Mick Turner Interview | Fancy Weapon
On effortless gelling, expression over technique and the secret to being prolific
One of the busiest guitarists right now in our landscape is Mick Turner who joins Tempo to talk about his latest project Fancy Weapon as well as delving into his vast musical background and relationship with painting. We go back to the beginning, visit turning points, inspirations, the 40-year history with Jim White, and the magic collaboration with Dirty Three.
Hi Mick, thanks for joining me at Tempo. Just when I thought you had enough on your plate with Dirty Three, Mess Esque, Bleak Squad, and your solo work, Fancy Weapon arrives out of the woodwork with some seasoned travellers like yourself to create some heavy guitar driven rock music. I caught you supporting Mogwai at the forum and you just seem so happy and comfortable with each other, all enjoying the thrill of the stage. The sound is quite different to nearly everything you are involved in at the moment, and I am wondering if it feels like a hark back to the heavier music of your earlier guitar days or something completely different?
It definitely feels like something new, although I’ve known and been a fan of Joel and Guy forever, we’ve never played in a new project together and I only met Claire when we started rehearsing, it’s a rocking band but it’s not like say Venom P Stinger at all.
The band is made up of Joel Silbersher (GOD, Hoss), Claire Birchall (Smoked Salmon, Paper Planes), Guy Maddison (Mudhoney), and yourself. I am keen to hear about how the band begun, how the songs emerged and how long this has been in the works?
Me and Joel had some demos we’d been sitting on for a while, when Guy moved to Melbourne after living in Seattle for years, I immediately asked him if he was interested in joining us and played him the demos, meanwhile Joel asked Claire who he already knew from Melbourne music scene if she would play drums.
It worked effortlessly and we all jelled from the go get. From there and we all started writing more material for the project and after a few months and a couple of gigs we booked in the recording session that became this album.
Fancy Weapon is a fascinating name, who came up with it?
We had a list of about 150 names, and it won out, it’s in a line in the song “I bring nothing”
Can we go right back to your musical beginnings as I am interested in how your relationship with the guitar begin. Did you learn from an early age and who were you listening to back then ahead of starting out with Sick Things?
I was a music fan from as long as I can remember, my siblings were all much older, teenagers in the 60’s and had great record collections that they left with me when they all left home by the end of the 60’s. Also, my brother had built me a record player/radio out of old parts when I was 9, so music was a big thing in my life.
When I was 15, I decided to learn guitar and never looked back, I had a handful of lessons at the start but mostly taught myself. Joined a cover band as a rhythm guitarist soon after while still at school, we played parties at Moorabbin Town Hall on weekends.
We played Chuck Berry, Elvis, Creedence and Beatles, Angels, personally I was into Glam Rock like T. Rex and Sweet. All this while what I was listening to was diverging from my friends and bandmates, turning points for me was hearing Neil Young soloing on Cowgirl in the Sand then when The Saints appeared on Countdown and RRR radio started playing new underground music from Europe and USA, by then it was 1977 and I was still at school and I knew then what I wanted to be playing. When I turned 18 and left my home in Black Rock, I started finding the people who were into the same things.
You and Jim White have a long history together, from Venom P Stinger days and I have always been fascinated by his drumming style and how you lock in together as players. How long did it take for you to have that strong connection and do you think his unique style allows for more freedom in your playing? I also wonder if Laughing Clowns were an influence for you and was Jeffrey Wegener’s playing style an influence for Jim do you think?
Before we were friends one of first interactions I had with Jim was, he came around to my house and asked to borrow a Laughing Clowns record. We had met when his band “People with chairs up their Noses” and Sick Things played a show together, Fungus Brains formed around this time also and we were all in the small music scene based around St. Kilda. It was a little removed from the Fitzroy little bands scene but there was some cross over.
The Moodists were part of the St. Kilda scene when I joined, and we went to the UK for a few years. After I came back and had left the Moodists Jim asked me to join Venom P Stinger and that was the first time we had ever played together, since that date -1986 we have always been in a band together. Wow that’s 40 years this year. We should have a party!
We were both big fans of the Laughing Clowns, they ruled the world over those years in our close circles, Ed Keupper remains one of my top guitar players of all time and I know Jeff Wegener was a huge influence on Jim. Our connection started with a friendship and mutual respect and playing music together connection was always just there.
Dirty Three holds a special place in the framework of underground music in Melbourne and there is something incredible about the combination of instruments that traditionally wouldn’t be acceptable in rock music. I have always felt like you are the glue that holds it together, with Jim’s loose drumming and Warren’s wild playing and stage antics. What does the band mean to you now and did you cop any flak in the early days for being different?
I’m not trying to be the glue haha. I love it because it has a lot of space for expression over technique,
I think that’s the power of Dirty Three is its emotive presence, we’re not showing you how clever we are or catchy melodies (although we do have some), when it works, we’re letting you feel what it is to be human at the core, we’re reminding you of what is inside you. Music can do that.
The band means so much to me, to all of us, it’s been a magic collaboration, it has given me a life in music I could have never imagined.
Your paintings have a dreamlike quality often relating to your music with them being album covers for Dirty Three and Mess Esque, Tren Brothers and you solo work. I am interested to hear about your relationship with painting and how you prioritise it amongst all the music that you do. Is it a way to create balance and fulfil a creative void that isn’t possible with music?
I do love painting and visual art ever since prep and finger painting. What’s not to love? I did it through my school years, but I didn’t go on to art school but always dabbled but then embraced it with a passion from around 2004 and started the learning process again with some gusto.
I think making art and music is a journey and I’m always wanting to see what’s around the corner. To be prolific you need to be able to finish things off and I totally recommend you make getting a studio space a top priority.
Fancy Weapon have an album launch coming up on Saturday July 4 at the Tote with special guests Star/Time and Chris Smith. Can you tell us about you connection with the Tote and the support acts?
Every band I have ever played in has played the Tote; it is a rite of passage! Still looks much the same and has the same awesome attitude it always did. Hard not to love. Chris, I have known and respected for a long time as a truly unique artist.
Besides Fancy Weapon, what’s next for you creatively? Any new bands, cool shows or recordings coming up?
Mess Esque currently recording a new album and playing a MONA in Hobart this week
I am in a group art show in St. Kilda at the new Brightspace gallery opening 16th July
Bleak Squad have some shows coming up in Queensland and Adelaide at the end of July, and are recording a new album
I’m guesting with Michael Beach opening for Ed Kuepper at the Enmore 27th August
I have an art exhibition opening 17th September at the Abbotsford Convent
Solo tour with David Pajo (Papa M) in Australia/New Zealand first week of October
Dirty Three and Bleak Squad shows in Europe late October/ NOV 2026
Finally, who are your favourite local Melbourne bands right now and who would you like to see interviewed for Tempo?
I saw KISSES recently at Phoenix in Sydney and they are amazing
Feel Presents
Fancy Weapon Album Launch w/ Star/Time + Chris Smith
The Tote - Band Room (Collingwood, VIC)
Saturday, 4 July 2026 8:30 pm