Stoneage Romeo Dave Faulkner still in love with music

The highly influential Aussie band released Stoneage Romeos back in 1984, and later this year, the boys will hit the road to celebrate its 40^th anniversary and enduring legacy.

Dave said he felt very fortunate that the band had attained a level of success and longevity that is "as rare as hen's teeth" in the music industry.

"I reckon 10 per cent of musicians make it to any level of success and I think only 10 per cent of those musicians manage to do what we're doing and have a long career.

"The songs that we play, they've stuck around. People have bonded with the songs... they still get played on radio stations."

The band has recorded a string of hits over the years. 1987 hit What's my Scene? peaked at number three on the Australian charts and was famously reimagined as the theme song for the National Rugby League from 2003-2007, and 1989s Come Anytime was a number one hit on US college radio.

But it all started with Stoneage Romeos - an album that spawned a string of hits in its own right, including setlist staples My Girl, Leilani, I Want You Back and Tojo.

"I'm very proud of the album, I think it still sounds great. The songs themselves were very much a part of my life you can't repeat. You can't grow up twice," he said.

Dave looks back fondly on those early days of the band in the 1980s. It was a period in which the live music scene in Australia was booming.

"You could play seven nights a week almost anywhere in Australia and attract a good crowd," he said.

The music scene has since changed significantly. These days artists are more likely to make it big on YouTube than on the live music scene. But Dave feels fortunate to have been one of the lucky ones to have done things the old fashioned way.

"I'm a big consumer of music... and there's no better way to enjoy music than seeing it live.

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"There's a spiritual element to it that takes the art form to a whole new level."

At 66 years of age, and after 40 years touring with the same band, Dave could be forgiven for being a bit tired of the road, but the reality is just the opposite. He still enjoys playing the hits as much as ever, and credits his love of live performance for keeping him in touch with the punk rock ethos of his youth.

"I think we're playing stronger and better than we ever did... we've got a red hot band that plays incredibly well and is just committed to delivering a red hot performance every night.

"Punk rock is what shaped me as a teenager. There's still a whole lot of punk rocker in my spirit, even when I'm doing a ballad."

Each show will see the band playing every song from the Stoneage Romeos album, along with a set of hits from the rest of their catalogue. A special vinyl Stoneage Romeo's set has also been released to commemorate the milestone.

Hoodoo Gurus, Back to the Stoneage Tour, November and December. For more information or tickets visit www.hoodoogurus.net.