A CHAT WITH KEITH POTGER
Keith Potger, founding member of Australian pop-folk group The Seekers, will be performing at the Barefoot Gallery Cafe this week!
Potger was a man of many talents; he played the twelve string guitar, mandolin and banjo, he sang, wrote songs, and was also the vocal and instrumental arranger for The Seekers. In 1969, he co founded the New Seekers, a contemporary pop group with his business partner David Joseph. Potger also released music as a solo artist; Secrets of the Heart in 2004, Sunday in 2007 and Smile Now in 2010.
The Daily Mirror Life caught up with Potger who shared anecdotes of his musical journey, charities he’s involved in and what fans can expect from his performance this Friday.
1 YOU ARE A SELF TAUGHT MUSICIAN. HAS THAT EVER POSED ANY CHALLENGES IN YOUR SUCCESSFUL CAREER?
No challenges that were of any negative kind. In fact the help I received from accomplished musicians was a cornerstone of what I’ve been able to do in my time in the music industry. I’m happy to say that I’m still learning.
2 YOU ALSO PLAY MANY INSTRUMENTS. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE?
Favourite is the 12 string guitar which has become synonymous with me and my work with The Seekers.
3 YOU HAVE SPENT TIME AS PART OF A BAND - THE SEEKERS - AND YOU HAVE ALSO ENJOYED A SOLO CAREER. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU MISS ABOUT BEING PART OF A BAND?
I miss the camaraderie of having my lifetime singing buddies on stage and the fun we have had as a group but the joy I get as a solo performer is being able to be more spontaneous which is a real bonus to me. By the way we are still in touch with each other in the most wonderful way because we enjoy each other’s company.
4 AFTER THE SEEKERS DISBANDED, YOU FOCUSED ON SONGWRITING AND RECORD PRODUCTION. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT?
The main thing I did after The Seekers disbanded was to form The New Seekers in 1969. They went on to have a fantastic record selling and touring career, breaking up in 1974. My songwriting and production was running parallel to the success of that group and I enjoyed every aspect of the time I spent in those areas of the music industry in the UK, late 1960s through to the present time.
5 YOU HAVE TOURED QUITE A BIT, WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE TOUR/ FAN EXPERIENCE?
I have lots of fond memories stretching back to when I started touring with my first group in 1959 all the way to the present so it is really difficult to pinpoint one experience above another. Would need a long time to expand on this question.
6 AS MUCH AS YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN MUSIC, YOU’VE ALSO BEEN ACTIVELY SUPPORTING A NUMBER OF CHARITIES...
I started my involvement with charities while still in the UK. The Variety Club, the largest children’s charity was the first and I continued that when I returned to Australia. I am an ambassador for that charity, having been the patron of it in Western Australia for several years. The Seekers preferred charity is the Motor Neurone Disease Association and we have raised many thousands of dollars for it through our touring schedule. I am currently on the board of Support Act Limited, the hand and heart of the Australian music industry and I’ve been involved in this charity for nearly a decade raising much needed funds to help those in our music industry who have fallen on hard times. This is ongoing.
7 WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING GENRES IN MUSIC? DO YOU HAVE ONE THAT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE YOU’D LIKE TO TRY?
I am intrigued by the evolving music scene and I believe there is some amazing talent out there. The ability to produce top quality music at a fraction of the previous cost means so many artists of many differing genres are able to be seen and heard. However, that means so much more competition so it’s a case of swings and roundabouts. I don’t have a style of music that I’d like to venture into. Anything that I do tends to be stuff that feels natural to me and that’s mainly acoustic instrument oriented, so no there’s death metal nor rap on my horizon.
8 WHAT CAN YOUR SRI LANKAN FANS EXPECT THIS FRIDAY?
My concerts are about having fun and the audiences generally appreciate my collection of songs that most people know. I pay respect to The Seekers greatest hits, some country songs, some of my original material from my solo CDS (that audiences hear for the first time) as well as the stories I relate regarding my time in the music industry.
My concerts are about having fun and the audiences generally appreciate my collection of songs that most people know. I pay respect to The Seekers greatest hits, some country songs and some of my original material from my solo CDS.