Datsuns' two years on the road

By MIKE HOULAHAN

Datsuns' drummer Matt Datsun is enjoying the novelty of sleeping in the same bed every night. Even more unusually, it's his own bed.

"It's good to have a break," he says, reflecting on a whirlwind two years during which the Cambridge band has gone from playing to 15 people in Dunedin to headlining major London venues, appearing on Top Of The Pops and on the cover of New Musical Express.

They have also had a top 20 British album and made the main bill of the touring US rock carnival Ozzfest. After an all too short rest, the Datsuns have been on their biggest tour of New Zealand.

However, no matter how draining and homesick the past two years have been, Matt says there's no way he, guitarists Phil and Christian or bass-playing lead singer Dolf, would take anything back.

"We quite often get asked if we're sick of touring and if we're going to slow things down, but this is what we've worked for the whole eight years we've been in a band. Why would we want to stop now?"

One problem non-stop touring has created for The Datsuns is how to find time to write new songs. "Basically, our sound-check time is our writing time while we're touring," says Matt.

Despite such strictures, progress has been made on writing The Datsuns' much- anticipated follow-up to their much-feted debut record.

"We've managed to write about half the [second] record, maybe six or seven songs," Matt says.

"We're going to spend another three weeks next month just writing and rehearsing. We'll be going from half an hour a day to a solid three weeks if we're lucky - we should come up with loads of stuff."

After that, it's just a matter of trying to find time, places and people to record with. The band are still talking to a couple of producers and narrowing the field down, and still haven't picked a studio - although one in Sweden and one in Britain are the most likely options. At this stage they plan to record the new album next month.

After Christmas at home, the band joins the Big Day Out tour , headlined by US metal band Metallica, who are also playing their own Australian shows with The Datsuns in support.

After that, anything could happen. A simple desire to play rock'n'roll will keep the band grounded for the next year or so - that is what has always enabled them to blink and ignore the hype, Matt says.

"When we started the band it was about - well, it still is - about making music for ourselves and having fun. We've had a chance to take that a lot further than we ever imagined, but we still keep that mindset."

America has been the latest port of call for The Datsuns, with mixed results. For their seventh trip across the US they hitched a ride with touring heavy metal showcase Ozzfest.

Despite their sound being directly influenced by 70s hard-rock bands such as Thin Lizzy and AC/DC, The Datsuns found themselves sticking out like sore thumbs in the new metal landscape that surrounded them.

"We didn't have much fun at the Ozzfest, to be honest," Matt says. "We thought we'd give it a go because we thought we might get a bit of exposure in front of people who wouldn't normally look twice at the record.

"We had quite a good slot ... we were first on the main stage, but the bands we were playing with, we didn't gel too well. We were before Disturbed and Marilyn Manson and Korn, those kind of bands. A lot of the bands and crew appreciated us a lot more than the kids who were there, I think."

Britain is where The Datsuns have really hit the big time. The music magazine New Musical Express has been a particularly vociferous supporter of what was an almost totally unknown band here.

"It's good press and it's helped," Matt says. "They have helped us out and got us a lot of exposure, and I guess that's meant a lot of people have bought the record and checked out the shows that they wouldn't have if we hadn't been on the cover .

"They might turn on us yet, but we're not overly concerned. I think the people who have come out to see us have made their minds up for themselves.

"What we've always said is don't believe anything you've read or what people said - just come out and check it out and see for yourself."

The show is all that matters: even after several hundred shows, there's no adrenalin rush like climbing on stage, Matt says. It's there The Datsuns can forget about the circus that surrounds them and simply be The Datsuns.

"A lot of people say we're a really great band, and we do try to be," Matt says.

"We pride ourselves on being a good live band, and I think one of the main differences between us and a lot of other bands is we genuinely have a lot of fun on stage. I think that translates to people.

"If we're jumping around and going crazy, that's not staged or anything - it's because that's what we feel like doing because we're having fun and getting lost in the music. It's what it's all about."

Performance

* Who: The Datsuns

* Where & When: Altitude Hamilton tonight, St James Auckland tomorrow night

- NZPA