Mistletone

Artwork by Alex Fregon

THE CLEAN play MONA FOMA, Hobart on Sunday 18 January: PW1, Stage 1, 9pm. Tickets on sale now from MONA FOMA.

Mistletone, Beat, Triple R and RTR present The Clean, touring Australia for the first time in four years, and the third time in 25 years; and playing Perth for the first time ever in their 35 year career.

The Clean photo by Gemma Gracewood

What can be said about The Clean? In 1978, they were the seeds of New Zealand punk and the reason for the founding of the mighty Flying Nun label. A truly magical band who are as vital as ever, The Clean have carved out a big sandbox for everyone to play in. Their influence resonated not only in their homeland but around the world, with followers such as Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth and Pavement. They can be heard loud and clear in the new generation of indie bands who have The Clean deeply etched into their DNA.

So what’s the sound? It’s completely theirs but draws on everything from the psychedelic paste of Barrett/early Floyd to vintage Velvets propulsiveness to almost everything else under the sun. They created both full studio sound and lo-fi recordings before, during, and after the various waves of the 4-track revolution, making both recording modes work with no loss of the band’s identity. As far as other influences, you can hear Arthur Lee, Shirley Collins, and the Rolling Stones, among others, but it’s never a kind of forced appropriation; while some bands seem to say, “Look at my record collection,” in the case of The Clean, it’s organic, seamless, and inimitable.