Gig guide

Hi all,

Time is such a thing these days and keeping up with where the good stuff is happening is left out of the eqation more than I'd like. Limpin' Jimmie and the Swingin' Kitten are a couple of wonderful dancers and music-obsessed people (like many of us) who, fortunately, are able to squeeze some time out of their busy personal shedules to keep us well informed with their weekly newsletter and web site which has the newsletter posted each week about Thursday or Friday. Almost every gig having to do with swing, rockabilly, country and associated styles is listed and commented upon in their weekly run-down and if it's not there, it's probably not worth going to. Cut and paste the link below, pull up the newsletter and then ask them to add you to their mailing list . You won't regret it. The link to their site on the right of this page is probably dead by now so just do as I say and bookmark the link below. Now!!

http://myhomepage.aol7.com.au/limpinjimmy/default.htm

Having said how good and exhaustive their guide is, it seems a gig (with which I have an interest) has slipped by their radar. It's the Stones v. The Beatles show at the Annandale Hotel this coming Sunday (March 28) from 6 pm. Brought to you by the same mob who have stunned the music world of the Inner West with their Dylan, Elvis, Johnny Cash and Country Classic shows, this concert is poised to exceed even those shows with the likes of Christa Hughes (Machine Gun Fellatio), Ian Rilen (X, Rose Tattoo), John Kennedy, Andy Travers (Andy 500), Cathy Wearne, Linda Janssen, Frank Bennett, Tony Hughes (King Tide) and Fifty Million Beers' own frontman, Charlie MacLean, doing the MC-ing and no doubt adding his vocals to a song or three. The band is made up of members of the Beers, the Slim Dusty Band, The Sports and others and is sure to be hot stuff. It's $15 at the door. Pre-book if you prefer on (02) 9550 1078. I believe there's already been a lot of interest in the show and it MAY be advisable to pre-book through the Annandale if you really want to make sure of getting in - the Elvis show was a sell-out and many were disappointed little punters waiting outside. Hope to see you there.

Ray.

"It's all about Jane"
There's a very special benefit night this coming weekend of interest to all Sydney rockabilly, rock, swing and country music followers. I'll leave it to the words of Limpin' Jimmy and the Swingin' Kitten's words to explain it all. I'm sure they won't mind the loan of part of their excellent weekly email music newsletter (a link to which is at the right of this column). Read on:

From Limpin' Jimmy and the Swingin' Kitten:

The Kitten'n'me have been astonished and deeply touched by the many,
many responses we have had to our feature last week on a special
Benefit, "It's All About Jane", for a cancer sufferer. This lady is
well known to many of you and amazingly, for those who don't, they
feel as though they already know her, through their association with
someone known to them who has suffered from this disease. Jane Fisher
is a long time, live music supporter in Sydney, who is being treated
in what may be her last days with cancer and values each day as it
comes. You may know Jane as the gorgeous blonde who worked for many
years in Route 66, had her own cafe in Surry Hills - The Vegas Cafe
and more recently worked in the Pop Shop in Darlinghurst.

The special Benefit, "It's All About Jane", is being conducted for
Jane and it is her request that her friends in the music business,
which she has so avidly supported over the years, raise funds for The
Life Force Foundation, a Cancer support group whose carers have given
her so much support. Sydney's musicians have rallied to the cause and
volunteering their services are members of The Andy 500, The
Whiteliners, Satellite V, Spurs for Jesus, Slowhand, 50 Million Beers,
The Flaming Stars, The Combo and Bennie and the Fly By Niters (Benny
is coming especially from Melbourne for this benefit). They will be
performing at the Ashfield RSL Club this coming Sunday 14th March as a
tribute to Jane's dedication to the Sydney music scene and her zest
for life. What a Rock'n'Roll dream of a musical line-up. The cream of
the crop.

All you have to do to help, is Rock, Rock, Rock up at Ashfield RSL on
the night of Sunday 14th March and contribute $10 as a door charge
(why not dig a bit deeper and donate more to this very worthy cause)
for one of the best musical variety nights you could expect. Doors are
open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Please mention this on your own
newsletters or tell all your friends so financially, this can be a
hugely successful night. There will be a raffle running on the night
to raise additional funds. As usual for an RSL Club, those attending
must be a member of Ashfield or another RSL Club or live more than 5km
from this Club. Otherwise a membership of $2.20 can be obtained on the
night. We have been advised by the Benefit organiser, Cathy Wearne, to
expect everything from Rock'n'Roll to Rockabilly and Country to Jazz
and Swing. Any questions can be directed to Cathy on
cwearne@iprimus.com.au but by the sounds of the feedback we have had
there is sure to be a very big turn out to support this wonderful
cause. Come on Sydney dancers and music lovers. Get behind this and
help The Life Force Foundation Cancer Support Group continue their
incredible work with cancer sufferers.

We hope that someone close to Jane will be able to relay to her the
incredible response and feelings she has created and the love for her
that exists out there in the music scene she so dearly loves in
Sydney.

For all you swing dancers who normally go to Ashfield RSL for their
Sunday DJ Swing Night, please note that this has been cancelled for
this one evening so the benefit can take place.

Ray.

Oops!

Seems Rob Luckey and the Lucky Bastards aren't playing the Riverview this weekend after all. Here's the Bastards' March gigs, courtesy of Smithy:

March 2004

Fri 12th Wyong Pub with Leslie Avril (Rob and Smithy - not the whole band)
Sat 13th Riverview Hotel, Balmain - 8.30 pm
Sun 14th Botany View Hotel, Newtown - 6.00 pm
Sat 27th Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill - 8.30 pm
Sun 28th Riverview Hotel, Balmain - 5.30 pm

Ray.

Where did that leap year go?

The longest break between posts ever! February 2004 was better known for its four-yearly extra day than anything really musically outstanding but there's been enough around to keep the punter happy. Hunter & Suzie Owens are still doing their really great stuff at the Orange Grove on Friday nights. Rob Luckey is still doing his more-than-fair-share of gigs around town and has been using some interesting combinations to fill the gaps while Jeff Mercer's away on tour. Ian Young, a blues and jazz guitarist, has probably been the most successful of the stand-ins playing some relatively forgotten covers and giving Rob another ladder or two to follow when he does his solo licks.

There seems to be a bit of a resurgence of music in central Newtown with the Cooper's Arms being host to a couple of good outfits with Reno Nevada (Chris Flynn) moving up there on Saturdays from 3-7 pm after his run of Sunday gigs at the Duke Hotel in Enmore which seem to have been shelved for the time being, at least. Reno has played a couple of oustanding sets at the Coopers and the venue also has another band on Sundays at about the same time (3-7 pm).

Not going to spoil anyone by being too long-winded this time but one gig I think should be pointed out is Chris Smither at the Harp Hotel at Tempe on March 20 and March 21 at The Basement. Smither is one of the more underrated country/folk, singer/songwriters to come out of the US and would be well worth a few dollars cover charge (my preference, for financial reasons alone, would be The Harp).

Of course, if you have a few extra dollars prior to that, there's always the excellent duo talents of Keiran Kane and Kevin Welsh at The Basement on March 16. The Basement seems to have all the better visitors this month with America's Harry Manx (10th), Canada's Bruce Cockburn (11th) and Ireland's Mary Coughlan (12th). Wish The Basement wasn't so bloody expensive!!

Locally, apart from the above-mentioned Hunter & Suzie Owens on Friday night at the Orange Grove and Rob Luckey and the Lucky Bastards at the Riverview on Saturday night, there's a mixed bag, the pick of which would be:

On Sunday March 7 you can find Wes Pudsey & The Sonic Aces at the Empire Hotel, Annandale from 7 pm and Jason Walker & The Last Drinks, Brendan Gallagher and Jenny Queen at The Vanguard, Newtown - a cover charge for this gig would be almost certain.

OK - It's cool to be back and, hopefully, more often this time. Full-time work has its advantages as well as its disadvantages, one of which is not being able to follow all the music I'd like to and then report on it here. I'll try my best.

Oh, did anyone mention Bob Dylan has begun yet another leg of the Never Ending Tour - his fourteenth year on the road.

Keep that live music living.

Ray.

When too much music ain't enough!

Howdy all!

Back again briefly to whinge about not going to Tamworth and to post a few reminders of gigs coming up this weekend in ol' Sydney town.

FRIDAY JAN 30:

* The Hunter & Suzie Owens Band as usual at the Orange Grove Hotel at Rozelle from about 9 pm onwards. Guitarist Jake Lardot is back from Tamworth and pedal steel supremo, Tommi Graso, will be the special guest for the night. Can't say too much about any line-up of this band, so get yer post-Tamworth medicine with a night of toe-tappin', slippin and slidin' country/bluegrass music with the gang at the OG.

* If you find yourself out at Penrith you could do worse than drop in to Crawdaddys to catch the Victorian honky tonkin'/rockabilly outfit,Gatorbait from 8 pm. $5 cover.

SATURDAY JAN 31:

This is the night which is gonna tear at the heartstrings because I can't work out a way to get to all of the below:

* The LONESOME HIGHWAY SESSIONS at the Bridge Hotel at Rozelle sees Victorian line-up Gatorbait (see press release at the bottom of this post) with Reno Nevada (Chris Flynn) supporting. $15 cover.

* Meanwhile, fresh from an oustandingly successful Tamworth tour, Leslie Avril and Rob Luckey & the Lucky Bastards are doing a special show for those other (poor) bastards who didn't get to Tamworth! At the Botany View Hotel from 9 pm. Free.

* And if yer a dead-set Dylan tragic you can get on over to the Coogee/Randwick RSL Club to see a band of unknown cover-band talents put on a Dylan show. $15 cover.


SUNDAY FEB 1:

* Mark Lucas and the Bad Hats start the afternoon off from 12 to 3.15pm at The Rocks Square Stage, The Rocks.

* After that, catch a ferry up the harbour and join Rob Luckey and the Lucky Bastards at the Riverview Hotel at Balmain from 5.30pm.

FOR YOUR DIARY:

Sunday 8th February - The Cartwrights with Hogstomp and Kitty Adams at the Erskinville Bowling Club - 3 - 8pm - $10.

Saturday 14th February Botany View Hotel - The Cartwrights after 8.30 pm.

The "real" Dylan spectaculars are in the planning stages and the word is the first of these events will be a night emulating The Band's Last Waltz show and another to celebrate Dylan's 63rd birthday in May. Expect to read much more about these gigs here in the near future.

GATORBAIT PRESS RELEASE:

These four chain gang escapees, bound together not only by chains but a zombified faith in the slap back and twang of real rockin' hillbilly, of a time when drums were used for parades only! Gatorbait are - Noray Gulian? strummin' and singin' mightily.? Former king of The Kingbillies, one of Melbourne's favourite and well known rockabilly bands.

With a full supporting cast of "Doghouse" Dave Philpots slappin' and crackin' the mighty bull fiddle bass with fellow Detonator Paulie "The Kid" Bignell? twangin' and twistin' the full bodied guitar and featuring the lovely Miss Glenny Rae from the Toe Sucking Cowgirls on countrified fiddle. Bringing the Sun sound to the new millennium. From Johnny Cash to Wayne Hancock, with a touch of Hank Williams and Johnny Horton thrown in for good measure.?The band's new self-titled CD attests to the authenticity and expertise of this seasoned quartet.?

RENO NEVADA

Reno Nevada has been causing some excitement over at the Duke Hotel at Enmore on Sunday arvo/evenings for quite a while now and is working on a CD of originals (due for release later in 2004).

Meanwhile enjoy your live music and live it up!

Ray.

You like Ukeleles?

Howdy all.

Just a quick note to mention a special ukelele night out at Bondi Pavillion tonight (apart from the Hunter & Suzie Owens Band at the Orange Grove Hotel). Here's the hand-out from the organisers (via Graham Griffiths, whose band, Hoola, is part of the show):

UKULELE LAND - FRI 23RD JAN - BONDI PAVILION - part of LIVE BAIT FESTIVAL

A unique event to this country, UKULELE LAND marks the beginning of the
Australian ukulele revolution. Long awaited is this night of heavenly
plucking and strumming, set against a background of lapping waves of our own
twi-lit Bondi shores. (Not quite Waikiki, but we'll do for now.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 1 : UKULELE LAND - LIVE CONCERT -7PM

Bringing together some of the finest ukulele players in this land.
Featuring UKUPHILELE & UKULELE LOLA (both from Mick Conways National
JunkBand), THE TEA LADIES + CHARLES ALTMANN, CAMERON MURRAY (creator of
ukulele magazine `The Sydney Strummer`), HOOLA (Hawaiian band), ROSE TURTLE
ERTLER (the Electrik Ukulele Lady) plus the amazing AZO BELL (from the Old
Spice Boys).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2 : ROCK THAT UKE - US DOCUMENTARY - AUSTRALIAN PREMIER SCREENING -
10:30PM

Examines the near mystical allure of the four stringed underdog of the music
world and the recent surge of alternative, post-punk musicians on the
American mainland who have taken up the instrument. Interviewing a broad
range of ukuleleists of varying levels of talent but consistently
enthusiastic creative spirit, ROCK THAT UKE asks the probing questions: "Is
there a ukulele personality?" and "What compels a person to electronically
distort this little instrument and play loud, aggressivee music?". ROCK THAT
UKE is produced by Bald Guy with a Dent in his Head and features
introductory narration by Academy Award winning actress Holly Hunter.

Co-director Bill Preston Robertson is coming out to Australia especially for
this event. Woweeee!!!!

Ray (still sulking from not being able to go to Tamworth - but a bit cheered by having a job again!).

Happy Australia Day!

Happy New Year!!
Howdy all! Hope you're all in good condition after the silly season festivities. Apologies for the dearth of updates - an ailing modem has made it difficult to load the pages necessary.

But, without futher ado and at great expense to the management, here's a brief rundown of what i know is happening this weekend:

Friday Jan 2

Hunter & Suzie Owens (as far as I know) are NOT on tonight at the Orange Grove. They are coming back, I believe, but not sure when. Watch this space.

If you remember The Layabouts and it's redoubtable leader, Leroy Suave, there's a new version of that band called Larry Suede and the Blue Shoes playing at the Brighton-Le-Sands Amateur Fishing Club tonight.

Saturday Jan 3

Rob Luckey's back from Tassie and will be playing the Gladstone Hotel at Dulwich Hill.

That's about all I have for the moment and may update again tomorrow if anything turns up (and if this actually gets to the page).

The rest of Rob Luckey's gigs for January are:

January 2004

Sat 3rd Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill 8.30 pm

Sun 4th Riverview Hotel, Balmain 5.30 pm

Sat 10th Riverview Hotel, Balmain 8.30 pm

Wed 21st West Tamworth Leagues Club - Outback Bar 9.00 pm

Thu 22nd West Tamworth Leagues Club - Outback Bar 9.00 pm

Fri 23rd West Tamworth Leagues Club - Outback Bar 9.00 pm

Sat 24th West Tamworth Leagues Club - Outback Bar9.00 pm

Sun 25th West Tamworth Leagues Club - Outback Bar 9.00 pm

What's On (late edition!)
I apologise to the one person who MAY rely on this weekly what's on, disguised as Ray's Picks, to arrange their social weekends. I've had more than my share of problems with phone lines this week and this is the first time I've been able to even access my blog page. So there! But I can say, now, the Hunter & Suzie Owens gig at the Orange Grove Hotel last night would have to be one of the best of their gigs I've been fortunate to attend. Not only was the band in good spirits because of drummer Doug Bligh's birthday and the guest appearance of Tommi Grasso on pedal steel, but there were three guests pulled up to the stage from the audience. First up was Murray Hill from the Murray Hillbillies, then a rather "relaxed" Dave Gleason ex-Screaming Jets vocalist and then one of the better Steve Earle-sound-alikes I've heard - John Cooper. It was a crazy night to say the least and Hunter & Suzie rocked out the night with F*** That Truck and the final encore was the marvellous Bob Dylan waltz, Wallflower. The crowd was the biggest and most boppy for ages and seemed really appreciative of a great night of music. Next Friday will be the "finale" of the Hunter & Suzie Owens Band at this venue for 2003 and I implore all and sundry to get themselves down there for some more of this rousing and excellent music.

So, onto what's left of this weekend. Tonight, if you're in Balmain, you have the choice of Rob Luckey and the Lucky Bastards at the Riverview Hotel and The Detonators at the Unity Hall Hotel and you could probably take in both, given the Unity is usually a much later starting gig. The Botany View has the Old Spice Boys and The Backsliders are at the Empire Hotel at Annandale for a cover charge. And for the rockabilly crowd, there's the big show at the Manning Bar at Sydney Uni where Billy and the Burnouts and The Creepers will provide the rock-it music for a cover charge. That's Saturday night.

Sunday has the second of the successful Country Classics shows at the Erskineville Bowling Club for a $10 cover. Doors open at 5 pm for a 6 pm start (see Mark Cornwall's entertaining flyer at the end of this post). There's also the Xmas appearance of The Prickles (including Miss Monica!) at the Botany View Hotel. With a bit of luck, this writer will be able to get to the Country Classics show AND the last set of The Prickles. It's a shame both these great gigs turn up on the same night. But ain't it always the way!

Talking about The Detonators, I had a chat with their bass player, George, about the reason Rockbottom James had been dropped from the band's name. Told him I'd heard a rumour it was because of threats of a lawsuit from a similar-named band in the US. George denied it, saying the change was mainly to make it easier for the accounting system they use and to make the "cheques payable" much quicker and more convenient to get to. He did like the US rumour, though, and might even use it as part of their stage act.

That's it for this weekend and if you're still standing and you don't mind a bit of shenanigans of the Bob Dylan variety, there's the final Sydney get-together for 2003 of the Dylan group on Monday night at the Clare Hotel at Broadway from 7 pm. On the same night, Austin Harrison, the co-presenter of Stormy Monday, the long-running 2MBS FM blues radio show, has offered an open invitation to all members of the Dylan group and other blues lovers to be the audience at the live-to-air Xmas show at the 2 MBS FM studios in St Leonards. Be there at 7 pm for an expected 8 pm start of the broadcast of local blues band, the Boogie Kings.

And if that hasn't quite filled your cup of pre-Xmas cheer, you can head down towards Tempe and drop in to Dennis Aubrey's singer/songwriter night on Tuesday at the Harp Hotel at Tempe. 8 pm start.

COUNTRY CLASSICS FLYER:

Xmas is for squareheads and a breathtakingly cynical Viagra for that shrivelled softcock refuge of lazy,
greedy, anti-intellectual and Scroogesque governments, called the GST. Instead, come on down to the
Alexandria-Erskineville Bowling Club in Erko adjacent to the Erskineville Oval and across the way from the Kurrajong Hotel,
down the road apiece from the Jackie Orzacks@#$%^& cky Reserve, on Sunday Dec 14 from 5 PM for the second burst of
Country Classics. Your fave Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Charlie Rich, Glen Campbell, Bob Wills, Townes Van
Zandt, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton , Kenny Rogers etc etc songs from this unjustly maligned
genre will be pumped, humped, thumped and dumped like a George Jones ex-wife with verve and gusto by a constellation of
stars including Kane from Spurs For Jesus, Cath and Andy from the Happening Thang and Andy 500, published author and
global Gram Parsons authority Jason Walker, Charlie , Mark and Graham " Mad Dog " Griffith from 50 Million Beers, cult
baritone songster Dave " Nine Balls Network " Benham, Linda Jansson from a famous Aussie band we're not allowed to
mention, who sound a lot like Massive Attack, The Country Gentleman Robbie Souter, late of the Slim Dusty Band,and a
passel more whose names elude my short term memory at this time, your honour. Doors open 5 PM, only $10 in, drinks as
cheap as chips, and the bottom line is at the end of the day is that the reality is as we go forward that I've got to stop using
cliches. See you Sun Dec 14, mc TCB for 50MB.

That's it from me to you honky tonkers. Keep it rockin'.

Ray.

rayzon@tig.com.au

What's On . . .
Once again this What's On is going to be brief. You'd think a bloke would have his act together by now - maybe by the time Tamworth comes around there'll be more to get excited about. So to cut to the chase . . .

FRIDAY of course belongs to the Hunter & Suzie Owens Band at their residency at the Orange Grove Hotel. The best quality country/bluegrass music every week and always something to delight and surprise the eyes and ears. This Friday, however, also sees the return of Graham Griffiths' Steel Guitar Night. Graham's decided to give it a run (I presume monthly) at the Erskineville Bowling Club and the opening night will see the big guns brought out for some unashamed slippin' and slidin' up and down the fretboards with Piers Crocker's "Hawaiian Slant" The Doyle/Bongers Down Home Quartet and Graham's own outfit, Hoola . . . and if that's not enough for your $8 admission, there's a "Big Band Jam" to close out the evening. The show starts at 8 pm - doors open at 7 pm. Don't leave it too late to arrive because the Erkers Bowlers are a little paranoid about late-nite revellers spoiling their festivities and they close the doors at 10 pm. And if those two gigs aren't up your Friday musical alley, you can bop across to the Ashfield RSL for the first of four gigs this weekend by the Melbourne-based Detonators as they do a CD launch tour.

SATURDAY is the second of the Detonators gigs, this time at the Empire at Annandale and if you haven't caught up with Rob Luckey and the Lucky Bastards recently, they're over at the Botany View Hotel at Newtown from 8.30 pm.

SUNDAY is all Detonators as they return to their fave gig "lounge" at the Botany View Hotel from anywhere after 6.30 pm. It'll be interesting to see how the BVH management arranges their dance floor, considering the Detonators are one of the dancers' hot bands and the floor at the gig is virtually littered with oversized "pouffes" and full sized lounges. No doubt the punters will be squeezed to the back of the room to make way for a few of the misguided music followers who prefer to watch from the comfort of these vinyl-clad monstrosities!

TUESDAY is the fourth of the Detonators' gigs but it's all the way out at the Brass Monkey at Cronulla. If you change your mind about the long trip down there, pull into the Harp Hotel at Tempe (just before the Tempe Bridge) for some home-grown artistry at Dennis Aubrey's singer/songwriter night from 8 pm.

THURSDAY at the Kauri Hotel in Glebe is still Graham Griffiths' other gig headquarters where he and a group of fine musicians gather under the monicker of Out Of Nowhere for some very good country/swing and whatever from 7.30 pm.

Honky tonkin' all the way!

Ray.

What's On (update)

Just as well I included the disclaimer about yesterday's What's On being ". . . the worst ever reasearched . . ." because I came away from a trip over to the Rozelle Street Fair today with a swag of gigs I'd either missed or forgotten about! To add to yesterday, Kitty Adams is playing at the Coopers Arms in Newtown this afternoon (probably too late to get there). Sunday has turned out to be a problem for the punter because the Murray Hillbillies are playing at the Riverview Hotel in Balmain from 5 pm onwards while over at the Duke Hotel at Enmore, Rob Luckey and the Lucky Bastards are doing a slightly earlier start at 4 pm. As noted yesterday, Rob and the boys are also playing tonight at the Riverview and Rob and Jeff are doing their acoustic duo gig at the Botany View Hotel next Wednesday from 6 pm. I'm mentioning this because it should give you plenty of opportunity to see Rob's LBs and still fit in the Murray Hillbillies tomorrow at the Riverview. These guys have a new CD almost ready to go and are rocking along to some of the best early country/honky tonk ryhthms you'll hear this side of the Old Opry. Do yourself a favour and get over there - it's that good! Then come to the BVH at Newtown at 6 pm on Wednesday for Rob and Jeff (after you've dropped into Dennis Aubrey's singer/songwriter night at the Harp Hotel at Tempe on Tuesday night at 8 pm). There! Don't say I never tell you what's happening!

By the way, there was some great music being played at the front of the Rozelle Community Centre next door to the Rozelle markets this afternoon as part of the Rozelle Street Fair shenanigans. Gary Brown was playing one of his many Dobro six strigers, while Bryen Willems was playing the most extraordinary Dobro bass! Talk about a resophonic overload! It was amazing not only to look at but to hear the sound of the "tinny" bass. They also had several guest singers and harp players and was a decent warm-up for tonight's gig at the Rozelle Community Centre which will feature a singer/songwriter from Victoria whose name I forget but it won't matter anyway because the gig is totally booked out. Well done Gary Brown! And my apologies to you for not including your tonight's gig or Bryen Willems' Toe Sucking Cowgirls gig at Crawdaddy's at Penrith last night in my very poorly-researched gig guide yesterday. I'll make it up to ya's. And talking about the Toe Suckers - they're still playing the Botany View at Newtown tomorrow evening and would be a great chaser after the Murray Hillbillies. See youse all around the honky tonks.

Ray.