what doesn't kill ya- almost does the job!

Yes, this tour has been challenging. But whatever doesn't kill you, as you know, damages and weakens you , and pretty much almost kills you. So I'm taking that as a  positive.
Shows have been up and down in violent swings. Very much buoyed by playing in places like Brisbane where the venues open and close and the people are pretty resourceful- and they find you and come and have a  ball.  Playing in Adelaide is also always enjoyable. I feel kind of in tune with people there. South Australian tones I guess.

Played a gig on guitar sitting in with the Dames, opening for Barry Adamson. Stu Thomas, also learned the whole set on bass as Rosie Westbrook was away playing with Mick Harvey. Emily Jarrett also learned all the songs for the gig on extra keys as Will Hindmarsh was away in Europe. The set went really well and it was a blast to see Barry play with his band. Then the show was reviewed by a  KNOW NOTHING IGNORANT PRIVATE SCHOOL HACK in an online paper who sniffed at the DAMES for not beeing teens and called them Aussie rock. As if they are one of many female led bands on an endless touring circuit. Get a fucking clue you phony, ill educated mere bug! It was also stated that it was  a mismatch with Barry, who produced my first  recordings with the Coral Snakes (including Clare of course) in 1988 and we've known for ages and I wrote the liner notes for his first solo  album. The writer then said Barry sounded like Nick Cave. Fuck you. In the nose!

Stu Thomas is such a  match fit player. Aside form learning all that DAMES stuff he has been doing shows with us and with his Stu Thomas Paradox, and guesting in Billy Millers WHO show and playing with Kim Salmon and the Surrealists ( who seem to improvise 1/2 their set) and also playing with Jane Dust and the Giant Hoopoes and Mikelangelo and also some shows on bass with Martin Cilia from the Atlantics. I mean, he gets across all the material and plays it with his whole mind and body. he throws himself into stuff.

The show in Westernport was mad- wildly drunken audience.  Bonnie from Wonnie. I mean "shagtown". (Wonthaggi). They drunkest and loudest guy in the world walked to middle of the dancefloor and pulled his pants down during "flash in the pantz".
Eating breakfast the next morning a  man came up and  said " does anybody under 40 know who you are?" A bit gratuitous. "Yes, some do", I replied.
Brutal conversations like that abound. Too many to recount. I don't want to drag them out, it would seem like I am complaining.

People think musicians are lost and silly types. I think that the players are  closer to currents that are swiftly moving than many in the straight world know are even moving.  Things are not as they seem in many ways, people and their fantasy views of what is going on "out there" I know.


The Brisbane writers festival was cool. Met with Jeet Thayil, a writer from Hong Kong/New York and Bombay who had read my book and said "it could have been a work of fiction!". The greatest review I have had. He is up for the Booker prize.

Played a solo gig up there. Enjoyed that. I will be doing a  lot more after this tour.


Newport Substation was a great gig . Very well attended . No other venue like it in Melbourne.

 The Adelaide show (two weeks ago now) was noteable because our brother -in-law Graeme came along, even though he was battling mutiple tumours. He loved our band and the latest record and would always come to see us. A lovely guy. Blessed to have known such a generous character. He died two nights ago. As we packed up in Hepburn Springs.


Heading to WA next. Four of us, travelling from melbourne to the other side of the country.

Thursday 04th Oct Clancys Fish Pub (solo), Fremantle w/ the morning night
Friday 05th Oct – Clancy’s Fish Pub , Dunsborough w/ lucy peach
Saturday 06th Oct – the Bird - Northbridge - Perth w/ the morning night
Sunday 07th Oct – Mojos - Fremantle WA w/ lucy peach

Friday Oct 19th - The Red Rattler- Marrickville NSW w/ the holy soul
Saturday Oct 20th - The Paperback Sessions - Smiths Alternative Bookshop - Civic - Canberra
This tour is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria

people-get a grip - just because I'm laughin' - get away from my stuff!

Passremarker on Songwriting

at The Pineapple Lounge at Brisbane Writers Festival  2012

Interview on Songwriting with Dave Graney

Name (not for zine):
Pineapple Lounge performance name:
AKA (if you want this included in your interview):

How would you describe your current musical style, and how did your music journey take you there?

Rock Music. Done properly. Everybody else does it wrong

Which songwriters from the past or present do you respect and influence you?

Syd Barrett, Bert Jansch, Robyn Hitchcock, Paul Westerberg, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Leon Russell

What is one particular song that has really stood out for you, remains a favourite; and what is it about this song? (the lyrics will be included in the zine at the end of your interview)

The Waters of March or Quiet nights of quiet stars by Jobim. More for the music than the lyrics.

How do the words come out and get onto the page? Do you carry a notebook at all times? Scrawl as you awake in the middle of the night? Need to spend a lot of time alone? 

None of the above. I don't sweat it. 

As in all creative professions, you must have at some stage, experienced creative doubt: how did/do you deal with it?

Never, only disappointment in the organized music world really. 

If you write your own music, do you consider the music to be equally as important as the lyrics? And which comes first the music or the lyrics?

Music. Lyrics are for sooks.

Do you keep your songs a secret until you perform? Or do you bounce your work off fellow musicians and friends? 

I like music and words that are dirty and grubby with the fingerprints of many people on them. When I play them, I want people to take them away and do what they like with them. 

How do you feel about reactions to your songs? Please elaborate on a prominent incident of this from your past.

I like people dancing , really. I like grooves. 

The music industry, like publishing, is in a time of great transition: what has changed for you, and what excited you about the future, and what is pissing you off?

People love technology, and its going to do them in.Suckers.  The war has been lost. End times are here for life on earth.

  

As a songwriter do you feel connected to poetry? How?

I love poetry, but I wouldn't let it near any songs. I hate "spoken word" bullshit. Poetry is to be read. In your mind. Musics about voices and luck. 

Who are your favourite authors and poets? And which of their works in particular?

Guillaume Apollinaire for his book of poems Alcools and also Blaise Cendrars.

Paul Bowles, William Burroughs, JG Ballard, James M cain, Paul Cain, Delia Falconer, David Foster, Hal Porter, les Murray, Robert Grey. Joyce carol Oates, Walter raliegh, AE Coppard and many more. 

Why do you write songs? What does it do for you emotionally?

Just for the thrills really. I like the ephemeral nature of it. I hate shit like leonard Cohen . Give me Lil Wayne any day.

Have you had any premonitions with your future? Do you think you’ll continue song writing and music? If so, what direction?

Rave to the Grave!

  

One more thing: please include four full song lyrics you will be performing during your set.

No! people can hear them, I sing proper! Also, I didn't even know I was playing! 

 Post Script ? further correspondence (thought this might be interesting. I try hard to be nice. This exchange all happened just after a lot of travelling- including our night of HELL on the GOLD COAST which is a fulcrum upon which I have spun and which has determined my attitude and trajectory for THE REST OF MY LIFE!

yo Dave,

I'm not meant to write to you, but I'm writing the zine for BWF, and need your answers by the morning, because my deadline with them is tomorrow.

If you can fill it out... that would be sick.

I've attached it again, and need a pic of you also.

Be great if you could possibly not mention to them that I wrote to you, cause I was given strict instructions not to. ha! Strange world with all that bureaucracy.

I sent my answers last week in an email to the BWF person

yeah they just sent them to me today... thanks. ( :

you definitely don't want any lyrics included?

all good if not, just checking.

no, I'm not sure what or how long I have to play. Will make up my mind on the day I guess. I was trying to say I'm more of a musical focussed person. And pretty much all rock lyrics- except mine- are fucking rubbish.

except for led zeppelin, rollingstones, talking heads. there's a number that have some good lyrics I reckon.

anyway Mr. Graney, see ya on the 9th.

those are all very good musical acts. lyrics pretty good for the Stones , terrible for zeppelin but the best is by Steely Dan , Paul Westerberg, Bonnie Billy and August Darnell.

'll have to check em out one day.

My favourite lyricist of all time... well two acts: Cake and Butterfingers.

hey, just bear in mind that you're talking to a fucking expert in this matter. I know everybody has an opinion , but I have the skills and the experience and have written 25 fucking albums and two books. Cake are (1) shit and (2) yanks...

                        ...being yanks means they get a free ride from colonials...

I ran into the young lady who put a bit of time into making the fanzine at the festival. It was lovingly tied with a  bit of string. I have a phobia about cds and papers tied up with string. It creeps me out.

I said hello and also that I was being a little bit funny in my responses. Little bit. The fanzine included some lyrics by Jobim. Someone else had done my bit, she said. She was a bit excited – I guess - and cried out that she had read my responses and thought “wow! Who is this guy? Who the fuck does he think he is?” I only regret that , once again, I didn’t express myself HARD ENOUGH! I was dave FUCKIN" Graney! 

Sat 15th September Westernport Hotel - San Remo
Friday 21st September - Palais- Hepburn Springs
Saturday 22nd September - NEWPORT SUBSTATION -NEWPORT book tickets here

Thursday 04th Oct Clancys Fish Pub (solo), Fremantle
Friday 05th Oct – Clancy’s Fish Pub (indoors), Dunsborough
Saturday 06th Oct – the Bird - Northbridge - Perth
Sunday 07th Oct – Mojos - Fremantle WA
This tour is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria

adelaide 2012 then a long drive for mt gambier night

Clare Moore and myself drove across the state and up and down the hills and onto North Terrace in Adelaide, across from the university, parked our van and dragged some gear in to the studio. We kicked some dust off and threw down five songs with electric guitar and a snare drum and tambourine and spoke with the smart young bloke from Radio Adelaide.

After that, we retired to our hotel of choice, up the far end of Hindley street, and unpacked again.

The next day we were joined by Stu Thomas and Stuart Perera again and played a  Saturday night show at the Wheastsheaf Hotel in Thebarton. You could walk there from the hotel, really, but its tucked away in an almost inner suburban street. No problems with noise, no security, no poker machines or big sports tv screens and people love going to it. We played two sets to a rowdy crowd. So great to be playing to people who've been tuning into our music for a long time ,a swell as some youngsters who get off on our flashness. After the gig, we dropped into the Villis Bakery which has a 24 hour cafe attached to the big ovens. Great place. Full of night life types. Well , people who are hungry at the wrong time of day anyway.

The next day we played another couple of sets in the  late afternoon at the same venue. The band is playing so well. Some people mention words like smooth" and "soft" in the press but we're coming on so much stronger. Waves of power from the rhythm section and the guitars. Playing the best music in our lives right now.

On the Monday I loaded the van and drove back in a  homeward direction. to Melbourne, Along the way, I got the idea to detour to Mt gambier to shoot some film on   a little camera I'd been fooling with. Six hours later I arrived in the town and drove and walked around for a few hours before continuing on, planning to stop somewhere. I stopped in Coleraine and had a  nap, then drove on to Glenthompson. I was really fatigued, normally I can always keep driving but the last couple of months has been tough going.

I woke up at 4 am and drove another three hours into Melbourne. Quite delirious I guess. I stopped at  a shop in the Hills and some gent came up , asking if I was who I looked like. I wasn't the warmest to his enquiries I must admit. The thousand yard stare was in effect.

On Wednesday I put this clip together , for a  song thats been growing in power in our live shows. I thought it was too personal to come across to people but what the fuck do I know?

The clip begins with some introductions to the song as we kicked it into shape on last years tour. Then theres the footage I shot on the Monday. Its heavy on the "bright satanic mills". I didn't focus on any of the natural beauty of the town. Felt like accentuatin' the horror. Well maybe the intimacy of some of the associations. I worked at one of those mills when I left high school. (Didn't work again for another few years!Happy days! ) At 4:21the camera turns a corner at the house we all grew up in. At 5:55 there is the small Catholic church and primary school we all went to on the East side- ST Marys. At 6:07 there is a drive past of McDonald Park, home of the East Gambier Bulldogs where I played as a kid as did all my brothers and our father is number 1 life member.

2012 shows 
dave graney and the mistLY


Sat 15th September Westernport Hotel - San Remo
Friday 21st September - Palais- Hepburn Springs
Saturday 22nd September - NEWPORT SUBSTATION -NEWPORT book tickets here

Thursday 04th Oct Clancys Fish Pub (solo), Fremantle
Friday 05th Oct – Clancy’s Fish Pub (indoors), Dunsborough
Saturday 06th Oct – the Bird - Northbridge - Perth
Sunday 07th Oct – Mojos - Fremantle WA

This tour is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria

ararat - live

"ararat Live" was all we knew of this gig. Not the name of  a place, more a name for a  group of people or an event that seems to move around this town which is past Ballarat on the way to Adelaide. Didn'y know what to expect and just made the drive and walked into an old pub in the main street. the Ararat Hotel. Lovely art deco frosted glass over the high doorways. Dave and Rob were setting up the vocal pa and moving some lounge settees about. We had some lamb roast of the day for dinner and set up to play two sets.
People came from all over the district. Enough people to sit in the room on those comfy settees and listen to all our music. Posters were put up in all the nearby towns and emails were sent. Back to the old days of people in regional towns making their own fun up.
They yelled and cheered at the end. I wish there were lots more of these kinds of gigs.

A young fellow called jack was curious about our guitars and amps. chemistry student at uni. He had been brought here by his grandfather who has all our cds. His grandpa was a cool guy, explaining that it was a good turnout- especially considering that we were a  "very weird band". He loved our weirdness, he was just saying it as a fact. that was so much better than people usually coming up and saying its not a big number or people in the room, as if we have always been a huge pop act. Its true- our music is freaky and not for everybody. Its got grooves and funk and dynamics because that the way we like it but its also- in comparison to most other stuff - and especially music by our peers and contemporaries- WEIRD. Its fast for a  start. Also not generally sad.

We were sleeping upstairs in the old pub. We watched a  little country mouse bounce off the glass door as a young bloke belted out a hundred buskers faves in the other room. He didn't stop with th singing for another hour or two. The mouse must've been trying to get some shut eye.

As everybody was leaving Dave told us casually of the ghost upstairs. Noises and children whimpering were to be expected. Ararat used to have a hospital for the "insane" as well as a  prison ward for "the criminally insane" . A lot of restless soul flying about one imagines.

Stu Thomas heard the noises . He said they were comforting as he slept. Also, he went to the can during the night and the door slammed in his face. I believe it!


In the morning we beat it to Adelaide, after picking up an egg and bacon roll and a coffee from "DEbs". The cook was like a  grounded biker. Lashing of bacon! Shit, milky coffee, even though we asked for it black. thats the default coffee out here. Flat and white.

Clare and I made it in time for a live to air duo style at Radio Adelaide on North Terrace. We missed Stu and Stuart!

2012 shows 
dave graney and the mistLY


Sat 15th September Westernport Hotel - San Remo
Friday 21st September - Palais- Hepburn Springs
Saturday 22nd September - NEWPORT SUBSTATION -NEWPORT book tickets here

Thursday 04th Oct Clancys Fish Pub (solo), Fremantle
Friday 05th Oct – Clancy’s Fish Pub (indoors), Dunsborough
Saturday 06th Oct – the Bird - Northbridge - Perth
Sunday 07th Oct – Mojos - Fremantle WA

This tour is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria

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

abandoned giant prawn.... ......

Played in a lovely room in Lismore. Although when unpacking I noted that the airport baggage handlers had been so rough with my guitar that the toggle switch had been jammed back into the guitars body. Couldn't switch between pickups.
The promoter had provided a fender Blues Junior for me and a Fender Twin  for Stu. Well, I baggsed the Junior anyway.
Lovely to play in a  theatre.

Met up with the Stress of Leisure, who were lending us their backline, at  the gig on the Gold Coast. I had a  Blues Junior again. Stu had a Vox. The Stress of Leisure were terrific. Great big choruses and bangin' beats. Loud Synth lines and Ian wailing with his voice and his Strat.

The Beetle Bar was a really cool joint run by people who dig music. Thats all we ask!
The audience were ferocious, as only Brisbane people can be.

The Sol Bar in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast is a fucking lovely joint. Both Stu and I were provided with Fender Hot Rod Deluxes, mine being tweed. Both of us fucking want them now!

People were listening in a Sunday night kind of way and we blasted them with two sets.

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

How I wrote you've been in my mind"

blues negative. I wrote this little lick to start the song off , it’s all around a D 6/7^th. Then it flows into the Em6/7 th that I call the verse. A very open chorded song with a charging latin beat. The lyric is a bit of a blues joke “I didn’t wake up this mornin’/my woman was there…”

Kind of a post punk feel in the cascading chords in the chorus. Though this is what I meant when I said the album was "west coast". I meant the latin beats, the electric 12 string  and the harmonies.

flash in the pantz. Very blocked out major chords. I asked the mistLY to play it like a real 80s song. Like the Cars or something. Muted and dampened. The chorus opens out to a  suspended and then to a  minor 7th. Jazz style chords. Song is about life on earth. Also about being a man and how we see women. "I'm a man! I do the seein' and the lookin!"

field record me. I’m asking for a bunch of super smart aliens to come and dig me! Because the people on earth ain’t! Songs verse is in Aminor and descends within that A root note. The Chorus is Em to F with a  flat 7^th. I hear this as a blues song. R&B. A BIG chorus.

we need a champion.Had this groove for ages, demoed it in 2004 and that demo is on the cd. Major chords in the verse. The chorus is D9 to Dm7 to A9 to A6/7^th. The middle 8 is B to F#. Lyrical concern is about the dearth of champions in Australian public life. the politics, what a bunch of mediocrities! Sounds very West Coast and mid seventies to me. 

I don’t wanna know myself.   Found myself reading a mag about some dork musicians “life journey” to “know himself”. This wrote itself in two minutes. What I don’t know by now - I don’t wanna know!”

Opens in A to G. Verse is in E7 to some other E and then A-G#- C#m B-A. I love those chords. 

cop this, sweetly. Demoed this in 2004, well the song didn’t have those shimmering chords at the start then. They are E to F# to A to E

The verse is Em to Am and Em to G to A

The chorus is some wide open D7sus to F7/9^th to G. Wide and suspended chords. The song title uses the Australian vernacular. 

life’s a dream. Had these opening licks for a long time. Well all the chords actually. Took ages to get the right lyric. This tripped off very sweetly, when I got them. Cmaj7 – C9 - Gmaj7- then to Dm9 to G9.

The chorus is A#maj7-Amaj7 A#maj7 and ends on Gm-Gmaj7 -G9. I reckon a lot of people could sing this song. 

playin’ chicken. This song is about playing another song of mine. The one people call “the chicken song” . Nobody knows the title. I do. Very open chords. Amaj7 to Gm in the verse then all these descending chords  around E, ending on Em7. The chorus is Em9 to dmaj7. A great disco beat in the chorus.

midnight cats. A song about the subconscious. Thoughts and emotions padding across your brain night and day. And you don’t know. The stuff that is mostly YOU.  All kinds of fruity chords in this. Wherever there's a chord, throw a flattened 5! Verse is in Dsus to a flat 5 to a Bflat5. I give up.

mt gambier night. This starts in Cm9 to Gm9 then Dm7/9 to Em9 to Gm9. Then a bunch of chords moving around an A root note then Dm9 to Em9. A song about walking around a small town which you grew up in - at night- and the darkness envelopes you and a  strange funk gets within you right to your bones.

mistral. One of my favourite songs. F3sus to B to Asus….Hell the chorus is Fm to Fsus9 to E the same way. The mistLY thought I was mad. 

I’m not the guy I tried to be. I was singing about something Willie Nelson once was reported saying as he looked through the curtains to peer at the people who were coming to see him. But I got it all wrong and wrote this instead. Its in E. Chorus is in A though. "once I had so many futures? i was furious goin' foward". 

This record is the best rock album we've ever made. And lyrically its the most straight on and concise. Just the right balance of killing language and throwaway attitude. The "throwaway" being right there in the writing too. Right through it. My "throwaway" is my best though. Most others would dream of trash that great. 

This week we are in QLD- come along to a show.

Thursday 23rd August Starcourt theatre - Lismore Book tickets here

Friday 24th August - Miami Tavern- Gold Coast, QLD

Saturday 25th - Beetle Bar- Brisbane book tickets here 

Sunday 26th August - Sol bar - Maroochydore, QLD Tickets are currently available at Solbar. Ring us for details: 07 5443 9550
Tickets are also available at: Ebony Rose & Billy Hyde Maroochydore

Thursday 30th August - Aararat Live - Vic

Saturday 1st September - Wheatsheaf Hotel - Thebarton SA

Sunday 2nd September - Wheatsheaf Hotel - Thebarton SA

Sat 15th September Westernport Hotel - San Remo

Friday 21st September - Palais- Hepburn Springs

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

This tour is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria