Matt Meets Music Legend DAMIAN COWELL | Matt Your Heroes

This week stand up comedian and TISM fan meets his hero Damian Cowell. Cowell is one part of the 90s Australian music cult heroes TISM, and from his own projects Root, DC3 and Damian Cowell's Disco Machine.
Presenter: Matt Stewart
Producer: Emma Sharp
Conceptualised by: Andy Matthews
Studio Director: Evan Munro-Smith
Camera Operator: Patrick Petraitis
Editor: Vincent Chen
Supported by the City of Melbourne COVID-19 Arts Grants

[@chriswallis8954]

The best DC interview ever. This saints / TISM fan enjoyed it heaps. Loved the Frankie story in regards to "Greg the stop sign"

[@silentrob668]

A mate of mine lives in Bristol and was at the supermarket having a ginormous winge about having to go grocery shopping, he heard a deep aussie voice from behind him 'you and me both mate' the voice said. He turned around and there was Nick Cave with a trolley with his wife deciding what cheese to buy. Maybe it was cool because it was Bristol.

[@thelostfutures]

Damien, you are an absolute legend and an incredible influence on me as a sardonic artist. Thank you for everything you have done, you are such a treasure. Great interview too Matt!

[@vespenegas8319]

My first memory of TISM was being at Homebake 99ish at the Domain in Sydney. I knew one or two of the big singles being played on Triple J at the time, but that was all. I stood, unsure of how to deal with the giant crowd, waiting. You could feel that nobody was ready for what was going to happen, and the anticipation growing. Suddenly, I remember a bunch of guys in red jump suits on stage, with black spikey spikes over their heads and down their backs. I remember one of the red jumpsuit spiked men, walked across the stage, holding up a board that we could all read, showing "DEFECATE OM MY FACE". The music started. I was home.

[@iamalsometao]

That show is on KZbin I think! (it starts with Gotta Root Out Of It?!)

[@vespenegas8319]

@@iamalsometao Dude, yep thats it! I found the show online after posting, back then lol. Also, I just saw TISM live a couple of weeks ago at Good Things Festival! Incredible, hilarious, and amazing to see again, so many years after 98 Homebake lol

[@theythinkthatimtomcruise8586]

@@vespenegas8319 i wasnt even born in 99' and i found tism through that video of the concert. Im so happy i've found your comment too because i remember thinking to myself while watching it for the first time, 'what the fuck would everyone in the crowd be thinking right now'

[@vespenegas8319]

@@theythinkthatimtomcruise8586

[@thedave8972]

I will never tire of listening to HBF and/or RHB answering interview questions.

[@DosLobos]

I was at the Tote gig. The band where in a small room at the back getting ready and yelling at each other like they were an Aussie rules team getting pumped up before a footy match. Hilarious. I turned around and RHB was staring at the back of my head trying to scare me😂 Insane gig you could tell they were just loving it as were the crowd.

[@Elitist20]

22:12 - 'Nick Cave at Woolies - hilarious!' There needs to be a TISM jukebox musical called 'Yob'.

[@dallasgrasby5952]

great interview with a great man!

[@taranullius9221]

I always took it as a PSA against drug use. "Heroes explore to give us hope, River pushed back the envelope". Don't idolise people who do dangerous things even though they know the potential consequences.

[@zembryoz]

It's more a dig at people who think we need others to explore for us at all because in reality there are no heroes, just people.

[@kitkompo]

Great interview, Matt. Damian is fucking awesome. Thanks. :D

[@silvertiger1329]

I love TISM - travelled all over Melbiourne just to see them in the ealry 90"s and beyond. A fun time!

[@warrenpitt6205]

How could TISM even fit on the TOTE stage-amazing

[@buzzkillzine8536]

Another great episode in the series. Great stuff Matt and all the Stupid Old Studios team.

[@DavidMoore-NorbertRodent]

Fuck I love TISM. I met them unmasked after a gig, DC included, before they broke up in the white Albun era. So amazing. They're hiding in plain sight in a lot of their videos 🙂 I remember hearing ROOT on Spicks n Specks the first time and hearing DC's voice. I nearly exploded. It was such a head fuck. I loved it. Great interview. Thanks.

[@ImInterestedInApathyII]

do you know the names of any videos where they hid in plain sight?

[@DavidMoore-NorbertRodent]

@@ImInterestedInApathyII "Thunderbirds are coming out". Craig the bass player can be seen early on wearing a brown jacket and dancing with another band (of course). His striped pants giveaway that he's about to run up the other end of the line and join TISM 🙂Craig is one of them I have met back in the White Albun era. Also in the intro to the White Albun DVD where arriving audience members are being interviewed. The guy who says something about them being trained up over the off season and ready (it has been a while since I watched so the exact words will differ) is/was a member of TISM. There the 2 I can verify through personal experience. I only met 3 of them back in the day. I assume that there's more going on with members I can't identify :-)

[@ImInterestedInApathyII]

@@DavidMoore-NorbertRodent Hmmm very interesting thank you

[@mappsy1991]

Being from the UK I've no idea who most of these people Matt's interviewed are, but these have been really great interviews. I think your opener of 'you're one of my heroes' is a little awkward, but in a disarming way - not unlike someone like Louis Theroux, it sort of allows people to chill and relax. Love em.

[@chrisc5784]

Real life legend Matt Stewart!

[@Mick-T]

That was really a great watch 🍻

[@hilharmonics7787]

I was one of the TISM stand ins for Greg the Stopsign... I had fun, contrary to what DC has said..

[@wickedtokensmoke]

I'm so happy for Matt I recently listened to his Tism episode non do go on, he deserves this interview.

[@sentteri]

I think this tism guy was a guest on Prime-mates, Matt's other podcast. Episode about The Monkees (band). Well worth checking out!

[@wickedtokensmoke]

I Definitely will thanks!

[@DC-Aust]

Very informative and entertaining interview, thanks to both Matt and Simon.

[@Dazzwidd]

I can't leave it there, he's definitely NOT a Yob. He's presenting a very rounded out perspective on many angles during this interview. Love the Aussie post convict to pieces 😂

[@mht525]

Great interview. If more musos studyed TISM. They be more rich. 🙏✌️🤘🏴🇦🇺

[@lucyluloves]

Smashed it Matt! Amazing interview!

[@Dunlopedia]

Really enjoyed this - could def listen to a longer-form audio version.

[@jkshayden]

100% agree!

[@graeme1744]

Damien fantastic stuff.

[@ianianianianian]

hell yea new episode

[@HahaDamn]

King crimson did some shows with two drummers a while back

[@relwaretep]

DC3 show at Hobart Odeon. Three songs in, DC's on the phone to the promoter. Halfway through the fourth "fuck you all" to the audience and the band leaves. DC et al were clearly pissed at the incredibly rude audience (talking amongst themselves instead of paying attention to the performance), yet it still stands as one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

[@DirtyBeasts]

This is creepy... as soon as they started talking about last christmas I could hear it outside of my window. It is 1.49am!

[@HoboPop]

My hero

[@johnnyv3701]

Seriously Damien , you should have two sets of lyrics for our TISM catalogue. All the tunes are really good, 1st set of lyrics are a true representation of the bands musical integrity. Second set of lyrics are a commercial sell out for your superannuation, just I thought for your old age $$$

[@seanmugan5338]

I was waiting for this one. (not as good as the about tonight interview... but ok)

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

Any idea where I can find the full About Tonight interview mate?

[@MiloshVictory]

Stan Alves, legend

[@xerocorp]

TISM memories: plagiarising the press kit review for "Form and Meaning" for Beat Magazine, a performance at the Club in Collingwood that dislodged celing tiles, anothner at the same venue for the last Rock Arena, and performances at both Eearthcore and the opening of the Virgin Megastore

[@mrmattjkim]

i love getting chatty with matty

[@zenvagabond]

Which character did DC play?

[@dmg7111]

He was Humphrey B. Flaubert.

[@Dazzwidd]

Ya Yob Damien 🤣

[@AndyGraceMedia]

Brilliant. I had to interview QOTSA on Nova Sydney and found Josh Homme to be utterly repulsive. Smashed, arrogant and unprofessional. Truly the antithesis of Damian Cowell and TISM.

[@Andybaby]

What is/was Damien's day job?

[@tonybutcher4762]

3 MMM, Believe it or not.

[@Andybaby]

@@tonybutcher4762 really? doing what?

[@thearmchairjournalist566]

He’s a Concreter 😂

[@Scottie_S]

@@Andybaby He used to carry the thumb drive from the production office to the studio so they could get the commercials out in between the music and the news...

[@Andybaby]

@@Scottie_S cronyism?

[@bangkokmachete]

Srege Gainsborough

[@kotahurt]

Before tism Damian Cowell used to be a groupy for the pastor from yarraville but he was nick caves number one fan back then, I wanted to meet more john howards and Tony Abbott's