hardtack

While on the subject of the Sunnyboys, I got to know Peter Oxley reasonable well through his time as bassist in a band called Shy Imposters who also featured Richard Bergman on guitar; the Sunnyboys evolved from this band. They also did a superb version of Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit. The biggest shame about Peter Oxley was that he closed down his Newtown Pizza Restaurant.

Love the Smithereens... and that particular song for some reason reminds me a little of another favourite band of mine, Husker Du's song Don't Want to Know if You Are Lonely.

Ok, followed the link... all makes sense now. I hope you also contact channel 7 to let them know your feelings. In fact, if it affects enough people, is it worth considering a petition up on Change.org?

Why? Did My Kitchen Rules leave a bad taste in your mouth?

sure it's not Fistville?

I saw Chain at Bluesfest last year NB... you will love them. If anything, Phil Manning has improved since the old days (or maybe the technology just makes him sound better?).

Correction EH... this SITE is not the place for rational thoughts ;-)

Hey Crankster... just where is it you think you've been logging on to over the past few days prior to "just..."?

Well you would have to think that at least he won't be afraid of a contest.

Is that a new age scale or does it mean he's about 16?

Of all of the bands on the Soundwave list, the ones that I would be most interested in seeing are: Ministry (Jesus Built My Hot Rod is one of my favourite songs), One OK Rock (excellent Japanese band who my ex has a few albums of) and [censored] Up, purely because they look too wholesome to have a name like that.

Yes, apparently dancing around the house nude can have that effect.

Revisiting my DVD of David Lynch's "The Straight Story"... a beautiful lazily paced film based, I believe, on a true story about an elderly man named Alvin Straight who sets off from his home in Grotto, Iowa to visit his brother in Wyoming who he hasn't spoken with in many many years after a disagreement, after he hears he has suffered a stroke. He wants to make peace before his brother passes on. The incredible thing about this is that Alvin makes this epic 240 mile journey on a ride-on lawnmower (made epic purely by the fact that the mower has a top speed of 5 mph). I cannot recommend this film highly enough... it is not typically David Lynch, but it is typically David Lynch. Lynch without the darkness. And it has one of the best lines I have ever heard in any film... when asked by a young guy at a camping ground "what's the worst thing about being old?", he replies "remembering when you were young." So, so, so true.

Haha, yes it's very possible our paths did cross in that case. I was there in 1972 and did spend an inordinate amount of time in the caf. I used to hang around with the likes of Steve Cummings, a guy named John Smith (yes, real name) who was an excellent harmonica player, Brendan Ryan who was from Bendigo (may have been a general studies student) and another guy named Brad (can't recall any other name) who may have been an engineering student who was a bit of a space cadet. I also worked a lot on SCRAG (Swinburne College Rag) doing illustrations... it was edited by a person named Kelvin Gedyes who the last time I ran into him, was sound mixing for Circus Oz. At that time half of Madder Lake were studying there as well as people like Greg McAinsch (sp?) of Skyhooks fame (they were Film & TV students who were the next rung up the "ladder of importance". That was when I joined my first band (the bass player was in my class) called Poltergeist who were based in Altona/Yarraville... we did a whole bunch of originals as well as covers of songs by bands like Atomic Rooster, Edgar Broughton Band and so on. They were good times... in fact, for the first semester of 1972, my Psychology of Perception teacher was David Williamson... he left after that time because his play The Removalists had just won some big award in New York and so he decided to go full time with his writing.

There's a recording of an interview with him here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-06/from-rock-start-to-busker-daddy-cool-guitarist-new-music/6073132 I'm pretty sure he mentioned the fact that he needed the money... obviously he enjoys what he's doing and may have other options, but I suppose this is one way he is guaranteed a regular income.

Now here's someone who should be heritage listed as a recognised national treasure... Mr Ross Hannaford; ex of Daddy Cool and Billy-T and now busking the streets of Melbourne to make ends meet.

You can purchase the DVD from that website... I'm not 100% certain, but I believe a percentage of the proceeds go to SANE Australia. I saw it on TV when it first aired and it is a very worthwhile watch.

Yeah, I used to frequent the Londern Tavern in Hawthorn Rd Sth Caulfield, the Kingston Hotel in West Richmond, The Crystal Ballroom in Fitzroy St, Tiger Room in Richmond, the Station Hotel in Prahran, Bananas Night Club in the Esplanade and on the list goes.

Yes, have seen Vika and Linda a few times with the Black Sorrows and even (again at Bluesfest) on Rockwiz live. Don't know anything about Ash Naylor. My only contact with Paul Kelly was playing cricket with him a couple of decades back here in Sydney... there was a team I played a handful of games with that comprised local musicians in a cobbled together weekend competition. Was a lot of fun and PK was actually a very handy spin bowler.

Ah yes, our conversation is coming back to me now

I have to admit that I never used to be... but after seeing him doing his solo show with Shane O'Mara at Bluesfest last year, I'm happy to admit I'm a convert. He's a very witty guy with a great "eye" for detail in his observations. He reminds me of a letter day Dave Warner or Paul Madigan... or even Slim Whittle (the Whittle Family were one of my all time favourite Melbourne acts in the 70's).

Was Billy Miller originally with The Ferrets? I only ever got to see them once, at the Tiger Room in Richmond (owned by Francis Bourke if my memory serves me well). They were very good. Rebecca Barnard I remember seeing a few times providing backing vocals for Steve Cummings in his early days as a solo artist (with Shane O'Mara on guitar). The music scene is one of the things I miss most about Melbourne. That Kilbey produced album was the one with The Blue Hour and When Love Comes Back to Haunt You? Great album. I also loved the Rebecca's Empire track "There's Always Something There to Remind Me" on the "To Hal and Bacharach" covers album.

Thanks NB. It's funny actually, after reading the earlier comment that mentioned teh Angels, I had another listen and could understand that some or the "extra" guitar fills in there did have a similar ring to them. I do like the Church comparison, although the actual song predates the Church by a few years..and no, I certainly don't have Kilbey's ego; if I had, then maybe we could have been successful ;-) As for the slide, I'm not sure that Steve (the guitarist) would have borrowed that bottle from Chris Cheney, but I am sure that teh old beer bottle slide goes way way back... hence the term "bottleneck guitar". Steve is an interesting piece of fruit by the way... check out what he does for a (kind of) real living... http://www.steveralphs.com/

Yes NB, I think he may have been off on a bit of a bender for those DoTG shows. I saw Steve with Shane O'Mara not so long ago here in Sydney and that was a great show. Prior to that I had seen Shane O'Mara accompanying Tim Rogers at Bluesfest last Easter... a brilliant performance. You can find a few Steve Cummings pics amongst these in one of my Facebook albums: https://www.facebook.com/tim.fleming.75/media_set?set=a.583242671711020.1073741830.100000758763064&type=3

Yes, if that was the Elvis Costello concert (I went to that Day on the Green show at Bimbadgen in the Hunter Valley), he was very off the mark with his performance. I have however seen him a couple of times since up here in Sydney at a place called Deus Cafe and on both occasions he was excellent, so I wouldn't write him off on the strength of that Day on the Green show. I also have his most recent solo album which is also well worth a listen (gifted by him - we were friends in the early 70's at Swinburne where I was studying Graphic Art). I was also a regular at their pub shows mostly at the Kingston Hotel in West(?) Richmond and the London Tavern in South Caulfield. For the reunion shows the only originals are Steve, Martin Armiger and Andrew Pendlebury... sadly Jim Niven (the keyboard player passed away a couple of years ago here in Sydney) and I'm not sure what has happened to the bass player and drummer (names escape me) and Ed Bates the other original guitarist pre Armiger who came over from the band The Bleeding Hearts. I am pretty sure Mark Ferry (formerly of the Models and regularly in the Rockwiz band) is playing bass. I think the line-up can be found at that link I posted.