Presentation Night w/ Dennis Cometti. Isn't Melbourne strange?

This was bubbling along while we were madly concentrating on the reunion shows. For those interstate or overseas, Dennis Cometti is the doyen of football callers on television. "The golden voice of the west".

These fellows from Sydney who manage all the most happening rock bands in the country started doing these events as they seem to be totally excited by it. They pair a musical person witha  sports person and Francis Leach, an excellent broadcaster in any field (but who now mostly works in sport) chairs the proceedings.

Hey Triple R radiothon is on- do the right thing and subscribe . Its called PAINT THE TOWN RRR .
This is my KEN NORDINE type tribute to the colour ORANGE

Dennis and I both came on to a  theme tune. Francis had walked on to the Smiths "This Charming Man". We were still in the dressing room and I asked Dennis his opinion on the Smiths. He said he liked a track from Morriseys 2014 album called "istanbul" but wasn't really fussed by either. He came on to some "Game of Love". I walked on to Lynyrd Skynyrds "Workin for the MCA".

Francis threw up some photos of different things and we gagged about career flops and highs. Dennis confessed to  an interest in the JFK shooting and a thwarted tv special he had once almsot made.

I talked of teen footystuff and playing music. We had to bring a  fave bit of music to talk about. I Dennis brought a young American band he had produced an album for in 2010 called the McKennas. I brought LIVE DEAD by the GRATEFUL DEAD and talked about DARK STAR.

 

We had to talk about heroes. Dennis had pictures of  djs he had loved. American and Australian. I had pictures of the author John Cowper Powys and the explorer Richard Burton.

Powys

Burton.

The audience was .... well I don't really know. Hey we kept it light mostly!

Triple R radiothon - subscribe! My tribute to the colour white

Anyway, had  a marvellous time. Dennis was a lovely fellow and we promised we'd have dinner on Grand Final week. I'll hold him to that. 

Oh, I had to play a few tunes so I did "saturday night bath", "life's a dream" and "flash in the pantz". In reverse order to that. 

400 people came on a  cold Sunday night to hear two old smoothies talk about their lives in the world of luck and chance. Isn't Melbourne strange? 

return of dave graney and the coral snakes shows - melbourne

We set up at the Memo Music Hall in Melbourne on the Monday to have  a practice and to do a filmed interview which appeared on ABC tv Lateline later in the week.

Hamish Fitzimmons did the story. 

Barry Douglas aka Barry takes Photos was there to document our reconstitution of ourselves.


We rehearsed later in the week at Soundpark. One of the coldest winters in decades in Melbourne.

Did some mad promo stuff as this reformation opened doors for us that had't been in or vicinity in years.
Mick Molloy got me into MMM in Melbourne and I found myself on the Hot Breakfast show with him and Eddie McGuire.

Clare and I also talked to Glenn Ridge at 3MP and Dennis Walter at 3AW. Pros!

Chris Hollow wrote a story for fairfax.

Iain Shedden wrote a story for the Australian.

We set up the old paper backdrop the Stephen Bush did for us back in 1991. Water colours on paper. It had been rolled up in our studio ever since. With the help of some Gaffa tape it looked quite spiffy.

 

 I wore my maroon jumpsuit in the Night Of The Wolverine set and my black one for the "unbuttoned set. 

Friday nights show was tight as a drum. Very powerful. EPIC. Like doing a  theatre show. 800 people came in over the two nights. Two of the happiest and most powerful shows of our lives.

Barry Douglas took photos for both nights.

Mandy Hall took some excellent shots on the Saturday. 

We saw so many old friends. I got hugged from one end of the room to the other. Had an absolute ball.
Both nights were recorded but I haven't had  a chance to get into the studio.

A funny thing was I was playing Tupacs "all eyez on me" cd over the PA as it was what was always playing in our house in 1995. It elicited some strong complaints from a fellow in the audience.He called it "racist" (to the sound engineer out front). People funny bwoy!

Now we head up to NSW with the show.

Dave Graney'n' the Coral Snakes 2015 -
Also playing September 4th at NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB - SYDNEY
September 5th at LIZOTTES - NEWCASTLE
EXTRA SHOW! Sept 6th at THE BASEMENT - Sydney
October 24th at the CROWN and ANCHOR in ADELAIDE

It really was a great couple of nights. That room at Memo is something special too. Here is my card.