Colin Hay is a neat freak. The revelation was revealed when the man perhaps best know as the front man of the 1980s band “Men at Work” was cruising around Beverly Hills earlier this week talking a bit about his jam-packed schedule.
“I’m just trying to find as much time as I can to be in the studio. It?s lots of fun; the studio is great,” said Hay who famously sang of the “Vegemite sandwich.” “I actually just spent a whole day tidying it up, making it pretty. I got rid of paper and crap. I just don?t like clutter.”
That is arguably true both literally and metaphorically. Hay isn?t timid about talking about Men at Work as something of a messy time in his life although he and his band mates went on to major stardom. One reason, of course, was the band came out just after the Aug. 1, 1981, launch of “MTV.” Men at Work?s pop songs (one of which sent many Americans searching for Vegemite sandwiches) and quirky personas were ideal for music videos. The group was soon playing before audiences of 150,000 throughout the world.
The loyal legion of fans who pack clubs across the U.S. to see Hay can tell you that the music he wrote is quite different than the pop-on-steroids versions that the music companies created. While the pop versions sold millions, they truly sound like relics from that time period. Hay?s music, played as he wrote it, seems timeless and haunting.
Perhaps that why many consider Men at Work a fond memory yet Hay ? who released the critically acclaimed “Are You Looking At Me?” CD last year ? is still a vital artist who is courted by such luminaries as Ringo Starr.
“I’m going on tour with Ringo again this summer,” said Hay, of the tour which will include Edgar Winter, Amy Stuart and others. “What could be better than being on stage every night, turning around, and seeing Ringo? If Ringo calls, you?re going to do it.”
IF YOU GO
Performer: Colin Hay
Where: Rams Head on Stage, 33 West St., Annapolis
When: 6:30 and 9:30 tonight
Tickets: $27.50
Info.: 410-547-SEAT
