WORKSHY - notes 2 - the Music Work

When I wrote 1001 Australian Nights I was trying to talk about the tone I had in my songwriting and where I snatched it from. It was pretty abstract and dreamy. I mainly concentrated on the period of my music that got most public exposure in Australia, the early to late 90s with Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes. The albums that were released on Id/Universal.

Night Of The Wolverine, You Wanna Be There But You Don't Wanna Travel, The Soft 'n Sexy Sound and The Devil Drives.

(The latter three albums were released as a 4 disc set - along with a rarities disc- by Universal in 2013)

 

art Tony Mahony

 For Workshy I felt more free to write about the period before this, in the Moodists and in the first version of Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes which began around 1987 in London. 

All this period was pretty much unknown in Australia.  We happened here in the 90s as a pretty new act in many ways, we weren't carrying any baggage from our previous lives and didn't really drag it out for anybody. But all the energy and imagery I was carrying and all the unfinished business Clare Moore and I just had to put right came from that period. My vocabulary and language and aesthetics all came from that period in the UK. Lots of temporary jobs and lots or reading and listening to music that was all up in me when we were playing out in the fields and pubs in 90s Australia. 

I had an agenda. I was on a kind of mission. Very free and ranging about but disciplined. Though in the clip below, filmed for SBS in early 1993 I remember being pretty hungover. (I gave up drinking for most of that year and into 1995/6.

The Moodists had distinct periods too and I wanted to write about the years after Chris Walsh left (1985) and when David MCClymont joined on bass and we also met Malcolm Ross.  Both had been in the Postcard records band Orange Juice whom I had been listening to years before in Melbourne. I had loved their single "Simply thrilled Honey" as well as Malcolms band Josef K's amazing "Sorry For Laughing". There was also the brilliant "Candyskin" by the Fire Engines. I got to know all these people. Heroes.

(WORKSHY was also edited by Janet Austin who was a presence in the early Melbourne post punk scene as well as a fellow traveller with the Birthday Party and friends to London and with whom we shared a house in 80s London and who now co-habits with David McClymont in outer Melbourne). 

That later period of the Moodists was a great time for taking in and learning a lot about songs and songwriting and arranging. Other peoples histories and mythologies. We were all being stewed in London. It was a furnace that burnt people up.

In WORKSHY I , of course, write about the 90s years in Australia as well. I thought it would be good to get down what it was like to come from so deep in the underworld to be working with a large record company (I loved it)  and also suddenly thinking of being played on radio and also how many people worked in the business then. So many record shops and driving around to visit them with the PR people. (And how they were always all female). The excitement of being in a combine like that. How important it was to have just ONE person in there on your side.

Then I wanted to write about the period after that, when  we continued to produce albums every year (and still do) but in a  much less pressurized atmosphere. So we had to bring our own weather.

In the beginning of the book it says , "...in 2007 it all bloomed..."




There was, of course, also the internet. Which in many ways stopped time......




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 Book Here

Feb 8th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at DisGracelands, Wollongong, NSW.Also appearing, Justin Frew. Bookings here. SOLD OUT!

Feb 9th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at the Agrestic Grocer, Orange, NSW Book here.
426 Molong Rd , Orange NSW

Feb 10th Dave Graney and Clare Moore at the Metropole Guesthouse 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 17th - Dave Graney solo at the Gem bar , Wellington st Collingwood. 

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

4pm matinee show now added! 

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.