Steve Kilbey never bypasses Goulburn on a road trip between Canberra and Sydney.
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The Australian rock icon said he loved the "gothic sensibilities" of the town and found Goulburn to be "melancholy" but "inspiring".
"I do like Goulburn, it's an interesting place," Kilbey said.
Normally you'd expect to find Kilbey playing bass guitar with The Church, but for a series of solo performances, he's swapped the usual electric hum for a softer groove in the shape of a 12-string acoustic guitar.
Kilbey said he had never played much acoustic guitar but had pulled it out to amuse himself during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
"I got more proficient than I had ever been before so hopefully Goulburn will benefit from that newfound proficiency," he said.
Kilbey will perform The Church singles from 1980 to 1992 in an intimate show at the Hume Conservatorium on Saturday, September 24.
Audiences can expect what Kilbey described as a "total show" as he shares anecdotes to set the scene of what it was like when each single came out.
His stories will cover the people who were around, describe the way the world was and how the music industry has changed.
"I'll share how I went from a starry-eyed young man to whatever the hell I am now," Kilbey said.
"I'm not going to be dazzling you with my guitar pyrotechnics or my incredible singing, it's sort of the life and times of Steve Kilbey from those years."
Having travelled around the world, Kilbey said his "thin skin" had helped him to "soak up" stories.
"The voices of people who've lived there, they're all tantalizingly close to me," he said.
"My way of enjoying somewhere is to walk along in the places nobody else is interested in, and I might see a piece of broken glass and a weed and I'll stand there and think about it for five minutes, and it's all sort of saying something to me."
For those who grew up listening to 'The Unguarded Moment' or 'Under the Milky Way', Kilbey said he hoped to share a bit about what was happening behind the scenes when the classics were written.
After more than 50 years working in show biz, Kilbey has led an interesting life, nothing short of what you'd expect from a rock icon with violent encounters and all.
Kilbey said one of those violent nights was in fact at the old Goulburn Teacher's College back in 1991.
"The punters were beating up our roadies as they were staggering out carrying all the heavy gear," he said.
"I'm sure they wanted to really attack us but we jumped in the car and drove away.
"That would never happen these days but 41 years ago... you could run the gauntlet knowing that the displaced youth of that town could be angry that you thought you were some highfalutin guy from the city and there was a certain animosity that you had to assuage and overcome."
With a seemingly endless stream of creativity, Kilbey said he'd keep playing until the day he "dropped off the perch", fuelled with a new sense of appreciation after the COVID-19 lockdowns.
"[Musicians] were really missing playing to an audience and I think I will never take that for granted again," he said.
"The fact that there are people who have bought the tickets and had to park their car and had to find a babysitter to go out or whatever the hell it is, all the trouble that it takes to attend a gig, I don't think I'll ever take that for granted again."
Tickets can be purchased through Moshtix.
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