"Hey Mook" are a three year old Hobart band, playing sporadically in the pubs. Sometimes they can be brilliant, sometimes not. But they always play with passion. They play for themselves, and if the audience wants to join in , they are welcomed. If they don't want to the band will play regardless. But always trying to get their feelings across.

Doing a band interview is hard. It's hard to get down on paper what the band means, and you either sound as if you worship them or hate them. Nevertheless after talking with the Mooks (pronounced to rhyme with flutes), the following resulted.

What do you think of the Hobart Music Scene ?

As has been said a million times before, it's dominated by cover bands. Also it's dominated by the same set of musicians forming and reforming different bands, but ending up with virtually the same line up, and playing the same music as they did before. Throw in all the pretentious attitudes around and it makes for a very boring scene.

And Hobart Audiences ?

I think the live scene is on the way out. Audiences are getting smaller as as tastes become more conservative, and people turn away from live music. There is a total lack of live original music as young people, just beginning to go out, want to here danceable music with a constant beat. Only bands who play at the Mayfair and the casino etc. can pull the big audiences. So if you are in it for the music you have to put up with small audiences. The other thing is that most people who go out don't want to listen to music. They just want to get pissed and pick someone up.

What about alternative music audiences ?

There's always only been a small alternative audience here. Which results in few bands, which means continued small audiences. It goes round and round like that.

How do Hey Mook fit in with all this ?

Our eye is on the Music, not the money. Also we don't sound like a record player. We are a self centered band in that our attitude to the music is uncompromising - we play for ourselves. It sounds wanky but it's true. We could play the standard covers all night but we can't!

What's the future for the band ?

We play over a dozen originals, and would like someday to make a record. Just like every other band - and anyone who says they don't is lying.

What about the Mainland ?

The prevailing attitude is that you have to go to the mainland to "make it". But we believe we can continue to enjoy it in Hobart. We love Hobart - why would we want to leave ? We are also conscious of overexposure, which has been the death of may Hobart bands. Becoming the "top band" in Hobart is a joke.

What about Hey Mook's audience ?

After three years, we've probably got the smallest following possible! But the people who do turn up regularly are there because of a genuine interest in the music. Thanks, by the way, to the ten people who turned up to our last show !