Dave Faulkner: Perth punk, Hoodoo Gurus and What’s My Scene | Ultimate Aussie Pub Rock Reunion

Why fans still care

DAVE FAULKNER founded Hoodoo Gurus and has been their singer, guitarist and chief songwriter from day one. What’s My Scene? reached number 3 in 1987, and the band went into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2024 the 40th anniversary edition of Stoneage Romeos went to number 1 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Albums chart. “People say we’re a great singles band,” he told Rolling Stone Australia.

Early life

He was born in Perth in 1957. Punk arrived when he was about 17, on top of a diet of T. Rex, Slade, Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. In 1977 he co-founded The Victims with drummer James Baker. They released one single, Television Addict, which the pair wrote together, and one EP. He then played keyboards with The Manikins before moving to Sydney.

Career chapters

1. 1977co-founds The Victims in Perth
2. 1981Le Hoodoo Gurus form on New Year’s Day; first gig on 4 September
3. 1982first single, Leilani
4. 1984Stoneage Romeos; Countdown Award for Best Debut Album
5. 1987What’s My Scene? reaches number 3
6. 1994Crank reaches number 2
7. 1998the band splits; Antenna’s Installation
8. 2003Hoodoo Gurus reunite
9. 2007ARIA Hall of Fame
10. 2022Chariot of the Gods debuts at number 7
11. 2023Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame
12. 2024Stoneage Romeos 40th edition, number 1 on the Australian albums chart
13. 2026MSO show, Rewind tour and Silk Purse

Le Hoodoo Gurus 1981 to 1984

The band formed on New Year’s Day 1981 with Faulkner, Kimble Rendall and Roddy Radalj, and James Baker joined a few months later. Three guitars and no bass player. The “Le” went after the first single, Leilani, came out on Phantom Records in 1982. A recommendation from Rob Younger led to a deal with Big Time Records. Brad Shepherd and Clyde Bramley joined, and Stoneage Romeos came out in 1984. It won Best Debut Album at the Countdown Awards and later sat at number 28 in The 100 Best Australian Albums.

The peak years 1985 to 1997

Mars Needs Guitars!, Blow Your Cool!, Magnum Cum Louder, Kinky, Crank and Blue Cave came one after another. Faulkner says Mars Needs Guitars! was where “I just felt like I found my feet as a writer”. What’s My Scene? got to number 3 in 1987, the band’s best single placing, and Crank reached number 2 in February 1994.

Antenna and the return 1998 to 2025

He broke the band up in 1998. It was his idea, he told Rolling Stone Australia, because of “the ageism of the music industry”. He made Installation with Antenna, alongside Kim Salmon, Stuart McCarthy and Justin Frew. An invitation to play Homebake brought Hoodoo Gurus back, and the albums Mach Schau, Purity of Essence and Chariot of the Gods followed. Chariot of the Gods debuted at number 7 in 2022, the band’s first top 10 album since Crank. The Victims also reunited, with Ray Ahn, for the Horror Smash EP in 2020.

2026

Hoodoo Gurus played with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on 29 January, then toured Europe across 15 countries, including a first UK visit in 16 years. The Rewind tour runs from 27 November to 16 December, and the double live album Silk Purse comes out on 4 December. “We called it Silk Purse for a reason,” he said.

Craft, sound and style

The Telecaster

His main guitar is a Telecaster, chosen to leave room for Brad Shepherd. He also uses a Les Paul Junior, including on Answered Prayers.

Amps and pedals

He plays Matchless amps “pretty much exclusively”, after earlier years on a Fender Vibrasonic and Mesa/Boogie. His pedals come down to a wah and a tremolo.

In the studio

The band largely produces itself. Ed Stasium worked on Kinky and Crank and later mixed Purity of Essence. “If it sounds real and exciting, we’re good to go,” Faulkner told Guitar World.

The songwriting

He wrote My Girl at 21 while out walking and sang it straight into a cassette recorder. He still has about 100 old songwriting cassettes.

Stories people still tell

1. Arthur.

   With no bass player, the early band wrote a made-up song, Arthur, to explain why.

2. My Girl.

   It isn’t about a greyhound. It was written as a send-up of the Gidget films.

3. Axegrinder.

   Radio programmers hated it. Fans made it a favourite anyway.

4. The Silk Purse tapes.

   Earlier recordings of the MSO show failed, and the tapes were cleaned up with the audio technology from Peter Jackson’s Get Back.

Legacy

In 2005 You Am I, Spiderbait, The Living End and Grinspoon recorded the tribute album Stoneage Cameos. You Am I had already covered Television Addict for the Idiot Box soundtrack in 1996. Forty five years after the first gig, Faulkner is still writing, recording and touring with Hoodoo Gurus.