Jet headlines all-star Aussie rock line-up

AUSTRALIAN rock legends Jet will return to Torquay later this month for the second annual Lookout Festival, promising audiences a “high octane” set filled with the hits that have made the four-piece band a household name.

It follows an extended national tour last year centred around the 20th anniversary of the group’s seminal debut album Get Born, released in 2003, which saw Jet drop by the Torquay Hotel for two shows, both of which sold out in minutes.

Lead guitarist Cameron Muncey said the band was looking forward to returning and soaking up the “chill vibe” of the region, which holds special memories for Geelong-born bassist Mark Wilson, who spent his weekends as a child at the beach with his father.

“We can’t wait,” Muncey said.

“We know it’s going to be a great rock crowd and I think that Aussie rock crowds, coming for a festival like that, they’re just the best crowds in the world.

“I get a huge buzz seeing my fellow Aussies out there, enjoying this music.

“This music is very close to my heart – it’s the music I came up listening to – and all the other bands on the ticket are iconic Aussie rock groups. I can’t wait to see them, hang with them and just feel the good vibes.

“It’s going to be a hell of a day.”

The band has also begun creating new music together for the first time since 2009, dropping new single Hurry Hurry in May last year as the group works towards the release of its fourth studio album.

Although a far cry from the early days when the group used to play music together at an industrial site owned by the uncle of Jet vocalist Nic Cester and his brother Chris, Muncey said it was exciting to be creating music in a band-setting again.

“With rock music, the real challenge these days is to just have something that feels authentic.

“You can go really retro and really bare bones – like Jack White’s most recent album is just very much guitar and drums – or you can try and make something that has flavours of other things in it.

“So much music has been written in the rock genre… it’s a challenge to make it feel exciting and bring something new to it.”

But, he said, inspiration could be drawn from anywhere, and much like a “sense of smell”, you know a good thing “when you hear it”.

“It’s good to keep your eyes open, your mind working and try to be open,” Muncey said, promising the band would release more new music as soon as it was ready.

Lookout Festival will hit the Torquay Common on March 22, with Grinspoon, The Veronicas, Spiderbait, Jebediah and Magic Dirt joining Jet on the bill.

For tickets, head to lookouttour.com.au