Skegss have shared a new video, exclusively with Rolling Stone Australia, which sees bassist Toby Cregan reflecting on some of his musical highlights, live memories, and where he gains inspiration.
Produced by Headstrong Films, the clip was filmed at Melbourne’s 170 Russell in March of this year, just days after the release of Skegss’ chart-topping second album, Rehearsal. Speaking to Cregan prior to the show, the video is interspersed with live footage from the show, capturing all the energy and excitement of seeing Skegss on the live stage.
As he begins, Cregan reflects on some of the band’s early memories, including when Skegss first played Splendour in The Grass back in 2015.
“We were opening the festival, we hired a limo kind of as a joke, and got driven in at like fucking 8 in the morning because we were playing at 11,” Cregan remembers. “And there was literally like not one person there, and the soundie is like, ‘Fuckin’ start playing’.
“And then they opened the gates and I’m like, ‘Fuck, no one’s here! Whatever though, this is crazy, we’re playing at Splendour’. Then they opened the gates and then everyone started running down and it was just sick. It was all muddy that year and everyone was just sliding down. That was a real cool feeling, everyone’s just excited and shit, y’know?”
As he continues, Cregan touches on more musical memories, including learning to play music, the band’s “shittest gigs”, where he finds inspiration for music, and the rewarding parts of being in a band. Most notably though, he also shines a light on a memory which saw him form an impromptu supergroup with two of Australian music’s biggest names.
“[Spiderbait drummer Kram] wouldn’t even remember this, but years and years ago – like, so long, before I was playing Skegss and stuff – I was at this house party and Kram was there and he was playing the keys. And [Scott Owen] from The Living End was playing the bass, the stand up bass, and I was on drums somehow.
“I was so pissed, and I’m like a shit-as drummer. And then I remember playing along and stuff and kind of fucking up a bit and being like, ‘What the fuck am I doing?’ and just being really embarrassed. I feel like I was pissing Kram off by being such a shit drummer. Like, he’s the drummer.”
Check out the full chat with Toby Cregan in the player above, or by heading over to Rolling Stone Australia’s Instagram page. In the meantime, Skegss’ most recent album, Rehearsal, was released in March.
