Dylan Lewis Dishes On His Favourite (And Not So Favourite) Music Moments
From jamming with Stevie Wonder, to sneakily turning up in 'Star Wars', to that disastrous ARIAs broadcast.
Last weekend, Dylan Lewis — former Recovery host and general beloved Aussie music figure — found himself once again in the presenter chair at Double J. He’ll be taking over the airwaves from 9am to midday every Saturday and Sunday until the end of the year at least.
He’s no stranger to the station, having covered the morning slot over summer and filling in for regular presenter Tim Shiel, but this marks Lewis’ full blown return to the public broadcaster since Recovery finished up 20 years ago. He’s been busy since of course, having jumped on Celebrity Big Brother and Video Hits and NOVA — he also found time to kickstart a Recovery-inspired YouTube channel with former host Jane Gazzo.
No one has had a career quite like Lewis’, which is why we asked him to have a look back over the years and reflect on some of his fondest, and most chaotic, memories — everything from interviewing legends like Stevie Wonder, to how he was actually in Star Wars. No, really.
“Twenty five years doing music jobs,” he tells Music Junkee. “That’s a bloody quarter century of playing in bands, hosting music telly shows, doing radio stuff and collecting music memorabilia. It’s hard to narrow down my most memorable moments because there’s been so much, but here’s an attempt to dig into my brain and see what’s in there.”
We’ll let Dylan take it from here — dive in.
Interviews And Performances
Stevie Wonder
Best. Interview. Ever. I grew up listening to him coz dad had all his albums. I remember randomly bumping into one of my Recovery producers in the countryside who asked if I wanted to interview him the next day. I said ‘Hell yeah’.
I went back to the hippy accomodation I was staying in that night and listened to all his albums and tried to piece together an interview as best I could. This was pre-internet and no one had mobiles yet, so it was all very primitive! I rocked up to his fancy hotel the next day feeling quite under-prepared and scared. I walked into his room and there he was. Beautiful man. Surrounded by a massive entourage.
I had half an hour with him — unheard of in normal interviews. He disarmed me straight away by commenting on my purple hair. ‘Even a blind man can see that,’ he said. Bless. Then we chatted, we laughed, he was so generous with his time and so patient with the weird little boofhead with purple hair. Then, the magical moment happened — he asked one of his entourage (named Love — no shit) to get his harmonica. And we jammed. Me on my weird melodica and him on his harp. Then both with harps. Holy crapoley…dreams can come true!
Mike Patton
He’s my male vocal hero. I love his work with Mr Bungle, and all his other projects, and his solo stuff too. He’s intriguing and I felt like we’d be soul mates when we met because I think we’re on similar musical paths.
I interviewed him and Roddy Bottum from Faith No More sometime in the ’90s. I had my awesome interview questions ready, I wore clothes I thought Mike would dig…probably a Mr Bungle t-shirt…and I was nervous as hell. I always got nervous chatting to idols, and often those interviews turned out to be the worst coz of my nervousness! So I met the guys, thinking we’d go to some cool place backstage like their dressing room or something — nek minnit we found ourselves pushed for time so we all just sat down on a cold concrete floor in a stair well and did the interview there.
We were all uncomfortable but we pushed on. I started fan-girling about vocal techniques to Mike, asking him about throat singing and harmonic singing and stuff. He looked at me weird and I felt him disconnecting straight away. Booooo. Then at the end I made it worse by handing him a shitty tape of my band, which I was sure he’d listen to and love and then call me to collab some day. I think it probably ended up as landfill. I wrecked it. But I still love him.
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
When Jon Spencer Blues Explosion came onto Recovery, none of us could have predicted that they would be the most memorable performance we ever had. Their anarchic and dangerous performance is still what most people talk to me about when reminiscing about Recovery. Their energy was so powerful and exciting, and my reaction at the end of the performance was genuine — I can still remember the feeling like it was yesterday. I didn’t interview them, I didn’t need to. They said everything they needed to say with their music.
Public Enemy
They’re one of my all time fave groups. When I first learnt to rap, I learnt Chuck D’s lyrics from the liner notes in my It Takes A Nation Of Millions... album.
I remember the confusion in the Recovery studio the day when they visited — they were sound checking, but it was all going to air for some reason. No one knew what was going on — especially me, who was supposed to be in control! The directors were flapping their arms at me to start the interview so I just sat on the floor and Chuck D and Flavour Flav joined me there and we chatted and it was ace. (As is tradition, whenever I interviewed artists I loved, it seemed to happen on the ground.)
Oh, the weirdest part was whilst I was waiting for them to join me I thought it might be a good idea to fill time by doing that rap I learnt when I was a kid. I was saying “bass” in my best Chuck D voice, and he was looking at me like ‘Who’s this freak…why is he impersonating me while I’m right here??!’
Most Surreal Moments
Kicking Footy With Kylie Minogue
We had a little picnic in a park and it was lovely. Looking back, I probably didn’t need to wear strange golf shorts…but it was the ’90s so I didn’t know any better.
Singing With Noel Fielding
It was for a radio interview, and I remember setting up my studio so he would feel comfortable. I put an art easel in there and had my lap harp ready in case a musical moment happened. It did and I was stoked ‘cos he’s my comedy hero. We sang about a triangle man. At the end of the chat I asked him to draw a Mighty Boosh skull on my arm with a Texta. And then I went straight to a tattooist and got it made permanent. A couple of days later I showed it to him after seeing him perform a comedy show. I think he was chuffed and scared at the same time.
Supporting Cold Chisel
Yep. With my old band, The Brown Hornet. It was the strangest night. We somehow landed a gig supporting them at the Festival Centre in Adelaide. The crowd was full of Chisel fans…who were not really fans of odd art funk. They would have destroyed us if it hadn’t been for Don Walker, Chisel’s keyboard player. He came out on stage before we went on and introduced us, mentioning that I was an Adelaide boy, so ‘Please be nice to them’! Bless him.
“I asked him to draw a Mighty Boosh skull on my arm with a Texta…I went straight to a tattooist and got it made permanent.”
They all clapped politely and we survived the gig. I thought it was going to turn into a Blues Brothers moment with the chicken wire. But it didn’t. Then we went back to our band room which was kinda like Harry Potter’s bedroom under the stairs and shared our rider of a six pack between the nine members of our band, whilst listening to Barnsey warm up with shouting exercises in his giant band room down the hall.
The night got weirder still as we then piled into our stinky Tarago and headed out to some country pub where we had a gig later on. When we got there we found that a bikie gang had decided to take it over. They had brought their own security and entertainment (girls) so we had to relocate to the empty front bar. And the only space for me to stand and sing was actually on the bar. A bit Coyote Ugly, but less sexy. Good times.
Dylan Lewis in ‘Recovery’
Hosting The ARIAs
Sounds ace…but it wasn’t. I was on hosting duties with Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rebel Wilson. It was at the Sydney Opera House. It all sounded great on paper, but the reality was quite a bit different.
I was given the honour of starting the show with an opening monologue from the top of the Opera House. I had to climb up some scary maintenance ladder up to the top of one of the Opera House wave things in a safety harness which gave me a huge wedgie. A helicopter was hovering nearby filming my opening. Now — I’m afraid of heights at the best of times, so trying to look calm in a suit on top of the Opera House with a big wedgie and a chopper near by was horrible. And it was live, so I had to get it right first time. No pressure.
It turns out you couldn’t really tell it was me ‘cos the chopper couldn’t get too close ‘cos I’d be blown off the building. So that was dumb. Then it took me forty-five minutes to get back down, by which stage all my friends and family who I’d told about my cool gig were wondering if I’d been sacked or died. ‘Where’s Dylan?’ — stuck in the roof of the bloody Opera House, that’s where. So Spinal Tap.
Most Prized Momentos
Beastie Boys Autograph
One of my most prized possessions is the Beastie Boys’ autographs on the first tape I ever bought — Licensed To Ill. I didn’t get them myself…a friend got them for me ‘cos she was interviewing them. The closest I got to an actual interview with them was at a press conference where MCA answered a question I asked. Pretty stoked. I can’t even remember the question I was so spun out by being in the same room as my idols!
A Signed Britney Dolly
It was at the end of a really odd interview I did with her. I spent so much time researching for the interview, I didn’t allow myself time to get a haircut so it looked like a wombat was sitting on my head — my hair was gigantic. Just before the interview I was given a list of things I couldn’t ask her. So my interview was much shorter than expected. I think I asked her if she ever burped. Good one D man. Keepin’ it real.
Flavor Flav Clocks
The second time I interviewed Public Enemy I went armed with a pile of clocks for Flavor to sign. Now my kids clocks in their rooms are adorned with Flav’s tags! Dope.
Salt And Pepper Shakers
Signed by Salt’N’Pepa. Boom. I thought this would be a normal item people would get them to sign, but they said I was the only one to have ever asked them to do that. Soooo….
Best Non-Musical Brag
I’m in Star Wars. In the background. Attack of the Clones. Scene 11. Dex’s diner.
I got the gig ‘cos I hassled my management for a year about being a warm prop in Star Wars as they were filming in Australia. And I’m a Star Wars geek. And I had to be in it. Eventually management got sick of my pestering and made it happen.
I flew myself to Sydney from Melbourne for a costume fitting. Then flew back a few weeks later to shoot the scene. So surreal! Ewan was there. George was there. Heaps of extras in hot costumes with little fans inside to keep them cool. And me! With a massive helmet on, and chatting to a couple of Rodians! The people there knew I was a fanboy, so they gave me a little tour backstage which was so rad. I saw the creatures department, and big green-screen hangar-sized studios with spaceships in them.
I even got some Polaroids with Chewie’s head and Yoda…but I was told never to reveal them ‘coz it was all very top secret. Soz. I just told you. (I think we’re safe now!) And to top it off, I got papped and put in a magazine as a rumoured cast member of the new film! Warm prop that’s all — but I still have the article and the Polaroids — framed!
Catch Dylan Lewis on Double J on weekends, 9am to 12pm.