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Monday 14th August - Whelans, Dublin
Tuesday 15th August - Dolans, Limerick
The two heavyweight champions of Australian rock, Tex Perkins and Tim Rogers, have joined forces. As their menacing two-headed, hookah pipe and stubby wielding caricature suggests, TnT is a dangerous combination - imagine Bon Scott and Mick Jagger together, or Tim Hemensley and Motorhead's Lemmy teaming up. As the saying from the classic AC/DC song goes, it's dynamite. God help a heckler who takes on these two lanky larrikins and their fiery quick wits.
So how did this dream duo come about?
Sick of all of the baggage that comes with a full scale tour, they dreamt of the old days, when poor and unknown, they would drive around the country - on their own or with some mates - and play in the front bar of pubs.
"It's so typical of all of the things I do,'' says Perkins. "It starts out as a bit of a lark and an excuse to get some beers and some cash and suddenly it becomes a serious concern.''
"The thought of going to see someone play acoustic always curdles my milk,'' says Rogers. "So every show we do, we know we have to make it something more than a couple of guys with acoustic guitars. After each gig we've done, we knew it was something special.
What makes it so special is the reverence the T's have for each other's work - and the chance for the two big personalities to play a supporting role for once. Tim can't believe he gets to play on the Aussie working class classic Pay Cheques. Tex shed a tear when he played on Tim's Paragon Cafe.
But not many unknown duos progress from small pubs to playing with an orchestra on their fourth outing. Yes, none other than the West Australian Symphony Orchestra backed them for their fourth and fifth gigs in Perth's Kings Park in March. The orchestra members even got to request some of their favourite You Am I, Beasts, Cruel Sea and Tex and Tim solo songs.
The set list ran like a classic Australian rock juke box: This Is Not The Way Home, A Friend Of Mine, Damage, Real Love, Heavy Heart and Low Road.
TnT call the collaboration "scam of the century''; they even had a bar on stage with them. Needless to say, other state orchestras are fighting over their wind instruments to get the chance to back Australia's greatest current rock stars.
While the orchestral enhancement may seem over the top for two guys who wanted to play in pubs, Tex said it was no stretch. "It was just us flying over there, and there was an orchestra waiting, rather than us dragging them around with us.''
TNT have only played six shows, but the chemistry was so strong that they rushed into the studio, with intentions to record an EP. Like all things TNT, humble beginnings soon turn epic, and they laid down tracks for a full LP.
They will take on Europe in August before debuting the album in Australia in September.
They're dirty, mean and mighty unclean, they're wanted men. Whether it's just the lads and two battered acoustic guitars, or whether they are wiedling the might of an orchestra, TNT is a force to be reckoned with. Watch them explode.
Tuesday 15th August - Dolans, Limerick
The two heavyweight champions of Australian rock, Tex Perkins and Tim Rogers, have joined forces. As their menacing two-headed, hookah pipe and stubby wielding caricature suggests, TnT is a dangerous combination - imagine Bon Scott and Mick Jagger together, or Tim Hemensley and Motorhead's Lemmy teaming up. As the saying from the classic AC/DC song goes, it's dynamite. God help a heckler who takes on these two lanky larrikins and their fiery quick wits.
So how did this dream duo come about?
Sick of all of the baggage that comes with a full scale tour, they dreamt of the old days, when poor and unknown, they would drive around the country - on their own or with some mates - and play in the front bar of pubs.
"It's so typical of all of the things I do,'' says Perkins. "It starts out as a bit of a lark and an excuse to get some beers and some cash and suddenly it becomes a serious concern.''
"The thought of going to see someone play acoustic always curdles my milk,'' says Rogers. "So every show we do, we know we have to make it something more than a couple of guys with acoustic guitars. After each gig we've done, we knew it was something special.
What makes it so special is the reverence the T's have for each other's work - and the chance for the two big personalities to play a supporting role for once. Tim can't believe he gets to play on the Aussie working class classic Pay Cheques. Tex shed a tear when he played on Tim's Paragon Cafe.
But not many unknown duos progress from small pubs to playing with an orchestra on their fourth outing. Yes, none other than the West Australian Symphony Orchestra backed them for their fourth and fifth gigs in Perth's Kings Park in March. The orchestra members even got to request some of their favourite You Am I, Beasts, Cruel Sea and Tex and Tim solo songs.
The set list ran like a classic Australian rock juke box: This Is Not The Way Home, A Friend Of Mine, Damage, Real Love, Heavy Heart and Low Road.
TnT call the collaboration "scam of the century''; they even had a bar on stage with them. Needless to say, other state orchestras are fighting over their wind instruments to get the chance to back Australia's greatest current rock stars.
While the orchestral enhancement may seem over the top for two guys who wanted to play in pubs, Tex said it was no stretch. "It was just us flying over there, and there was an orchestra waiting, rather than us dragging them around with us.''
TNT have only played six shows, but the chemistry was so strong that they rushed into the studio, with intentions to record an EP. Like all things TNT, humble beginnings soon turn epic, and they laid down tracks for a full LP.
They will take on Europe in August before debuting the album in Australia in September.
They're dirty, mean and mighty unclean, they're wanted men. Whether it's just the lads and two battered acoustic guitars, or whether they are wiedling the might of an orchestra, TNT is a force to be reckoned with. Watch them explode.
