gig report
Spectrum loses its way in NSW
11.10.06 - Apart from the relentless drone of Robbo in his Pod cancelling his students and copping regular instalments of bad news about his daughter Holly's car, we made it to West Wyalong without incident and stayed overnight at the cheap but adequate Acacia Motel. But it was the next stage of the journey that provided the first minor drama of the tour when I managed to overshoot the Bathurst turn-off, and by the time Bill the Navigator had turned his attention from the newspaper he was reading, we were so far past the turn-off we decided to drive on to Forbes and breakfast there.
We made sure to get directions from the locals for the drive back to Bathurst and made it in plenty of time to survey the accommodation the gig had provided - which we immediately ditched in favour of a regular motel down the road. Bill provided some light entertainment when, after being provoked by Robbo's thoughtlessly standing on his whiter-than-white sneakers, managed to rip the front door of our motel room almost completely off its hinges. That man doesn't know his own strength!
Our hearts dropped when we loaded into the gig (the Oxford Hotel), but the promoters were so proud of it we kept our mouths shut. It was nothing more nor less than a disco - well, it was more than a regular disco 'cause they had more of everything (e.g. four mirror balls), but the disco ambience was absolute anathema to presenting a live band, especially a band with the delicate sensibilities of Spectrum. There was one funny moment during the night when Robbo went to the toilet and heard a timid voice from the stall saying, 'Is anybody out there? Help me please 'cause I can't get out.' Robbo pushed open the door - it wasn't locked or jammed or anything - and found this guy cowering against the back wall, completely out of it and disorientated. Well, we thought it was funny..
The next day we left for the ACT, stopping off in Boorowa to have a light lunch at the Magistrates Café (pic 4). The first gig was at the Canberra Press Club bar, which we've done before, but the plush accommodation we'd enjoyed last time wasn't available due to the Floriade Festival, so we had to be content with the slightly less salubrious Ambassador Hotel in Curtin. We managed to get hopelessly lost after the gig, and I spilt Bill's beer over everything and tempers were getting just a little frayed before a taxi-driver took pity on us and guided us to Adelaide Avenue and on to Curtin. Bill wasn't in the best of moods all night, because the Culnane brothers had shown up, and Phil, (who has yet to apologise for breaking Bill's Yari the last time we played the Press Club), proceeded to wipe himself out so totally he was ejected from the room.
Paul Culnane turned up again at the Old Canberra Inn the next night and very kindly gave me a bottle of red before we began the first set, as well as a little something for Bill, but I think a gesture from Phil is what's needed. Anyway, all that aside, what a lovely gig the Old Canberra Inn is! We felt comfortable enough to present the acoustic set early, as the acoustics were crisp and conducive, and the audience was pretty attentive as well, so we went back to the Ambassador tired but happy.
Saturday was our day off, and we popped into town for a whopper brekky followed by a ramble round various shops, finishing up at the Canberra Art Gallery (pic 9). We had to vacate the Ambassador, (the bloody Floriade again!), and Geof and Gaye offered to put us up at their place just a few minutes from the hotel. That night, while Bill and Robbo got takeaways and watched the Killer Tomatoes sequel, I drove over to Downer and spent a very pleasant evening with the Greaggs with a delightful cab/sauv. to boot.
I should've felt rested on the Sunday arvo I suppose, but actually I felt pretty lethargic - luckily the gig at the OJO Bar, Let's Create's new gig in Tuggeranong, was a laid back affair with a forgiving audience who seemed to enjoy the music immensely anyway. John the Chef made us a neat lunch of cajun Salmon, and even gave me a jar of cajun mixture so I can make my own brew at home!
Then it was time to wave our friends, old and new, a tearless goodbye and hit the highway home. It was a clear run, apart from my having to brake suddenly to avoid hitting a big grey 'roo in the middle of the Hume, and we made it to Robbo's place in almost exactly eight hours. I've never seen so many 'roo carcases on the road - I reckon anywhere between forty and sixty on the whole journey - so I'm getting a bull bar installed on Monday. We'll see you again soon, Canberra!