Chocking All Over The World

My Friend the Chocolate Cake have been around forever - just don't equate longevity with diminishing passion.

“I have times off here and there and people in the band go off and do other stuff - we have got a bit of a formula going which works quite well, and everyone still really enjoys it so we are going to keep doing it for a while yet - it's a great band to be in.”

And that 'other stuff' Bridie mentions includes the other founding member Helen Mountford taking off on a trip around Australia with her family at the moment - which surely must cut rehearsal times pretty close for their upcoming Speigeltent shows?

“We will have a couple of rehearsals beforehand, but of course (band member) Helen is up in the Gulf of Carpenteria - so she will come down from there, but the rest of us will have a few rehearsals down here (in Melbourne) and you know dust of any loose edges and remember some of the arrangements - it'll be good.”

Travel is in the band’s blood, with the idea for an acoustic alternative to Bridie's then band - ‘80s atmosphere wizards Not Drowning, Waving occurring during a song writing sojourn to New Zealand, and My Friend The Chocolate Cake playing Speigeltent shows in no less than five cities, including its inaugural year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“It's a room we are very familiar with - it's like a second home to us. When David Bates first started it in the 90s we went over there and played the first season and it worked really well for us and we got a good review on the opening night so we played two weeks of gigs there and some shows in Aberdeen and Glasgow. It was a hoot. So it's funny, the Speigeltent always reminds us of Scotland, even when we are playing in Brisbane.

“It's a room that suits the band really well - because it's good for the quieter songs and it's good for the more up tempo stuff.”

This familiarity with the venue is indicative of the professionalism of the band, which is approaching its 21st birthday.

“We've got a really solid fan base - and everyone in the band gets along really well and we haven't pushed it too hard.”

Such modesty really cuts to the core of what the band is about, talking to Bridie you wouldn't know the band has released five albums and scored two ARIAS along the way - but at the same time you also get the impression that it is his working dynamic with Mountford which drives the band.

“She is a phenomenal musician and a terrific person to be around - I find it interesting… and Helen is a good arranger as well, and sometimes has a different take on things than I would. It's a very important dynamic for the band... having different perspectives on what directions the songs should go or what the balance the records should be - it's good to have.”

It's indicative of the length of their working relationship (Mountford joined Not Drowning Waving late in the piece) that they both have such an innate understanding of what works best, and must have lead to some late night discussions of what to put in, and what to leave out of the band’s retrospective collection 'Parades'.

“You can never get the balance right. I think we are trying to get a similar balance on our records between the songs and the instrumentals - the pop songs and the more moody pieces. But I am sure if we made another record now maybe we would have chosen different songs it was a bit of a toss of a coin, in choosing which songs to put on - trying to put on things that the fans really like and songs that the band really likes.”

Given their track record, you can only suspect the two might be closer than Bridie gives himself credit for.

My Friend The Chocolate Cake play the QUT Speigeltent, Queens Park, Brisbane city September 21-23 as part of the Brisbane Festival, go to www.brisbanefestival.com.au to book tickets, and check out what else is on under the big top.