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The bits
of stuff that fall in the cracks between Life, Music and outrageous
fortune. |
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| May |
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Close
this window to return to Mike Rudd & Bill Putt's Stop Press |
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Janet
Ross-Fahy and Absolute evoke the big band era |
A
pleasant arvo at Milanos
31.5.10 - There aren't too many big bands
playing in Melbourne these days, but Janet Ross-Fahy (pic)
and her ten-piece band Absolute play regularly on Sunday arvos
at Milanos in Brighton should you like to check them out. ASR
readers may remember that I was commisioned to write some lyrics
for the song L'Appuntamento (or The Appointment)
that was a hit for singer/songwriter Ornella Vanoni in Italy
in the '60s and Janet and her band are planning to record it
in the next few weeks and hence I was invited to come come along
for a listen.
I was running late because I'd had to double back home to retrieve
my wallet, but this gave me a chance to catch the exciting end
of the Hawthorn/Sydney game and then to |
saunter into Milanos and chat
to Janet in the break. Her partner and manager, Peter Velasco,
introduced me to sax player Ross (Gunther?) and we earnestly
chatted on about our Brave New World (Victorian division)
till the band took the stage to open the second set with a
band workout of the Peter Gunn Theme .
Peter explained they didn't have all their regular players
in that day, but you would never have known - the band was
as tight as you'll ever hear and the sound was crisp and detailed.
The crowd was up and dancing almost as soon as Janet took
the stage and clearly loved her versions of a fairly conventional
selection of standards and '60s hits.
When I got home it was almost Eurovision Song Contest time,
but I'd made the strategic error of watching the previous
night's heat so rather lost interest as the night went on,
(although I did see the serial pest invade the Spanish entry).
I was struck by how many singers were trying for notes they
were obviously struggling to reach, like the Israel entry
for example. What, good looking and a singer too?
In the end the best song won, and as Germany can at least
afford to put on the show next year, everybody went home happy.
Now that I'm looking at the prospect of living in a house
that won't collapse under the strain, I'm thinking I might
have to throw a ESC party next year..
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Joe Chindamo
(piano) drives the Coen Bros Project |
Stonnington
Jazz 2010
29.5.10 - I must say I was surprised when Marilyn told
me she had freebies to the Stonnington Jazz Festival for Friday
night and invited me along - I thought she was more the dancing
type. On show at the Malvern Hall as part of the Fifth Stonnington
Jazz Festival were Tina Harod (backed up by the estimable Jex
Saarelacht) and Joe Chindamo's Coen Brothers Project with Lucky
Oceans guesting on pedal and lap steels. I'd seen Tina at The
Basement when I was up for the Morning of the Earth shows and
so there were no surprises there, but there was a lot to like
about the Coen Brothers Project, and even moreso if you were
well acquainted with the Coen Brothers output I'd imagine. I
got the impression that Lucky was barely comfortable in |
the scripted jazz context, but the
lugubrious sounds of the pedal steel were evocative and particularly
effective in tandem with Kristian Winther's violin lines, which,
in the modern vogue, were almost devoid of cloying vibrato except
where absolutely demanded. Joe seems an affable chap, but he
ran a tight ship and there was very little indulgent jamming
and a great deal of attention paid to textural detail - Joe
even alternated with a piano accordian at one point.
Towards the end of the show I looked around to find Marilyn
had disappeared, leaving only her scarf as testament to her
ever being there at all. I suspect alien abduction myself -
I hope for her sake there were no anal probes involved.. |
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Mike
demonstrates his paparazzo technique to Rocky |
Rocky?!
22.5.10 - Chris and I were trundling through
The Well on our way to Choclatté this morning when I
heard a breathless voice behind me demanding my autograph. It
turned out the voice belonged to Rocky Dabschek (pic) who
was visiting the local Chinese Herbs joint. We chatted - or
should I say Rocky chatted - for about ten minutes,
Rocky remembering with some affection a time when he was doing
a solo stint and we set up behind him and joined in on the song
he was playing. Maybe it's the power of suggestion but I think
I'm starting to recall that it actually happened too. His band,
Rocky and the Two Bob Millionaires, has a MySpace
site and he's pleased to announce he has a clip going up on
YouTube any moment |
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1)
Spooky! I thought these guys were out of the market.. 2) The
old New Capers - perhaps never to re-open.
 
3) Lunch
with invisible Dick in the Telstra cafeteria 4) The Sellers'
with Bomber fan Leon
The
Week
22.5.10 - My landlord finally
made it over yesterday and confirmed he wasn't really interested
in fixing the gas heater, which is understandable, but which
also means I shall have to make do with my couple of functioning
bar heaters to keep me warm until the big move. With the onset
of seriously chilly weather, I've been cultivating the ascetic
practices of a monk. Speaking of which, I met Dick for lunch
yesterday and due to time restraints we ate in the Telstra cafeteria.
(pic 3) On the way home on the No. 75 tram I passed
the derelict shell of The New Capers, which I seriously doubt
will ever open again. (pic 2)
I was just wondering what to do for a meal last night when I
got a call from the Sellers' suggesting we meet at the world
famous 1061 pizzaria with their friend Leon, (pic 4)
lately of Wellington, who's ducked over from NZ for the weekend
to catch a match with his beloved Bombers! Admittedly Leon's
forbears were Aussies, but Leon tells me that there are a number
of Rules teams scattered throughtout NZ, so you'd imagine that
there'll be someone drafted from there eventually. It wouldn't
have happened in our day! |
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Mike
sees Rudely Interrupted at the Corner
 
1)
Rudely Interrupted put the pedal to the metal 2) Rudely Interrupted
's Rory Burnside (see large
pic)
3) Our
young mate Jude from St Andrews 4) Sam takes an audience member
dancing |
5) Rory
tells a funny joke |
Heads
will rock 'n' roll..
21.5.10 - It was on the recent ABC rockumentary
on Rudely Interrupted that Rory Burnside darkly pronounced that
'Heads will roll' after an unsatisfactory sound check had led
to a chaotic Rude performance, perhaps in New York or Washington.
Rory's a student of mine - first we had a crack at blues harp
and now we're unlocking some of the secrets of electric axemanship
- but I'm also learning an awful lot from him. Rory started
off life way behind the eightball, born without eyes and with
Asperger's syndrome. By way of compensation Rory's blessed with
a prodigious musical talent and a wicked-to-lame sense of humour
and both of them are highlighted in a Rude live performance.
I'd been 'invited' to attend the Rude gig at The Corner by Rory
and reminded per SMS when he had to cancel his last lesson in
favour of a band rehearsal. I went up to the stage to take some
shots and to observe the band dynamics at close hand. Rory was
clearly tiring by the end of the night and refused an encore.
I reckon from now on Rory will be Bill's hero! |
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Adam
displays the merch with some help from Chris |
Don't
Kill Live Music merch goes to Choclatté
15.5.10 - I was favoured by a
visit by Anne O'Rourke yesterday and she brought me up to date
with the Don't Kill Live Music campaign's progress as well as
delivering some T-shirts and badges to be delivered in turn
to Adam Stevens (pic) at my fave Camberwell haunt,
Choclatté. If you'd like to buy some DKTM merchandise,
not to mention savour the delights on offer at Choclatté,
just head on down to the Harold St / Burke Rd intersection at
827 Burke Rd - I might even be there when you do!
On Wednesday night I was invited over to Lex and Petrina's to
pick up an errant guitar lead and for an OTH Festival 'debriefing'
over a very pleasant meal and a couple o' red wines. Life does
not better get.. (contact SLAM) |
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Dr Wazz,
Dr Rachel, Dr Marg, Rudd MD and Dr Barb |
Dr
Sellers has a birthday
5.5.10 - Dr Marg Sellers that
is. I met my fellow party-goers (pic) outside the Epoca
restaurant in Bulleen Rd, and after inspecting the damage inflicted
on the Sellers' car by some lunatic student from the sub-continent
(probably with no insurance) that very afternoon, we all trouped
inside. I immediately trouped back outside again and retrieved
my glasses from the van and then was introduced to Dr Barb,
who works with Doctors Rachel and Marg, and we settled in to
a very satisfying evening replete with wine and fine food. A
couple of renditions of Happy Birthday followed, the second
time with the surprise birthday cake that Warren had secretly
organised. Damned clever these Doctors. I'm looking forward
to next year's party already.. |
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1)
The auctioneer's flag 2) The auctioneer tries unsuccessfully
to re-engage the tree-man |
Rudd's
Camberwell mansion sold - for $1.29m!
3.5.10 - I figured a million was on the
cards, but it's clear that the Mike Rudd charisma factor drove
the bid into the realms of yer dreamin'. Chris and
I rolled up at 11.30 and the auctioneer started the bidding
at $750,000, but it quickly hit the million mark and edged up
till the man |
| leaning on the tree in the red T-shirt
(pic 2) gave it away - he wasn't happy either. I suspect
he was the preferred bidder too, because the terms immediately
reverted to my being out by settlement in 90 days. Bugger. |
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