musings

and another month goes by. has it been a fruitful month? have I learned anything? have I helped anyone? do I know what rhetorical means?

it’s labour day weekend here in the antipodes, the streets are quiet as most of the sydneysiders have escaped to the beaches or mountains. last nite’s gig was a non-event, partially because of the holiday and partially because nobody seems to want to go to that particular pub anymore. but that’s okay, I didn’t mind an early nite.

if anyone’s around on tuesday, I’ll be at the untidy, er unity pub performing in the pop tarts’ monthly “pop studs” show. I’m first cab off the rank at 7.30, so get there early.

jan and marcia brady had an “off screen” fling during the filming of “the brady bunch”.

failed lindburgh kidnapping extortionist norman whittaker was a chess champion who defeated five grandmasters.

the late marcel marseau invented the moonwalk later popularized by michael jackson.

I haven’t really had much to blog about lately. the routine of my workload seems to have overwhelmed my usual curiosity and observational tendencies.

had an enjoyable gig last night, the crowds at the bald rock have picked up and the vibe has been great. chris turner was my main guest, it was good to see him looking well. he’d been in hospital again last weekend with the recurring heart problem he’s had, and we’ve all been more than a little concerned for his health. chris likes to stay in his safety zone with the same players and setlists, so I insisted he pull some other tunes out of his massive catalog. he played a bunch of great songs that many of his long-time fans hadn’t heard.

nick and lyn from the orphans dropped in a did a short set, they’re getting better in leaps and bounds and lyn’s confidence and stage presence is growing, which I’m very pleased to see. yes, i know you’ll be reading this sometime lynnie… but I do mean it.

was feeling a little under the weather midweek, so I missed the annual hank williams birthday bash which was a bummer. I always feel wonderfully out of place at those shows, with all the trad country folks dressed in their skirts and jackets, I probably come across more like metallica at a wiggles show.

blues pirates are back at the untidy this thursday. drop by, we’re not sure how many more there will be there. the new bookers seem to lean toward the 80’s dance-funk cover bands. it’s also international talk like a pirate day on the 19th, so get yer yaargh on.

other odd tidbits I’ve heard this week:

apparently there were once greyhound races at harold park where monkey rode the dogs like jockeys as they jumped over hurdles.

george bush spoke of his time in sydney and thanked “the austrian people”.

when getting your car detailed next, remember to ask the dudes to specifically not armorall the brake and accelerator pedals. trust me on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUzs1XLt754

real music.

well, the short burst of spring didn’t last long. perhaps it has something to do with many of the world’s leaders in town for the apec mess, but it’s looking more like a melbourne spring than a sydney one.

gotta say, I did enjoy the antics of the chaser’s tv cast.

my time is fast disappearing - with a couple more weeks of fill-in at the guitar store, the label plans for the lime spiders‘ new album, plus a bucket of grafix work in, I’m not finding much time to pick up a guitar.

still, I’m not complaining. the year’s end is looking interesting indeed and I should find time to get back to writing soon. I’m picking up my new digital recorder in a couple of days, hope to have some new stuff demoed soon.

today’s the first chance I’ve had to get out and enjoy the nice weather. the markets were surprisingly empty of both shoppers and stallholders. perhaps everyone’s laying low due to the disruption by the apec summit in town, but I’ve always felt we’re a bit insulated from the cbd stuff here on the peninsula.

my kids called me to wish happy father’s day, which thrilled me. it’s only the second time I’ve heard it, you see….

last night’s tonedogs gig was a blast. the band played really well, and I had a great workout on the electric guitars. back to acoustic mode this afternoon, however.