ANGUS YOUNG MEETS LIBERACE!

HAD A GREAT NIGHT LAST NIGHT, WITH FRIENDS KEITH AND HELEN, VISITING OUR FRIENDS, ROB, MELANIE AND GRAEME, "THE NEXT BEST THING", GREAT FUN, A GREAT GROUP DOING HITS FROM THE 60-90'S BRILLIANTLY. IF YOU ARE IN AND AROUND SYDNEY, AND SEE THEM ADVERTISED AT YOUR LOCAL CLUB, AND YOU WANT A NIGHT OF DANCING AND FUN, THEY REALLY FILL THE BILL.

SOME CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THIS BLOG

IF YOU HAVE VISITED THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOU WILL NOTICE A FEW CHANGES. I HAVE INCLUDED A "VIDEO CLIPS OF THE WEEK" , SOME OTHER SLIGHTLY MORE PERMANENT VIDEO CLIPS FEATURING PARTICULAR ARTISTS, AND A NEWS UPDATES SECTION. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE CLIPS.

DAVISTOWN BLUES FESTIVAL

YESTERDAY I GOT ALONG TO THIS FEST WHICH HAD A PROMISING START WITH A PLEASANT FERRY TRIP FROM WOY WOY. IT'S A DAY LONG AFFAIR, WITH THE EMPHASIS ON LONG. IT STARTS ABOUT LUNCH TIME AND ENDS ABOUT MIDNIGHT.
I HAVE A LOW BOREDOM THRESHOLD TO SOLO BLUES ACTS BUT ENJOYED OPENING ACT PHILL EDGELY FROM ENGLAND. HE WAS FOLLOWED BY ENTERTAINING SETS FROM THE BLUES BOMBERS AND FINN, ONLY INTERRUPTED BY COL RAY AND THE SCARY CATS ON THE SECOND STAGE. I HAVEN'T SEEN THE SCARY CATS BEFORE, AND WAS EXPECTING MAYBE ROCKABILLY OR JUMP BUT THEY GOT UNDER MY RADAR. WE WERE INSTEAD GIVEN AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR PAIRED WITH A HARP PLAYER DRESSED LIKE RABBIS. THE BOREDOM METER PEAKED. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE MISSISSIPPI SHAKEDOWN, AN ELECTRIC TRIO FRONTED BY A SINGER/GUITARIST WITH A CLIPPED HICCUPING STYLE, REMINISCENT OF BUDDY HOLLY. THE SET GROUND ON UNTIL SOMEONE HAD THE BRIGHT IDEA TO DISTRACT THE AUDIENCE WITH A SMOKE MACHINE, WHICH TRIGGERED THE FIRE EVACUATION SYSTEM, COMPLETE WITH FLASHING LIGHT AND LOUD HORN. AT THIS STAGE, THE BAND SHOULD HAVE STOPPED, AND RESUMED A JAM IN THE SAME TEMPO AND KEY OF THE FIRE ALARM, BUT THEY DECIDED TO PLAY ON! VERY ODD, VERY PAINFUL.
GHOST TRAIN, A BAND FROM PORT MACQUARIE OFFERED NOTHING VERY FRESH.
THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE ANNIE CEE BAND ON THE SECOND STAGE. THEY SUFFERED FROM AN INADEQUATE PA ,UNMIKED AMPS AND RESULTED IN THE SINGER BEING UNSURE OF WHAT REGISTER TO SING IN AND COMPETING AGAINST A GUITARIST WITH A SEEMINGLY DIFFERENT AGENDA TO THE BASS AND DRUMMER WHO MANFULLY MARCHED ON. JAN PRESTON FOLLOWED THIS, IN TRIO FORM WITH JIM CONWAY ON HARP AND THE DRUMMER FROM THE TREVOR FINLAY BAND. PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS ALL, STILL, THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL EXERCISE. JIM CONWAY APPEARED OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE, DECIDEDLY SO WHEN ASKED TO SOLO IN "THE BABY ELEPHANT WALK", WHICH JAN ASSURED US WAS BOOGIE WOOGIE. I WAS HAVING UNCOMFORTABLE FLASHBACKS TO WINIFRED ATTWELL AT THE ST GEORGE LEAGUES CLUB. JAN DIDN'T KNOW THE DRUMMER'S NAME WHEN COMPLIMENTING HIM ON A NICE SOLO, WHICH CONFIRMED THEY DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER, AND AFTER A JIM CONWAY SOLO, SAID "NOT BAD FROM A BLOKE IN A WHEELCHAIR", WHICH I'M SURE WAS MEANT TO BE A COMPLIMENT.
I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO STAY AND SEE THE TREVOR FINLAY BAND, BUT ANOTHER SET FROM ANNIE CEE BAND WAS TOO BIG A PRICE TO PAY.
IF THIS GETS BACK TO THE PROMOTER, WHO I AM SURE TOOK A MAJOR BURN ON THE EVENT, DUE TO A VERY SMALL CROWD, I'M VERY SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT IF THEY ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO DO IT AGAIN, A COUPLE OF HOURS SHORTER, AND MORE QUALITY AND LESS QUANTITY MAY WORK.

DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL

MY BRITISH/IRISH CORRESPONDENT, MARGO ENRIGHT, UNDERTAKES SOME UNUSUAL DUTIES FROM TIME TO TIME, THIS IS FROM THE LONGFORD BANJO FESTIVAL, CO.LONGFORD IRELAND.
PICTURED BELOW, IS MARGO, SECOND FROM RIGHT WITH HUSBAND ADRIAN, A BANJO, DOBRO AND ACCORDIAN PLAYER, THE JAPANESE LADY TO THE LEFT IS TESTAMENT TO THE DIVERSE INTERESTS OF THE JAPANESE.

E BAY TURNS UP ANOTHER FLAKE COMPILATION

JUST HAD AN IRREGULAR TRAWL THROUGH EBAY, AND I FOUND ANOTHER COMPILATION ALBUM I WAS ON THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE, OR BEEN COMPENSATED FOR EITHER, FOR THAT MATTER. IT STILL ANNOYS THE SHIT OUT OF ME, THAT I PLAYED ON A RECORD THAT WAS RELEASED AT LEAST 11 TIMES TO MY KNOWLEDGE, MADE THE HIT PARADES WHEN FIRST RELEASED, AND I NEVER GOT 1 CENT FOR MY CONTRIBUTION.

DOWNHOME QUARTET AT THE EMPIRE

THE DOWNHOME QUARTET STARRING BRUCE BB BONGERS WILL BE THE HOUSE BAND THIS SUNDAY AT THE EMPIRE HOTEL. IT IS THE SYDNEY BLUES CLUB JAM DAY, SO GET ALONG AND TAKE AN INSTRUMENT

THE MYSTERY OF GENETICS

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT THE PERSON ONE THE LEFT IS THE FATHER OF THE LADY IN THE CENTRE, THESE ARE NEW IMAGES FROM "THE NEXT BEST THING"
WEBSITE. I WILL SEE THEM LIVE SOON, TO SEE IF THE BASS PLAYER REALLY LOOKS LIKE THIS. www.nextbestthing.com.au

HAPPY ST PAT'S DAY TO EVERYONE

IRELAND HAS PRODUCED SO MANY FINE MUSICIANS OVER THE YEARS, AND IN APRIL, GRADA WILL BE TOURING AUSTRALIA.

JULIE DRISCOLL, BRIAN AUGER TRINITY

THE PREVIOUS POST LINKS TO A MITCH MITCHELL SITE, WHICH MAKES MENTION OF BRIAN AUGER, WHOM I HAPPEN TO BE LISTENING TO THIS WEEK, ALONG WITH JULIE DRISCOLL. I HAVEN'T LISTENED TO IT FOR MANY YEARS AND IT HAS BEEEN A REFRESHING TRIP. THEY WERE JUST SO GOOD. HE WAS EVRY BIT AS GOOD AS GEORGIE FAME AS A JAZZ POP ORGANIST AND JULIE DRISCOLL WAS THE COOLEST SINGER OF THE TIME. LOOK FOR THEM ON YOU TUBE, THERE ARE SOME GREAT CLIPS.
JULIE DRISCOLL.........MMMMMMMM.......

MITCH MITCHELL

KEITH HERBERT HAS SENT ME INFO ON MITCH MITCHELL
http://www.mitchmitchell.de/mitch/mitchgighistory.htm
IF THIS LINK DOESN'T WORK, GOOGLE MITCH MITCHELL CHRONOLOGY. CHECK OUT THIS INTERESTING SITE, RARE PICS, AND ALSO SOME INTERVIEWS.

WHAT'S NOT HAPPENING

FAIR DINKUM. ..... I SHOULD BE DOING ROSS WARD'S BLUES CD AT THE MOMENT, .... DELAYED,..
I SHOULD BE DOING STEVE MAHER'S NEW ALBUM, RECORDING COMPUTER JUST CRASHED...
I SHOULD BE DOING STEVE GARD'S DOCO SOUNDTRACK, MY SISTER IS VISITING.
THE TRIALS OF A RECORDING MUSICIAN....

A SAD WAY TO END THE MONTH

BILLY THORPE DIED TODAY OF A HEART ATTACK, AGED 60 YEARS. HE WAS TRUELY A LEGEND OF AUSTALIAN ROCK AND WILL BE MISSED.

THE LIVING DEAD, OR THE DEAD LIVING?

AFTER MY NIGHT OF NOSTALGIA WITH THE BEATELS, I CAME ACROSS THIS PIC. I DON'T RECALL SEEING A STONES TRIBUTE BAND. I GUESS THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF SUCH THIN DEAD LOOKING MUSICIANS.

I'VE FINALLY DECIDED WHICH WAY TO GO WITH MY STUDIO

I HAVE SPENT THE LAST YEAR LOOKING AT VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE OPTIONS TO CONTROL MY STUDIO, AND HAVE SETTLED ON CUBASE SOFTWARE. A COUPLE OF MY NEIGHBOURS WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL HOME STUDIOS, DAN BERGEN OF DB STUDIOS AND STEVE MAHER, A MUSICIAN, COMPOSER BOTH USE CUBASE AND NOT ONLY LIKE IT, BUT HAVE EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS. MY OTHER OPTION, PROTOOLS, AS USED BY MY OLD FRIEND STEPHEN GARD AT HIS BLUE DAWE STUDIO, LOST OUT ON THE BASIS THAT IT REQUIRES SPECIFIC HARDWARE, AND IS GENERALLY, BECAUSE OF THIS, A MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE OPTION. I HAVE SETTLED ON THE BEHRINGER B CONTROL RANGE AS THE HARDWARE INTERFACE. I WILL USE ALL THREE UNITS INCLUDING BOTH MIDI UNITS WITH MOTORIZED FADERS AND KNOBS.

THE BEATELS

HAD A GREAT NIGHT AT MY LOCAL CLUB TONIGHT, WATCHING THE "BEATELS", A GREAT TRIBUTE BAND. THEY PLAYED THE SAME INSTRUMENTS AND AMPLIFIERS, PROVIDED SOME GOOD SOUNDING MIDI BACKING TO THE SECOND SET AND GENERALLY LOOKED THE PART WITH THE UNIFORMS.