WHO THE HELL ARE

The John Butler Trio

Wizzard of Oz: All right, who left the door open and let all these hippies in? As if we didn't have enough of them in Dublin already, here's a dreadlocked dude from Australia, here to save the world from nasty big corporations, evil governments and - most probably - soap manufacturers. John Butler is a fully paid-up tree-hugger, and his band The John Butler Trio carries a message of peace, love and sustainable energy options to the world. Guitarist Butler plays everything from reggae to rock to folk to blues; the band's new album, Sunrise Over Sea, has topped the Aussie charts for months, and made the JBT Australia's most successful indie act. They've just won a prestigious APRA Song of the Year award for the hit single Zebra, beating fellow Aussies Jet, Silverchair and Delta Goodrem.

Magic busk: Butler was born in Torrance, California, in 1975, but his homesick dad brought the family back to Oz when John was just a little lad. They settled in the tiny Western Australian outpost of Pinjarra, about 100km south of Perth. After leaving high school, Butler began busking on the streets of Fremantle, then graduated to markets, bars and open mic nights. One of his regular gigs was at Mojo's Bar; its owner, Phil Stevens, became Butler's manager. With an ever-changing line-up, the John Butler Trio established itself as a major force on the Western Australia scene, with critics comparing Butler to Ben Harper. A virtuoso guitarist, Butler plays a dizzying number of planks on stage, including a few lap steels. To help him play in his unique finger-picking style, he grows the nails on his right hand long, lacquering them to keep them hard - so nose-picking is out of the question.

Tree beard: Butler's social conscience has always taken centre stage; the band has backed many causes, from conservation to immigration. He recorded a song in the "world's tallest Christmas tree" to protest against logging in Tasmania. The song, Treat Yo Mama, is all about being nice to Mother Nature, and features such lines as, "Don't call me hippy cause the way that I look/Cause I got a recipe and you know I can cook". Butler is also protesting against the Aussie government's appalling treatment of refugees, which he says is "completely shameful, a dark period in our history". You mightn't like his grungy looks or his rootsy music, but you gotta admire his activism.

Wood stock: The John Butler Trio is coming to Dublin's Ambassador on November 5th, and no doubt Dublin's hippies and Aussie ex-pats will be out ïn force. Midnight Oil with dreads? The Hothouse Flowers from Fremantle? You decide - I'll be wasting obscene amounts of fossil fuel to get as far away as possible.

Kevin Courtney