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What I've learned about ... staying forever young

Peter Urlich, one-time singer of 80s rockers Th’ Dudes, played at a baby boomer reunion over summer for Radio Hauraki’s 40th anniversary. Yet each morning 20- and 30-something hipsters tune into his George FM breakfast show and teen ravers line up for his dance parties at the weekend. How does Urlich keep up with the kids?

Idealog July/August, page 96. Photograph by Bruce Nicholson

Don’t be a grumpy bugger

“It’s hard not to when your values and crucial learning experiences come from another era. It’s difficult to accept what’s new, but you’ve got to keep reminding yourself that it’s an evolution and there will always be a generation gap—there has to be. Getting worked-up makes you look foolish. You just have to think, ‘Young people, doncha love ’em.’”

Don’t try to please everyone at once

“Follow your instincts and trust them. I try to remain true to myself. Some people find it difficult that I play this doof-doof oonst-oonst stuff—a few friends from Th’ Dudes days can’t work it out, but you can’t please everyone all the time. My friends know I can rock, others know I can jazz or swing.”

Do what you love

“My whole life I’ve done what I enjoy. I’ve turned down opportunities that would have made me money. People say to me ‘If only …’ but that irks me a bit. I have a fantastic time and I continue to have a fantastic time. If you’re doing something you don’t love, it’ll give you cancer. I mean that figuratively—so many people do things they don’t enjoy. I’m fortunate enough to make a living out of being creative. If it meant scraping by, I would still do it. If I were unhappy I wouldn’t be successful.”

Act on your ideas

“Idealog’s ‘rich with ideas’ is a lovely strapline. I am, would you believe it, rich with ideas! I’ve done things with a few of my ideas, but not enough, and that’s one area where I’m disappointed in myself. I exhort anybody reading this to have the conviction to follow their better ideas through.”

Move on with suspicious minds

“I’m constantly inquiring about things. If I heard something when I was younger that I didn’t know about, like a song, I’d always look it up. I’d get more vivid colours, a more complete picture. It fuelled my imagination.”

Let the ego land

“You have to believe in yourself. Even if you’re a talentless git, if you get up and back yourself 100 percent people are going to take notice and maybe give you a clap. It’s hard here because people are naturally unassuming and find it hard to have ego. Ego is a dirty word in New Zealand. I was called a show-off at school but I pushed on past that, because I knew I enjoyed what I was doing. Self-doubt is the constant companion of creativity, but it has to remain with you alone. You don’t share self-doubt. I wake up in the middle of the night and think, ‘Oh God, I’m in the public spotlight and people are going to think that I’m a wanker.’ So I wrote it on my shirt—before somebody else did.”

— As told to Lauren Bartlett

2 comments

Jared Bothwell

2007-06-30 06:15:58

“...back yourself 100 percent people are going to take notice and maybe give you a clap.” Helpful family planning advice from Peter!

Matt Cooney

2007-06-30 09:24:38

Would make another handy t-shirt message, too.

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