fighting without foo DANIELLE O'DONOHUE

FOUR years ago, when Chris Shiflett joined Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters, he knew he was signing on to play guitar in one of the biggest bands in the world.

What he didn't know was it would be only a few short years before he would again be loading his own equipment and playing to half-empty rooms.

Not as a Foo Fighter, of course, but as the main man with his fledgling side-project, Jackson United.

With Foo Fighters on a break, recharging their batteries before going into the studio to record their fifth album, Shiflett decided the time was right to follow his own creative muse.

So far, the going has been far tougher than a fully fledged Foo Fighter might expect.

``It doesn't matter if you stick `Member of the Foo Fighters' on the posters, people don't come,'' Shiflett laughs.

``Trust me. It makes no difference.''

But Shiflett says he doesn't mind returning to his do-it-yourself, punk-rock roots for his new project.

``It's my little rock 'n' roll fantasies I'm living out, so I don't mind sweating it out and playing to nobody and touring uncomfortably and stuff, cause it's my little trip. It's really fun to just be in a band nobody knows and see what happens.''

Originally naming the band Jackson, Shiflett recorded an EP's worth of songs with his brother Scott and friend Pete Parada, but had to change the band's name when it became clear the troubled King of Pop wasn't the only Jackson who would have disapproved.

``There are so many other people who hold the name Jackson. We got a letter from a guy named Michael Jackson demanding we stop using the name. It wasn't the real Michael Jackson, it was some other guy. But it (the letter) was for real.

``We probably should have taken care of this before we got too far into it but we didn't and I never bothered to copyright the name . . . but we haven't really done much. It wasn't like there was a legion of fans that had to get used to the name change. It doesn't matter.''

As well as a new moniker, Shiflett also had to find himself a new band, given his recording buddies already had full-time jobs.

``Pete's in a band called Saves the Day and he's been on tour literally for a year. And my brother plays in the band Face to Face.

``It wasn't like they were forming a band with me. They were just helping me out cause they were my friend and my brother. Neither of them had any intention of getting in a band with me and playing to 10 people.''

Now, Jackson United consists of Shiflett (vocals, guitar), Doug Sangalang (guitar), Omen Starr (bass) and Cary Lascala (drums), and Shiflett is excited that Australia is the first country to receive the band's debut album, Western Ballads.

``This business is so kooky. Australia was the first place we got a record deal,'' Shiflett explains.

``But trying to get all the record deal stuff everywhere else has been such a long, drawn-out process

``In the music industry nobody wants to say no, that's the whole game. You always wanna leave the door open. It's a frustrating thing for a band.

``I don't care if you don't like my band. Just say no. It's like, `Make a f . . . ing decision. We're all adults. We'll be fine'.''

Western Ballads (Shock) out now. Jackson United, Corner Hotel, with Jebediah, tomorrow, $23+bf, venue 9427 9198, Gaslight, Polyester; Ding Dong Lounge, Sat, $22, venue 9662 1020.