They're the wurst

Petra Starke

20May08

Dawn, Mourne and Eve Kransky of The Kransky Sisters. Can you tell they're related?

Mourne and Eve Kransky of musical trio The Kransky Sisters talk to Petra Starke about cane toads, the Sex Pistols and genetics.

Q: It's so rare to have so much musical talent in the one family. Do you think it's the result of genetics or upbringing?

Mourne: We were brought up playing the music. Our neighbour, Terse Pearson, always played the guitar, and I used to stand at the gate and listen to it. Then one day he came over and gave it to me. That was why I learnt the guitar. I used to play along with the songs on the wireless. Our father liked to play the violin, and when Eve was five he gave her his work saw and violin bow. We would play together to the songs on the wireless. Dawn and Arva were very fortunate, as our uncle paid for them to study the tuba at Toowoomba TAFE. Our uncle played the trumpet. He had a shiny silver one, and said it was always best to blow your own.

Eve:  Mourne, what is genetics?

Mourne: Those are nets that stop ticks from getting into your hair.


Q: What is your hometown of Esk like? Is there much of a music/arts scene there?

Mourne: Esk is a nice place. It is a small town, but we have a market there, and sometimes Dawn plays with us when we sell our fudge. The sales have gone up since Dawn joined us, and Mrs. Crisp says that it has also helped with her sales of coconut ice. Her stand is just over the way from ours. We should move our table to another area. Sometimes there is music in the local hall. There are some nice bands that come to town to play there. We played once in the local café, but there isn't any room there anymore for us, since they replaced the small round tables with large square ones. They had very fancy bread there called focaccia. The waitress says it's Italian for "puffy bread". Dawn thought the dried tomatoes on it were nice. She likes the tangy tastes. Whenever we go on picnics she's always first for the lemon sandwiches.


Q: What is your fondest childhood memory?

Mourne: Our fondest childhood memories are of our holiday times with our father. He used to take us down to the caravan park in Esk and we would have a picnic. Also, once he took us to see the film Black Beauty, but when we got there, it was Barbarella instead. That was nice. He told us not to tell our Mother.


Q: What's it like working with your sisters? Do you all get on well or are there fights on the tour bus?

Mourne: We get on well together most of the time. Sometimes Dawn doesn't want to eat her porridge and just sits and stares forward. Eve once went to sleep in the car with her knee up against the gear stick. It was very inconvenient, as I had to drive all the way to Sydney in second gear. But you can't be angry because someone was sleeping.


Q: Your set ranges from AC/DC to Sugababes and Nana Mouskouri. Is there any artist you definitely wouldn't cover?

Mourne: Well, I hear there was a band called The Sex Pistols. They might be a bit rude. Perhaps not the ones who say rude words. We're not sure what they mean but we are sure it's not nice.


Q: Have you ever performed for anyone famous?

Mourne: Dawn was asked to play a fanfare on the tuba once for Craig Broad on a trophy night. He was famous for bowling out Steven Innings at the Esk Fair Tournament. We dropped her off in the Morris and waited the 10 minutes. Apparently after we took her back home to her room in the laundry at Mrs Evermore's house, she stayed up the whole night staring at her cane toad skins that were drying on the wall.


Q: If you weren't in show business, what would you be doing instead?

Mourne: I think we'd be going into making fudge full time. And it's interesting, that that's a kind of show business as well isn't it? The Esk Show. We could also make tarts and sell them as well. Once Eve made some tarts, and we took them to a party. Unfortunately the party wasn't at the address that was given to us. We had to go walk home in the rain and the useless tarts got wet. Perhaps we could also get a job cleaning the headstones in the next door cemetery.

The Kransky Sisters, Three Bags Full - Cabaret Festival, Festival Centre Banquet Room, June 11 to 14. Bookings: BASS or www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com