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Scroll
down to the start of the month |
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1)
Tony Armstrong-Carrigg (and me) 2) Mike plays
weird harp in Keep on Dancing (with me) (MG)
gig
report
Fri. 23.9.16 Spectrum at the Burrinja Cultural
Centrel
From
Ocean Grove to the Burrinja Cultural Centre
24.9.16 - You
remember the Ocean Grove gig we did in July? Well,
I got a text from the festival coordinator, Tony
Armstrong-Carrigg (pic 1) a few days
ago suggesting we meet for a coffee on Thursday,
which we duly did and had a very pleasant chat
about this and that, but more specifically about
Spectrum's next appearance at the Light of Day
Festival in Ocean Grove. It looks like our role
will expand to two days worth of appearances in
2017, which suits me fine as the audience was
notably receptive on our first appearance there
in July. Now to follow up on an interim summer
Spectrum show at Ocean Grove's famous Chicken
Shop!
I was the second performer to arrive at the Burrinja
cultural centre yesterday afternoon - the show's
organiser, sound man, lighting man, blues aficionado,
National guitar collector, compere and Spectrum's
opening act on the night, Doc White, was already
on stage setting up his Bose PA. (I must make
mention of this unassuming and highly idiosyncratic
sound system, because, although I was at a slight
disadvantage not having a fold-back wedge, the
general stage sound, (and the sound out front
I''m reliably informed), was probably the best
we've had in recent years).
We've never played in the upstairs' Black Box
room at the Burrinja, although we've played several
times at the downstairs café in the past
- poignantly it was Bill's last gig before he
died back in 2013 - and the eating (or grazing)
arrangements for the room on the night were enigmatic
to say the least, so it was a concern whether
we'd attract our normal volume of punters.
In the event there was close to a quorum as Doc
White launched his set of period-style blues songs,
at least half penned by himself, choosing from
an imposing phalanx of National guitars (plus
a mandolin), which all sounded smooth and rich
in their various National tonalities courtesy
of the afore-mentioned Bose system.
The break allowed me to taste some of the excellent
platter from downstairs - I'd inexplicably stayed
behind while the others went out to get some Vietnamese
- and then we were on. We don't ususally do ninety
minute sets so I'd varied the usual set list,
which unsettled me apparently, and in addition
the lights obliterated my guitar fretboard and
I made some uncharacteristic fluffs.
That being said, the audience was very forgiving
and my JLo dance routine during Crawling up
a Hill got the crowd rolling in the aisles.
I enjoyed our free-form add-on to Keep on
Dancing (pic 2) and the obligatory renditions
of I'll Be Gone and Esmeralda
made sure that everybody left the room happy.
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1)
Greg Carrick loads my USB onto the system 2) Roy
Jordan bought this copy of Warts for one dollar!
A
night of Rudd trivia and hilarity on the Woori Yallock
airwaves
20.9.16 - Doc White suggested
I pop down to Yarra Valley FM in Woori Yallock for
an interview on The Bat Cave show to help publicise
the show at the Burrinja Cultural Centre in Upwey
this Friday evening. I got there a bit early and
met Greg (pic 1) having a smoke out the
front of the station where soon after we were joined
by his co-host, Dom.
Eventually we drifted into the station where I met
Jock, the presenter for the blues show and the Bat
Cave's musicologist Roy Jordan, (pic 2)
who Greg reckoned knows everything there is to be
known about the early seventies music scene in Melbourne.
It turned out to be a pretty accurate assessment
too - Roy's knowledge actually extends into pre-history
with his collection of Chants' recordings from the
mid-sixties!
An hour or more (who's counting?) of grilling and
banter ensued, which was great fun for me and hopefully
the radio audience too. As a result of the interview
there's another stupid Mike story - which I know
you can't wait to read but which I'll recount to
you in next month's Pith & Wind. |
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Mike
explains the inexplicable to a group of onlookers |
gig
report
Sat. 17.9.16 Spectrum trio at The Lomond Hotel
The
Swans win at The Lomond
19.9.16 - We didn't
actually see them win, but they were well
on the way by the time we started the first set,
so Broc at least was feeling pretty chipper. We
did start earlier than the time advertised on the
venue's website, but the crowd, such as it was,
arrived well after 10.30 so the early start wasn't
a factor. A fellow muso reported it was light-on
all over town, but that didn't help even if it was
true.
Still, we could experiment and the instrumental
prologue before the R&R Scars' version
of Keep on Dancing worked for me. We had
to do an encore at the end of the night, so it couldn't
have been all bad.. |
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What
are you looking at?
1)
Broc seeks help from the wings (MG)
2) Mike and Daz back in the comfort zone (Wazz)
gig
report
Sun 4.9.16 Spectrum at the St Andrews pub
Father's
Day at the St Andrews pub
5.9.16 - Well, the
joint was packed for Spectrum's Father's Day appearance
at the St Andrews pub and we all arrived in good
time to get the set-up accomplished without fuss
for the 3.00 start. Mind you, had there been any
dramas I would've been struggling so I'll consider
leaving home even earlier next time. (Whenever that
is).
I felt it worth mentioning to the audience that
my new medication regime has left me with energy
to burn - I'm getting bursts of adrenaline I haven't
had for over three years now - and I celebrated
with a manic dance in Crawling up a Hill which
I think surprised a few people, including Maria
and my son, Chris.
We got most of our rehearsed numbers played this
time, including Keep on Dancing, Cypherland
Blues, Rock & Roll Scars, The Indelible Shuffle
and the rearranged verion of Make Your
Stash, but I still managed to avoid Disco
Dilemma. Not sure what that means but I'll
have to review my poor attitude over the next couple
of weeks, especially with the Burrinja gig coming
up on Friday 23rd. |
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Mike,
Robbo and Broc accompany Daryl on the B3 |
gig
report
Thurs. 1.9.16 Spectrum at the 303 Bar Northcote
Hapless
Hammond takes a beating at the 303
3.9.16 - It actually wasn't
too bad an audience for the 303 Bar on a Thursday
night. Deb and Maria 'girled' the door owing to
the lack of volunteers Thankfully Deb managed to
get a shot of three-quarters of the band, (pic)
otherwise there'd be no visual record of the gig
ever taking place.
I chatted with John Kotsopoulos at the end of the
night - he's sent me an email and said I could reprint
some of it.
This is the third gig I have
been to since rediscovering Spectrum. My wife and
I saw you at Brunswick early this year and I went
to one of your St Andrews gigs subsequently. Those
gigs and last night were a real
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showcase
for the band and the enduring quality of your
music. Nostalgia may not be what it was as the
joke goes but this quality of music and level
of performance is deserving of a wider audience.
True John, so let's hope at least part of that
wider audience rolls up at the St Andrews pub
on Sunday arvo.
I actually called a rehearsal when Broc got back
from his trip to the States and with any luck
I'll remember at St Andrews to include some of
the songs we rehearsed. Daz was not impressed
we didn't play Disco Dilemma at the 303
as he'd set up the synth especially for that one
song. |
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