Midnight Juggernauts - The Midnight Hour
It’s been a wild ride for Midnight Juggernauts since the release of their debut album, Dystopia; an album that received acclaim the world over – enough for the Melbourne trio to tour relentlessly ever since. On the eve of their last gig of 2008, 3D’s Melanie Lewis spoke with drummer Daniel Stricker.
Daniel Stricker, skinsman for the Midnight Juggernauts, is bewildered. Jetlagged. But if, after returning from the Dystopia world tour, he thinks that normalcy is imminent, he’ll be waiting a while. No sooner had the trio touched down on home soil, they rocked Sydney’s Sounds in the Ground, before ironing their good T-shirts for a trip to the ARIAs, where they’d been nominated for a couple of pointy things. “We were overseas when we found out,” Stricker says of being nominated for Breakthrough Album and Best Independent Release. “We didn’t know if anyone [remembered us].”
They left empty handed but our boys still had an accolade of sorts to reflect on: a remix of their music by DJ godfather Grandmaster Flash. “It was the craziest thing ever,” Stricker beams, “and then to meet the guy, who was so influential in hip hop … I couldn’t believe it when it happened.”
There was no time for pats on the back though. A mammoth year of headline shows included appearances at every music festival worldwide, starting with the Big Day Out (“a real eye opener”), moving on to Fuji Rock, Glastonbury and even Coachella. Happily, everywhere they went, huge crowds sang their songs back to them. “That’s the best thing about being a musician,” Stricker concedes. “You want your music to travel.”
Admitting to a preference for the unusual when pressed for favourite festival moments, he finally settles on the UK’s Latitude Festival. “Our dressing room was across a lake, from the stage. You had to jump on a boat, go across the lake, through the forest to the stage. It was absolutely incredible,” he says.
All the time spent together on tour created a new dynamic within the Juggers camp, one that will rear its head on their next record. “There’s definitely been an evolution in the band in terms of us knowing each other as musicians and also what we’re all into,” Stricker explains, wistfully reflecting. “It was an incredible year.”
WHO: Midnight Juggernauts
WHAT: Play Pyramid Rock Festival, Pyramid Rock
WHEN: Wednesday 31 December
MORE: thepyramidrockfestival.com