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Scroll
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Thinking
out loud..
30.10.14 - It's the end of the month
already and I'm feeling restless. It could be simply that
it's the end of the month, or it could be the duo venture
with Broc or it could be the overdue blues album It's
a Lottery I'm tinkering with, or it could be the
recent Sydney trip that's thrown things into relief for
me. Anyway, it's time for a change. Nothing too hasty
of course, but change is definitely in the air. I'll keep
you posted.
In the meantime there's another in the Gary Jones' series
of the Hammond sessions coming up next Thursday at the
303 Bar where we'll try to recreate the Spectrum of old
with a real B Hammond + Leslie driven by Daryl Roberts.
There's bound to be a few old Spectrum numbers being dusted
off, so you'd better be there.
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1)
Mike and chaps go through the motions at the Django
Bar 2)
Daz and the Gringos open the Blues & Roots
Fest
gig report
Sat. 25.10.14 Spectrum at the Django Bar
Sun. 26.10.14 Spectrum Plays the Blues at the Sydney
Blues & Roots Festival
Sydney
meets Spectrum and vice versa..
27.10.14 - Up until now I've
never used GPS, but it's safe to say that without
GPS this mini-tour wouldn't have been possible.
In the event, Daz drove the Gringos to Sydney via
the Gerogery pub while the Spectrum crew flew up
on the Saturday morning, but in the end it was hard
to tell which of us was the more tired when we assembled
for sound check in the Django Bar around 5.00.
The stage was so tiny that a false step by Broc
or myself might've seen us disappear from view altogether,
so I took an unscripted break half way through Spectrum's
set to put my mic stand onto the floor to give myself
more room.
I was having an indifferent night remembering lyrics
and was feeling a little bit unsettled overall,
but the crowd seemed to like us and demanded an
encore. Next time we might aim for the larger Camelot
Lounge upstairs, where Don Walker was playing that
same night.
The Sydney Blues & Roots Festival is actually
held in Windsor, a sleepy little hamlet about an
hour inland from Sydney. Sunday was hot and getting
hotter and by the time we got onto the stage it
was touching 37 degrees. The stage was a lot of
things the previous night's stage wasn't, with a
spiffing backline of equipment and salubrious PA.
We got a lovely intro from Simon French (who also
rewrote my bio for the Festival program to great
effect) and we were underway.
By this time the audience had filled out the covered
seated area and was responding warmly to my asides
and the band was as hot as the weather. There were
men dashing about busily lugging professional-looking
cameras so I'm hopeful there might be some useful
footage when the dust settles, but it was a relaxed
set and the crowd obviously enjoyed it. |
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When
the sun sets over Carlton CD release
24.10.14 - There was a big article by
Chris Johnston in The Age yesterday that I thought
timely - I realise now it was part of the strategic
push by Warner Music to publicise the release
of the CD When
the sun sets over Carlton.
Oddly enough, a Spectrum track has made the
cut - or, more accurately, an Indelible Murtceps'
track from the Warts Up Your Nose album,
namely Blue Movies Make Me Cry. It was
the only track on Warts album not recorded
at Armstrongs, having been recorded at Channel
9's TCS studio with John French, so it may not
have been intended for the Warts album,
but the song certainly suited the Murtceps' oeuvre.
Warner had it remastered from a tape I had at
home and it's come up a treat - better that the
original album version.
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Broc
& Mike by the seaside at the Westernport Hotel
(Wazz) |
gig
report
Sun. 19.10.14 Westernport Hotel San Remo
Inaugural
duo gig works out OK
21.10.14 - Despite inaccurate
worksheets and my own misleading promotion, Broc
and I arrived in time for what turned out to be
a 5.30 start at the Westernport Hotel on Sunday
(and not the San Remo Hotel I'd been advertising).
I'd changed George's strings the day before and
I was struggling a bit but Broc more than made up
for it with some slick guitar playing and I'm actually
enjoying singing popular songs for a change. The
hits on the day were I'll Be Gone (of course),
Otis Redding's Dock of the Bay (sans
whistle) and Bill's parting shot, It's a Lottery.
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A
man and his shirt.. |
Mike
& Broc to play in San Remo this Sunday!
13.10.14 - In a really
late deveopment, Broc and I have been booked to
play the 6.00 - 9.00 session this Sunday evening
at the Westernport Hotel, coinciding with the Australian
Motor Cycle Grand Prix at the Phillip Island Circuit,
which may or may not prove to be a good thing. This
has forged a hasty and hitherto unknown musical
union between Broc and me - we wait to see if it's
inspired or just unlikely. Let's opt for inspired,
eh?
Anyway, the duo hasn't even rehearsed yet, but Broc's
given me a preview of his material and there's every
chance we could prove to be popular if
his choice of material's anything to go by.
I rolled up last night at the Willy RSL to help
celebrate the 60th birthday of Rob Rowe, (pic)
the indefatigable brain behind the Way Out West
Club, whom I last saw at another unusual outing
at the Spiegeltent a while back. Daryl and I finished
up the night with the inevitable I'll Be Gone
and Esmeralda - Willy faves. |
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Keaton
lays down a groove with Broc and Mike at St Andrews |
gig
report
Sun. 5.10.14 Spectrum at the St Andrews pub
Keaton
takes over the drumming stool!
6.10.14 - It's been
threatening for a while, (see the report below),
but now it's actually happened - Keaton's moved
onto Robbo's drum stool and is playing with the
band! (pic) Mind you, I've got to watch
my step as well - I looked around to see Keaton
playing his harmonica with a very determined expression
during I'll Be Gone!
It was an inexplicably quiet day crowd-wise
yesterday, but it was good to see some friends of
ours roll up, including Helen and Jim, Broc's daughter
Astrid and Heather, Maree and Lyn. |
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1)
Where'd you get the specs, Mike? 2) Keaton works
out on dad's drum kit (Robbo) |
New
Recordings
2.10.14 - Yesterday
the band rolled up at Pete Dacy's Secret Sound Studio
for another recording session, this time ostensibly
to finish off the long-awaited blues album begun
just before Bill's untimely death last year. I had
to borrow Broc's flashy red specs for Medicine
Woman and Keaton arrived at the end for crucial
overdubs |
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