Tex Perkins, the debonair frontman for Cruel Sea and Beasts of Bourbon, has gone far right with his new act The Ladyboyz to take the piss out of classic hits.
In covering the songs of the classic hits radio format, Perkins has discovered that what we thought were sweet, romantic love songs are actually filth rolled up as ballads.“Lets go through the lyrics,” he says at Undercover, about to dissect the Dr Hook classic ‘A Little Bit More’. “The opening line, ‘When your body has had enough of me and you’re laying flat out on the floor, when you think I’ve loved you all I can, I’m gonna love you a little bit more’”.
“Lets go through that again. “When your body had enough”... She’s had enough, enough please. And she’s laying ‘flat out on the floor’. She’s not even in the bed anymore, she’s on the fucking floor. I don’t imagine she is on the floor by choice. She’s unconscious. Dr Hook has fucked the shit out of this woman. But No, no, no, I ain’t done with you, I’m gonna love you a little bit more”.
Tex acknowledges that the lyrics of the 70s went right over his head at the time. “This is the stuff that slipped in one ear and out the other when we were kids,” he laughs. “How generous of him. He wants to love her some more”.
He says he likes to expose the meaning behind the lyrics of these classic songs. “That's another thing I like to do. I did it on the TNT project. Basically exposing these songs. We exposed “Tonights The Night”. That has some of the dodgiest lyrics ever. “Don’t say a word my virgin child”. What? Is that a metaphor, Rod, for “a virgin child.”
Australian’s aren’t sacred either. Tex has taken to task Mondo Rock. “What else have we got, “Come Said the Boy”. Eric McCusker is the guilty party here. Let’s go through his lyrics,” he says.
“It was a party night. It was the end of school. His head was feeling light the first time. She seemed much older then. She had turned 17. She knew some older men the first time.”
“She knew some older men? OLDER MEN, plural. ‘The first time’. She has gang-banged old men the first time. I don’t know if this has messes with your head but it shocks me. We have dressed this sinister piece of work in the correct dred. I think we should take a closer look at Eric McCusker and what he has been up too”.
Don’t be too concerned and think Tex is the new Fred Nile. That hasn’t happened.
Listen to ‘No.1’s & No.2’s’ and have a bit of a chuckle.
Tex and the Ladyboyz have covered songs by Bob Seger, The Commodores, Hall & Oates, Olivia Newton-John, Jon English, Alice Cooper and the Captain and Tennille.
There are also a handful of Ladyboyz shows coming your way soon.
The album is out this week through Universal.
The dates are:
Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz
Fri 17 Oct 2008
@ Wrestpoint Showroom, Hobart, Australia
Tickets via phone 1300 795 257
Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz
Sat 18 Oct 2008
@ Country Club Showroom, Launceston, Australia
Tickets via phone 1300 795 257
Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz
Wed 22 Oct 2008
@ Ruby Room, Burswood Entertainment Complex, Perth, Australia
Tickets via Ticketek 13 28 49 / ticketek.com.au
Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz
Sat 25 Oct 2008
@ Grand Harbour Ballroom, Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia
Tickets via Ticketmaster 136 100 / ticketmaster.com.au
Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz
Sun 26 Oct 2008
@ The Palms at Crown, Melbourne, Australia
Tickets via Ticketek 13 28 49 / ticketek.com.au
Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz
Fri 31 Oct 2008
@ Discovery Nightclub, Darwin, Australia
Tickets via phone 8942 3300
Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz
Sat 01 Nov 2008
@ Twin Towns, Tweed Heads, Australia
Tickets via phone 1800 014 014 / www.twintowns.com.au
The Undercover Ted Perkins/Ladyboyz Interview
