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1) The
Leader's Shaun gets close to Bill's essence 2) Limelight's Dave
Walker and Mike |
Limelight
song comp
30.11.07 - Bill being around this morning
was an unexpected bonus for the photo shoot at the Lilydale
Leader to promote Dave Walker's Limelight - kudos for musicians,
a songwriting competition for artists in the Shire of Yarra
Ranges. There'll be a Showcase concert on Sunday February the
17th in conjunction with free |
| workshops on the 16th and 23rd of
January which will be hosted by Bill and Mike. I'll have more
to say on this soon, but in the meantime for more info go to
Limelight's MySpace
site. |
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The
dynamic duo's duo
1)
Roadcrew Brett and Brayden 2) KUC's Nikki Carmel 3) Arriving
on stage on the Millionaire set |
gig
report
Crudd & Pump do San Remo and the KUC Supporter Event
28.11.07 - This would be the third time
that Bill and I have played the Westernport Hotel in picturesque
San Remo, and, although it's a bit of a hike, it's a pleasant
enough way to while away a Sunday arvo/evening. This time we'd
reverted to our original possie pointing out of the room and
copping the view of the moods of the bay as the sun sinks. As
I say, a pleasant enough thing to do, and when you get a touchingly
warm reception as well, you can pack up the gear with a feeling
of satisfaction for a job well done. Helping load out was my
young blues harp student Brayden, with his dad Brett (pic
1), which was appreciated by us old blokes, especially
Bill with his crook back.
The gig last night was unusual in a few respects, not the least
in its setting on theWho Wants To Be A Millionaire set
at the Channel 9 Studios. It was the annual Kids Under Cover
Supporter Event, where the organisation thanks the various
donors and volunteers for their contributions over the year.
It was very hot and sticky outside, but the air-conditioning
helped restore our energy as we set up plum in the middle of
the extravagant looking Squillionaire set and sound
checked. KUC Events Coordinator Melissa Drum and Marketing Manager
Nikki Carmel (pic2) made sure we were comfortable and
found us our dressing room, and before we knew it the guests
were arriving. Bill and I idly chatted with various people while
devouring as much as we could of the finger food that came our
way, and then the speeches were upon us, led off by patron Athol
Guy followed by Ken Morgan, the founder of KUC.
Compere Andrew Gill announced our arrival - and there we were,
pumping out I'll Be Gone as best just the two of us
can on the slightly surreal TV game show set (pic 3).
We'd already done one encore when Ken Morgan, looking almost
apoplectic, (he does tend to get excited), insisted we reprise
I'll Be Gone, which we were happy to do, of course.
I'd got back to our dressing room and I was delighted to find
that The Bill was still going as I'd forgotten to set
the VCR in my haste to get to the sound check, when KUC Director
Max Pietruschka popped in and introduced himself and said how
he'd been working at the Armstrong Studios (both in Albert Park
and South Melbourne) when Spectrum was recording there in the
early seventies and had very fond memories of those days. I
resigned myself to not seeing the end of The Bill and
was wearily packing up my gear when I bumped into my mate and
almost relative (she's Dick's niece), Petrina Dorrington, who
is the retiring Executive Director of KUC. She invited Chris
and me over on Xmas Day, (don't get me started!), and we agreed
to do e-mails about doing coffee, (or hot chocolate in my case),
which is when I intend to present her with a modest cheque from
the sales of the Gonz CD. I can feel a warm glow beginning
just thinking about it.. |
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Queenscliff
and Trentham Festivals
1)
Shane O'Mara and Chris Wilson on the main stage 2) Mia Dyson
and her band get
funky
3) The
only working train in Trentham 4) A clown makes me an apple
5) Redhead breaks things
6)
Marcie Jones sings 7) Bill surveys the enormous crowd at the
Trentham Festival |
gig
report
A tale of two festivals
24.11.07 - I was very gratified
that Spectrum was asked to play the Queenscliff Festival this
year. After a number of years of putting ourselves forward for
no result, I'd all but given up and hadn't even applied this
year, but even so, it's not a strategy I would particularly
recommend. I have a soft spot for the festival because it's
stayed local in every respect, sticking with its policy of choosing
from a roster of local acts. A bonus for us was that because
of our timeslot, we were the act that was to be broadcast live
on Paul Petran's Music Deli show on Radio National, which you
would imagine couldn't hurt our profile, that's if you could
discern that we had one to begin with.
We got to the main stage pretty much right on time for our sound
check with the ABC, despite being delayed due to an accident
on the Bellarine Highway. Everybody was very happy to see us
and was very helpful and went out of their way to make us feel
comfortable - indeed Bill remarked it was the best stage sound
we've ever had for a festival show.
Chris Wilson and Shane O'Mara (pic 2) put on a typically
rivetting show ahead of of us - but when they'd finished I was
disconcerted to see the audience simply evaporate, leaving this
vast, lonely space in front of the stage. Paul Petran introduced
us to the radio audience, and the live audience, such as it
was, manfully tried to sound enormous - and we were under way.
Curiously the crowd came flooding back in during I'll Be
Gone, and when I next looked up through the fog and the
lightshow, it registered there was an endless sea of faces looking
back
Fundamentally, we don't do enough big shows. In my case, my
mind was racing and I just couldn't get comfortable. I made
some uncharacteristic (and some characteristic) blunders and
I failed to communicate - with either audience. Having said
that, I was very pleased that the tempos at least sounded relaxed,
and Daryl felt like he belonged and wasn't just tacked on -
but these are just impressions. Paul gave me a CD of their recording
of the show, but I haven't listened to it, and I don't know
whether I shall. |
8) If
you want to get a shot of yourself, get Luke to do it |
Bill stayed at my place overnight
as we had an early start; first to vote, and then get to the
Trentham Festival in time for a 2.30 start. When we got there
we found a local outfit on the back of a truck playing to and
audience of perhaps five people risking sunstroke under a cloudless
sky. They dithered on for far too long, and just when I thought
they were vacating the stage to allow us on, Marcie Jones (pic
6) and her pianist husband Murray waltzed onto the stage
and began their set.
By the time we finally hauled our gear onto the truck tray and
set it up, most of the potential punters that had been wandering
around the pleasant tree-lined streets of Trentham idly studying
the unsurprising selection of Festival stalls (pic 5)
were heading home to tend their sunburnt |
9)
Daz's son Luke took this one too - Spectrum opening the
set with I'll Be Gone |
arms and sink a few VBs. Funnily
enough, it's this very kind of situation that invariably
relaxes me, perhaps because it's so familiar. Call me
contrary if you like, but I delivered the kind of performance
that few people ever get to witness - principally because
there were so few there to witness it. It's a conundrum
- if I could've exchanged the mindset for the two performances,
or better still, discarded the first mindset altogether.
Ah well.. |
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The
Stagedoor rides again!
1) The
instigator - John Baker 2) An air vent onto Hereford Lane at
the Stagedoor
3)
Trevor evokes James Dean 2) Robin Judkins spruiks the show for
TV 3) Robin at rehearsal
4) This
woman used to mow my lawns! 5) The Breakaways on the compact
stage at Al's Bar with the crowd pressing
6)
Master blues harpist, Midge Marsden 7) Purple Dave Hurley 8)
My mate, bassist Dave Orams |
9) The
crowd at Al's Bar (see large
pic) with John making a run for it |
gig
report
Wild Things gigs
22.11.07 - I got this e-mail from a John
Fjordson, who can be seen trying vainly to edge out of shot
in the pic of the Al's Bar crowd on the left. Obviously a young
bloke too - and that was a bit of a thrill, 'cause you wonder
what they might make of it all.
I saw the Chants R+B
and The Breakaways, as a 18 year old who only heard you're music
via garagehangover.com I was blown away. Keep the faith and
all that. I was the guy in the green t-shirt up front. I'm involved
with a group devoted to music |
development in Christchurch
called Red Panda. We so far specialise in free gigs - mainly
showing up in public places without permits and lots of bands
playing music. We sometimes venture into commercial gigs and
are applying for some peace awards where we get free money.
I hope that in 41 years time, we'll be seeing Black Market Art,
Bang Bang Eche and all the other bands of 2000 playing to audiences
as big as yours. Thank you for the amazing night, thank you
for keeping music evil, thank you for giving me the chance to
see the bands my father grew up with. I am truly inspired and
wish you the best of luck with your future ambitions.
I mean, how good is that? He even thinks we've got a future.
So, the story. I wrote the first chapter already before I left
Auckland, and I just downloaded it - only to find that the new
Vista Word format is incompatible with my ancient program. I
eventually sorted it though - check
it out. See B&W photos from Auckland
show |
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The
Boss' 60th birthday party
1)
Eris and Bongo await the big moment 2) SURPRISE! And I think
you can tell Ross is really surprised!
3)
I'll get these girls names for you 4) Daz wants to believe I
can pull this off and
so does the other old duffer
6) Ted,
Ted, Ted.. 7) Mark Sydow close-up and too personal 8) Gary tells
some Ross anecdotes
9) Ross,
Tania and Dimitri listen 10) Ross gets equal time 11) Renee
sings Ross her special song |
Ross'
birthday bash
21.11.07 - I'd received various clandestine messages
from Ross' wife Tania, and then Ross' management, about Ross'
surprise 60th on Tuesday night (at 7.00 sharp at the Riva
restaurant on the Marina), but in the end it was just a matter
of getting there on time with guitar (and harps) at the ready
at Mark's suggestion. It was very hot still, but the odd drop
of rain was thudding into the van's windscreen as I chugged
into the restaurant's carpark. I tucked my gear away under
a table in a back room, not really expecting that I'd get
to use them precisely because I'd gone to the trouble of lugging
it all in, and launched myself anxiously into a sea of familiar
and semi-familiar faces, with the usual alarming quotient
of no names attached.
There was a warning that we should shaddup because Ross was
about to arrive - and then he made his entrance - and he did
look genuinely surprised. (pic 2) The band (Ross'
band The Urbans) started to play, and I was just getting into
an interesting conversation with Alan Howe when the party
formalities began. Gary Young held the floor and told the
story of DC's inception and of how they'd killed on the Beachboys'
Tour (you read it here first!), Ross then said a few words,
and finally Renee got up and sang a song she'd written for
the occasion, all of which went down very well. I think the
Wilsons as a unit were well pleased.
Another set from the Urbans with an attractive looking gal
singer - and then John McAll came over and said I should come
and do some blues numbers with an assortment of players. Some
band it was too - Nicky Bomba on drums, Wilbur Wilde and Paul
Williamson on saxes, the Urbans' nifty upright bass player
whose name I didn't get and John McAll on keys. Ross joined
us at one stage and demanded a harp, so I gave him my smelly
A with the |
12) John
McAll barks out something to Mike (pic - Gerald
McNamara) |
dud note and he used that. I'll
never wash it again. Actually, I'll never play it again.
Jane Clifton sang a song too - and all the while I just grooved
away happily watching the dancers and thinking this is better
by far than trying to socialise.Mind you, I did manage to chat
with Eris O'Brien (pic 1), David Pepperell, Alan Howe,
Paul Williamson, Daz (pic 4) and Deb, Valda, Tracy
Bartram, Renee Geyer and more over the evening, but shortly
after we finished our set I giddily headed out to the carpark,
determined to quit while I was ahead. I must've looked a bit
frail on it too, 'cause one of the waitresses asked if I needed
help carrying my harps to the van. |
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Chants
R&B '07 - Jim, Mike, Martin, Trevor and Matt at Al's Bar |
Chants
R&B reunion
21.11.07 - I'm back from Aotearoa
safe and sound after quite a few adventures and some good times
with the Chants' boys, (pic), and it'll make interesting
reading too - but events have already moved on at a rate of
knots, meaning that the full story might have to wait in line.
One annoying distraction is that the rain that broke the oppressive
preview of summer that Melbourne's been having since I got back,
has dislodged the gaffer holding my broken tile together (see
Mike's Pith & Wind) and more urgent repairs are
required. Bugger! |
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Kinga
gets snapped with the legendary Spectrums |
gig
report
Maldon Blues Club goes off!
11.11.07 - At 9.30 in the morning it was
an incredibly early start, but we've not been to Maldon before
and it's better to be safe than sorry. Robbo and I met up with
Bill in Woodend and arrived in Maldon around 12.30. We were
made very welcome by Kinga (pic) and Ken White of the
Blues Club and had a good lunch before setting up. The room
filled up rapidly, and by the time we started was looking pretty
full. It turned out to be a brilliant afternoon - the room sounded
good and the crowd was attentive - and in the end some people
were literally dancing on the tables. A nice way to finish up
before heading off to Christchurch tomorrow. |
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Nik has
a sinking feeling he's gonna be on Stop Press |
gig
report
Melbourne Cup Day
7.11.07 - Fortunately the weather cleared
and Cup Day was about as pleasant as it could be. Was it last
year or the previous one to that the Pump and I graced Nik of
Audiophile's back yard? Well, by and large it was an enjoyable
repeat, except this year we didn't get an umbrella and I came
up a little broiled. (pic left)
I went up to bro' Dick's place after that, and a chance remark
by Dick as I was heading home caused me to check my passport
(I'm leaving for the Chants' reunion in NZ on Monday) to find
it had expired almost a year ago. I reckon there's a fifty-fifty
chance I'll get my new one in time. Why do I do this to myself? |
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Alana,
Yvonne and Glen. Yes, you did blink Yvonne! |
gig
report
A magicky, mystical night at the Lomond
5.11.07 - By the time we got to load out,
it was raining. Not just raining, but raining heavily, and the
sky was alight with flashes of lightning. I was apprehensive
about what might await me at home as regards my leaking roof,
but buzzing like mad from the vibey gig. It seems ridiculous
at our stage of life, but we've definitely turned some sort
of performance corner. I somehow think it's the duo gigs informing
the trio/quartet ones, but whatever it is, it would be nice
to think that it's a linear process and we'll continue to float
sublimely on to some live performance nirvana. Alana Galea is
pictured (pic left) with a Gold Coast couple who are
neighbours of my sister-in-law. Small world! |
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| Mazz's
Spectrum pics
1)
You'd think this is just another I'll Be Gone pic - but it
ain't! 2) Bill concentrates
3)
Robbo looking like a Robbo should on Gary's kit 4) Daz was
in the dark - again..
5)
I said my tie's caught in your guitar! 6) Bill combines his
bass-playing essence with his slide-playing essence |
7) Mouse
over moving Mike |
gig
report
The Prince Albert and more Wool Exchange pics
3.11.07 - Miranda 'Mazz' Worthington
gave me these trif pics she took of us at the Wool exchange.
There were a lot to choose from, and most of them good, but
this is a fair selection. There are a couple of large
pics to check out too.
Bill, Robbo and I played the Prince Albert last night. I used
to quake with fear at the prospect of being grievously polluted
with toxic cigarette smoke, but now the only thing to contend
with is the possibility of upsetting the neighbours with excessive
noise. Some nights you just feel relaxed, and so it was last
night. The modest volume proved to be an asset rather than a
hindrance, and the band had lots of musical fun and japes -
which sounds indulgent, but the exuberant mood was evidently
contagious and the audience responded in kind.
We were sad to hear that our Way Out West buddy, Rob Rowe, is
feeling poorly. From all of us Rob, get back to your best soon,
y'hear! (See Alana's
review) |
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Daddy
Cool and Spectrum in Sleepy Hollow
1)
Gary winces as the kick drum reverberates during sound check
2) Two bass players -
say no more
3)
Happy Ross and Shorn of the Dead face the paparazzi 4) Bill,
Gary and Robbo the Red - somebody's gotta go!
5)
Dom Italiano strums 6) Restless Ross Hannaford coaxes his
stand-in black Gibson |
7)
The two Rosses front Daddy Cool (see large
pic) |
gig
report
Daddy Who? Daddy Cool at the Wool Exchange
1.11.07 - 'Spectrum and Daddy Cool, back
together again' said Ross Wilson with a twinkle, before heading
upstairs for DC's usual gushing reception at Geelong's Wool
Exchange. We'd arrived early, like a dutiful support band
should, and seen all the afternoon's events unfold, from the
DC sound check and evening meal, to their finally heading
for the main stage. In between Spectrum had fitted in around
the impressive props (pic 1), sound checked and performed
a well-received Spectrum-type set, in which I'd experimented
with a mélange of material, rather than the
usual one-dimensional effort. I think it worked OK - I was
happy with the way it went anyway. |
The main room at the Wool Exchange
is an interesting one. DC's manager, Mark Sydow, wished there
was a space like it in Melbourne. It appears to be as wide as
it is deep, the perception of depth complicated by two significant
mezzanines beyond the dance floor in front of the stage; but
the chief impression is one of height, accentuated by a dome
looming high overhead. The fact that it's on the first floor
means that, over a certain volume anyway, the sound is bottom
heavy, and the fairly extreme airspace means that, if you're
not careful with your positioning, the sound from one's amp
just a few feet away can virtually disappear. Gary Young was
quite upset with the booming bottom end during DC's sound check,
and I have to say I was wondering how appropriate it was for
a band like DC. I can remember (sigh!) when they would've
done that same gig with a McLean's vocal-only PA and still had
the room rocking.
Keep an eye out for DC touring with The Beach Boys (sans
Brian Wilson?) - I predict they'll steal the show.. |
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