From klezmer to pop and rap

LEXI LANDSMAN

WITH their striking jet-black goatees, chrome sunglasses and shiny shaved heads, Melbourne pop duo Danny Segal and Paul Glass stand out from the crowd. Their signature look is something they describe as “a cross between underworld mobsters, hip-hop king pins and teddy bears”.

As a pair, they head the band The Clones -— a name that seems most apt for their uncanny physical similarity, which would forgive you thinking they were siblings, if not twins.

They have recently returned from a tour of Asia, where they headlined the opening party of Music Matters in Hong Kong, the largest music forum in the Asia-Pacific, with their brand of music that includes dance, pop and rap.

They travelled with an 11-strong entourage, including back-up singers and a film crew, who were preparing a “rockumentary” on them tentatively called The Clones: Bonkers in Honkers.

“We felt like we were living the dream,” Segal, 49, says, laughing. “It was incredible. It was like we were on reality TV all the time. It was a tremendous experience.”

From their beginnings as Klezmer band Segal and Glass -— regular entertainers at Melbourne simchas -— the pair has carved a name for themselves locally, but their Asia tour marked their foray into the international arena.

“It was really a good opportunity to be seen by top record companies from all around the world and particularly from Asia,” Segal says.

They are now planning to collaborate with a major Chinese pop star, and even have Bollywood in their sights.

“It’s just what we’ve been dreaming of and working towards. It feels like we are sort of on a roll, where we’ve started something -— we’ve put our whole lives, emotions into what we’re doing. It feels like people all over the world are hearing us and taking notice of us now,” Segal says.

“It’s a new level for us, we feel like we are breaking ground,” Glass, 50, adds.

Glass and Segal were students at the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts.

“When someone introduced us, we couldn’t believe it. We found that we had so many similarities and of course, we just loved music,” Segal recalls.

Within a week of meeting, they started writing songs and performing. Thirty years on and the pair says they feel fresher than ever.

“We feel really fresh, revitalised and good. We feel like it’s a new beginning,” Segal says.

For now, the pair is still performing in Melbourne, but will return to Hong Kong in the next few months.

“It’s all sort of gung-ho from here, anything can happen, it’s that feeling of expectation,” Glass says.

“We’ve worked hard and now comes the rewards, hopefully. It’s not a job for us, it’s a love.”

Enquiries: www.theclones.com.au.