It might be a prized children's gig, but three members of The Wiggles are about to jump out of their big red car and let others steer a vehicle that has been running full-tilt for 21 years.
Jeff Fatt (the purple one), on the phone from Sydney a few weeks ago as the Australian outfit prepared for its latest sojourn, titled "The Celebration Tour" in reference to the impending departure of himself, Murray Cook (the red one) and Greg Page (yellow), says the decision to step back after more than two decades has been both difficult and obvious.
"For myself, I had a pacemaker put in last year so it was a case of looking after myself, even though I'm still able to do the shows.
"But it was difficult to make that decision. It has been such an enjoyable adventure for us since we started back in 1991."
Fellow founding member Anthony Field (blue) will remain, joined by Emma Watkins (yellow), Lachlan Gillespie (purple) and Simon Pryce (red).
"Simon was actually on a Wiggles DVD 12 years ago and has been performing with us for about three or four years, while Emma and Lachlan have been with us for two or more years, including with the Dorothy the Dinosaur shows," Fatt explains.
"Having toured with them, you get to know them; they were very easy to get along with. Personality is a key criteria - as well as the obvious talent they have."
Fatt says friendship has always been the key to the longevity of The Wiggles.
"Yeah, there has been a natural chemistry among the four of us and that's something you can't design. It has been a wonderful adventure for us. I think the common bond is the music, that's what The Wiggles are all about."
In 1991, Cook met Field and Page while studying early childhood education at Sydney's Macquarie University.
The three began writing children's songs as a music project, enlisting the help of Fatt, who had played with Field in popular 1980s band The Cockroaches.
That year The Wiggles took their first demo tape to ABC Music, which released their self-titled album.
It turned out to be a good investment: The Wiggles have now sold more than 23 million DVDs and seven million CDs. The colour-coded characters are known to millions worldwide, as are their companions, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and Captain Feathersword.
But progress hasn't always been smooth. In December 2006, Page left the group because of an ongoing illness, but returned last year, reclaiming his yellow skivvy from replacement Sam Moran.
Fatt, who turns 60 next year, says it is the interaction with children at all those live shows that he'll probably miss the most but, along with Cook and Page, he'll still be involved in writing music for The Wiggles.
"A lot of the shows are designed by Anthony, but Greg, Murray and myself will most likely be making cameo appearances in DVDs, so you won't be seeing the last of us.
"The Wiggles started when I was 38. It was a somewhat late start to a musical career. I'd always been involved in music to some degree but previously I had treated it more as a hobby," Fatt says.
"I love soul music and am right into Booker T and the MGs, but I don't think I'll be going down that path. I don't know where it's going to take me. I think I'll sit back over the next year and see where it leads.
"If the fish are not biting or the surf is flat, I might pop up the road and perform as part of the backing band. It is wide open, but officially our Wiggles roles will wind up at the end of this year."
Freebies
We have five family passes to give away to the Wiggles' late afternoon show at the Regent Theatre on Friday.
To enter the draw, simply email your name and daytime contact details to playtime@odt.co.nz no later than noon on Monday, September 17.
See it
The Wiggles perform the following venues and dates.-
Regent Theatre, Dunedin: Friday, September 21, at 5pm and Saturday, September 22, at 11am and 2pm.
Civic Theatre, Invercargill: Sunday, September 23, at 11am, 2pm and 4.30pm.
Milestones
• Last year, The Wiggles earned $A28.2 million ($NZ36 million), the second-highest-paid Australian entertainment act (following Walking With Dinosaurs); in 2008, they topped Business Review Weekly's list of Australia's highest-earning entertainers for the fourth successive year.
• The Wiggles' television series are broadcast in more than 100 countries.
• The Wiggles have sold more than 23 million DVDs and seven million CDs worldwide. Their self-titled first album/DVD was released in 1991.
• As songwriters and recording artists, The Wiggles have won four APRA song-writing awards for Best Children's Song (1994, 1995, 1996, 2007). They have also won seven Australian Recording Industry Awards.
• In February 2008, The Wiggles were named as Unicef Goodwill Ambassadors.
• In 2003, The Wiggles decided to expand into non-English-speaking countries with a Taiwanese version of their show. In 2006, they launched a Spanish version of the group, which has toured throughout Central and South America.
• In 2005, The Wiggles opened a multimillion-dollar amusement park called Wiggles World at Australia's Dream World on Queensland's Gold Coast. In 2007 Wiggle Bay was opened at White Water World, part of Dream World, on the Gold Coast. There are four US Wiggles-themed parks, and more are planned.
