Eighties rock is set to make a comeback this November as iconic Australian band Icehouse headlines South Australia’s new music festival, the Gorgeous Festival.
Glam Adelaide sat down to chat with lead singer and founder of Icehouse, Iva Davies.
If you’re anything like me, and are too young to remember the eighties, you may not recognise his name, but you will recognize his music.
For over 30 years, Icehouse has had a consistent presence in the Australian and international music scene, with over 3 million albums sold locally and 9 million sold internationally, eight top 10 albums and over thirty Top 40 singles in Australia, USA, Canada, Britain and Europe.
Their best known singles on the Australian charts were 'Great Southern Land', 'Hey Little Girl', 'Crazy', 'Electric Blue' and 'My Obsession'.
Iva has played in Adelaide many times over the years but says he is excited to explore the McLaren Vale region during the Gorgeous Festival.
"I’m especially looking forward to it because it sounds like such a fantastic place," he says.
"I think it’s increadibly interestingly set up because it’s not just an outdoor show, it’s a complete event."
The very first annual Gorgeous Festival is a one day music festival showcasing not only some of the best of Australian music but is a chance to experience all that the McLaren Vale region has to offer, including food and wine.
Gorgeous Festival boasts an eclectic lineup featuring a diverse range of acts, stylistically the music will be contemporary roots, folk, blues and indigenous with the festival providing a stage for well known acts.
While you might not have heard much from Icehouse over the past few years that doesn't mean they have fallen off the radar.
"We’ve never actually stopped playing but we’ve only played very selectively and only generally closed events," says Iva.
"My world has been dominated by other types of projects."
These include projects such as creating the score for a ballet with the Sydney Dance Company and also for the Hollywood Blockbuster 'Master and Commander.'
Icehouse also recently released a new greatest hits compilation titled 'White Heat: 30 Hits' and ha sre-released the bands first album.
However Iva says the band hasn't been playing together regularly until quite recently.
"Earlier this year we put out the 30th anniversary of the Flowers album, which was of course the first album, and recognising that, that was 30 years ago makes me feel old!"
"It’s odd for me because obviously by now I’ve got children that are nearly grown up and it just sort of makes me realize how long a period it is."
While Iva may have grown up children, and it's almost 30 years since the release of Icehouse's most famous song 'Great Southern Land', Iva maintains he still feels young at heart.
"There is something about being in a rock and roll band that kind of makes you feel 20."
"It’s just the nature of the job I guess."
Icehouse has just signed a new record deal with Universal and plans to re-release some of their other albums so that fans can purchase their songs by digital download.
"At the moment the amount of work involved in putting together all these albums is daunting enough I think."
However, fans should keep their fingers crossed because it doesn't look like Iva Davies and Icehouse will be slowing down anytime soon.
Gorgeous Music Festival
November 26th 2011
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