Beat Broker spends 5 minutes with Shapeshifter's Nick Robinson who shares his ultimate revenge secret - if your enemy happens to be a keyboardist...

Tell us about the first time you were really inspired by music?
When I was 2, and with Willie Nelson. I sat in front of the massive speaker in our lounge and tried to sing along. 

What do you consider to be your greatest skill?
I make a good macaroni cheese

Name two albums you keep very close to hand.
Notorious BIG Life after death, Dilla Donuts.

The road to musical success is often long and hard. What is one lesson you have learnt along the way that changed the way you saw things?
Probably just that, it is long and hard, there's no easy road. Emotionally draining and rewarding experiences, hi's and lo's. Lots of commitment but for us its easy most of the time - we’ve been together and with our crew for so long that in battle we operate like ninjas. You just have to prepared to be knocked down and just never give up.  And a bonus lesson - don’t do it for the money ;)

Who inspires you? (Both in life and in music)
I get inspired by stories of where the underdog beats the odds to win, or make things happen - like the midday movie on channel seven when the guy from the poor neighborhood gets cancer and nobody believes in him except an old alcoholic coach who sees something special in the poor cancer ridden guy, and together they beat the cancer and win gold at the olympics. That’s inspiring.
But I also get inspired by lots of musicians. J Dilla was so sick he was stuck in a hospital bed and wrote some of his best stuff as he died. John Coltrane used to practice saxophone up to 17 hours a day, he would practice in the basement of the clubs he gigged in during his 15 minute breaks, while drinking wine and beer mixed together. Those are inspiring stories.

Tell us a quirky fact about yourself no one else knows!
I was Run over by a valiant station wagon when I was 6.  The doctors had to infuse artificial bionic limbs on my body, no actually I was fine. A few cuts and scratches, minor wounds. My foot got ran over.

If you could have two wishes come true what would they be?
World peace and an extra finger on each hand.

Before you step on stage for a gig, what do you do to prepare?
First I make sure the knobs on my synths aren’t in weird places, you can never be sure the old "roady and other band members fucking with your shit " trick hasn't taken place. The greatest roady of all time - lets just call him "Dexter", once taught me this trick - you tape gaffer tape the highest possible key of your enemies keyboard down, then when he (or she) comes on stage and flicks the switch on, it howls out the high note, and they don’t know what’s going on bla bla bla.

What do your parents think of what you do? Have you ever taken them along to a gig?
Yeah they love it, always encouraged, came to gigs, they waited outside at music lessons, they were probably worried when in high school I gave up sports and everything to concentrate on being a rock star - they thought I was on drugs...actually I think I was but all good eh. 

If you could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?
Being wildcard in a grand slam tennis tournament, and taking it out.

Having spent so much time on aeroplanes, are you an official member of the mile high club?
No, I didn’t know you could actually officiate it. What, do you need an official airline representative to referee it or something?

Shapeshifter's latest album 'The System is a Vampire' is due for release in Australia on 17 April

http://www.shapeshifterlive.com/

http://www.myspace.com/shapeshifterlive