Perkins brings Man in Black tribute to town

ROCK icon Tex Perkins will be in Ballarat next month to pay homage to the legendary Johnny Cash.

The Australian rocker is known for being the front man of bands like the Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon, Tex, Don and Charlie, and most recently Tex Perkins and The Fat Rubber Band.

But Perkins’ current show, Man in Black, is dedicated to the songs that informed his own early explorations of music and the singer said it was at the same time a tribute to, and an interpretation of, Cash’s music.

“I sing a lot of Johnny Cash songs, but we tell stories of his life as well,” Perkins said.

“He’s one of the artists that I’ve drawn a lot from throughout my entire life,” he said “I first heard him as a five-year-old, sitting at the breakfast table probably eating Weetbix.

“On the radio, this song came on, there’s a lot of details about it that interested me, like it’s a story of a guy that wants to kill his father because he gave him a girl’s name.

“I guess it was my first glimpse into a world that I had no knowledge of, a world of mud, blood and beer.”

Perkins said when he first started playing Cash’s music he leant towards doing an impression of the singers voice, but now prefers to perform the songs as himself.

“I think it’s better if I serve the songs with my voice, which isn’t a million miles away from Johnny Cash anyway,” he said.

“If I sing them as me, they sound more truthful.”

As part of the show Perkins reflects on common themes present in Cash’s music, like the push and pull between being an entertainer on the road and the responsibilities of being a family man at home.

“Without being anywhere near as messed up as Johnny, I can certainly relate to that dichotomy,” Perkins said.

Tex Perkins Man in Black will tour nationally from September and will be at Civic Hall for one night only on Saturday 7 October.

Tickets can be purchased at texperkins.com.