Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500

Last year Dean Wareham played a Wellington show for the first time in his life. He had been a member of American indie/pop-band Galaxie 500 and gone on to a decade and a half with Luna before creating a duo with his wife, Dean and Britta, playing shows, creating film soundtracks - and yet he had never played in Wellington. This was interesting because Wareham was born in Wellington.

I spoke to Dean Wareham before last year's show, 13 Most Beautiful, for Wellington's International Arts Festival. He was excited about finally getting to play in the town where he was born.

Now, a year later, and he's about to bring a new show to town - playing to New Zealand audiences two years in a row after a lifetime spent away from these shores - so how was that first performance?

"It was great, yeah, really great," Wareham's voice is an uneasy mix of Kiwi, Australian and American accents, reflecting his time carved out between the three countries. "It was certainly surreal to be there on the stage in that venue [the Town Hall]. I think I said something about it in the show at the time, but I had been there two other times in my life. And I don't think I told the full story, but I remember being there in 1968. I was young. It was to see The Chicks." He breaks off in to a slight chuckle. "I was five years old. They were great. And then, many years on I saw The Knack there. I think it was in 1982. I had come home back to Wellington for a summer. So yeah, definitely very different to be there on stage - to be staring out, to be playing. And very special."

The 13 Most Beautiful project, a show were Dean and Britta perform soundscapes in support of a selection of Andy Warhol's famous screen-tests, has been a hit. The duo still take bookings for it - ("oh yeah, we're going to be touring that forever now") and in and around that show there has been a return to pub gigs, to smaller venues and gallery shows away from the theatres, the arts festivals.

"The return to playing Galaxie 500 material has been very gradual. It's tied, I guess, with the re-release of the albums - certainly it makes sense to tour if the albums are available again and there's an interest in them but in the shows that Britta and I have been doing we were adding a few more Galaxie songs. And from there I had an invite to do an evening of Galaxie 500 songs in Spain and thought that it would be something to try; something worth doing. Really it's gone from there."

The shows are billed as Dean Wareham playing the songs of Galaxie 500 - the original band has not and is not re-forming.

"It's pretty clear - at least I hope it's pretty clear with all the marketing," Wareham laughs. "I've certainly not had people asking for refunds, thinking they were going to see the original band. So if we can continue to get the word out there that'd be great," another pause for some laughs.

"No, the other two from Galaxie know that I'm doing this - they're fine with it. We go about our own things these days. Britta and I are already playing with our drummer and so this has just come about as something to do from that. It's not a reunion but it's been very interesting to me to go back to this material."

But it has not been without some challenges.

"I found the songs very hard to sing," Wareham explains. "That's been the toughest thing, vocally. My voice has dropped. I sang these Galaxie songs very differently to how I sing now. So the songs themselves have been hard work."

But he's proud of the material.

"I would say, as much as I can without sounding big-headed, that the songs have held up well. I was pleasantly surprised. It's been nice to revisit them. I've enjoyed it. And the response has been great. Audiences seem to be digging it too, so that's great."

So does this mean there'll be a Dean and Britta play Luna show to follow?

"I don't know. I don't think so somehow - but it's different as we were both in the band and so we play those songs a lot more. I think Luna was a good band but we did our time. People forget that keeping a band together is hard; man it's really hard. All the clichés apply about living in each other's pockets; of it being a relationship, a marriage, a family. It's very hard and bands just run their course, you know it's very hard work. So I think Luna was around for what, 14 years, and we did some good stuff. There are plenty of songs there to work through. But there's no need to go on the road or record as Luna again. Not now anyway."

But Wareham says they might play a Luna song as part of the Galaxie 500 shows - "we've been playing one or two, from time to time. I won't say what, just to keep it a surprise. But it's been known to happen."

Also potentially on the cards is another book. Wareham's Black Postcards is one of the more enjoyable rock memoirs I've read. And he's had interest for another book.

"I'm meeting with my agent about this. They're interested in another book but where do you get the time these days?" There's a slight laugh here. "I've come to see that these politicians that release books - no way are they actually writing those books. Not when they are working fulltime too. There's no way. That's their name on the book but it's not their work. I'm sure of that. There's no way."

But another book from Wareham is - potentially - brewing. And more shows performing the Galaxie 500 material, more shows as Dean and Britta, more 13 Most Beautiful performances - Wareham says the focus is certainly on performing over recording. "It just seems to be the way these days. It's all we can do to stay in this game - but we're really fortunate we've got these opportunities. And we're really looking forward to playing in New Zealand again so soon after finally getting there. We had always meant to play there with Luna - probably wasn't a thought with Galaxie 500, to be honest, but it was definitely part of Luna's plan. It's such a long way though. So we're looking forward to it. We're thankful that people are staying interested."

Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 in Wellington this Friday, October 14, at Bodega. And then in Auckland, next Thursday, October 20, at Kings Arms.

I have a double-pass to each show to give away - one lucky winner for Wellington and one for Auckland. To be in to win, tell me in a comment below why you would like to see this show. Name your favourite Galaxie 500 album and of course state which city you are wanting the tickets for. That simple; you could be in to win.

So, any Dean Wareham/Galaxie 500/Luna/Dean and Britta fans out there?

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