Though they were both megahits for Australian music icon Iva Davies, the man who penned them both is comfortable with the fact he’ll always be defined by the latter.

“For a long time I thought I’d always be associated with Electric Blue,” the Icehouse frontman explains. “That was the song most people seemed to identify with me, but then the millennium came along and Great Southern Land was re-awakened. I think because the song creates an enduring sense of place and focuses on the land it’s not distracted by any transitory factors which has allowed it to have such longevity.”

Both songs will feature prominently in Icehouse’s Primitive Colours tour which celebrates Icehouse’s most iconic albums, Primitive Man (1982) and Man of Colours (1987). Primitive Man gave us the anthem, Great Southern Land and Man of Colours launched Icehouse on the international stage and was the highest selling local album in Australia for more than 20 years. 

The Primitive Colours tour continues a return to the stage for Icehouse after a hiatus of more than 18 years.

“It wasn’t necessarily by design, other projects and diversions just came along,” Davies,  explains. 

“A couple of years ago I got together with Keith Walsh who was an original member of Icehouse and we decided to just reload everything. We got a new recording contract a new record deal and we had to remaster the whole catalogue and the rest all went from there.”

The return has seen Icehouse win over a whole new generation of fans and also see the extent of their influence on contemporary artists.

“We’ve done the festivals with a lot of young new acts and to have them come up and say ‘yours was the first album I ever bought’ is just wonderful and humbling.”

After a year of playing festivals and big venues Davies said he is excited about getting back to his roots.

“It’s been a very long time since we’ve been together as single travelling unit and the best way to really know you’re in a band is to be stuck in a truck together,” he says with a laugh.

“The big festivals have been great because our songs really do come to life when they’re played live, but there’s something different about a pub environment. 

“It’s where we started so as these albums start reaching this milestone anniversary stage it’s a great chance to go back there.”

The Icehouse Primitive Colours tour will roll into Club Forster on October 14 and the Great Lakes Advocate has two double passes to give away. 

Cut out the coupon on page four of today's Advocate to enter.