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Interviews

Before they return to Sydney this weekend, we chat to Unlocking The Doors

If you’ve never seen Wollongong-based Doors tribute band Unlocking The Doors live, you’ve been missing out. The band capture the raw electricity of the original Doors, leaving behind all the tired clichés.

This weekend, Unlocking The Doors are set to return to Sydney for two shows at Django @ Camelot in Marrickville. But before then, we caught up with the band to chat all about their mesmerising live show.

Before they return to Sydney this weekend, we caught up with Wollongong-based Doors tribute act Unlocking The Doors for a chat.

HAPPY: Hey, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?

UTD: Things are going great thanks Bill! Coming to the end of our most recent tour which took us to Canberra, Gold Coast, Noosa, and more.

HAPPY: You recently toured around a Soft Parade live show. How’d the tour go?

UTD: The Soft Parade Tour was in July to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the album’s release. It was a lot of fun touring with an 11 piece band and recreating the album in its entirety. It was really such a unique show and very well received, by hardcore Doors fans and new fans alike.

HAPPY: The Soft Parade is a pretty controversial album. What’s your opinion on it? Do you think it stands up with the rest of the band’s catalogue?

UTD: The Soft Parade is such a departure from the first 3 albums released by The Doors. I think it is the most interesting and eclectic of their albums, drawing on a wide range of influences and utilising horns and strings in many of the tracks.

HAPPY: Do you have a favourite album to perform material off?

UTD: No, not really, we draw from the entire Doors catalogue in our ever-changing setlist, often even including sequences from An American Prayer, which posthumously features some of Jim’s poetry and spoken word, overlying a collage of Doors tracks and snippets

HAPPY: Do you try to cover areas of the band’s entire career through your set?

UTD: Yes, we generally perform tracks from all the albums within a typical show

HAPPY: I, like most people my age, never got to see The Doors or Jim Morrison live. What particular elements of their performance are you looking to create?

UTD: Our frontman Rich is a long-time devotee of the Doors and likes to show how intoxicating, and sometimes unpredictable, Jim could be on stage so you never know what could happen! We perform the Doors music as a 4-piece band (without a bass player) just as the Doors did when they played live.

HAPPY: What can people expect coming to one of your upcoming shows?

UTD: Our live shows always aim to engage and entertain (without the usual clichés) and try to keep the amazing music of The Doors alive for another 50 years.

HAPPY: What’s next for Unlocking The Doors beyond these shows? Any other exciting plans in the works?

UTD: After the two shows at Django @ Camelot in Marrickville on 13th/14th Dec, the band plans to take a well-earned break for several months. There are plenty of shows already locked in for next year and we will be taking the band further afield, stay tuned!

HAPPY: Cheers for the chat!

Unlocking The Doors will be performing at Django Bar/Camelot Lounge in Marrickville on December 13th and 14th. Tickets are available for $28 through StickyTickets. Grab them here.