On stage banter is not just a link between the songs, but sometimes a way of papering over the cracks of social awkwardness, Jimi Hocking says.
“Apparently, I am your classic Gemini,” he says. “I like a chat, but I am also a bit socially uncomfortable.
“I chat quite a bit at the solo shows… it is a form of schtick that I have developed to preamble some of my songs.”
Hocking says there’s no secret to quality patter, just practice.
“It is really a method for a young muso to cover up a lot of insecurities if the truth be known,” he says.
“I really don’t have a secret, it just evolved with my performances, we all grew up around show biz types. I think that was a strong influence on me.”
Those “show biz types” are actually his folks: Dad worked in television and theatre as a musican and musical director, while his mother was a singer.
“We were exposed to a steady stream of people rehearsing, writing and performing,” he says.
“I remember Dad worked with Smacka Fitzgibbon, I used to love his lively shows, he would spin the banjo in the air. I do it with the guitar as a result of seeing that.”
Jimi Hocking plays the Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival November (8-11).
Courtesy of Bendigo Magazine
