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Michael Hawke comes to our Mandolin Rescue, Rex teaches me 3rd position and Adam explains Flandido - Orana Gig report

Howdy Folks. Our first time at the New Orana Hotel last night and what a night it turned out to be.

Heh. Too late.

We arrived to find the place packed with folks wearing Plaid / Flannel shirts. What was up with that?

Adam kindly explained (WARNING - Some NSFW language)

Ah, now we get it.

Luckily for us, Bill and Rosie had already adopted that dress code for the night, so we were given Honorary Flandido Status.

So having settled the fascinating cultural anthropological question of Flandidos, we setup for the gig only to discover that - shock horror - a certain Mandolin player had left his mandolin behind in Sydney. NOOOO!!!

We prepared to face our doom (having to drop 3 songs from the 2nd set) when it occurred to Rosie and Theo to seek help from our saviour, Michael Hawke, who happened to live close by and, luckily for us, wasn't gigging that night. Michael raced over and delivered a mandolin by the 3rd song of the 2nd set, just in time for us to launch into Hollow Tree.

Mr Hawke, you rock and we owe you big time.

Whist having a chat with Steve, I got introduced to Rex, another local and the original harp player in the backsliders. Rex noted that I was pretty much only playing 2nd position and decided to give me a run through on 3rd position. That was an eye opener. I have labored under the impression that hole 3 was the starting point, but no,it's hole 4. That will only make sense to you if you're a harp player, so apologies, but let's just say, Rex managed to get something across to me that I have failed to grasp for a number of years. It's amazing what you will learn in random places, cheers Rex.

Rex was also kind enough to get up with us for a bit at the end of the night when we did the Boogie.

Shout outs to Gina, Bill, Steve, Bernie, James, Adam, Rex, Terry, Hank, the Flandido Boys and all the folks that spent the evening with us, including the lovely lass that had to be escorted from stage 4 times by the bouncers. Sorry love, it was beyond my control and certainly more appealing than the time i got dry humped by that guy in Wagga. But that's another story.

As we were leaving, I spotted another great band name poster.

A great night, followed by a moonlit drive back home. Ah the joys of playing in a band :-)

8 milestones in sound recording technology

Spotted this today, worth sharing as we continue our own adventures in sound recording.

Loving the Retro Art of Aloysius Patrimonio

Howdy Folks.

As you may be aware, it's Videoclip time again here in the Stormcellar and I have been working on a few concepts. As per usual some of our ideas have gone kaput..but one or two other seem to be working out.

Whilst googling images for a clip for the new song 'Hard Times' I kept coming across artwork from a Kiwi cousin, Aloysius Patrimonio, and I am digging the heck out of his art.

Even better, he is lending his brainpower and ideas to our new clip. I won't give the game away yet but I wanted to share one of his images.

I have spent some time going through his portfolio and can definitely describe myself as a fan.

The initial mock up of the clip is done, but it's going to take quite a bit of effort and time to get it right, so this is just a teaser :-)

2 weekends of double gigs coming up - starting at the Orana Hotel 31st Aug and the Taverners Hill Hotel Sept 1

Woot, we're at the Orana hotel this Friday night in Blacksmiths (Newcastle way) and then at the Taverners Hill Hotel the night following (Sat Sept 1st), then the following week it's another double gig weekend as we crisscross with Ward's Express in Sydney (We're at the Baldy, He's at the Taverners) and play a double bill with Ross and the 'Xpress at Towradgi Beach.

Yes I know it's a lot to take in so I'll simplify:

This Friday 31st Aug, Orana Hotel, Blacksmiths

This Saturday 1st Sept, Taverners Hill Hotel, Leichhardt

the week following...

Oh heck, i'll post it again next week anyway.

Novocastrians are just so polite - Sunday Night Gig report

Howdy Folks. We played the Kent in Newcastle last night, driving up with the returning Sunday night traffic.

A late night session at the Kent on a Sunday night? It's after 8:30, people should be at home, glued to the tube, watching the latest in reality TV stuff...but no, in Newcastle, they're out at the Steve Edmonds gig and then afterwards...

now I'd wear a Go Pro or some Helmet Cam but the boys wont let me. They say I'd look like The Borg (resistance is futile), so I make do with filming what I can whilst doing 'other' stuff. Like singing.

What surprised me the most last night was the Very Polite clapping from the audience during the first set. We could have been at a golf game :-) They got a little more raucous as the evening progressed.

Cheers to James, nick, Anna and the folks that came out on a late Sunday for a Dance. A big night.

We're back up that way next Friday at the Orana hotel in Blacksmith.

A Shout out to Tommy!

Thanks to Mark W for filling me in on the first name, I wanted to send a special shout out to the dancing man, Tommy, who personified all the characteristics we wrote about in this song, at the last Royal Hotel gig in Bondi.

Never be afraid to ask a tall girl for a dance :-)

This one's for you Tom.

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