James Young is one of the most unforgettable people you'd ever hoped to meet. He lives and breeds rock and roll as the owner of Melbourne's Cherry Bar, and lives unapologetically large, from his bespoke Elvis inspired suits and magnificent hats, to his unabashed passion for food and as general zest for life. He's a father of three sons, but he takes very seriously and he's been with his partner, Miranda since nineteen eighty seven. That's thirty six years in counting.
She very quickly enforced a two point thirty am curfew for her new party loving boyfriend. Let's see if he's still the same. Welcome to the Christy Cars, James Young.
Oh Christy, what a pleasure to see you and to be here now.
This curfew that your wife put in a is that true?
One hundred percent true? Have to be home by two thirty. I the actually own a few bars in Melbourne, to whom have a twenty four hour license or five am plus has never been there when they've closed, And because I always leave it too to be home by two thirty and either my staff are as fearful of Miranda as I am, or they just don't like me because I get the tap on the shoulder at ten past two, say just reminding you, James, you've got to be home
by two thirty. Now, occasionally I make the mistake, but I always pay for it because people make mistake of saying these once in a lifetime opportunity. I'll call your wife and explain everything is going to be all right, and then I save their lives by saying, don't make that mistake. Don't be the one to call so And you know the people that I work with, to be honest, people will get burnt out. They go out on Friday nights and they come back on Monday, and they do
it for six months. Not only will they burnt out in six months, they won't recover from that for three years. If you get home at two thirty, you can get up on six hours sleep at eight thirty and function like a normal human being.
No, you cannot.
She can push you push it to three thirty, and you're as useless as an astray on a motorbike. You have to be down by two thirty.
I just think it's astounding to me. Who my favorite thing, my favorite place in the world is my bed.
Yes, it's a great place.
I not yes. I can't fathom the pride that you are expressing by saying that you've never been at a place at five am when it closes. Like for me, strike that reverse it. I'm generally gone from places by five pm and in bed.
Well, can I just say the only thing I love more than coming home after a great night of partying, having seen live music and being up till two thirty is, of course, going to bed at eight thirty on a Tuesday or Wednesday night sneaking off. I don't think we can make it through another episode of Jack Reacher. It's
forty three minutes long. I think we're gone. And the thing that Marinda doesn't like, which I suppose helps, is I can fall asleep in half a second any time of the day, and I could drop it drop for you right now. Really, I could drop it.
You give you ten minutes, but that's because you're out until three am talking shit with people.
Well that's why you have to be home by two thirty as well, because once it gets to tow we've talked and half shit. I'm just repeating myself after to quick cover at all bases. No, there's no need to be out out just repeating yourself. There's unnecessary withdrawals of three hundred dollars from Grade Tom. You just do not need that.
James. Do you think that you have a personality disorder?
Absolutely? All the good rues do. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.
It's an extraordinary love of people and music that you have dedicated your life to.
Well. I do love like music, I mean as I say to Miranda, and it's a pity that I'm not into stamp collecting or book collecting because I happened to be addicted to live music. It wasn't my choice, and I just if I don't see live music a minimum of twice a week. And I'm not talking about big concerts necessarily with the Rolling Stones in a cyzy I'm talking about new up and coming band Ardvark from Melbourne and Willie j and the Bad Books playing at the
gym in front of seventeen people. Have to see it minimum twice a week, or I go a bit cookoo.
Do you play anything yourself?
Well, needless to say, ha, Chris. Of course, if you were having an eighteenth birthday party in the Mount Waverley grim Waverley area the summer of eighty three eighty four. You were calling on Nervous Rex with me on lead vocals and everything else I could play, so the alto saxophone and the harmonica, and we had some original songs. The first song that I wrote the lead sing of Nervous Rex.
I was gonna say, what was the bad call? Did Nervous Rex have two x's on the end?
No, just the way? But it was orix's in t Rex And Yeah. My first song was Criminal Ways, and I look back to myself as a tough seventeen year old. My version of Criminal Ways would have been stealing a mustic from the local duck shop. And I wrote an instrumental on the harp back Beaches of Lawn.
Oh my god.
But we were covering the stones and the sex pistols and the doors and the monkeys. It was. It was a lot of fun. And I even did Muddy Waters because I wanted to play the alto sacks. We even did I'm a Man. We passed twenty one at the time. I was seventeen, but I had to be able to play Me, Me Me on the sacks. But af we came to the end of that fantastic summer where we ruled.
My green Paisley shirt ruled the summer of eighty three eighty four, and I came to my band and broke their heart when I said, look, sorry, I was born in musical taste. I'm shit, your shit wear shit. Someone's offered me three hundred dollars for the Alto saxphone up a brushes at Chadsten There's a three and one stereo. It's got a turntable, tape deck and.
Tuner for the f in the road James.
So I said, I am going to sell that sex and I am going to use my gift for music to not have to listen to myself and to appreciate and spread the good word of others.
Speaking of appreciation of music, is there a genre or a style that you do not understand or are you an equal opportunity employer.
A good grid. I'm not a big fan of jazz. I wouldn't have said and the scat sort of sort of stuff, you know, but your tastes still evolved out there. I didn't like country and Western music at all when I was a teenager and now I absolutely love it for the songwriting. I wasn't very open minded to reggae music when I was younger. Really now I.
Thought everyone went through the Bob Marley and the Whaleless Summer. For sure, of.
Course, But but now I understand understand. You know, punk music like the Clash, it actually came from the sounds of reggae. So you educate yourself knowing. My joke about jazz is apparently they're coming out with a compilation of the greatest hits of jazz on one side of a seven inch. But I almost have attracted to rock and roll. And when I went and saw like hip hop stuff or techno stuff, which didn't like much when I was younger, I realized that even for me, the concept of rock
and roll, it's not necessarily sound. It's an attitude. So if you walk into a tent set the splendor in the grass music festival and there's ten thousand people jumping up and down with.
A fresh Hell for me, Fresh Hell.
For me, it's a group. Huh, Chrissy, I want to be a part of this excitement and sharing the positive energy.
We could not be more different and yet in love. What are we going to do well.
You know, some people treat their body like a temple. I treat mine like a portloo at a music vest.
Speaking of pop music, I've got to ask because I am a late onset Swifty Yes, Taylor Swift, Why slash Ann.
Yes, why slash An? Yes? Sorry, I actually am am be careful here. I don't listen to Tata enough. I'm very happy for I cannot believe how phenomenally successful she is because to sell out two mcg concerts in a nanosecond and they're impossible to get. So I've got my youngest son, Sammo, who's now twenty three. Yes, his girlfriend Carl She said I couldn't. I had nine laptops going, I couldn't get a ticket, And I of course say stand back time to impress the children. I'll be getting
you Tata tickets. Not a problem in the world. No one's ever said no to James Young. Someone said no, she is that big, you can't. You cannot buy tickets to see. That's how phenomenal she is. And I will say that people need to understand. So all ships rise with the tide. So I'm always supporting the entire scene by supporting other venues with perceived competitors. Yes, let's create
a great scene. And the bigger I think I understand that some younger venue owners might not understand is never criticize your Tata's or your Billy Joel's or your Harry styles because the ripple effect they create. Like someone could even do a tour that doesn't work. What didn't work for you worked for the Cherry bar on Little Colin Street in particular, because the crews the road cruise, the international road crews who are here for six days setting
up those shows. They stay in the city. We've got a very late license. We're walking distance from their hotel. They're no fuss. They don't need a red velvet rope. They spend their money and they can't believe that the venues open that late. Even one or two drink cartters. It's like you just solve the Da Vinci code. They've never seen it more in their lives.
How much did the drink cars worth? By the way, they're only.
Ten, Well, you give them a few. But what happens then then is not only they drink heavily, they tell the rest of the world about your bar. Yeah, and they're back in two months because of the here with Tata. That doesn't mean they're with Tata forever. They're back with slipknot in two months time, because their job internationally is
to tour coross th in big shows. So my answer is I'm in love with Data and her ticket sales for selfish reasons, but I do love a good pop. When the Rolling Stones broke my heart and canceled a show in Las Vegas, when I was there with nine hardcore rock and roll fans, they couldn't believe it when I said, we're going to Britney Spears and we're buying tickets in the brit pit. I want to be down
the front, right under the spearmeister. And I read and I absolutely loved the theatrical show that she put on in Vegas. It was breathdays, like saying a musical where like one truly one song, it's an aquarium, she's underwater, there's water all over stages, swimming creatures. Next song, she's in out of space with rockets and she's on a cowboys scene with on horses and go, how are they pulling?
That's why that show could never ever tour, And it had a not quite the spear, but I had a one hundred and eighty degree screen and it was breath takingly impressive. Obviously she didn't she mind everything. Who cares it's a theatrical show.
That is a really great question that you raise. How important is it that live music is live, be.
True to the genre, who represent If you're a rock and roller, like the Sex Pistols, for example, it's an old example, or the Rolling Stone, they're all dead. They're never dead to me. You've got to play rock and roll life. But if your show is a theater show, particularly it's in Vegas, you can you can crimp a bit. And let's well, let's talk about bands. It might expect
something better. For so Motley Crue, who toured recently. Now when I hear that there's a guitarist supporting the guitarist underneath, or if I'm hearing that there's a vocal track in Paul Stanley's ear from Kiss to help him hold the note on his last tour, I don't have a problem with that. Make the show as good as you possibly can and give the audience you know what they want, which is a fantastic show if you want to. If you saw Motley crue without any backing or help in
twenty twenty four. They need help. They do need every piece of help that they can may I saw an.
Interview recently with I think it was Tommy Lee, and he said that at times in his career he was drinking a certain amount of vodka every day, and it was an American measurement which nobody understands. So I went straight to Google. It turns out, in one sitting on one day and then to do it again the next day in the day after that, he was drinking seven liters of straight vodka a day.
That's not healthy.
No, it's not healthy. What's the most that you've ever put away in one sitting?
That's a little bit unfair. I think on a younger days, on the summer holidays, it would be possible to put away nearly onely a day, maybe one leader a day.
And when would you start?
I never start until the yard arm. It's twelve, so twelve noon pretty easy when you're getting up at eleven fifty five.
Turned into how Tommy Lee, are you? Have you ever hooted a horn on a boat with your penis hi slash?
I haven't, I mean, I haven't. I couldn't start a jelly bean box.
Have you ever slept with Pamela Anderson?
I've not. Did have a crash on Pamela when I was younger.
Who didn't I still do? She's magical, Yes, she is, and what you know?
And they taught us that two plus two equals five when it comes to celebrities and personalities and world attention. There's still i mean their world world known names.
Yeah. Absolutely absolutely. It's time for you to tell me your surprising story.
James Young, thank you for that fabulous intro. Christ I'm loving talking to you again. Okay, the story I was going to tell does relate rock and roll, and does relate to Cherry Bar, and it relates to a huge pop star who taught me a lesson, And the story relates to Lady Gaga and Cherry Bar.
Stephanie German Otter, I believe her real name is.
And what a fabulous performance she is, and this is the story is. I can't believe she.
Was a punish at school, though, was she? Yeah? An actor that went to school with her at one of those sort of fame style schools in New York City said that even at lunch time, she would be singing and people just be rolling their eyes, going, I just want to eat our fucking sand. Which can you shut up for a minute, Gaga.
I think I was a punish at school, but hopefully just to the teachers and the parents more than the friends you make. But Gaga, this story is like, I can't believe it's already more than a decade since has happened. But as often happens, the international stars in town and the crew are at Cherry Bar and they're enjoying the fact that Cherry Bar is open, and I'm developing a
relationship with the You know, this is fun. Sometimes you end up getting invited to a state tour or stand behind the desk and all this kind of stuff, But mainly you're just enjoying the fact that they're there and keeping your bar busy.
How fun. If it wasn't happening so late, I'd be totally into that.
Yes, Unfortunately it does sort of. The conversation really picks up around midnight.
But what would my fit bit sleep ap have to say about that? I'd never live it down.
And put one of those on my wrisk. What happened was this, It's near July the fourth, which is a very significant date for the Americans fourth celebrations and Independence. And I get the call from the guy I've been liazing with, Robert. He says, hey, listen, Gago has decided that short notice, this is on the Tuesday.
Did they call her Gaga?
Yes, that's what has decided at short notice, that she was to have a party a July the fourth Independence Day party. We were thinking, which is tomorrow Wednesday. We were thinking we'd love to have it at Cherry Bar, and she might actually pop up and do it. Do a song, nothing too big. We understand small stage vacations, and it won't take. And I said, so that's It's a lovely offer, rob But I do have to two. I've got an existing booking tomorrow Wednesday, and I never
ever cancel existing lookings. It's a band called Jackson Firebird. There are two piece blues band from mill Dura and they're coming down from mill Dura. Two boys in the flannel shirts.
But they do know an acoustic version of poker Face. If that's any assistance, I.
Said, I'll tell you what. If Gago can be off stage by nine, we can manage it. And the mill Dura Jackson Firebord guys can come on at nine point thirty, and he said, I reckon, that's workable because she doesn't want to late.
No.
So then I get a call back a bit later, it says and he says, hey, listen, this is on the Wednesday. It's all a little bit hard with the timings. We think we're going to go to the North Coott Social Club. And I say, fine, fine, makes sense to me, go for it now. In the back of my mind, you need to understand, you need to un to stand Chrissy that I get these calls all the time, and seventy five percent of the time these things don't happen. I've had this year. I've had post Malone say loves
die Bars wants to come to Cherry Bar. I had descend the map of the bar. We had to have wristbands, we had he was going to come through the rear exit, so the rear lame way entrance to the back of Cherry never happened before. Get it already, surprise surprise to no one, didn't even turn tired, didn't make it.
So it happened with me Netflix.
He was and in this beautiful room, and so I said, I understand no problems at all. And then that that night, that Wednesday afternoon, I think I got a call from Sasha French, who was the producer for a show with our friend Kate Langbrook, and said, I hear that gargas playing at Cherry to night. I said, no, no, no, that's not true. It's moved to the North Social Club. But I'll be very surprised if she performs the song. I go to bed. It's a nice early night. You would have loved it.
Three in the morning.
If I get up and I'm going to the bathroom, it's quite early at five thirty six am. And I look at number one. It was a thinking It was a thinking moment, and Sasha says, shush. Sasha sends me a texture with a photograph of Gaga performing on stage at the North Social Club, and I look at not at your venue, not at my venue, because I pushed
her there. So so I publish a one line post on the Cherry Facebook which says world's most credible booker or world's greatest idiot knock back Lady Gaga, thinking she would and she performs at North can Social Club. That then I just send it out and I go back to bed. And then because Gaga at that time is the biggest artist in the whole world and they're all looking for a different angle. It was Joe Roberts from The Age who spoke me first and said, there's a
bit of traction on this post. And then she wrote a little article online at the Age which exploded, and then suddenly it was absolutely everywhere, to the point where the Mirror newspaper in London not on line, the newspaper read the PA ran the page three story. Barmie bar owner says, nah to Gaga was the head was the headline, and getting I'm getting emails from artists like in North in America saying you don't know who I am, but I'm just writing to tell you you are my hero.
This would never happen in North America. No one in the world would ever knock back an international artist because they had an existing, existing book. And then I'm I'm turning up on Spanish television where it's the news, it's the news and someoney go cherry bar lady Gaga, James junk idiot. So so then what then what happens is if I had I just think this would be an
interesting part of the story. Had I put Gaga on on that Wednesday night, I believe the bar would probably take in about seven grand more than it would normally take on a Wednesday. That weekend at Cherry that Friday and Saturday, we took thirty five thousand more than when normally take And I had Jackson Firebird locked in for a residency, The Unknown two Piecemeal, Duror Blue.
I'd already forgotten their name.
Yes, well they got it. They got to deal with EMI Records, a major label, game my deal, and the next.
Four weeks God's work here at.
The Cherry Residency. Cherry Residency, the place was packed to see this band, Jackson Firebird, who of course came out with T shirts with Garga references. So that that's the fascinating part one. But wait, year hear the Gaga Part two of the of the James Young Because remember I never said no to Lady Gaga. It's not like I said. Part of the innuit. There was an inny window of the stories. Are not rock and roll enough? Yeah, absolutely not. She's rocking. Of course, she's rocking rough.
The newspaper's got you wrong. I can't believe it.
So almost exactly two years later, precisely twenty five months later, Lady gargas in town and the biggest I mentioned before about the start saying they're coming, and they don't come. The biggest stars they never tell you they're coming. So in the past, when Axel ros and guns and Roses have turned up, Yallic has turned up, Neil Young has turned up, they never tell yourself.
Quickly do you get from your house in the in the leafy suburbs to your bar when Colin calls you and says, Axel just walked in.
Yes, it's amazing. You know the flight times. If the uber wages over one minute, I'm sorry, I'm driving the speeding fines. But Lady Gaga turned up to Cherry by herself, no security, no bodyguard, no entourage. No I'm not I'm coming, give me my private room and wait for this. She stayed at the bar for five and a half hours, never going into the rear vip so called cocktail bar area. She danced on the stage with everyone who wanted to.
And I've shown you the picture she danced on the Cherry bar, and I know for one her atitude was James Young, I'm going to leave my footprint, both literally and metaphorically on your bar. If you're gonna tell Gaga not welcome at Cherry Bar and she's prancing around on the bar, will I will say that two years ago when that when the incident happened and Gaga had moved on to Perth, they got a call from my Roger Field,
who was the CEO president of Live Nation. Yeah, it rings me and says James, why am I to dinner with Lady Gaga? And all she's doing is talking about who's James Young? What's happening at Cherry Bar? So it obviously stuck in her call it two years earlier. But the great thing about Gaga's appearance was, for one thing, she loved the bar, she loved DJ Mermaid who was djaying, and she was making the most impressive rock and roll song requests. So yes, she wanted a see DC, but
she didn't want thunderstruck. She wanted squealer. No one requests squealing You're going deep cuts? What else did she request? Our judas priest? You know, it was very impressive how she knew a rock and.
Roll anything else more. I love this.
I have to have to look into it because I can't remember. It's a while back. But it was impressive, it was obscure, and she loved dancing to it. And she was, what about.
Roger vadouas you better get used to it? Did she ask?
There's a bang jeneral, Louis, Louise, Louise, I love you, I love you, Louise Louise.
I love you, I love you, Aula, that's the best part of thank you.
But then Gaga, right, and she's getting very drunk. Well, obviously we would mind her responsible service of alcohol. What does she drink? But she was just smashing anything she wanted. I think she was you know, she was doing the suburban and coke. She was drinking. But here's here's the point. When she left Cherry bart And I had to keep this out of the paper at the time because I didn't want to appear that Cherry was irresponsible at service of alcohol.
She was wearing like stockings and she was probably lightly dressed. I would say that she looked like she was in her lingerie with rip stockings. She crawled up a CDC lane on her hands and knees to the top of the lame way. Again, it's like that's seen from the ring. To get this terrifying it is to get into her current leaf. And then her first post in the morning was thank you Cherry Bar Melbourne for the greatest hangover
of my life, you know. And then she posted these pictures which I copied and posted and people said inappropriate those pictures sort of from underneath of her dancing up on the she posted them. I just buffer these are her words, not mine. So basically, Gaga is one of the greatest, most rock and roll definitive checkmate James Young and Cherry Bar came back all by herself and left
that footprint, so God bless her. She's one of the most rock and roll people you will ever deal with or have the pleasure of bumping into or seeing perform on the face of planet.
Has she toured Australia since then.
I'm not sure that she has. I'm actually keen to take it to the next step, which will be I've got one Cherry Bar denim jacket with the kind of the biky cherry bar thing stitched into it left and I want to present it present it to her. I really just complete the circle. I'm relieved to be a small dinner day followed.
Of course, I'm relieved to hear that that is the next step, because given her previous appearance at Cherryber, I thought the next sep would be that she dies there. She's escorted out in a body bag. It's time for you to ask me anything, James.
Oh, okay, all right, there, I was thinking. Given that Cherry Bar is probably probably known to be honest as a pickup venue, people go there, you know, they go to it to meet people, hopefully, and many people. Dave Hughes found his wife at Cherry Bar. Many people have found their wife at Cherry Bar. Well. Many people have been married at Cherry Bar. They've asked me to perform
celebrant duties because they'd like to complete the circle. Many people actually, I think, conceived in the Cherry handicap talis as well. But my question to you is this, I'm worried. I'm interested in the future of late night bars in terms of how people meet one another, how people find romance. As we've moved towards an age of tinder, and you
tell me harmony, whatever the others are called. Do you think you in your grinder in your experience, in your experience, did you think you found more satisfying relationships the old way of fumbling around at the after work parties or going to bars, or the new technology way. And do you think one or the other is going to become stronger? Moving forward from tooth twenty four.
You and I have known each other a very long time, and I think that that question is for someone not me.
Is that right?
I am the least romantic person that you would ever hope to meet. I don't even think I believe in love. Yes you do, I don't think I do. Come on, no, I'm currently you can't.
Sing love songs like you sing love songs without feeling them.
I think you can. And I have never been good at meeting people or understanding if anyone is into me. I haven't really felt that into too many people. Maybe I'm asexual. I don't know, but I get joy and connection, and you know what I imagine love must feel like, because I do love music and love songs. I love that, but those feel come from other places for me, Like I've just learned how to make Italian crostily right, and it was like a full body high when I pulled
it out of the deep fryer. Or sometimes when I'm walking, I get.
That, Okay, let's yes, amazing. Where do you find love? Where do you find I absolutely love cooking and I have to barbecue and it's azzy bloke thing to say. I absolutely love it.
That to me is pure happiness. I just haven't Obviously, I don't dabble in the technology romance things. I would have no interest in that. If I'm going to be on my phone picking things, I like to be on Amazon or Bunnings or Kmart. I like to pick glasswere I just swipe left on food storage containers. That's my idea of heaven.
I see, because I think that's probably the heart of my question is in musical terms, we talk about a digital and I love the analog recordings of the seventies. When I listen, when I listen to the Steve Miller band, I think music has never been recorded better than this. There's a warmth, there's a spaciousness.
And do you know what I can hear in my head that do do Doo and it goes yeah, it's amazing.
It's just incredible.
And so.
I'm trying to remember Steve jo. But the my point there is so I'm thinking old school analog is better than the new school digital. And then so's my question is I feel that that in terms of finding love, But let's talk about it in terms of cooking practices. Same thing is are the old ways better than the new ways? Do you know? Are you cooking with the new thermo blasting because I reckon fire or think we're going back to fire? I think we're going back to
primitive and vinyl? Yes, well, yeah, y, it's interesting.
I think. Do you know Gary Jeannetti, I know the name. So he's a very grumpy American and he was the first person I ever heard say that the olden days were shit and childhood in the eighties was rubbish and nobody had anything to do and now is much better. And I agree with him. I tell my kids all the time, I'm like, you understand that Christmas holidays meant never ending backgammon and dancing to Whitney Houston's album in the living room. That was it. None of this. I'm
going to pop down and see a movie. I'm going to you know, I've got my own travel, I can go anywhere. I can pay for anything. There was none of that. It was terrible, But I do believe that cooking was better in the old days. I can't work out a thermomix. I can't do it. And because I'm such a dag my pastimes are all very daggy. I like to read books, yes, I mean, who knew.
I studied law, but I also have a Bachelor of Arts with honors in English. And I'm a little bit disappointed in myself because at the age of twenty one, I was the best read human being on earth. Old English, Middle English, Renaissance literature, literature, a Romantic in Victorian literature. I'd read Milton Shakespeare, not Milton the Monster, like that show as well, Paradise last year, Samuel College, and just loved pulp fiction, so of Raymond Chandler and Dasher Hammett
and just books. And now I'm embarrassed. I moveing from books to magazines and now it's things on your phone, and now to.
Feel shamed about that, that's great, that's it's moving with the times. Yeah, and it's still information. You're still collecting thoughts.
And distributing you We had something to talk.
About nextund what's in the bum bag? Right?
What's in the bum bag?
Open up the bum bag? James Young and talk about what's inside.
It opened that up the right way? Oh? Can we please? Who is the king?
Who is it?
The King? Elvis Aaron Presley? I love him? Actually? Why well? I love it Elvis Presley for a number of reasons. Firstly because he represents one of the four architects of rock and rolls Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and
the Killer Jerry Lee Lewis, who created this. I personally, I feel so lucky that in the whatever it is sixty thousand odd years that human beings have been on earth, that I'm alive during the fifty year period, that rock and roll is alive, because it's the most important thing in my whole life, and I love it more than
anything else. And this man, and also just for the record, the greatest looking human being who has ever walked the planet, male female, question and the greatest head of hair, the voice, and the generosity. Why is it the Delvis Presley when he came into money, would go to Cadillac Display a dealership, and anyone who's daydreaming about owning a Cadillac, he would buy them all Cadillacs. So all the six families just looking at these cars. Everyone gets one. How comes since
then in the mid fifties, no one's done that. Anyone else could do it. They never have because I don't have his heart, his care for people of the same ilk.
There's a resurgence of interest in Elvis. There was the Baz Luhrman film, and then there's the new Priscilla sort of prospective coming out. But yes, yes, do you feel like everyone's getting on the bandwagon of your sweet boyfriend.
I'm very happy for people to discover Elvis. And I think the reason why Elvis will always endure is because even though the Colonel was a manipulative manager and to make money, he put him in those twenty one Hollywood films. I believe like no other artist in the world has got twenty one movies, and every single Saturday afternoon, somewhere on some couch somewhere in the world in Germany, there's
a thirteen year old girl falling in love with Elvis. Yeah, and those films, which may not be Francis Ford Coppler masterpieces, I believe they're pop art. They're like Andy Warhol, Liechtenstein, the Colors, the Movement, their birthday put on clam bake. I can't take my eyes off it going Look what she's wearing. Look at that top? Oh my god, where is that shirt? Who took that? Where is Elvis's shirt?
Look at Ann Margaret's amazing pointy busies. Look at them, look at the fever love titties.
And go to the bar. You know those bars? Why don't we recreate those amazing outdoor.
Bars, oh the ticky bar, wherever they go?
And the performance from Elvis Addie Carmes is like, forget about it, forget about it.
I'm going to let you go. But if you had to choose one and only one favorite Elva song, what is it?
I know it's hard. I probably would go with the anthemic American trilogy. I do, I do do like glory?
Hell oh yes, it looks like he's just about to die. Yes, God doesn't he feel it? Oh my god, he feels it almost as much as you are. My favorite is Suspicious Mind.
Well, that is a fantastic choice and absolutely fantastic, fantastic, unusual double ending at the at the end of that song. But and who you probably know who was the English band who covered covered it?
Funny Uncannnibal? Yes, yes, well, the lead singer rolland Gift.
Yes, rolland Gift. They had a couple of songs, didn't they But they did well. Anyway, you've done well. I love Elvis. Elvis has done well. And you know, visiting Graceland was one of the greatest thrills of my life. I remember by staying at the Wilson World Hotel, which is directly opposite Grace Slam, and I couldn't sleep at night. I was so nervous about about meteorite hitting Earth. Between when I went to sleep and when I was on the eight am tour and I went across and I
touched the wall. There was a security guy. They caught the wall of LaVey you write things on it.
I bought this from Graceland. I made it. I made the pilgrimage myself on my own and I wept the whole way there, and I wept the whole way through the house.
And got the two aeroplanes, the Lisa Marie. The aeroplane is there and you walk up and you see things. This is the thing. We're lucky that we're Australian, Chrissy, because I'm not a member of the Elvis Presley fan Club. Because the people who love Elvis that much, they're a bit too mono focus. They're actually odd. We have the beauty of distance where we can enjoy the kitschness. We can laugh at both Elvis and his fans and still
love absolutely everything. When you're on the Lisa Marie and you see a giant, king sized bed with a with a green with green blankets, later a joint gold seatbelt across the middle of.
It, he knew how to live. He knew how to live.
I want a gold seatbelt on my king sized bed.
As do you, James, and you certainly know how to live. You have embraced every second of it.
Has been wonderful talking to you, wonderful thing. You look fantastic, and this show is going to be wonderful. When to get on some decent guests exchange