Australian Music Vault and King Gizzard

The Party season continued with a night at the Victorian Arts Centre for the opening of the Australian Music Vault. We'd done an exhaustive interview for this with Jane Gazzo a few months ago. A very worthy and interesting project.
They had some items of ours at the Performing Arts Museum and these had been subsumed , or included, in this exhibition. Clare Moore had been involved a few years ago in an exhibition which had been given the terrible name Rock Chicks but had also been a great, and long overdue focus on female musicians in Australia. This VAULT was to be a more general exhibition.

 

 Clare Moore's boots and handbag

We arrived at about 6pm and hung about outside with Barry C Douglas, it being far too early to arrive at the actual function - ON TIME.

There were about 500 people in the room. I ran into Ross Wilson, Margret Roadknight and Jeannie Lewis, Bruce and Peter Milne, Mike Rudd, Jeff Duff, Neville and Linda from Maton guitars, Angie Hart, Ian McFarlane and many other people.

Michael Gudinski gave  a speech which was a lot like many other speeches I'd heard him give. Yelling into a crowded room about Mushroom records and successful recent tours. Spoke also of the jacket he was wearing and how he'd worn it to the Mushroom 25 celebration many years ago. He talked of Melbourne and its great venues "like Rod Laver Arena and - whats that one you like Matt? Used to be HiSense?Margaret Court...."

Victorian Arts Minister Martin Foley also spoke, as did the head of the Arts Centre, Claire Spencer.

Its a great exhibition and a very worthy exercise.

Tina Arena also spoke, with all the gravitas that she brings to such occasions. As well as talking of her art and the general struggles of Australian performers, she reminded us she should have been at a school function for her son.

Ian "Molly" Meldrum also gave a speech. Always a cheerleader for Australian pop. He shared a couple of stories about his comings and goings with the British Royal family and Charles and Di in particular.

Kylie Minogue was somewhere in the room. I didn't look but Michael Gudinski, Ian "Molly" Meldrum, Martin Foley and Claire Spencer all gestured and referred to an area of the room where she must have been situated. Tina Arena did not defer. Hierarchy and deference were important here, as well as people giving up their valuable time.

My Red Velvet Suit made by my mum in 1985 next to a dress belonging to Lindy Morrison (Not really noted for spangly dresses) and Deniz Tek's ripped jeans and denim jacket....cool!

Billy Miller and Rebecca Barnard got up to sing some notable Australian songs for the occasion and did a fantastic job. Needless to say - it was a tough crowd!

We hung around far too late in the bar with Janine Barrand from the arts centre and her mate Lorenzo, Penny Ikinger and Vincent Hanon and then took an hour long train ride home.

The next day I did the final Banana Lounge Broadcast of the year.
I drove in as I was a bit late getting started.
The previous week I'd gotten in touch with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard to see if they could come in to get the NARNIE award for best album 2017. Eric, the co-drummer who also does all the logistics, said that he could come in.
The show goes from 12-2pm. At about 12:45 I told Sam Cummins at Triple R that I hadn't heard and he called them. Eric was surprised as it hadn't been confirmed but said they'd "jump in the car".

They were getting the award for  the FOUR albums they'd already released in 2018 and they are still talking of getting their FIFTH out. So they were still actually working on that last one. I mean, their time was actually being impinged upon. I HAD TO ACTUALLY THANK THEM FOR GIVING US THEIR VALUABLE TIME!. ( an actual first in showbusiness?)

So I was honoured and surprised when Eric came in with Stu McKenzie, and drummer Michael Cavanagh to talk for an hour. You can listen back here. The interview starts at about one hour in.

The Fourth King Gizzard album for 2017, POLLYGONDWANALAND is available completely for free to download. In mp3, WAV forms with artwork and all. Stu explains in the interview why they did this. Its as good as all the others and in some ways continues the prog/jazz stylings and textures of SKETCHES OF EAST BRUNSWICK.

Such a great unit.






Hey its Xmas, buy a friend a copy of WORKSHY from the publisher AFFIRM PRESS.  

We also have our 2017 CD LETS GET TIGHT available on CD. It costs $20 and is one of the best albums we have ever made. You can find copies of it - as well as many others - at this page on our website. 
In Sydney it's available at REDEYE RECORDS.
In Melbourne its available at Basement Discs, Rocksteady Records in the city and Greville Records in Prahran. 
In Adelaide it's at Streetlight records.

Dave Graney and Clare Moore CD Let's Get Tight available at iTunes and Bandcamp now.

We have our annual Boxing day blowout in Adelaide at the Hotel Metro 6pm December 26th.

January 27th - we do a DJ set at the National Gallery of Victoria. DJ's HASHISH AND LIQUOR. 6-8pm .

In February we journey to NSW regional venues and then to the Sunshine Coast and to Brisbane.

Dec 26th Dave Graney and Clare Moore annual Boxing Day show at the Hotel Metro in Adelaide, SA.

2017 Dave Graney memoir - WORKSHY out on Affirm press in. Order it here. 

Feb 7th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at Smiths Alternative in Canberra, ACT
Feb 8th Dave Graney and Clare Moore TBA -  Wollongong, NSW.
Feb 9th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at the Agrestic Grocer, Orange, NSW

Feb 10th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at the Cafe Metropole in Katoomba, NSW

Feb 11th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at Dangar island Bowling Club, NSW

Feb 16th - Dave Graney and the mistLY at the Grand Hotel, 124 Main st - Mornington, Victoria

Feb 18th , I'm part of a talk about the art of Jenny Watson and the music that inspired her in the late 70s- early 80's  at the Museum of Modern Art- Heide Gallery at 2pm. 

Feb 21st I am doing a WORKSHY reading / event at Geelong Library - 7-8:30 pm.

Thursday Feb 22nd - A WORKSHY event at Avid Readers in Brisbane. 6-8pm.

Friday Feb 23rd Dave Graney and Clare Moore at the Bison Bar in Nambour, Qld
Saturday Feb 24th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at THE JUNK BAR in Ashgrove , Qld
Sunday Feb 25th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at THE JUNK BAR in Ashgrove, Qld.(4pm)

March 11th Dave Graney and the mistLY at SOUNDS IN THE SECRET GARDEN - the Events Foundry, 74 Brougham st, Geelong.