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The Datsuns have landed

Sep 6, 2004 6:55 AM

They are classic 1970s rock n roll played at 21st century volume and John Paul Jones, bass player from Led Zeppelin, has produced their latest album.

The Datsuns are a great New Zealand success story and they've done it all themselves.

They used to be called Trinket and it cost $2 to see them in Hamilton, but then they changed their name to a New Zealand legend and the rest, they say, is history.

"It sums up a New Zealand experience for a lot of people as well because a lot of people's parents drove a Datsun. It was kind of an affordable car. It was the first Japanese import apparently," says Dolf knowledgeably.

"I think it sums us up in a lot of ways because everyone's like why did you .. why didn't you say like ferrari  or .. y'know like choose an actually cool car? But its just so like us to choose some piece of junk..." says Christian.

Dolf and Christian Datsun are unrelated. Datsun just runs in the family as luck, or good publicity, would have it.

There is lead singer Dolf Datsun, guitarist & vocalist Christian Datsun, vocalist and guitarist Phil Datsun and Matt Datsun on the drums.

Since catapulting onto the world stage two years ago, they have carefully managed a remarkable rise to fame. They market, publicise, record, schedule and manage themselves, but they left producing their latest album up to Mr John Paul Jones.

"Our network is really really small and really really tight, our crew is pretty much a skeleton crew, we don't have a big crew of people and we have just one manager, we don't have like a huge company managing us," says Dolf. 

It may only be rock n roll but surely the financial gains are looking pretty good.

"That's the one question I get asked the most from New Zealand press was how much money we make which I found strange and annoying because I don't walk up to somebody else and say: How much money do you make at your job?  Nobody walks around and does that but for some reason only people in New Zealand want to know how much money we make and that's not something I want to divulge," says Christian adamantly. Fair enough.

But there is more than good music to their name. In 2003 Dolf was reported to be the third sexiest man in rock.

"Oh that's hilarious," chimes in Christian. "And best dressed man," he sniggers.

"I find it embarrassing. I think umm a lot of... I think that there is umm almost like a cultural shyness and humbleness if you're talking about the New Zealand thing again. I think it's quite hard for people to say I'm this or I'm great or I'm good at this or blah blah blah and I think you do see a lot of that," says Dolf awkwardly.

As for the road ahead, with the Led Zeppelin bassist producing their albums the future is looking bright.

"It's quite a clear vision and they're really prepared to put the hours in, which you really need to do. I mean anybody who thinks you can just waltz around, fiddle around a bit and someone will discover you and make you huge stars you know...it doesn't happen that way, you really have to work hard," says Jones.

And they do work long hours, touring relentlessly.
 
"America, Canada, England, France, Italy, Sweden, Scotland, Wales and Denmark umm..." The list goes on.

"We don't think of ourselves as popstars or rock stars or any of those things cos we're not and we don't really want to sort of hold ourselves up as being too precious or anything either. We just play rock music in a very basic kind of a way," says Dolf.