Bluey star who voices Bandit speaks about his surprising double life as a singer in a rock band
He is best known as the man behind the voice of Bandit on the family-friendly ABC series Bluey.
But Dave McCormack has been living a surprising double life as a rock star since the children’s animated series first hit screens in 2018.
The 56-year-old says long-time fans of his band Custard, which first formed in 1989, are now bringing their own children to shows.
“Because I voice Bandit, a lot of people know Custard now, so that’s cool. It’s a different crowd,” he said The Cairns Post.
“There are people who were teenagers when we started in the 1990s who are bringing their teenagers, so we’re really enjoying it at the moment.”
Custard released their ninth studio album Suburban Curtains in October and have been on the road promoting it in recent months.
Bluey star Dave McCormack (pictured left) has been living a surprising double life as a rocker since the children’s animated series first hit screens in 2018.
The singer who fronts cult band Custard is best known these days as the voice of Bandit in the family-friendly ABC series Bluey. In the photo: Bandit (center)
The alternative rock band first formed in 1989 and gained cult status after their single Girls Like That (Don’t Go for Guys Like Us) reached number three on Triple J’s Hottest 100 that same year.
The clip for the humorous tune also won an ARIA for best video.
After splitting in 2000, McCormack reformed the group in 2009, returning the band to recording and playing live since then.
Meanwhile, McCormack revealed he was kept in the dark about Bluey’s future, whose final episode for 2024 was released in April.
“We’ve done about 150 episodes, but they (producers) never tell me much. Usually it’s just an email to say, oh, we’re doing this, but I’d like to do more. “I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
More than 3.4 million fans watched the final three episodes of the global hit via TV broadcasts in the five major metros and regional areas.
And as a result of the cartoon’s enormous popularity, McCormack’s role as Bandit has become somewhat of a sex symbol among stay-at-home moms.
Speaking about the bizarre phenomenon on Hit Network’s Cliffo & Gabi in 2021, he joked about the appeal of the animated dog.
The singer told The Cairns Post that long-time fans of his band Custard, which first formed in 1989, are bringing their own children to shows.
Formed in 1989, Custard earned cult status after their single Girls Like That (Don’t Go for Guys Like Us) reached number three on Triple J’s Hottest 100 the same year. Pictured: McCormack far right, performing live with Custard
“I’m not surprised at all, look at that man, he looks incredibly handsome,” McCormack said.
‘He’s a nice dog!’ he continued before joking that he’s hotter than Bandit.
Last year, the singer-songwriter said he never expected the animated series to become such a hit.
“I thought it might be a webisode, a one-off, because we only did one episode to begin with,” he admitted.
“Now we’re here, it’s bigger than all of us!”
He said his two young daughters are big fans of the show and much prefer it to his work with indie rock legends Custard.
“They loved it, they appreciate this way more than any of the Custard stuff,” he said.
He added: ‘They don’t like custard stuff.’
McCormack also addressed the bizarre fact that Bandit has become a surprise hit with many adult women.
“I only play a very small role, I’m just the voice, I can’t claim much more of his sex appeal than the voice,” he laughed.