In paying homage to the legends of country music – Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings – the Highwaymen Live show will make you believe you are watching the original superstars
Band leader Dail Platz grew up in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in a home filled with live music and radio.
“I came from a musical family where my parents played in bands going back to the depression,” he said.
“Growing up I had access to instruments and people who would show me a little bit of this and little bit of that.
“We’d go to country halls as kids and end up sleeping at the back of the stage listening to music.
“We did have radio in cars and houses but we had that exposure to live music with people playing.
“To this day I don’t listen to a lot of music, I like to see it live.”
It was through marriage that Dail Platz now calls Australia home.
“My first wife was from Australia and I came over here just for a visit and I loved the country.
“I found it was so similar to Canada. I think they are the two most similar countries in the world.
“I always say the smart people when they ran away from England they came to Australia because it was warmer.”
It wasn’t always about country music for Dail Platz. In his younger days rock bands, playing at home and a high school band were the priorities.
“In those days it was about Elvis, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
“We had a band and played all that kind of stuff but my roots were always country.
“My dad was a great fiddle and accordion player while my mum played the stand-up slap bass and all my uncles played mandolins and banjos.
“I’ve always loved traditional instruments and I play a bunch of them. In the show I play banjo, fiddle, acoustic and electric guitar.
“It’s my love of all the acoustic instruments that leads me back to country.
“But I played rock up until the point where they started wearing chains and leotards.
“Nowadays I love country music because of the people.”
Dail Pkatz said he had a number of tribute bands over the years and even escorted country music fans on tours to the USA.
“I started with a tribute band called the Grand Ole Opry and I used to take tour groups from Australia over to America.
“The tours would go to Vegas, Texas and Nashville to the Grand Ole Opry.
“People loved it. For a long time here we found agents and club managers didn’t want to hire a country act but if you put a country show on the people come and they love it.”
Highwaymen Live evolved out of a previous Johnny Cash tribute band led by Dail Platz. He said when I Walk the Line came along he decided to start a Johnny Cash Show because in the Grand Ole Opry people loved the Johnny Cash segment.
“I’m a huge fan. As a matter of fact my next show is going to be the gospel music of Johnny Cash.
“From the Cash show came requests from the audience for Highwaymen and Willie Nelson songs.
“I do two parts in the current show – Willie and Johnny.
“It was a matter of finding someone to do Kris and Waylon. Then we had a show.
“I’ve got some great people and I’m very proud of the band.
“I feel that when we step on stage even if they hate the songs we’ve got such great musicianship in the band somebody might like something.
“Dallas Southam has been around Brisbane for years. He is one of the top pedal steel and guitar players.
“Laurie Keating is the drummer and is one of the top half dozen drummers in Australia.
“One of the new guys in the band is Scott Astill from Gympie and plays the part of Kris Kristofferson.
“Gary Tynan is a fabulous musician and vocalist. He does Waylon Jennings with his big powerful voice.”
Dail Platz said in the original Highwaymen the harmonica and pedal steel really set them apart.
“That combination you don’t find in too many other bands so from a musician’s perspective I feel it is this combination that really gives the Highwaymen their sound.”
The current tribute show was based on the Highwaymen Live at Nassau Coliseum show recorded in 1990.
“Almost every song in our show is taken from that live show which I think was when they were at the pinnacle of their career.
“I’ve only thrown in a couple of my favourites that weren’t done on the night.”
Dail Platz said the current crop of country music stars were fabulous.
“There’s so much great talent out there,” he said.
“The music industry has changed so much nowadays because it’s all online, it’s all YouTube or Spotify.
“I do think it’s hard (to get a break) because there’s not a lot of live music.
“When I was living in Canada I was playing six nights a week.
“You get good musicians when you do a lot of playing. If you don’t have the jobs it’s hard to get good musicians.
“You have to pay your dues and go out there six nights a week and play.
“I don’t have a clue how young people make it these days,” Dail Platz said.
Highwaymen Live is coming to the Ipswich Civic Centre for one show only Saturday 23 February 2019.
