It’s cheap uni night at the RUC bowls club tomorrow, where you can get an $18 schnitty and a free Peking Duk (the electronic dance duo, not the succulent dish).
Ex-Dickson College students, Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles, chose the bowls club in Turner for their pop-up gig because “the local bowls club’s been part of our upbringing”.
Like any traditional bowls club there will be a meat raffle, interspersed with tracks from Peking Duk’s new album, Paradise.
“It’d be weird not to draw a meat raffle at a bowls club,” Reuben said. “We’ll give away a couple of meat trays, we’re real big on the pork steaks right now. Beef patties, lentil soups, we’re adding it all.”
“And a good leg of mutton,” Adam adds, “we’re called the meat-smiths around here.”
They’re also called the multi-platinum, ARIA award-winners around here.
It’s hard to believe that this headline act started out flipping burgers.
“Our first job together was at Dickson Maccas,” Adam said.
Would you like fries with that?
“Always, always like fries with that, nuggets too thanks,” Adam said.
The boys were in year 12 when they started working at Maccas and Reuben fondly remembers the fringe benefits.
“If you were working when they’re closed, all those McChicken patties go straight in a bag and straight to your mate’s house where people are passing around some weird Gatorade bottle and everyone’s playing [Japanese 3D video game] Tekken.”
When I tell them Canberra’s weather forecast, Reuben asks me to bring him a thermos full of hot Ribena.
“I don’t know why, Canberra in winter reminds me of that,” Reuben said. “I think because I was trying to just stay warm at school each day.”
While in town, Adam and Reuben plan on visiting Dickson’s Asian Noodle House for a laksa and Trev’s for a coffee, where Reuben once worked as a barista.
“It’s all Dickson,” Reuben said. “Jackie Chan even went to Dickson College himself for a bit and his parents owned a restaurant in Dickson for 30 years – he got the nickname Jackie there.”
Re-visiting Canberra, Adam and Reuben have fond memories (“Tuggers skate park”) and not-so-fond memories {“Daramalan College gave me the flick”).
“All you’ve got to do is jump on the action bus and you get in on the hot action,” Adam said.
“The main aim back then was to try not get rolled,” Reuben adds. “Make it home without a bruise on your face and try not to have someone steal everything off you at Woden Interchange.”
Given the title of their new album, Paradise, I ask where Peking Duk’s paradise is.
“Merry Beach Caravan Resort,” Reuben said.
“I’d say Jervis Bay or anywhere in Canberra,” Adam said. “And Tuggeranong Skate Park and Dickson McDonald’s,” Reuben adds.
The free Peking Duk pop-up gig is booked out but there will be limited standing room available. The pop-up performance and meet & greet is at The RUC in Turner, Thursday 13 August, 7pm.
