After banging out the hits in front a crowd of more than 600 at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle on Sunday night, lead singer, guitarist, songwriter and sole founding member of Everclear Art Alexakis and his bandmates had a day of chilling, as they hung out and watched the Super Bowl in the quiet surrounds of the Wickham Park Hotel, courtesy of their tour manager Andrew Kelly (who owns the Wicko with business partner Marcus Wright).

Alexakis was cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, who won the championship game of American football.

After the match, he sat down for a casual, private one-on-one interview on the stage in the front bar.

Here is the shorter of two conversations.

What did you have for breakfast?

Today I had a breakfast wrap that was served here at this restaurant at this pub and it was delicious.

What was your first drink of the day?

Water. No, I had a decaf oatmilk latte iced.

When did you get your first tattoo?

I was 27. And you can't see it, (raises the sleeve on his right shoulder). It's covered up. I asked the guy to do it. It was the A with the number three cubed. And I was like, 'Can you make it really big?' And he goes, 'No, cause you're gonna cover it, you're gonna hate it. It's stupid, I'm not doing it'. He was right.

You've had a few since then. When did you get your last one?

It's been a while. About 14-15 years. My oldest daughter is Annabella, so it's there (on right wrist). Her middle name is Rose (points it out on his forearm). And my youngest daughter is Arizona Star (points to the inside of his elbow joint).

When you did drink alcohol, what was your drink of choice at the time?

Whatever got me wasted. I was poor. I've always had an affinity for Irish whiskey, Jameson's Irish whiskey.

What made you stop drinking? What was the final straw?

I was an emotionally abusive - not physically abusive - black-out drunk. And my bottom happened in 1989 in San Francisco when I woke up in my bed after a four-day black-out that I don't remember, and with a woman in bed, and my wife, my first wife, on the floor crying, cause she came home. And that's when I went to my first meeting. I went to seven that day. And I went to rehab the next day because I had the shakes, from the DTs, and that was it. I've been clean and sober ever since.

How long have lived in Portland?

No. I live in Pasadena, California. I lived in Portland for a little over 20 years.

So you left before Portland got really crazy?

Oh, before pot got legalised? Yeah.

What is the secret to touring well?

To me, it's having a sleeper bus, which you don't have a lot of them here, in Australia. It's not practical here.

In the states, having the bus is pretty wonderful, cause you always have your bunk. You always have your place to go. And, you know, be alone and decompress, it's pretty awesome.

You really like engaging the crowd. Is that as close as you like to get to fans, you on the stage and them in the audience?

That's a good question. It's not what I like, but after COVID, after catching COVID, and having an auto immune disease [multiple sclerosis], I don't get up as close to fans as I used to and probably never will.

Because I can't go through being in the hospital again, that was horrible. It progressed my MS. I was in the hospital for three weeks and in bed for another two months after that. And I lost about 10 per cent of my lung capacity. So, yeah.

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How do you describe your relationship with Australia?

Friends with benefits.

What are the best parts of coming down here?

There's so many. I mean this is one of the only countries in the world that actually seems to like Americans, you know. The first time I showed up down here with the band, we walked into a bar and asked for a non-alcoholic beer or something. The bartender was this attractive woman and she's like, 'Oh, sexy accent,'. I'm like 'what?' I've never heard that one before. But, you know, there are so many things I like. I love the food. I love the fact you guys are a coffee culture, unlike New Zealand which is still more Brit, more British, more tea culture, I think. I like just about everything about Australia except for Vegemite.

You said might have 10 more years of performing, is that realistic?

I'd like to. I think so. Don't bet against me when I put my mind to something, man.

Is performing energising or draining?

Both. At my age, with my disease, what I go through, it's very draining. But I need to be very present with getting rest. Like setting time aside, getting in a dark room napping a little bit. One of the strong side effects, or symptoms of MS is fatigue. And it's not just like 'I'm kind of tired,' It's not like that. I'm finding all of sudden (he falls back on his chair) I'm like that. Just comes on you. And, you know, part of that's age. I'm in my 60s. But I have to very up on that and aware.

Do fans do the singing for you every time you do Santa Monica?

They're not doing the singing for me, they're singing with me.

Have you ever played a show without playing that song?

You mean since I wrote it, since it's been a hit. Not that I can remember. I remember once we left the stage, and the guys were like, 'We didn't play Santa Monica'. I was like, 'What?' We walked back out, and they turned the lights back down, and we played Santa Monica.

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