The Worst Band In The Universe

Here's the lowdown on the inception of the book and music from Graeme himself:

I've always been interested in music – indeed I was in a band for several years playing in and around Melbourne. It was called Rikitikitavi. I played keyboards and wrote most of the songs. When Animalia was published in 1986 it coincided with the band breaking up. Since then I have concentrated mainly on books but have always had a longing to get back to music in some form.

The Sign of the Seahorse, which came out in 1992, was conceived as much as a musical concept as a book – I wrote and recorded a whole suite of music before embarking on the artwork and still hope to make a stage musical version of the story. The Worst Band in the Universe was likewise devised very much from a musical perspective. The idea of including a CD was there right from the start.



I recorded most of the music at home and at a friend's place (he has more gear than I do) and I played all the parts myself. This is why it sounds the way it does! I'm not very good at any one instrument but tend to play a number of different instruments to a modest level, bringing it all together when it is recorded. I even did all the singing myself – it's wonderful what you can do with computers: correct flat notes (and there were lots of them) change the pitch (all the female backing vocals are me too – yikes!) and fix the timing. I'd love to do a second album (and next time get a proper producer in to help me) but we shall see...



As for the book itself, whilst the story obviously revolves around a musical theme, this is in fact a metaphor for a much broader concept: freedom of expression. I think everyone has the right to say what they think and to express themselves in a way which is honest and true to their beliefs and creative vision. This is what Sprocc does when he leaves home to find a place to play his own innovative music.



But I also believe Innovation becomes directionless without a solid Tradition from which to build. So when Sprocc and his friends return to vanquish the Musical Inquisitor (whoops, just gave away the ending) it is achieved in concert, as it were, with the 'conservative' musicians of Blipp.



A rhyming couplet towards the end of the book pretty much sums it up:



Repression has been vanquished by the forces of creation -

The armour of Tradition and the sword of Innovation.



I sincerely hope you enjoy the book as much (or even more) than I did creating it.



Get meshing!