Only Bangers with Hot Dub Time Machine
Photo Credit Daniel Boud
Sydney’s Hot Dub Time Machine has announced he is heading around the country over the next few months with his 100% Bangers Tour. The tour will see the DJ extraordinaire play a mix of multi-genre monster hits from 1962 to 2024, making for a show of epic proportions. We caught up with HDTM to ask him how he selects the setlist, his pick of music-defining songs and what surprises he has in store for the people attending 100% Bangers.
For those that have been living under a rock and haven't heard of Hot Dub Time Machine, you are one of the biggest names in electronic music in Australia, so do you classify yourself as a musician or a DJ or both?
I’m most definitely a DJ. I don’t produce music, I just rock parties. I put all of my heart and soul into my show.
You have just announced your national '100% Bangers Tour' which sees you playing songs from every decade and every genre, how do you select which tracks you will include?
It’s a very long process!!! I start by going through my libraries picking out songs that I feel like playing. I also have heaps of notes on my phones, of songs I’ve heard on the radio or somewhere that could work. I put them all in a giant folder, sort them into chronological order, then look for songs that could be fun to mix together or that relate in some way. And make sure they’re all bangers!
“It was a ripe time for bangers. ”
The show encompasses tracks from 1962 – 2024, what songs from 62 and 63 were important for you to include, cancelling out a simple a ‘60 years of Bangers’ title?
Ha! Maybe that would be a better title!! I’ve been starting a lot of my sets in 1962, either with ’Twist and Shout’ or ‘Miserlou.’ Both give a great starting point. I used to start in 1954 with ‘Rock Around the Clock’ and I’ve started in the 70’s or 90’s, but I feel like playing some proper 60’s rock and roll in this set. It was a ripe time for bangers.
What is your ultimate banger or favourite track included in the show?
Ummmmm, I love them all! But I really love including songs people don’t expect. I think ‘Wicked Game’ by Chris Isaak is a BANGER! Also ‘I’m Like a Bird’ by Nelly Furtado
“I really love including songs people don’t expect”
In your opinion, what are the Top 3 tracks that changed the landscape of music?
A Day in the Life - The Beatles
Insomnia - Faithless
Hyperparadise (Flume Remix) - Hermitude
What do ticket holders need to know when attending the '100% Bangers Tour’?
Come ready to Boogie!!! Wear some comfy shoes, bring some friends, and be ready to party!
HDTM, you have toured the world, headlined shows at the Australian Open and the Australian Grand Prix, what’s been the highlight in your career so far personally? And why?
Selling out the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney last year was incredible. My favourite venue in my home town, I brought my daughter out on stage and it was a very special night.
Your career has seen you play the biggest festivals in the world including Coachella, Tomorrowland and our own Splendour in The Grass. What is your favourite festival memory or moment?
Playing the Library Stage at Tomorrowland in Belgium in 2022 was unforgettable. The sun was setting, a huge crowd, incredible production… I loved every second.
“I’m very happy doing my own mini-festivals”
Are there any festivals still on your ‘wish list’ to play at?
There’s always more, but I feel like the Australian Festival landscape is pretty bleak currently, so I’m very happy doing my own mini-festivals, like ‘Hot Dub on the Harbour,’ where we used the Harbourlife site to do our own event. I think people are more motivated to see a single act they love play for 2 hours, than pay a fortune for 40 minutes from people they don’t know.
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout-out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
My tour manager Krissy Jaman and I have worked together for almost 10 years now. We’ve been through everything together and she does so many big and small things to make the show great. You’ll see her firing pyro, filming socials, managing the stage, she does it all. And she's also an awesome techno DJ and photographer.
What's next for Hot Dub Time Machine? What's in the works after you finish the '100% Bangers Tour?’
Keep going!!! I never want to stop. However, I am going to take a few months for some family time after this tour, where I’d love to work on my own music for a bit. I haven’t tried production in a long time, but I’m excited to get back into it.
100% Bangers Tour Dates:
25/05 - Metro City, Perth
08/06 - Forth Pub, Tasmania
15/06 - Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
29/06 - Festival Hall, Melbourne
06/10 - Princess Theatre, Brisbane * New Date *
12/10 - Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
+ more shows TBA
Tickets via https://hotdub.tmrw.to/hdtm2024tour
For more information visit https://www.hotdubtimemachine.com & https://www.livenation.com.au
Interview by Michelle Symes
March 2024