Kiwi garage rockers, The D4, notorious for some of their rowdy live shows, are reforming the band after a 12 year hiatus and they’ll be playing at the YOT Club on Friday, February 16. The Chronicle caught up with vocalist Jimmy Christmas ahead of their Raglan show.
What’s bringing you guys back together?
The conversation really began when it was announced that the Kings Arms tavern in Auckland was due to close. That venue was hugely important in the story of the D4. We used to rehearse around the corner and walk our gear down the street on gig nights. The D4 played many many memorable shows there, including one night when the PA literally caught fire. It was a natural conclusion that we should be involved in its final fling. That show was anchored by a slot at Auckand City Limits and the tour built from there.
Twelve years is quite some time, what have you been up to?
It’s been busy – Dion is in NYC and has been playing in a band called A Place To Bury Strangers and also releasing his own albums as True Lovers and Dion Lunadon. I have been recording albums and touring with my band Luger Boa, Beaver holds the throne for Jordan Luck Band, and Jake our original bass player has his own outfit, Thee Rum Coves. So theres been no grass growing under these feet, and everybody is very match fit.
Could this mini D4 resurrection result in that third album coming to fruition?
Can’t say for sure, but we do already have a much of that mysterious third record already in the can from when we left off. We had built a studio in Dion’s basement and recorded ourselves the way we really wanted to sound. Who knows if they’ll ever see the light but there were some great experiments in that sonic lab! I think we are mainly treating this as a one off celebration and not expecting anything more than a real cool time!
You guys fell into the international spotlight pretty quickly back then, do you have a favourite memory or show from that time?
There’s a lot of crazy memories from those wild and surreal years! This band took us to some incredible places, I think we were lucky to escape from some of them. It’s hard to have a favourite but I do remember a festival we played in New York on Randalls Island. It was organized by Steven Van Zandt, he plays in the E Street Band with Bruce Springsteen and had a killer radio show called ‘Little Stevens Underground Garage’. He was a fan of our band and put us on a bill with our heroes – Iggy & The Stooges, the Dictators, The Pretty Things, Bo Diddley and many more that had a huge influence on what we became. To be included in that company was pretty special and humbling.
What can fans expect from you guys during these shows?
We are very focused on making sure that these shows aren’t a nostalgia trip, and the fact that we’re all still active musicians means we’ll be able to pick up where we left off and push it further. We want to enjoy ourselves and the best way to do that is to be great. There will be no compromise!
The D4 at the YOT Club, Friday, February 16. The Chronicle has a double pass to giveaway. To go in the draw, email us with your name and contact number at info@raglanchronicle.co.nz by 5pm, Tuesday, 13 February.
