Rockstar Holidays: where Aussie musicians really go

The life of a musician is an itinerant one at best – travelling up and down the country, performing at a different town every night and seeing more of Australia (and the world) than most of us would in a lifetime. So what do musicians when they’re on holidays? Where do they go to get away from it all? I thought I’d ask the hard questions to some of my favourite up-and-coming musicians…

Rosie Catalano

When you’re not touring, where do you travel for a holiday?
I like local getaways to relax (Pearl Beach, Jervis Bay, Northern QLD) or for a less relaxing but more cultured holiday, I head to Europe – this July I’m going to Greece, Sweden, Italy, France, etc

How do you find live music when you’re away from home?
Usually there’s a friend or a friend of a friend I can ask. Otherwise I just hit up the Internet and blogs.

What’s your favourite hotel to stay at?
The Liberty Hotel in Catania, Italy is a bit of a stand out – we liked it so much we didn’t want to leave. They do some pretty amazing (and cheap!) room service pizza.

Darren Cross (Gerling, Jep & Dep)

When you’re not touring, where do you travel for a holiday?
Berlin. It’s cheap and awesome, although the amount of Australians in Berlin these days is a bit shocking. It has a great music underground scene. Beer is cheaper than water – fact! Such an inspiring place.

Where’s your favourite place to tour to and why?
I toured America a few years back with my old band Gerling. We did the whole country in a minivan. It’s cheap and easy to get around and the geography is utterly amazing as well. So many characters ready to chat about their lives. Beautiful place, cool weird bars and awesome DIY venues.

Fanny Lumsden

When you’re not touring, where do you travel for a holiday?
Within Australia I really love driving until you see a great spot, pulling over and setting up camp – it’s just the best. Australia is a pretty amazing country and travelling by road is the best way to experience it. I also actually love touring to Adelaide. Controversial perhaps, but I just really like the feeling it has.

Where’s your favourite place to tour to and why?
I love doing our regional and country hall tours, just because you get to see so much of the countryside, meet really wonderful people and benefit from the good ole country hospitality.

How do you find live music when you’re away from home?
I find it by meandering around and popping into places just to see what I can find. It’s like pot luck for live music. You often find the kind of music you wouldn’t seek out at home.

What’s your favourite hotel to stay at?
Seeking out the tackiest motel possible. If it has a flamingo on the neon sign, it’s an extra 20 points.