Generations By Jingo - thoughts on Australian music in sequence

 A "generation" in music can be five or ten years. People also tend to stay in their lanes, very tightly.

There were a few recent list in regard to women in Australian music and they mostly had a shamefully narrow window or point of view. Indie rock and the artists indie rock people recognize and crave the attention of - which are always the most mainstream and hugely successful ones. It made me think of my own lanes and tracks and how tightly I'd travelled in them.

In the Moodists we were young people in our twenties who lived and breathed rock music in the village of St Kilda, then we later extended that village to Darlinghurst and then followed tracks laid by others to the UK. Everything in the early days was word of mouth and on the street. No real media let alone social media. 

We thought we were in a different dimension from the surrounding mainstream Oz Rock culture. And we were. Being young, we were severe, sharp  and cruel in our views of the scene. We all watched the Sunday night tv show Countdown and we all howled in disgust at it. that world was so far away. 

Years later I would meet many people from the generation just before me and really treasured any interaction. After a while you realize being musicians, you have more in common with people than any tranistory ideas of cool or fashion.

 

When I was a teen in Mt Gambier I loved the band Spectrum. Led by New Zealander Mike Rudd.  Their biggest ever hit was I'll be Gone. They had a double/reverse band called the Incredible Murtceps and then morphed into ARIEL. I loved it all. 

Mike was a songwriter in a  scene of great players. There weren't many songwriters who were as distinctive as him. Their classic album A Strange Fantastic Dream had a brilliant illustrated cover with a  gatefold sleeve. The inside of that gatefold had the band in overalls at the Ford factory in Melbourne. This was a nod to a  song called "Garden of the Frenzied Cortinas" which was itself a pun on an arthouse movie called "Garden Of the Finzi Continis.

Ariel carried within their story all the conflicts of Australian music. Handsome guitarist Harvey James left them to join teh pop band Sherbet, a complete betrayal! Just before that had happened they had travelled to the UK to record at Abbey Road and when they arrived they were told that EMI were not interested in them recording the conceptual sci fi set of songsMike had written called The Jellabad Mutants so the band just used their time to re-record all their best songs from their live show, songs from the albums they hd put out over the previous five years in Australia. 

The resulting album Rock'n'Roll Scars is a classic recording of any period. 

Around 1993 when we were flying quite well in the Melbourne scene, Clare and I saw that Mike Rudd and Bill Putt (who had stayed with Mike all the way through the many permutations of the bands they shared) were doing a  show at a theatre in Fitzroy. This was the first sighting of them in many years. We went along and watched them play two long sets of music on nylon guitars, a duo. It turned out they had withdrawn from music in the late 80s and had studied classical finger picking guitars and just wanted to play again. thjey had jousted with punk and New Wave with Mike Rudd and The Heaters and went to a  full video screen type performance (in pubs) with W.H.Y and then they took a breather. I found this kind of withdrawing and renewing very inspiring. Clare Moore and I watched them in awe that night, going through all this material from before our own involvement in music as players. The audience seemed to be a real gathering of old time freaks too, people dancing alone in the wings of the Universal  theatre, a wonderful night.

We asked Mike and Bill to open for Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes at a  few gigs and have kept in touch since. Bill Putt (who normally played bass) lived as a house sitter at that time we met and he basically liked music and karate. Later he settled in a more domestic situation with someone in Marysville outside Melbourne and saved their house from the 2009 bushfires (but losing his lifes collection of recordings ). He was philosophical about it. Then he died one day not long after, chopping wood, a heart attack. We went up to the farm for the wake which was an incredible experience , so many players from the 70s getting up to sing songs and roadcrew people putting together a stage and PA out in the field. Mike continues to play around and maintains a website. 

He is a brilliant electric guitar player as well as a songwriter with a  fantastic catalogue of material.
In 2016 The Lost Ragas recorded Mikes song I'll be Gone and got Mike to play harmonica .

In 2020 a book about Mike and Spectrum was released. There are some details here.

Mike had first come to Australia with an R&B band from Christchurch NZ called The Chants. 

Soon after arriving in Australia he was in a  band with Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford called THE PARTY MACHINE (1967).

Ross Wilson is another character who was already involved in music while I was still in short pants (though he was not really that far away from his own short panted period) who still plays music constantly after a lifetime of involvement in Australian music. A ball of energy, his is a great voice for creativity in this country. 

Eagle Rock was a song he wrote while living in the UK in the late 69s and brough to Daddy Cool on his return. I heard him say in an interview he met up with Mike who had I'll Be Gone in his pocket at the time and how exciting it was to be young and suddenly writing songs that then became national hits . Daddy Cool dropped right in Australian denim blues boogie rock of the early 70s with great songs like Hi Honey Ho. A total unit of a band with the two Ross's on guitars and Wayne Duncan and Gary Young on bass and drums. 

In 2016 Ross recorded a song that had been a hit for Johnny Okeefe and later a hit again for Iggy Pop called Real Wild Child.

 The song was written by Johnny Okeefe's band members Johnny Greenan and Dave Owens. 

Johnny is quoted in this Clinton Walker article chasing down the first ever Australian rock'n'roll record.

 

Margret Roadknight had a pop hit in 1976 with Girls In Our Town and I cannot believe such a bleak and stark song of truth got airplay on am pop radio. An amazing song and a high point in Australian music culture.

Written by Newcastle (Australia) folk singer Bob Hudson , every line drops like a jewel of hard truth. 

"Girls in our town, they just haven't a care

You see them on Saturday floating on air
Painting their toenails and washing their hair
Maybe tonight it'll happen
Girls in our town they leave school at fifteen
Work at the counter or behind the machine
And spend all their money on making a scene
They plan on going to England
Girls in our town go to parties in pairs
Sit 'round the barbecue, give themselves aires
Then they go to the bathroom with their girlfriend who cares
Girls in our town are so lonely
Girls in our town are too good for the pill
But if you keep asking they probably will
Sometimes they like you or else for the thrill
And explain it away in the morning
Girls in our town get no help from their men
No one can let them be sixteen again
Things might get better but it's hard to say when
If they only had someone to talk to
Girls in our town can be saucy and bold
At seventeen, no one is better to hold
Then they start havin' kids, start gettin' old
Girls in our town...
Girls in our town"

 

 I remember hearing it at school in Mt Gambier and a girl turning the radio off as it was too real. 

Even now, whenever I hear it I start to cry. Reading those words, I started to cry! 

Margret sang the song so well, told the story so straight. She is from the folk tradition and has never written songs, only interpreted those of others. 

We started to go and see Margret whenever we would see her doing a show and they are always wonderful occasions. One time, about ten years ago, we saw her do a  "50 years as a performer" show at Bennetts Lane jazz club. She really commands a show, singing and playing guitar and singing accapella and doing African throat singing. She is also well over six feet in height so that helps with the commanding as well. It was also great to see people from Melbournes indie rock community showing up at her shows as well. Specifically people from It Records and Chapter Music.

In 2010 Clare Moore worked on the Arts Centre project about Australian female musicians called "Rock Chicks". (The title came from the Arts Centre people - all artists involved were embarassed by it really. ) This exhibition opening culminated in a performance by a formidable band she had gotten together to back singers, Margret Roadknight, Jeanie Lewis, Carroll LLoyd, Adalita , Jodi Phillis and Diana Ahnaid. 

More, anon...... 

 

International Womens Day 2021 Clare Moore Discography

Clare Moore – drums/percussion/vibes/keys/melodica/vocals

 

Started out in the Moodists. Then there was Dave Graney ‘n’ the Coral Snakes.

Now Dave Graney and the mistLY and Dave Graney and Clare Moore.

 

Along the way there was the Dames.

and Harry Howard and the NDE.

Also the Routines.

 

Involved in the writing, production, recording, mixing and releasing of over 40 albums.

Clare Moore Discography


the Moodists - Where The Trees Walk Downhill 7" single AuGoGo 1980
the Moodists - Gone Dead / Chads Car 7" single AuGoGo 1981
the Moodists - 
"Engine Shudder" Au gogo/ Red Flame, 1982. Tony Cohen (Birthday Party/Laughing Clowns/Bad Seeds).
the Moodists - "Thirstys Calling" Red Flame 1984. Victor Van Vugt.
 1984
the Moodists – Justice and Money Too (EP on Creation 1985)
the Moodists -  "Double Life" Red Flame UK, 1985. Victor Van Vugt.


the Moodists – Take The Red Carpet Out Of Town ( 12"EP TIM Records 1986)
the Moodists - Hey Little Gary 4 track EP (TIM Records 1987)
Dave Graney - With the Coral Snakes At His Stone Beach (4 Track EP on Fire Records 1988)
"Two Fisted Art" double cd retrospective (WMinc 2003)
The Moodists were contemporaries of the Birthday Party, the Laughing Clowns , the GoBetweens and the Triffids. In many ways they were the roughest of the lot and spent most of their career in the UK.

Dave Graney 'n' the White Buffaloes
"My life on the plains"Fire Records 1989 (UK), produced by Phil Vinall (Later to work withGene/Placebo/Auteurs). Also has four tracks from the first ep produced by Barry Adamson.
Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes
"I was the Hunter and I was the Prey" Fire records 1990 , produced by Phil Vinall. These first two albums were realeased on Fire records. Label mates at the time being Pulp and the Blue Aeroplanes, Spacemen 3.

Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes
" "Lure of the tropics" Shock Records 1992. A wild, semi improvised rock'n'roll animal style set.

Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes
" "Night of the wolverine" Universal Australia 1993/This Way Up 1996. Produced by Tony Cohen . First Moore and Graney record to be released by a large label in Australia.

Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes
" "You wanna be there but you don't wanna travel" Universal , 1994. Produced by Tony Cohen. First Moore and Graney record to appear on a chart in Australia. Contained "Livin' out our tomorrow" the lyic co written by Moore and the instrumental "the confessions of Serge Gainsbourg" which was co written by Moore.

Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes
" "The soft'n sexy sound" Universal , 1995/ This Way Up 1996. Produced by Victor Van Vugt (Just after he'd done Beth Orton's Trailer Park). A gold record for Moore and Graney. Contained Moore writing credits for "Morrison floorshow" and "Dandies are never unbuttoned".

Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes
" "the Devil drives" Universal 1997.Produced by Moore and Graney. Recorded in Melbourne, mixed in London with David Ruffy and Kenny Jones. The most psychedelic , ambitious record released by the Coral Snakes. Their last. Moore wrote the opening instrumental "the oblivion seekers" as well as co writing the title track, "I love your gravity" and "feelin' kinda sporty". She also sang the duet "Pascal and Caroline" with Graney. This is the record where Moore really came to the fore in wanting to bust out of the role she had been filling in a band situation.
This whole 90's period was spent mostly in Australia, touring intensely (very difficult in a place so big and sparsely populated) and releasing an album every year.

“The Dave Graney Show” (Festival 1999). Produced by Moore and Graney. Military in flavour, contained the marching psychedelic meisterwork, "I'm a commander!" (music co written by Moore). Other co written songs included "am I wearing something of yours?", "they wanted to be players" and "twixt this world and the next". All the instrumentation on these tracks was played by the increasingly studio savvy, multi instrumentalist, Clare Moore.

Dave Graney Show - "Kiss tomorrow goodbye" (Cockaigne , 2000) The second Dave Graney Show cd. Released in the UK and Europe by Cooking Vinyl. Produced by Moore and Graney. Contained "Don't be true", co written and sung by Moore. Other co written songs included "vengeance is on its' way" and "the big fella"( only with the "drugs" single).
 

Live dates in New York and Boston and a European tour opening for Nick Cave and the bad Seeds. Clare Moore playing vibes. Also live dates in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

The Dave Graney Show "Heroic Blues" (Cockaigne, 2001)
 The third Dave Graney Show cd. Produced by Graney and Moore. A 'folk soul singer songwriter" type record.


2001- THE THIRD WOMAN. Clare Moore's debut solo album. Most instruments played by Clare Moore and mixed with Billy Miller.

The song called LOST IN SPACE was recorded by Reneee Geyer for her album, TONIGHT in 2005.

clare moore · Lost In Space - Renee Geyer

The soundtrack to the movie BAD EGGS, (Liberation 2003).The entire score written, arranged and recorded by Graney and Moore.




The Royal Dave Graney Show - "The Brother who lived", 2003 on Cockaigne). Produced by Graney and Moore. Contained "Midnight to Dawn" and "all our friends were stars". The Post Moodists reformation rock action cd.

2003 saw the release of "two fisted art", a double CD compilation of material by the Moodists. Shows were played in Melbourne and Sydney in June.
The CD was released and distributed by Hot in Europe in May.
"Night of the Wolverine" (COCK010) was re-released, along with six extra tracks in July 2004).

2004 Scored and recorded the soundtrack to Tony Mahonys short film RAY with Dave Graney. 

Ray from Innit on Vimeo.

2005 saw the release of Hashish and Liquor on Sydney label Reverberation. A double set with Graney taking one disc and Moore the other.

Late 2006 saw the release of "Keepin' it unreal". An album credited to Dave Graney and Clare Moore...featuring Stu D aka le comte d'alucard. Again released on reverberation.



2008 saw the release of the album " We Wuz Curious" which was credited to the collective "Lurid Yellow Mist...featuring Dave Graney and Clare Moore".This being very much a collective effort in composition and execution.Contained the amazing “junk time” , music written,recorded and played by Clare Moore.
2009 - "Knock yourself out", released on Cockaigne through Fuse, has most instruments played by Dave Graney but has more than half the tracks with the music created and recorded by Clare Moore as well as guest turns from Stu Perera and Stuart Thomas.
2010 release -"remix compilation" -SUPERMODIFIED. 18 tracks, all remixed , re-sung,re-strung and replayed and remastered.

2010 Clare Moore worked on the Arts Centre project about Australian female musicians called "Rock Chicks". This exhibition opening culminated in a performance by a formidable band she had gotten together to back singers, Margret Roadknight, Jeanie Lewis, Carroll LLoyd, Adalita , Jodi Phillis and Diana Ahnaid.  

2011 – “rock’n’roll is where I hide”. Graney and Moore returned to their 90s classics to re record them for Liberation.

2011 - Clare Moore composed and recorded the theme tune for  ABC tv show A QUIET WORD by TONY MARTIN.

2012 “you’ve been in my mind” . Dave Graney and the mistLY on Cockaigne.

2013, digital albums “the soundtrack to JOHNNY GHOST – music composed and performed by Clare Moore and Dave Graney.

 

2013 – THE DAMES. Clare Moore and Kaye Louise Patterson writing and recording as the Dames. Album mixed by Barry Adamson in the UK. national tour to promote it. 

 

HARRY HOWARD AND THE NDE – Near Death Experience (CD Spooky 2013)

"THE MERCURY YEARS" 4 disc set of albums recorded for Universal by Dave Graney ‘n’ the Coral Snakes 1994-97. Includes the disc of rarities and unreleased tracks "Lobster palace royalty"

"POINT BLANK" and "LIVE IN HELL" two digital only live narrative show albums . Clare Moore playing vibes, keys and percussion.

2014 “FEARFUL WIGGINGS” by Dave Graney. Clare Moore plays vibes, keys , percussion and sing.ing Also involved in editing and production .

2015 play mistLY for me - dave graney and the mistLY - (digital only 14 track live collection on COCKAIGNE 2015)

 

Feted as Melbourne Music Legends by City of Yarra/Leaps and

Bounds Festival in 2015. A concert given with a cavalcade of

Melbourne musicians young and vintage playing Dave Graney and Clare Moore songs.

HARRY HOWARD AND THE NDE – PRETTY (CD Spooky 2015)

2016 -

Completed a 17 date tour of Europe in April/

May 2016, the main focus of which was the ATP festival in

Wales curated by lauded comedian/writer Stewart Lee. The

festival was a cavalcade of underground heroes and heroines

from the music worlds of the USA/ Europe and the UK. There

were two Australian acts chosen, Dave Graney and the mistLY and jazz mysteriosos , the Necks.
Clare Moore arranging logistics, gear and tour managing

 

Series of monthly singles with Dave Graney - collected on the album released in the following year.....

 

2017 release LETS GET TIGHT . Credited to Dave graney and Clare Moore. Clare Moore playing, vibes, keys, drums, percussion, singing.

 

HARRY HOWARD AND THE NDE – Sleepless Girls  (CD Spooky 2017)

 2017 - national tour as drummer for the BOWIE IN BERLIN series with band including Mick Harvey, Robin Casinader, Stu Thomas, JP Shilo, Miles Brown and singers Dave Graney, Ron Peno, Kylie Auldist, Kim Salmon, Max Sharam and Michael Nolan.

 

Completed a 15 date tour of Europe in 2017, playing in Spain for the first time, as well as France, the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland. 

Nominated at the 2018 OZFLIX awards for best original soundtrack (with Dave Graney) for the Donna McRae film, LOST GULLY ROAD

 

March 2019 ZIPPA DEEDOO WHAT IS/WAS THAT/THIS? Dave Graney and the mistLY (Cockaigne) CD and digital release. 

 

  November 2019 - ONE MILLION YEARS DC - Dave Graney and Clare Moore . Studio album released. 

2020 - Dave Graney and Clare Moore 2020 digital album with Robin Casinader - IN CONCERT.

 

2020 - Dave Graney and Clare Moore 2020 digital album with Georgio "the dove" Valentino and Malcolm Ross.

2021 - Dave Graney and the mistLY - 2021 digital album - LYVE AT BYRDS

2020-2021 Clare Moore and Dave Graney playing weekly live streaming shows from their Melbourne studios. Sixty seventh show by March 11th.

Other recordings

Robert Forster , "I had a New York Girlfriend", 1995. Clare Moore drums and sings on the entire album.

Kim Salmon and the Business, "Record", 2000. Clare added keyboards and vocals to several tracks on this amazing work.

Clare Moore has also worked as a remixer, doing just that for "I will always love you" by Melbourne artist Philippa Nihill, released in 2001.

Recordings and production have also been done with Kaye Patterson, (along with Robin Casinader).
Clare also recorded and performed with Henry Manetta and the Trip. A freaked out jazz/r&b band. Clare sang and plays percussion.
Clare Moore also co-produced and recorded (with Kim and Dave), the Darling Downs two cds.
SALMON, played and recorded as one of TWO drummers in this seven guitar art hard rock project driven by Kim Salmon.

Played drums with Charlie Marshall on the albums TRAVEL EASY in 2006 and SUBLIME in 2017.

Recorded Jane Dusts' first cd " a spray of red from the deep. Played drums on the second,, “ a birds jouney”  and the  third  , “Tessera Terrain”. Currently playing with Jane Dust and Emily Jarrett as a part of the Routines.

 

Plays vibes and sometimes drums with singer songwriter/actor Alyce Platt.

 

 

Players Please - Lisa Roet

 

 A conversation with artist Lisa Roet in regard to her project DAVID GREYBEARD.

Lisa Roet website  https://www.lisaroet.com/

"For over two decades Lisa Roet has won acclaim in Australia and internationally for her powerful investigations into the complex interface between humans and our simian relatives.

Drawing inspiration from a myriad of sources including residencies at major international zoos, field studies of apes living in the forests of Borneo and most recently through her own heart surgery, Lisa’s multidisciplinary approach to her work has challenged, and continues to challenge, fundamental scientific and behavioural theories relating to human evolution and creationism, language and communication, science and art and the relationship between humans and ‘other’ primates. Notwithstanding the potentially political nature of her subject, Roet never indulges in heavy-handed dacticism. To the contrary, her art practice is infused with refreshing vigour, candour and an inescapable sense of mystery, poignantly highlighting how inextricably linked humans and primates are amid the messy uncertainty of biology, nature and culture."

Whos is David Greybeard? https://www.davidgreybeard.com/

A clip of Lisa at work on the project.

Arts Review piece on David Greybeard sculpture in Melbourne last December. 

Jane Goodalls "favourite chimps of Gombe".

Lisa Roet at TWITTER.

Lisa Roet at Facebook.

LYVE AT BYRDS

 

Our album LYVE AT BYRDS is out now. Its a digital only release and can be accessed via Bandcamp, Apple Music and all the other portals that are out there.

 

The cover image is by Tony Mahony and is a photo of an actual object he made. 

Recorded late 2019 on a midweek night at the deluxe Melbourne jazz club onto the house 24 track system and mixed by Dave Graney a year later, deep within the 2020-21 pandemic miasma.

 

A rock'n'roll album. Drums, bass, guitars, vibes and vocals.

Tracks focused on the two albums released in that year, ZIPPA DEEDOO WHAT IS/WAS THAT/THIS? and ONE MILLIONYEARS DC. Plus a few from earlier albums. This digital live release compliments the two others from 2020, the minimalist and lyrical "Dave Graney and Clare Moore with Robin Casinader - IN CONCERT" and the one-off super group that was documented on "DaveGraney and Clare Moore with Georgio the dove Valentino and Malcolm Ross".

Here is a clip from the album. The song is called ANSWERING MACHINE.

 

 

Our last live show with our band, the mistLY, was almost exactly a year ago. I know this because Pascalle Burton , a really good friend and a member of the totally great Brisbane band The Stress Of Leisure, put up these pictures on Social Media. It was at the Ember Lounge in St Kilda and we played a couple of sets as our class A four piece line up. Pascalle took these photos.

 

 

In the meantime there has been the worldwide pandemic. As you must have by now noticed...

Clare Moore and I began doing live streaming shows via a platform called Stage It. It is American based and people pay a small fee to access a show which begins and ends at exact times that are specified. We charge US$5.00 and play for 50 minutes. It has been quite a thing to get to grips with all the technology and we continue to do them. Our next show will be our 64th event. Its Every Thursday at 8pm AEDT and every second Sunday at 9am so as to make the show happen at Saturday night 9pm in the UK and various hours of the day in the USA.

A ticket link to our next show Thursday March 4th at 8pm.

A ticket link to our show Thursday March 11th at 8pm. 

A ticket link to our show on Sunday morning / Saturday afternoon/night (Northern hemisphere).  March 13th/14th

Doing these shows has been a great way to continue writing and performing and learning music and keeping in touch with people. They have all the nervous tension in the leadup as old school - real world gigs - and the mad energy of performing as well. None of the travel, though. Learning and also getting back inside so much material has been great too. 

We look forward to the physical - actual - live scene opening up again and have started booking shows in April and May and beyond. These are mostly in Qld and NSW. if anybody has any ideas about shows we could do, either as a duo or solo or with a band, get in touch with our agent Steve Griffiths by emailing davegraneybookings@gmail.com

Bear in mind we would like to be in Covid-conscious situations. Steve would know what all that entailed.

These online live stream shows and digital albums are our income as we live through this strange period. A period which may stretch out for years to come.

Things opened up in December and then closed up again here in Melbourne for a week in early February. I had a birthday somewhere in there. 

We have continued to  record and I am constantly writing songs. So many that I forget them unless I record them somehow and have to reimagine them as I clamber back into them through some hardy elements that have stuck in my mind. Guitar pedals? Yes I never turn off the MXR Phase 100. I wanted the sound Keith Richard got on Some Girls. I am also enjoying super delay from a boutique VIOLET pedal (made in New Zealand) and also bought a Submarine pickup for my acoustic guitar. It slides under two strings and you send that signal out to another, distinct effect. I chose to send the two bottom strings to an octave pedal. It works best with a solo guitar.

I think a blog demands that I be more forthcoming with personal detail and thought but I think I have become less verbal or literate during this period. I see so much social media. I am aghast yet enthralled at how much some people pour outto the world via these platforms like Twitter and Facebook. I can't look away, its so clammy. But I don't. I'm clamming up. Even more.

So it's made me more and more interior minded and strangely geared for the social world. But as our media dimly strains to say something - anything - we are in UNPRECEDENTED times. And we actually are. the world has been stopped. Levelled. Quieted down. The birds fly about and we notice that they notice the quiet too.

We are intensely examing our lives. past, present and future.

The even dimmer politicians tallk about "snapping back". There won't be any snapping back, really. 

If I sound negative, its the opposite. It has been a pretty exciting time to experience. An historical moment.  

I am reading James Joyce Ulysses again. My second attempt this pandemic. I dropped out after 400 pages the first time I tried the climb and I haven't reached that area again, yet. Its all new to me. Nothing really digs in. Nothing dug in. The writer is constantly present, sometimes right down there in the dense text. Is he winking or what? I wonder who edited it. Did anybody?

Its not like reading John Cowper Powys or Patrick White, for me. Not that spell binding or intoxicating. But I will continue, comrades. What for - I really dunno.

I think I actually said something personal in there.

I am in dread of being fixed in minds like a dumb teenager. I want to be in the crowd, looking on.

I watched a tribute to New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain. 11am here in Melbourne and it was set off from somewhere in New York. Video clips made prior to the show seamlessly slotted in with live performances with a  house band from the Bowery Electric. The production was fantastic. It had people like Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, Michael Des Barres, Glen Matlock, Chuck Prophet and Stephanie Finch and countless others. A favourite was the two Brouchard brothers from the Blue Oyster Cult with Dennis Dunaway from ALICE COOPER backing two singers called Tish and Snookie. Thurston Moore read an excerpt from Sylvains book on a London park bench. Libertines member (drummer?) Garry Powell spoke so eloquently from a studio in the UK, Jayne County, Lenny Kaye, Henry Rollins, Clem Burke and Debbie Harry all spoke to camera as did a New York book shop owner and a former guitar tech. There were several French rockers who totally put on that old glam junkie rock'n'roll style that they love so hard. Bebe Buell sang and the whole show came to a point when David Johansen closed it with a fantastic song, accompaanied by Earl Slick. Fantastic in both senses as he was serious and cosmic and goofy all at once. It was wonderful to be a small part of a fragile, far flung community. It was - apart from a couple of performers - devoid of that rock'n'roll soapy melodrama and hyped behaviour. It was sweet and people spoke of a loveable, positive person. A recurring theme was that he called people "Jackson" when it wasn't their name. Several were surprised that others were called Jackson too. I guess its what he did when he couldn't remember names and often it was too late to stop. Everybodys been there! (Waylon Jennings called everybody HOSS and Jerry Lee calls everybody KILLAH!

Fragile community. Here is something nice that our UK internet - electro friend SCANNER wrote on Instagram around the turn of the year...

"One of the highlights of this year for me has to have been the regular live performances from Melbourne with Australian rock musician Dave Graney and his wife Clare Moore. Their breakfast shows, around 08.00 a.m. for them, have been one of the most joyful ways to end a day in the UK. I first saw Dave and Clare live with their band The Moodists in the 1980s, playing shows alongside Nick Cave amongst many others. They offered up a marvellously dense aggressive sonic assault, with dark songs quite brilliantly grinding into your skull. Returning to Australia from London, where they’d lived for a time, they morphed into Dave Graney ‘n’ the Coral Snakes and The Dave Graney Show. Eagle eyed viewers might even have spotted Dave in an episode of Neighbours (thank you, YouTube). And whilst there, just search for the video of him winning Best Male Artist for The Soft 'N' Sexy Sound at the 1996 ARIA Awards. You won’t regret it. Dave is arguably one of the most dapper characters in music!

Thanks to the joys of social media Dave and I connected online some years ago, exchanging cheeky witticisms and teasingly fun words, and in 2020 we managed to record an entire album together which I’m thrilled to get out in 2021. I’m super proud of this release, quite radically different from anything either of us has released before too. Dave’s songwriting skills are exemplary and his output simply prodicious, telling stories that are endearing, lyrically smart and moving.
I’ve actually now lost count of how many live shows I’ve enjoyed of theirs, but it’s always a joy. At one moment it’s like an outtake from Twin Peaks incidental music, the next a John Martyn cover song, the next a song from 1991, and then another written last week. Here’s to two fine musicians who are embracing the opportunities of our digital age!"

Yes, the album we made sounds great and I hope it comes out this year. All electronic sounds and me singing over and through them. It was a delight doing it.

More details regarding LYVE AT BYRDS...

1: Baby I Wish I’d Been A Better Pop Star 4:45
2: Song Of Life 5:46
3 : He Was A Sore Winner 3:04
4 : Are You Out Of Your Mind? 4:27
5 : Gloria Grahame 5:29
6 : You’re All Wrong 8:18
7 : You Can’t Have Your Boogie 7:01
8 : Where’s My Buzz? 5:14
9 : Answering Machine 2:44
10 : ULTRAKEEF 4:50
11 : Is That What You Did? 9:27
12 : Rock ’n’ Roll Is Where I Hide 7:48

Recorded Thursday 28th November 2019 at
Birds Basement in Melbourne by Pete Camilleri.

Mixed by Dave Graney at the Ponderosa
September-October 2020.
Mastered by Greg Wadley.
Cover image by Tony Mahony.

All songs written by Dave Graney
except ULTRAKEEF and Is That What You Did?
which have words by Dave Graney and music
by Dave Graney, Clare Moore, Stu Thomas and
Stuart Perera.
Copyright Control

Here is a rough list of the songs of mine we have played at our Stage It shows so far..... 

 

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (2000)
Song Of Life (2019)
Where Did All the Freaks Go? (2019)
Be Sad For Me (2017)
Anchors Aweigh (2001)
Everybody Loves A Mass Killer (1997)
The Devil Drives (1997)
Drugs Are Wasted On The Young (2000)
Tuning Up (2020)
Mt Gambier Night (2012)
Answering Machine (2019)
The Brother Who Lived (2003)
Twilight Of A Villain (2003)
The Stuff That Night Is Made Of (2000)
Vengeance Is On It's Way (2000)
Night Of The Wolverine (1993)
I Need Some Scratch (2000)
A Woman Skinnies A Man Up (2014)
Midnight To Dawn (2003)
Chads Car (1981)
All Our Friends Were Stars (2003)
Everybodys Gone (2005)
A Man On The Make (1997)
Comrade Of Pop (2019)
My Schtick Weighs A Ton (2005)
Where's My Buzz? (2019)
Apollo 69 (1995)
The Birds And The Goats (1995)
Lifes a Dream (2012)
Bodysnatcher Blues (2009)
Baby I Wish I'd Been A Better Pop Star (2019)
Hell Is You, Babe (2019)
You've Been In My Mind (2019)
I Wanna Get Lost Again (2005)
Sometimes You can See Yourself (2005)
I Will Always Hate You (2001)
I Will Have Always Been Here Before (2001)
Ruperts Pets Grave (2017)
Are You Out Of Your Mind? (2017)
Your Masters Must Be Pleased With You (1999)
Lets Live Properly (2005)
We Don't Belong To Anybody (2011)
You Need To Suffer (1993)
We Need A Champion (2012)
You're All Wrong (2019)
Saturday Night Bath (2005)
Everything Was Legendary With Robert (2014)
Have You Heard About The Melbourne Mafia? (2000)
You Put A Spell On Me (2000)
Finally I Come Clean (2019)
Blues Negative (2012)
They Wanted To Be Players (1999)
I'm A Comander (1999)
Lt Colonel Cavalry (1999)
Only The Stoned (2005)
Am I Wearing Something Of Yours? (1999)
That's Frankies Negative (1984)
Ultrakeef (2019)
The Stars, Baby, The Stars (1994)
Eye O' The Vibe (2001)
Where The Trees Walk Downhill (1980)
Clinging To the Coast (2001)
You Need A Kleek, Klook (2017)
I Ain't Hi Vis (2017)
Are We Goin' Too Fast For Love? (2001)
Playin' Chicken (2012)
I Need To Be Hot (2017)
Matey, From On High (2017)
I'm Not Just Any Nobody (2019)
Flash In The Pantz (2012)
This Is the Deadest Place I've Ever Died In (2017)
You Can't Have Your Boogie (2019
I Don't Know Anything (2001)
Runaway (1983)
2068 Babe (2009
Dylan the Indie fake (2009)
I Need My Guitar (2009)
Country Roads, Unwinding (2014)
Je est Un Autre (2014)
I Dig The Pioneers (1997)
the Greatest Show In Town (1988)
Biker In Business Class (1997)
Son Of Maggie Mae (2001)
Where's My Buzz (2019)
Flower Of The Earth (2014)
I Like To Be Haunted (2009)
You Had To Be Drunk (2009)
The Sheriff Of Hell (two different versions) (1997-9)
Pianola Roll (1997)
I Know You Can't See Me (2014)
Land Of The Giants (1997)
Field Record Me (1997)
Midnights Cats (2012)
I'm In The Future Now (2007)
The Pre Revolutionary Scene (1995)
Imagine If What You Did On Your Weekend Was Your Life (1994)
Oakleigh Bowie Blues (2010)
Mr Bad Luck (2005)
King Of The Dudes (2012)
Mogambo (1993)
Rock n Roll Is Where I Hide (1995)
The Birds And The Goats (1995)
I’m Not Afraid To Be Heavy (1995)
I’m Gonna Live In My Own Big World (1995)
You Wanna Be Loved (1994)
I'm The Stranger In Town (2014)
I Been Trendy (2017)
I Don't Wanna Go Bush (2011)
There He Goes With His Eye Out (2005)
Old Friends (2019)
Let Me Tell You About Yourself (1994)
I Ain't Natural (2010)
Fearful Wiggings (2014)
Dandies Are Never Unbuttoned (1995)
Listen To Her Lovers Sing (1988)
World Full Of Daughters (1988)
Everything Flies Away (1992)
I Come From The Clouds (2007)
Fearful Wiggings (2014)

New songs (some instrumental)..

Beckett And Joyce
Diaghelev and Nijinsky
Teardrop Weirdo aka The Blues. Period
Ice Bergman aka I’m Gonna Be Old In The End Times
Where Did You Glom Your Glimmer?
Where Are You In The Underworld
Wilco Got No Wilcos
Now You Must Die

And we have done these songs by other artists...

My Foolish Heart (Bill Evans - John McGlaughlin - Billy Eckstine and many others)
Theme From Midnight Cowboy (John Barry)
Everybody's talkin' (Fred Neil)
Time Waits For No One (Rolling Stones)
High Coin (Van Dyke Parks - Charlatans- Jackie De Shannon)
We May Never Love Like This Again (Maureen McGovern)
Clang Of The Yankee Reaper (Van Dyke Parks)
Diamonds Fur Coat Champagne (Suicide)
Lowdown (Boz Scaggs)
Hyacinth House (Doors)
So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star (Byrds)
Baby I'm A Want You (Bread)
Walkin' On The Water (John Fogerty- Richard Hell)
Walk On Water (Kevin Ayers)
Alabama Bound (Charlatans)
In A Misty Morning (Gene Clark)
1-2-3 (The Len Barry Combo)
Midnight Rider (Allman Brothers)
Taboo (Arthur Lyman - Martin Denny)
Black Stick (The Cruel Sea)
You're Gonna Miss Me (Thirteenth Floor Elevators)
The Dolphins (Fred Neil - Tim Buckley)
Sweet Surrender (Tim Buckley)
Parchman Farm (Mose Allison)
Ex Lion Tamer (Wire)
Arnold Layne (Pink Floyd)
Codine (Buffy Saint Marie)
Showbusiness (AC/DC)
Alone Again Or (Love)
Live and let Live (Love)
Dropout (Urge Overkill)
Empty Shell (Subway Sect)
Bless the Weather (John Martyn)
Dive For Your Memory ( Go Betweens)
Who Of Us two? (M)
Brass Buttons (Gram Parsons)

Come to a Stage It Show!