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May
  For previous months' Stop Press, go to Archives Directory   Go to A Separate Reality  
 
Mike and George at Fresh @ Elwood

1) I think that's the biggest I've seen my name 2) Michael Bright lights up the room

3) Chris Stockley gets down with Mandy 4) Pam and Baz flanked by Martyn (left) and Broc

5) Louie, Debbie, stuffed toy and Allan Alderson with sister Karen 6) Gabi, JD and the Spies came into the cold
gig report
Ironhorse BBQ Fresh @ Elwood 16.5.10
Mike and George catch up with some friends at Fresh
17.5.10 - Gabi (pic 6) was wondering who this George Martin fellow was, but it's just another case of my being confusing for the sake of it. I have met the real George Martin as it happens, but I'm not sure he would add anything to the idiosyncratic Rudd set list, whereas I'd be totally acapella without George Martin, my DCXIRE* model Martin guitar. We don't get out together much, so I was a little apprehensive when Chris Stockley rang to confirm my solo gig this last Sunday arvo at Pat Wilson's Fresh @ Elwood, but I'd had a few run-throughs at home during the week and I thought it felt OK.
I'd forgotten how cold it can get in the courtyard when the sun drops behind the next door block of flats, so when I was sound-checking I felt inclined to keep on going rather than stopping and starting again and a few of my audience missed the early part of the set as a result. Luckily, Chris and Brighty (pics 2 & 3) fleshed out the rest of the arvo while I had my complimentary lunch and chatted to Martyn Sullivan, Broc O'Connor and the McCulloughs, (pic 4) and the Aldersons (pic 5) etc.
Now I want to do another one quick, so I don't lose momentum. Let's see - there's another one due on Sunday June 13th. See you there!
 
Spectrum in the Lounge

1) Robbo talks drums with Lee's son, Lauchie, as he sets up his wave drum 2) Bill tunes up the Yari

3) Come on down! A winner collects her prize from Lee

gig report
Spectrum in the Lounge at Lee McIntosh's Frankston 15.5.10|
The trio goes nuts in Frankston
17.5.10 -
This was the second attempt at this particular gig - the first time was thwarted when I had my arrhythmia episode a few weeks back - but in fact it's the third time we've played at Lee McIntosh's Frankston home as the stars of her Spectrum in the Lounge gigs. Lee is a fierce proponent of the Tibetan cause and cooked us up a very tasty Tibetan menu before we started, and Sally Dettmer, despite being handicapped with a severely sprained ankle, was appointed door bitch and sold the raffle tickets - the raffle was drawn at the start of our second set just before we launched uinto IBG. (pic 3) We did two long sets and mixed the repertoire up a bit - it seemed to go down well..

 

Mike's begging for attention - and Mick Newman gives it to him
St Andrews gigs
13.5.10 -
You might remember I was wondering where Stan had been, so I was pleased to get a message from him yesterday asking me to get in touch about some more dates. I rang him today and we pencilled in some St Andrews gigs for the next three or four months and it seems that he's not been too well either, but the good news is that he's on the mend.
Mick Newman sent the pic (left) of me on my knees, begging you please, from the last time we were at St Andrews, so I just had to muck around with it a bit.
 
The trio at the Mulwala Water Ski Club

1) Barry and Claire Murnane just happened to be up from Melbourne as did 2) Phil Seeley posing with Mike
gig report
Mulwala Water Ski Club 9.5.10
Some Mothers do 'ave 'em..
10.5.10. - But not on Mothers Day at the Mulwala Water Ski Club apparently. Mind you, the Ski Club is an enormous room, so the fifty or so interested spectators in attendance were fairly swalllowed up in the vastness of it all. However, given the number of CDs that were sold, there was more than a passing interest in what we were doing and we got a lovely reception all day, so it wasn't that we felt entirely unloved - just a couple of hundred more people in the room might've made it feel, well, busy..
Robbo has work on today, so we spurned the accommodation on offer (at the Quality Motel, no less!) and after downing our $16.00 complimentary La Porchetta meals, we drove straight home.
For all those NSW e-mailers enquiring about it, I'm talking today with our agent about a future NSW tour, so stay tuned!
 
The Over The Hill Festival

3) Lex delivers his sermon from the mount + power point presentation 4) Nurse Paula and sister Mary with bro' Dick

Lex and Petrina's Home duet

gig report
Lex and Pettrina's place 8.5.10
Lex's Over The Hill Festival
10.5.10. -
As we found out over the evening, Lex (McArthur), courtesy of his mother's unswerving support in his formative years, is a man blessed with unfettered optimism and imagination, fortunately surrounded by a dedicated team (of women) who can help him realise his wildest dreams. So, why not have your 50th birthday party as a festival, (I particularly liked the solitary portaloo hired for the blokes - very festival like), and have a selection of your musical friends and relations to perform over the evening - and have yourself and your partner (pic 5) in the prime spot as the stars of the show?
After Lex's introductory speech (pic 3) Bill and I started of the musical part of the evening, and as our PA was the festival PA we hung around to nibble and chat with the guests (pic 4) and take in the other musical highlights. I liked Petrina and Lex's duet, Lex's girls' Twist & Shout and the 'real' band, Joe Neptune.

 

Georgia, Matt and Karen grabbed the front seats

gig report
St Andrews pub 2.5.10
St Andrews goes off without incident
3.5.10 - Robbo's done something quite serious to his back and set up a reduced kit as a consequence - and was wearing a corset. Bill was snotty and my voice was even more brittle than the night before - only Daryl was in full health. Nevertheless, it was a typical St Andrews gig (where's Stan these days?), and the audience were up on their feet rocking by the end of the day.
The Trollops made a big effort to come on their big night out, (some of them were heading off to see the Deep Purple show), Pete Carolan and Alana were there, and Matt (whose 40th we played at a couple of years ago) took front seat with Karen and daughter Georgia. (pic)

 

Kevin thanks his guests for helping with the party
gig report
Kevin Gasparini's b'day party 1.5.10
Kevin's party blow-out
2.5.10 -
Bill and I arrived far too early, so by the time the guests started arriving we were well and truly set up, Kevin had put in place an old sail to block the fitful northerly and the gas heaters were keeping the deck cheerfully warm. Kevin and Kath made sure we were fed and comfortable while people were arriving and then we played the a fairly low-key first set while people ate and chatted.
It was during the second set, after Kevin's birthday speech, (pic) that Bill yelled at me in some alarm and I turned round to see the PA speaker slowly toppling over under pressure from the wind, which had grown stronger against Kevin's predictions.My guitars were sitting directly in line
with the falling speaker and would've been crushed, so it was lucky that Bill noticed the impending disaster.
The wind was becoming an increasingly disruptive factor by the time we played the last few numbers, which ironically was when the party-goers decided to really enjoy themselves. I was pretty croaky by then so was glad when everybody joined in and sang IBG lustily. I suspect the best of the party was yet to come..
 

 
 
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