Tsunami benefit goes off!

1) Phil Manning tunes with forking smile 2) Pig Morgan thinks of a pastie he once ate

3) Billy puffs up - It is the year of the Rooster 4) Paul Christie towls off the Rat in anticipation

5) Bill pops up behind Phil Pappas and Alan Howe 6) The crowd rocks happily to Daddy Cool

7) The wizards of joyful music, Daddy Who? Daddy Cool, that's who!

8) Thorpie shakes the Bowl's foundations 9) They were recording the show - so watch out for it sometime on TV

10) Shane Bourne, Wilbur Wilde, Jane Clifton and Phil Manning - again 11) Billy storms off stage on a high-ding

12) Chisel do the Chisel thing with Wilbur blowing his horn (check out
enlargements of 6, 7, 8 & 12)

Tsunami surprise!
28.2.05 - Yesterday (Sunday) I was preparing to do the BAS in a leisurely fashion for a change - I usually leave it till the day on which it's due - and was having a light lunch with management on the banks of the Yarra when the mobile rang. It was Bill. He said Thorpie had rung and asked if we were interested in appearing with the Aztecs that evening at the Tsunami benefit. (When I got home, I found Billy had left this message on my answerphone). Actually I wasn't, but I could hear the barely restrained anticipation in Bill's voice and so I thought better of grumpily saying 'no' and grumpily agreed. 'Bugger', I thought, 'there goes my quiet afternoon doing the bloody tax.' The only consolation was that Robbo was at the Bowl enjoying the show and we might be able to surprise him with our little cameo.
As we arrived we could hear Farnsey doing The Voice, but he'd finished his set by the time we checked in to the Aztecs' green room and Daddy Cool was preparing to rock the house. We watched them from back stage as they wove their old black magic all over again, just as though there'd been no indecently long interval at all between drinks. Hanna looked truly spectacular of course, and Ross was, well, Ross, but it's the musical combination of the four original members that feels so natural and un-manufactured. I hope we don't have to wait that long again before they 'come back again' - well, we simply can't!
Then it was Thorpie's turn. Apparently he's been playing 'our' tune since the LWTTT tour, but it's a measure of the man and his passion that he thought to invite Bill and me to join the Aztecs on stage to perform it with him. I was astonished to discover before the show that he had no set list, and I mentioned His Bobness' propensity to spring songs on his band. Billy had witnessed this particular idiosyncrasy of Dylan's at close hand when he was living in the States, and knew a couple of accomplished guitarists who had been reduced to quivering wrecks working on the Dylan tours.
Anyway, all anybody knew was that I'll Be Gone was to be the third number. Thorpie was going to play the opening harp line and I was going to echo it from off-stage. That sequence would be repeated and then I would wander on stage and somehow we'd navigate through the rest of the song.
Well, I suppose that's what happened - roughly. (check the undercover news review) And, speaking of rough, what was that smooch about at the end of the song? Before you entertain thoughts of kissing me again young Billy, make sure you shave off that stubble!
Then came the Chisels. A truly unique and very Aussie band, with their celebrated 'subversive' approach to pub pop/rock music. That they're able to carry off hook-laden pop songs, gut wrenching ballads and furious guitar propelled rock with equal conviction says a lot about the combination of talents, but an awful lot more about the musical focal point of the outfit - Ian Moss. I should take a little space to expand on this guitarists' guitarist, whilst never forgetting that he has voice to die for as well.
My first guitar playing idol was Eric Clapton. When I heard the Bluesbreakers' Beano album for the first time, it was a revelation. I'd never really heard of, let alone listened to the black players that Clapton had digested - all I knew was that Eric was doing something that connected with me right then and there. And the tone.. the combination of Gibson Les Paul, (later stolen), and ambiently recorded 30 watt Marshall combo amp, served both the intention and the technique and made it a seamless whole. However, the latter-day Clapton has embraced the Fender Stratocaster - and, frankly, he seems to be a bit lost on the instrument.
In absolute contrast, Ian Moss makes the Strat speak so eloquently that even young girls, who haven't a clue who is playing what, go weak at the knees when he plays. As anybody who has played a Strat knows, (i.e. me), the temptation is to muck around with its single pole-ness using tone settings and effects to try and mask technical inadequacies. Where the Gibson humbucker fudges and sustains, Fender pickups can sound thin and feeble, at the same time painfully reproducing every wayward slur and overwrought bend. Ian Moss is a Strat Master - his sound is loud but honest, and as 'Strat' as you will ever hear, and I just can't think of a better player in the pop/rock/blues genre - anywhere. And, as I said, he sings gorgeously too. Bastard.
Anyhow, back to the Tsunami concert. Although I'm fairly reclusive at the best of times and can honestly do without the 'Hail fellow, well met' scene, it was good to see the LWTTT crowd again, but especially good to see DC back on board - they're one of a kind - and to see the other acts we caught still at the top of their game. And if that was the Melbourne Whatever Festival, then it was really good to see it at the Bowl, as opposed to the tragedy of Jeff's Shed, and out of the unwinnable competition with the St Kilda Festival. Now all it needs is some individual character. Let's pretend that that was the first one.
PS - My favourite moment of the evening was Wilbur's second spot with the Chisels. The moment came and Wilbur timed his arrival at the mic to perfection, casually played his first note - and Barnesy yelled at him 'Piano solo!'
check out a correpondent's review of the concert - and Alana Galea's review