Songwriter Colin Hay’s memories of Bendigo revolve around Kangaroo Flat.
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“I’ve been through Bendigo quite a bit. With the old band, one of the first places we played was Kangaroo Flat,” he said.
“We had a bit of a following there before anywhere else. Hopefully, we get some of the Kangaroo Flat people along.
“The last time I was in Bendigo was earlier year with the Apia Good Times tour with Deb Conway and a few others.”
Hay is touring Australia in February as part of a tour for his new album Fierce Mercy.
The show will feature Hay’s US-Cuban band who recorded the album with him and have also worked with his wife.
“My wife (singer Cecelia Noel) knows a lot of musicians, that’s how the Cuban thing happened, these musicians started playing with me,” Hay said.
“I record songs I've got with who ever is around at the time. I just put people who are hanging around to work.”
Fierce Mercy is Hay’s 13 solo album. He files his ideas and lyrics into his phone while on tour and sorts through them during his down time.
“It’s a modern type of filing cabinet, having it on your telephone. Ideas are either sung or played into that or I write lyrics down on the phone,” he said.
“After touring, I usually sit downstairs and wade through it all. Some of it have completely forgotten about so it can be a pleasant surprise sometimes. And sometimes it’s not.”
Hay has been playing and recording songs professionally since the late 1970s when Men At Work formed.
He released his first solo album (Looking for Jack) in 1987.
Recently, Hay has spent time reflecting on his music life with filmmakers creating a documentary on his career called Waiting for My Real Life.
“It’s an interesting story because there are a lot people in my situation, who have had a lot of success that goes away,” he said.
“So you try and figure out what do with the rest of your life.
“If you stay involved (with music), how do you find your audience, keep it and grow it?
“You don't have a choice. Either stay involved in music or you do something else. If you want to be involved, you do the best work you can and hope it works.
“On some level, I haven’t had nearly the same amount of commercialal success as Men At Work but I’m enjoying self and still making music.”
Colin Hay’s Fierce Mercy Tour is at Ulumbarra Theatre on Friday, February 9. Visit www.thecapital.com.au/Whats_On for more details.