WORDS BY
Jacqui James
SUZE DeMARCHI IS no-mistakenly one strong woman who has been rockin’ the Australian circuit for over twenty-five years! Female fans of The Baby Animals wanna be her, males wanna be with her.
Enjoying being a mother of two along with celebrating recent the release of the deluxe version of Baby Animals’ This Is Not The End (Dave spoke to Gigs ‘n Interviews in June last year about its original release) and still wowing fans with her rockin’ live performances, Suze leapt at the opportunity to be involved with the I Touch Myself
campaign.
The I Touch Myself campaign honours Chrissy Amphlett’s wish, to make I Touch Myself the anthem for Breast Cancer Awareness. It has united ten Aussie female iconic singers/songwriters including Suze, Deborah Conway, Kate Ceberano, Katie Noonan, Megan Washington, Connie Mitchell, Little Pattie (Chrissy’s cousin), Sarah Blasko, Sarah McLeod (who has had personal experience with breast cancer within her family) and the great Olivia Newton-John (who’s a “thriver” of breast cancer after twenty-two years since her battle), to produce the following moving video.
Kate Ceberano summed it up perfectly saying it was an honour for all the artists to get involved in the project as she music is often a therapy and said a good 70% of female artists in the music industry have been touched by breast cancer. I urge you to visit http://itouchmyself.org/project/ to watch each artist’s interview, but more importantly if you buy the beautiful version of I Touch Myself, the funds will go to the New South Wales Cancer Council to provide support and research.
I was absolutely stoked to get to chat to Suze, not just because she’s one awesome and strong (with a soft interior) chick with a wicked sense of humour, but I deeply admire how Suze along with these artists have honoured Chrissy’s wish.
Welcome Suze! Interviewing you feels like I’m interviewing Aussie royalty; you rock! How does it feel to be back making music and touring again?
It’s like riding a bike, I like to say. Just what we do and we love doing it…
Seeing The Baby Animals live on A Day On The Green earlier this year just blew my mind. It was like we all “got schooled” and you guys showed us how a rock group should rock! When you guys reunited last year after a 20 year hiatus, what was the chemistry like?
Dave and I have never stopped working together so that’s always been there and Mick and Dario bring an extra sense of adventure with them… I really love playing with these guys. It’s easy and fun and just what it should be…
Your fans are wild about you and The Baby Animals still. Why do you think they love you?
Because we love them….without them we are toast…
On The Baby Animals’ latest album This Is Not The End there’s one track that perfectly illustrates your well-known honest and ballsy attitude… Email! I have to ask, did some guy dare to break-up with you in an e-mail really? If so, is he still alive?
{laughs} Yes, my husband of sixteen years! He knows it was a toolish move, or at least he does now…
How did you get involved with the I Touch Myself (http://itouchmyself.org/) campaign?
Charley, Chrissie’s husband asked me initially and I jumped at the chance… Anything for her and him and the cause.
What does it mean to you to be involved in such an important project?
I was honoured to be asked and if I can help in some small way then I feel as if I am using my gifts to help others. Sometimes that is all we have to offer.
With all the amazing female artists involved with the campaign, who did you get most starstruck around?
Was it liberating to wear no makeup around each other for the spine-tingling video3?… We didn’t really do it all at the same time. Clare Bowditch was there on the day I recorded mine and she was lovely… I only ever got star struck once and that was when I met Jimmy page…
Did you have the honour to meet the great Chrissy, who come to think of it, was feisty and benevolent as you?
I toured with Chrissy for the Australian Rock Symphony Tour a few years ago…she was everything you would imagine and more…
Chrissy’s wish was obviously to have I Touch Myself as an anthem for Breast Cancer. Have you been surprised with the overwhelming response from the public?
It’s a great song and seems to fit perfectly… If it brings awareness then that is a great legacy to have left this Earth with… she done good…
Has your outlook on life changed since you’ve done the I Touch Myself campaign?
I’m always touching myself up so not in that sense, but the love and compassion from her husband and all those involved with this campaign has been very ‘touching’… You can see how much she moved people and what an impact she made.
Thankyou so very much Suze for taking the time to do this interview! I admire you and for your strength and I think it’s awesome you and the other artists got together to fulfil Chrissy’s wish.
*To find information or support concerning breast cancer, please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
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