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AAP
AAP
Lifestyle
Liz Hobday

Wake up! and catch Wiggles tale in Hot Potato doco

A new documentary tracks the musical journey of the Wiggles, the world's biggest children's act. (HANDOUT/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO)

Greg Page is the OG Yellow Wiggle - the OG, he jokes, stands for Old Guy.

As one of the founding members of the world's biggest children's band, the launch of a Wiggles documentary has brought back decades of memories for Page.

"There's an overwhelming feeling of just looking back on your life and the effect that you've had on people," he told AAP.

The Wiggles have certainly had an effect: the film traces the band's beginnings as The Cockroaches, to the musicians and education students becoming a children's outfit playing birthday parties, and recording a one-off album in the 1990s - on cassette and CD.

Years of touring and recording made them the biggest children's act of all time, appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone and selling out Madison Square Garden 12 times.

Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles launches next week, featuring hits such as the titular Hot Potato, Fruit Salad, and Wake up Jeff! (which later became Wake up Lachy!)

It's timed with the release of two "best of" albums - one from the OG Wiggles and one from the current line-up.

The film is directed by Emmy-nominated Sally Aitken and premieres at SXSW Sydney, a new outpost of the famed festival in Austin, Texas.

While Page (wearing a navy polo shirt, not a yellow skivvy) says he's never been to an SXSW event before, launching the film at the inaugural Sydney event made sense.

"It's a big deal, and I'd like to think that the Wiggles documentary launching is a big deal too," he said.

Not only is Hot Potato the only music doco ever made in which the band members wear coloured skivvies, it may also be the only one in which the musicians actually get along with each other.

Despite an at times punishing schedule of touring in the US and Australia, egos generally never got in the way, according to Page.

"We had our moments where we disagreed on things, but at the end of the day, we certainly are still mates," he said.

One theme is that while the Wiggles spent months on the road every year bringing joy to children with their music, it came at the cost of time with their own families.

Another revelation is just how big the band is with grown-ups - the Wiggles can easily fill massive venues with 20-and-30 somethings waving their smartphones, and no kids in sight.

There's also the introduction of new Wiggles over the years, with varying levels of controversy: one recent character, a non-binary unicorn called Shirley Shawn, even sparked accusations of "woke madness".

To this, the only remaining original band member, Anthony Field, gives a perfectly Wiggle response:

"We've been celebrating sleeping for years, I haven't woken up!" he said.

So with a best of album coming out, what of the OG Wiggles? 

Page confirms he is in good health after years of medical problems, including a cardiac arrest during a 2020 Wiggles reunion show to raise funds for bushfire relief.

The OG tour of Australia in 2022 was a blast, he said, and he'd love to do it again.

"Who knows what the future holds - I guess we just have to wait and see what happens next."

Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles premieres at SXSW Sydney and launches October 24 on Prime Video.

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