I felt comfortable, a home away from home. I had my little corner. People would come in with their problems and talk with me. I had things to offer; a bit of experience is good, some advice, other times I was just a good listener. I’d talk with them about a problem, then they’d realise it wasn’t such a big problem after all.
I felt comfortable; I didn’t have to tell anyone who I am or what I do. People like going around with titles, I’m not that type of person. If things have to be done, you do them.
I’ve been doing sound and lights for nearly 25 years and I’ve collected a lot of things over that time. I’ve got a warehouse full of stuff. Whatever Jerome wants, I’ve got.
He gives me free coffee if he’s around. If he’s not I don’t mind paying for it.
I like to see things done. If I can do it, why not? It’s always fifty bucks. Though if I say 150, they don’t call me.
It’s funny, a lot of people thought we were owners but we’re just friends. I have had cafés and bars before so I knew what he was going through and I helped him. No one helped me when my place was going belly up, they just shoved more wood on the fire.
Jerome’s full of ideas, some work, some don’t. If you don’t try you’ll never know. We don’t look to make millions… we know there’s a point. People after a million dollars that don’t make it, they’re always disappointed. Just do it because you like doing it.
You know how he got the name? His name doesn’t sound so good, and he barracks for the Saints… St. Jerome’s.
We drink a lot... I drink some but not as much. Because with my business I hire equipment to venues and if it stalls I have to go fix it. If I’m drunk I can’t fix it. That’s why I don’t get pissed like everyone else. I just hold the drink till it’s warm.
People knew about St. Jerome’s, but when the festival came along, that turned it into half a million people. A friend of mine wrote a book once about escaping from prison in Australia. He went to New Zealand, lived in India for ten years, but got caught in Germany. Anyway, he came back to Australia and did a few years and wrote a book. He rang me and said, ‘half a million people know your name.’ I said, ‘what? No, maybe a couple of hundred.’ ‘Not any more,’ he said. ‘I wrote a book and acknowledged you.’ It’s one of those things. You think you know things and then all of a sudden you realise it’s a big worldwide phenomenon. St. Jerome’s… then the Laneway Festival.
Down the Laneway there were a lot of milk crates and St. Jerome’s was limited on seating. Everyone used to bring the milk crates to sit on and it became a thing. Then people brought along their own cushions and Jerome went, ‘hey, let’s make couches out of them.’ No one really thought of it, it was just something that came out of nothing.
I had a 12-seater minivan, a Toyota Hi-Ace that we took up to the Sydney Laneway Festival. The minivan was supposed to take Temper Trap. They were called Temper Temper then, but when everything got legit they realized someone else had the name so they changed it. The van was for them and their equipment but then more people wanted to go. ‘Got room for one more?’ and then we’re driving with an overflowing van, for 14 hours up to Sydney. I drove all the way, with Johnny, Monkey, and everyone. There wasn’t much equipment at all. They took beers instead.