1927’s Erik Weideman

A nyone looking forward to a hit of nostalgia when 1927 and Pseudo Echo tour Tasmania this month can rest assured the audience will not be the only ones reminiscing. Erik Weideman, the frontman of 1927, will be right there with you.

“I don’t know if Pseudo Echo were fans of us, but I was a huge fan of them,” he says of the 1980s synth-pop group.

“They were the first band I ever saw live when I was old enough to go see a live concert, so it’s a real buzz for me to be on tour with them.”

Weideman’s 1927 is headlining the concerts in Hobart and Launceston and while the iconic Australian rock band has a lot of new members, Weideman is still in place as the original vocalist and guitarist, his smooth and dynamic voice instantly familiar to anyone who listened to a radio in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The band formed in 1987 and gave us such hits as That’s When I Think of You, If I Could and Compulsory Hero. The band re-formed with a new line-up in 2009 and a new studio album, Generation-i, was released in 2013.

Weideman, 53, who lives in Western Australia, says the band does about 50 gigs a year and the crowds are as enthusiastic as ever.

“Considering it’s been about 30 years since we first formed, the fact people are still coming to see the shows is a buzz in itself,” he says. “You can’t get better than that.

“Three decades later, people still appreciate the music – and we even have young people discovering us for the first time. They come along because their parents have told them about us and they end up loving it. It’s amazing, very cool.”

Since re-forming, 1927 has toured with other icons of its era such as Roxette, Rose Tattoo, The Church and Eurogliders. Weideman says he still goes to concerts to see his favourite bands from decades ago, too.

“I did go to see The Police a few years back for their big hurrah – it was incredible,” he says.

The band is currently recording a new studio album, which they hope to finish before the end of the year.

“Touring makes it hard to get back into the studio, but we’re getting there,” Weideman says. “But I’m still really enjoying performing live – and as long as my voice and bones hold out, I’ll keep doing it.”