ roll and crooners of eras gone by. We often have Saint Clare singing and dancing with us, which brings another level of glamour and sexuality to the stage. For some shows she brings her dancers Go Girl Gadget Go Go, who are a shimmying, glittering Go-Go sensation.

Can you share a memorable episode from your recent travels while touring with Amanda Palmer?

Touring with Amanda was a blast and there were so many great moments on and off stage. But I have to say, the most memorable moment was playing in Brisbane at the Old Museum and actually having to remove two screaming paralytic girls from the front row, one under each arm and throw them out of the gig. They were ruining the show for everyone. It was not an enjoyable moment, but I got a big round of applause from the crowd, and a big thank you from Amanda.

How has Mikelangelo transformed over the years?

As I have gotten older my hair has gotten better. I have finally found a great barber and learnt the essential role of the hair dryer in gaining all important quiff height. If you were asking about the art, I would say that artists should be always be in state of transformation. It’s sometimes hard on those around you, but it’s the way to be open to creating really great work.

What are you 2011 projects?

I’m releasing the debut Tin Star album in June and starting work on recording an album with Saint Clare. I’m also very excited to be making a new show with the Black Sea Gentlemen (for 2012). It will be an epic adventure through our past lives in Europe. It’s our tenth anniversary this year and we’ll be doing a tour later in the year called ‘Ten Long Years In The Saddle’, and will be revisiting some songs we haven’t done in a long time, which will be a lot of fun.

Tell me about the upcoming Tin Star tour and what audiences should expect?

A recent review encapsulated the show nicely: “If Las Vegas had a beach, and a clone made from the mixed DNA of Elvis Presley and Nick Cave had a band that played surf rock on that imaginary beach, then the music Elvis Cave’s band played would sound like Mikelangelo And The Tin Star. Their dancer, Saint Clare, go-gos while deep-voiced Mikelangelo sings “Action is my middle name” – it’s like being in the opening credits of a Russ Meyer movie.” Rave Magazine

Any passing profound thoughts you’d like to share on life, love or music?

I’ve recently started a blog about the lost arts of gentleman’s grooming and deportment. It’s proving to be a great way not only to explore the clandestine world of men’s style, but also for philosophical musings on the nature of life, love and the world we live in. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and it’s a pleasure to be sharing ideas that are at once personal and universal.

What have you learnt about performing and pleasing audiences over your years of international touring?

I’ve learnt that everyone loves a good showman. I am inspired by all round entertainers, guys like Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and Johnny Cash, who at their best had great songs, great voices and great style. In contemporary music, there is sometimes a suspicion of the showman as someone who doesn’t actually have the musical goods, but I disagree. The stage is a powerful platform, and rising to the challenge as a performer can bring even more poignancy and intensity to a song. I love being able to take the audience on an adventure. Making a show that people will never forget is always my goal.

How does it feel to perform for an Australian audience after you’ve been touring internationally- how do they measure up?

Australian audiences are brilliant. We get so much great music and entertainment here, from local through to national and international acts. Most audiences realize that the more energy they put into a show, the more the performers will give back. Great live concerts have a certain element of catharsis for the audiences and the performer, I think people here understand that and give themselves over to a show wholeheartedly.

Mikelangelo’s Tin Star Tour Dates are:

SYDNEY

THU March 31 – Brass Monkey (Cronulla) + Kira Puru and the Bruise

FRI April 1 – Notes (Newtown) + Rufino & the Coconuts + Fred Smith

ORANGE

SAT April 2 – The Old Convent

CANBERRA

SUN April 3 – The Phoenix + Fred Smith

MELBOURNE

FRI April 8 – The Bendigo Hotel (Collingwood)+ Mojo Ju Ju + Clairy Browne +Go Girl Gadget Go Go!

SAT April 30 – The Gershwin Room, The Espy (St Kilda) + JP Shilo + Mr Hyde + Go Girl Gadget Go Go!

More info on the Tin Star and Michaelangelo & Saint Clare on FB or the Black Sea Gentlemen here.