For eighteen years, Mark Seymour fronted a band he formed but wasn't remotely in control of, called Hunters & Collectors. Despite minimal commercial airplay and conspicuous (and repeated) failures to 'crack it OS', Hunnas became one of the most successful live acts in Australian rock. They inspired fanatical devotion from fans and their songs became anthems for a generation.
What happens inside a band that gets that big, but never gets huge? What does eighteen years of touring with a changing cast of more than a dozen other musicians do to you? What about personal space, boredom, love? The title Thirteen Tonne Theory refers to the calculation that to reach their audiences H&C needed enough stage-gear to fill a thirteen-tonne truck, raising the question: were they driving the truck, or was the truck driving them? And from the inside, this touring machine was completely dysfunctional. H&C were more like an experimental workers' collective than a band. They shared all decisions and money equally - the sound mixer got a share of the song writing royalties. Seymour recounts the complete, exasperating and fascinating story, from life on the road and its inane promo duties, to meeting Gary Glitter in his jock strap and working as a roadie for Nick Cave; and from supporting the Angels at the speedway to the endless waiting around between their onstage adventures.
