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A
year after Black Saturday
1) David
and his son Chris with Bill at the book launch 2) Flowers on
the stage at the Strathie cricket oval service
3) The
Chocolate .Lilies choir with Bruce Rogers smokin' on didge 4)
The kids' choir prepare for their song |
5) Bill
wishes Rosemary good luck before her reading |
gig
report
Bridges
book launch 6.2.10
Strathewen memorial service 7.2.10
Strathewen
fires remembered
8.2.10 - This was a significant weekend
for many Victorians, and Bill and his partner Rosemary were
no exceptions. (Check last Feb's Stop
Press for the story). I was honoured to be asked to accompany
Bill on two events over the weekend - the first on Saturday
at Bridges in Hurstbridge was a book launch for Footsteps
In The Ash, the story of the fires as they affected the
communities of Strathewen and St Andrews, and the second Strathewen
Community Commemoration service early on Sunday morning at the
Strathie cricket oval, just minutes from Rosewood. |
The book launch was very well attended,
and John Brumby and Julia Gillard both made fine speeches along
with local CFA hero, Captain David McGay. Bill and I played
some instrumentals before and after the speeches, which were
well received and highlighted Bill's profile in the district.
Afterwards, we adjourned to the St Andrews pub where Bill and
Rosemary shouted me tea (dinner) and Stan proudly introduced
us to his grandson, Xavier, who was intgrigued to meet with
Rose's beautiful grandaughter, Tilley.
Given the early start the next day, it was more practical for
me to stay overnight at Rosewood and I slept pretty comfortably
in the portable granny that also serves as Bill's new studio.
Rosemary's daughter, Georgina, is on the Strathie renewal committee
('Renewin' Strathewen') and had already been down to the oval
to supervise the erection of the stage and facilities by the
time Bill made everybody porridge for breakfast.
Rosemary (pic 5) told me over breakfast that she was
nervous, but I didn't really understand why - until she was
called up onto the stage at the start of the proceedings to
read her poem about the fires. (She did really well too). The
Chocolate Lilies choir (pic 3) sang four songs with
Bruce
Rogers on didgeridoo (he made my didge), Cam Tapp
sang his Lest We Forget song with the children's choir,
(pic 4) and Bill and I played in the background as
the people from the 1500 strong crowd signed dedications to
the devastation wrought to the community on that fearful day.
I was invited to stay on for a BBQ, but I had arranged to meet
up with Chris for a trip down to Choclatté and regretfully
declined. Last night I watched the Black Saturday doco on the
ABC and it reminded me of just how lucky I am to still have
my mate Bill to play alongside, not to mention to be included
so whole-heartedly by his extended family in the Valley of Ewen.
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Chants
R&B reunion at Al's Bar
3.2.10 - Some of you - well, most of you
- wouldn't be familiar with my first band, Chants
R&B. We started playing a residency at a sweaty little
cellar called The Stagedoor in Christchurch, my home town, back
in 1964, which only ended when we left for Melbourne in 1966.
We had our first reunion in 2007 and played at Al's Bar in Christchurch
and another gig at Auckland's Monte Christo club a couple of
days later.
This time we're playing just the two nights at Al's Bar on Fri.
26th and Sat. 27th of this month, and this time we're joined
by the legendary Tim Piper on guitar, which I'm really looking
forward to. Check
out Chants' flyer |
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| SNIPPETS |
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3.2.10 - Always good to start off
with some good news. This advice comes from Jan &
Mick Cox, stalwarts of the music industry, re' the rumours
of Ray Arnott's demise: Hi Mike and Bill, It seems
that all is well with Ray Arnott. I have been in touch
with his ex wife Cina, and she tells me that Ray is just
fine. I think he is up in Brisbane these days...
Maybe this the perfect time to pass on this cautionary
tale I received courtesy of Peter McKechnie.
In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely
lauded for his wisdom.
One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said,
"Socrates, do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?"
"Wait a moment," Socrates replied, "Before
you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called
the Triple Filter Test."
'Triple filter?" asked the acquaintance.
"That's
right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk
to me about Diogenes let's take a moment to filter what
you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you
made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me
is true?"
"No," the man said, "Actually
I just heard about it."
"All right,"
said Socrates, "So you don't really know if it's
true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter
of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about Diogenes
something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "You want to
tell me something about Diogenes that may be bad, even
though you're not certain it's true?"
The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued,
"You may still pass the test though, because there
is a third filter, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you
want to tell me about Diogenes going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded
Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is neither
True nor Good nor even useful, why tell it to me or anyone
at all?"
The man was bewildered and ashamed. This is an example
of why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such
high esteem.
It also explains why Socrates never found out that Diogenes
was having it off with his wife.. |
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