THE NECKS

One of Australia’s greatest musical acts is probably its least conventional. It would be incorrect to consider The Necks as a jazz group, although their practices arose from their jazz backgrounds. The group aspires to something much more.

“A thing that inspired me was a book by a writer named Christopher Small called Music, Society, Education. It addresses the idea that music is not about the final product but the process… about communing together and that’s something I wanted to explore,” says the trio’s bass player Lloyd Swanton.

Over the years The Necks have released 16 studio albums but it is their live performance which sets hearts racing. The trio, astonishingly, improvises their live shows completely; without any premeditated or preconceived ideas, hooks or structure.

“We have a protocol where the three of us stand on stage and wait for one of us to start and that sets the direction [of the performance]. We learnt very early on not to force anything in any particular area and that’s why often our pieces seem to go for half an hour or an hour because we just want to let the music suggest its own course.”

The exploratory nature of the group might suggest that The Necks are a self-indulgent jam band but listeners will discover that’s not the case whatsoever.

“It’s not to suggest that we’re being snobbish or standoffish. We’re absorbing the music too as it comes out and the audiences can feel like participants; they’re not up there playing the instruments but they’re following us every step of the way and watching the decisions we make.”

Feb 13 & Feb 14, The Basement, 7 Macquarie Pl, Sydney, $25+BF, thebasement.com.au