Johann
01-24-2005, 11:31 PM
They're not technically boys anymore, but this may be lost on touring New York rappers The Beastie Boys.
You'd think they were teenagers - not pushing 40 - for this trio's keenness to go go-karting and eat deep-fried Mars Bars on their first outing Down Under in nearly a decade.
"Is it hot?" asked Mike Diamond, who is known as Mike-D, contemplating the taste and texture of the culinary delight apparently available somewhere in the trendy beach suburb of Bondi.
"Go-karts," chimed in Adam Yauch, who calls himself MCA.
"The last time we were here, they had really good go-karts."
A similar world view also prevails in the band's attitude towards rock stardom, hotels, and the media in general.
"Luckily we don't have to coordinate it," Yauch said.
"They just tell us to be in the lobby of the hotel at three o'clock."
And from the Gold Coast, where the boys played the Big Day Out festival on Sunday, the following insight: "One thing that was nice was the way it worked out in the hotel we were just in is that we were divied up with a buddy system thing so we were able to do three legged races, potato sack and the race where you carry the egg and the spoon."
Whatever you make of that.
And whatever you make of Diamond's description of how rap's most enduring act has spent the past couple of months: "We have a knitting society where we knit outfits for bands that are in need".
Serious or not, this is hardly a category The Beastie Boys would fit into. With a reputation for cheeky rhymes and bold musical adventure, the trio have transcended most musical fashions and sold millions of albums worldwide since forming in the early 1980s.
Their latest album, To The Five Boroughs, pays heartfelt tribute to their beloved home town.
Although, the cold weather back home seems to have been enough to inspire them to cross the world and headline the Big Day Out music festival.
"In New York it is really cold right now and full of snow so that is nice that we are here and not there," Adam Horovitz said.
"Last winter we were making our record there and we had been there the last two winters and we decided we weren't going to spend another winter in New York."
Although, they don't too concerned - or aware - of the temperature difference.
"We just hang out in our air-conditioned room," Horovitz said.
"I don't know how people were out in the audience but I guess they have mechanisms to deal with it."
And Australian-American cultural differences have had a similar impact.
"The thing that trips me out is coming this far around the world and having it look so similar to the US," Yauch said.
"Like it is one thing going to Thailand or Japan or something pretty different but we come here and it feels like we just went to Canada."
The band will play the Sydney Big Day Out tomorrow before travelling with the festival to Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
They will also do a series of sideshows, supported by New Zealand hip hop artists Scribe.
And while The Beastie Boys knew Scribe as "that local hip hop guy", the New Zealander sang nothing but praise for the New Yorkers.
"Every hip hop person is a fan of the Beastie Boys I reckon," the 25-year-old new-ager said.
"They are definitely pioneers in what they have done."
You'd think they were teenagers - not pushing 40 - for this trio's keenness to go go-karting and eat deep-fried Mars Bars on their first outing Down Under in nearly a decade.
"Is it hot?" asked Mike Diamond, who is known as Mike-D, contemplating the taste and texture of the culinary delight apparently available somewhere in the trendy beach suburb of Bondi.
"Go-karts," chimed in Adam Yauch, who calls himself MCA.
"The last time we were here, they had really good go-karts."
A similar world view also prevails in the band's attitude towards rock stardom, hotels, and the media in general.
"Luckily we don't have to coordinate it," Yauch said.
"They just tell us to be in the lobby of the hotel at three o'clock."
And from the Gold Coast, where the boys played the Big Day Out festival on Sunday, the following insight: "One thing that was nice was the way it worked out in the hotel we were just in is that we were divied up with a buddy system thing so we were able to do three legged races, potato sack and the race where you carry the egg and the spoon."
Whatever you make of that.
And whatever you make of Diamond's description of how rap's most enduring act has spent the past couple of months: "We have a knitting society where we knit outfits for bands that are in need".
Serious or not, this is hardly a category The Beastie Boys would fit into. With a reputation for cheeky rhymes and bold musical adventure, the trio have transcended most musical fashions and sold millions of albums worldwide since forming in the early 1980s.
Their latest album, To The Five Boroughs, pays heartfelt tribute to their beloved home town.
Although, the cold weather back home seems to have been enough to inspire them to cross the world and headline the Big Day Out music festival.
"In New York it is really cold right now and full of snow so that is nice that we are here and not there," Adam Horovitz said.
"Last winter we were making our record there and we had been there the last two winters and we decided we weren't going to spend another winter in New York."
Although, they don't too concerned - or aware - of the temperature difference.
"We just hang out in our air-conditioned room," Horovitz said.
"I don't know how people were out in the audience but I guess they have mechanisms to deal with it."
And Australian-American cultural differences have had a similar impact.
"The thing that trips me out is coming this far around the world and having it look so similar to the US," Yauch said.
"Like it is one thing going to Thailand or Japan or something pretty different but we come here and it feels like we just went to Canada."
The band will play the Sydney Big Day Out tomorrow before travelling with the festival to Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
They will also do a series of sideshows, supported by New Zealand hip hop artists Scribe.
And while The Beastie Boys knew Scribe as "that local hip hop guy", the New Zealander sang nothing but praise for the New Yorkers.
"Every hip hop person is a fan of the Beastie Boys I reckon," the 25-year-old new-ager said.
"They are definitely pioneers in what they have done."