With a second Auckland show confirmed, Simon and Garfunkel talk to Tiffany Bakker about how they've bridged the troubled waters between them
Five minutes into an interview with folk legends Simon and Garfunkel, and Paul Simon is already rolling his eyes. The cause? Art Garfunkel, Simon's childhood friend and longtime musical sparring partner, is explaining why the duo has decided to tour Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 1983.
"I have new things to say," says Garfunkel.
"And I dread that ..." exhales Simon, eyebrows raised.
"Wait until you hear some of my monologues," adds Garfunkel, looking across at Simon with glee.
Simon looks back at Garfunkel with a look you can only imagine he's been giving him for over half a century.
"There are several factors," continues Simon, ignoring the giggling Garfunkel. "One, the clock is seriously ticking, given our ages, so if we're going to do it, it's the sooner, the better, I think."
"Women have their biological clock," adds Garfunkel, "and we have our mortality clock."
Simon exhales. Again.
When I meet the famous musical duo (both of whom are now 67) at the New York offices of their record company, they remain the quintessential odd couple. Garfunkel, with his trademark red, curly mop (its colour maintained by artificial means), is clearly the more gregarious of the two, quick with a joke and a smile. Simon, whose silver hair pokes out from under a baseball cap and has clearly not been helped along by any cosmetic enhancements whatsoever, is a great deal more contemplative.
It's no secret the duo has long had a fractious relationship (at one point, they didn't speak for years after splitting in 1970), and it's been stipulated by anxious minders not to delve too deeply into the reasons why. Broach the subject, though, and, Simon, somewhat surprisingly, is happy to address the very large elephant in the room.
"Honestly, [our relationship] couldn't be better, in a way," he says. "We had a long period of time where the friendship was really strained to the point where we weren't speaking. But prior to our last tour [in 2004], we just said to each other, you know, whatever it was, let's just drop it, because we're going to the end of the road as friends, so let's just repair that, and we did."
"There's an ease between us now," says Garfunkel. "It's been easy for me to hang out with Paul these past few years."
"You have to remember we've known each other since we were 11," continues Simon. "I remember when we used to have arguments when we were kids, and then we'd make an agreement, OK, let's just stop the argument. And we would. We did that last time and it was fine. And it will be fine this time. Which is not to say that we won't disagree about something here and there ... But we're fine. It's in the past."
The past, it seems, is what continues to define Simon & Garfunkel.
Between 1964 and 1970, they were one of the biggest musical acts on the planet. Songs such as The Sounds of Silence, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Mrs Robinson, and I Am A Rock, resonated strongly with a generation of Americans dealing with the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement and the Women's Liberation movement.
"As far as the 1960s go, we were a part of that time, and it was a powerful time," muses Simon. "We were both the beneficiaries of the 60s, and also contributors to it. Bridge Over Troubled Water became a song that was quite deeply embedded in the culture; it was played after 9/11, it was even played at Ronald Reagan's funeral. It became a song that was almost hymn-like and it was a reassuring song. It used to be played at lots of weddings, and now it's played at a lot of funerals."
While many of their peers from the 60s (Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison) have continued to tour and record new material, both Simon and Garfunkel agree that their show takes on a more nostalgic edge given they haven't recorded any new material together since the seminal Bridge Over Troubled Water album.
"With the exception of one or two songs, we're singing the repertoire of the five albums we made, that ends in 1970. We're singing old songs," says Simon.
"I'm hoping the night will be something more than just a nostalgia trip. We'll try and bring some sense of joy and musicality and blend to the sound that people love."
True, that famous vocal blend has been heard only sporadically on-stage since their split. Their most famous show remains a 1981 concert in New York's Central Park, which drew some 500,000 people and subsequently led to a world tour.
In the ensuing years, they have occasionally played benefit shows, and more pertinently, opened the Grammys in 2003, where they were presented (aptly, by Dustin Hoffman) with a Lifetime Achievement Award. A 2004 American and European jaunt followed, which they both say they found so enjoyable, they had planned to continue on to Australia. Ultimately, family considerations (both have young children) prevented the trip.
They do, however, have fond memories of their 1983 visit to Australia and New Zealand, even if those memories have become a little hazy over time.
"I remember the sunlight in Australia - the white light. I remember the people were upbeat and very happy," recalls Garfunkel. "I remember being in New Zealand and my girlfriend at the time, [film-maker] Penny Marshall, and I hitchhiked around the South Island ..." he trails off. "The South Island was an acid trip."
"Well, it may have actually been one," adds Simon, drily.
"Actually," continues Simon, conspiratorially, "I drove past Artie and Penny hitchhiking ..."
(He doesn't, however, mention if he picked them up.)
They're also interested in reconnecting with their audience in the Southern Hemisphere, an audience who is ageing with them.
"How strange it will be to be 70, as it appears over the horizon," says Simon. "It will be powerful, for our generation, to feel that."
"Can you imagine us years from today sharing a park bench?" says Garfunkel, wistfully, before echoing his friend. "How terribly strange to be almost 70. It's all kind of weird."
LOWDOWN
Who: Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, reunited folk superstars.
Albums: Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964), Sounds of Silence (1966), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966), Bookends (1968), Bridge over Troubled Water (1970).
Where & when: Vector Arena, Saturday 13 June (sold out) & Sunday 14 June (on sale Tuesday through Ticketmaster, 9am).
