ABC/Randy HolmesVance Joy will be spending his Halloween night headlining a show in London, and the Australian singer-songwriter, born James Keogh, thought it would be fun to dress as the type of environmentally conscious "granola" person you might find in Portland, Oregon -- or in the TV show Portland.
"I want to go to [sports outfitter] REI and get all the poles and a rucksack and a mosquito net and sandals and socks," he tells ABC Radio. "And just look [like a] super-intense hiker, and make people think, 'Maybe he's real, or maybe he's not. Like, is he dressed up for Halloween or he just a super-enthusiastic healthy guy?'"
However, Keogh's a little worried that the costume might get lost in translation. "I don't know if I can pull that off in London," he admits.
Costume or not, Keogh's been feeling the Halloween spirit lately, thanks to a horror movie marathon with his band mates during his recent North American tour.
"We've been watching old horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween," says Keogh. "We're going through a horror phase, we scare each other and get each other excited and we try and spook each other."
Keogh will actually be without his band mates for the London show, as he'll be performing a rare solo set. He hopes to use the opportunity to work on his stage banter.
"That maybe is a good chance to practice my stories and talking," says Keogh. "I really like it when it's free-form and talking and getting carried away with tangents, and eventually you look into the crowd and someone's like, 'Just play the next song,' and you're like, 'OK.'"
Over the summer, Vance Joy released the new single "Lay It on Me." He's currently working on his sophomore album.
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