talk of The Dead

When we set up to play in Lismore, the front of house mixer was playing "working mans dead" over the pa. It sounded great. Later, before the opening act went on, I asked if he had any other Dead stuff on his player. He had it all and I asked could he play "blues for allah" all night. This, he did.
The opening act were very young. Two women and two men. After the gig, when were all packing up and havinga  laugh I told the two girls that their singer should get an electric guitar ( he was fooling with an acoustic) - perhaps a Gibson Explorer or Firebird- and grow his hair long as he had a  bit of a Charles Manson look about him. I also said that they ( the girls) should daub crosses on their foreheads and stare directly at the audience. I told the bass player he could smile and nobody else.

The next day I took my guitar to get the toggle switch fixed in town. I told the guy that the gig had been cool and that the mixer had played the Dead. He kept working but pointed at a  picture on the wall. There was indeed a framed shot of Jerry Garcia. We talked idly of the Dead and such for the short amount of time it took to put a new switch in. He plays in a  band in Lismore who do a few Dead tunes, as well as some  Airplane stuff. "People around here know it too!" he added. I don't doubt it.

A big part of me fucking died on the Gold Coast.

Brisbane's Beetle Bar is a great joint run by cool people. The audience were so into our stuff it was like being hugged and yelled at and embraced all night. people in Brisbane are ferocious when they get into something. Felt really elated.

It'll be a  long while before we are back up that way. Actually, I'm back there next week for a Brisbane Writers Festival gig. I'm part of a panel and also doing one of those nights where they rave on about a certain rock album. They've done this in Melbourne. Fleetwood Mac's' self titled album, then INX's KICK and this time "Ziggy Stardust". I mean they're doing it in Melbourne and also in Brisbane. A band does the songs and a writer has to do a  turn in some other way thats related to the album.

Thursday 30th August - Aararat Live - Vic

Saturday 1st September - Wheatsheaf Hotel - Thebarton SA

Sunday 2nd September - Wheatsheaf Hotel - Thebarton SA (4pm show)

Sat 15th September Westernport Hotel - San Remo

Friday 21st September - Palais- Hepburn Springs

Saturday 22nd September - NEWPORT SUBSTATION - NEWPORT book tickets here

a fucking great article on us in a  Brisbane based magazine...click

and a live review