Earlier in the week I had a chat with the legend that is The Delltones in Ian ‘Peewee’ Wilson, about the group’s upcoming tour of Tasmania. I ask him what moniker he prefers to be addressed by and he tells me ‘Ians the name, Pee Wees the game’.
In fact Pee Wee and the Delltones has been the game for Ian for around five decades. Ian is the only original member still with the band and taking into account the bands longevity he tells me about the younger members of the band, the drummer and guitarist who have been with the band only 30 years! And the newest member a, youngster who has only been with the band for 15 years!
Due to this longevity the band has spanned generations and it always gives Ian a kick to perform and to see sometimes 4 generations from the one family in the audience. Ian explains that even though youngsters have their modern favourites which he does not dismiss, they also have a love for The Delltones music which has been ingrained in them by their parents and their parent’s parents before them.
No more so than in Tassie, especially in the smaller areas of Burnie and Devonport. It’s one of the pleasure of visiting Tassie to visit Burnie and Devonport says Ian, and heart-warming to see that intergenerational fan base. Ian is also impressed by the excellent venues in Hobart and Launceston and believes it’s important for an Australian band like The Delltones to tour the country bi-annually. With friends in the state, a visit also means catching up with them for lunch.
I ask Ian if there had been any other career choices for him and did he inherit that magnificent bass voice. Ian says he has his dad to thank for his wonderful voice. Ian’s dad was an entertainer, although not on the professional circuit. It was his dad that introduced Ian to classical music and his favourite singer the bass voice of Paul Robeson. Ian’s aunt and uncle were also musical as was his mum who played piano at family musical gatherings.
Ian believes he is in a ‘doo wop time warp’ of music between those magical years of 56 and 64, before The Beatles would change the world of music forever.
It might have been the case that Ian’s voice was suited to opera but he considered that too high brow. I wonder if musical theatre, with its more light hearted approach, would have been a possibility, and lighter, although not a stone lighter, which is what happened when in an early 60s pantomime. Ian played “Mother Goose and the other Delltones the Three Stooges”. Sweltering under a heavy dress Ian ended up being a stone lighter after that production and doesn’t believe he was that apt at playing the grand dame that is Mother Goose!
Ian has however tried his hand at acting, appearing on 80s television series ‘A Country Practices’ and playing Einstein’s dad in the move ‘Young Einstein’. He says he has enjoyed his acting experiences but the world of film and television doesn’t beat the adrenaline rush of live performance. Ian is grateful for the world of performing arts, a passion that has served him well.
Ian believes music is ‘for the heart and feet’ and that time spent at a Delltones concert can take people away for a while from the problems of their everyday life and infuse some sanity into the sometimes craziness of life.
Another treat for Delltones fans to look forward too is that Ian is working on his memoirs which are expected to be published in March.
Ian and The Delltones will be performing Wednesday 13 Burnie Arts Theatre, Thursday 14 Devonport Entertainment Centre, Friday 15 February 2013 at Launceston Country Club Show Room and Saturday 16 February 2013 at Wrest Point Entertainment Centre.
Paula Xiberras
