Half way through the bands first headlining national Australian tour on the back of the new album, Oozevoodoo, Brock Fitzgerald from The Scare took some time out to speak to us about the band, touring, guitars and working with Silverchair's Daniel Johns.
Tell us a bit about The Scare.
I've been playing in The Scare for just over four years but every now and then I also get to do a bit of noodling on other peoples stuff. Just recently I played guitar on a track for Wendy James’s new album, also played on the whole of Leone Carmen’s up and coming album and have been doing some demos for Jack Ladders new stuff.
Usually found playing at?
Well at the moment I'm found playing everywhere. We recently headed around with Wolf and Cub on their Australian album tour and also Children Collides and now we have just started our own album tour which is also our 1st headlining tour.
How long have you playing guitar?
About 11 years. My dad bought me drums when I was nine and I played them for a number of years before I needed something else, something that made a melody, So when I was about 13 I got a guitar. I learned ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ a week later.
How would you describe your playing style?
‘K’ otic.
What was your first guitar and your current guitar?
My fist real guitar was a black Fender Telecaster custom. After relentless touring and multiple throws through amps and drum kits it still is one of the best guitars to play. I still take it on the road with me. I recently just bought a 1973 Gibson SG, originally released with a bigsby. I've used it on both Scare albums, its one of the best sounding guitars i've heard. Live I use a 61 reissue SG with a bigsby. Gibson helped me out with getting that one…like most musicians I'm broke!
What sort of rig/pedals to you have?
My pedals consist of a U.S. big muff, electro harmonics POG, Danelectro echo slap, Jimi Wah pedal, Dunlop treble/volume, line 6 delay stomp box and this crazy distortion/fuzz pedal that my bass player wade made. He makes all kinds of crazy pedals. This one has a gate, a drain and a breaker nob’s on it so u can get some crazy crunchy twizzles coming out of it. I run all that through an Orange rockerverb 50 combo. Great amp.
Favorite guitarist of all time?
I don’t really have just one. Marc Ribot is right up there epically his work with Waits, Roland S Howard, Hendrix, Page and can't forget Eddie Hazel for creating Maggot Brain! I feel all their voodoo.
What’s the name of the new album?
Our new album is titled Oozevoodoo and it was released in August. We had our good mate Daniel Johns produced it with us and "the devil" Chris Townend engineered it at grove studios on the central coast of NSW.
For more information on The Scare check out www.myspace.com/thescare