Lake Bolac band The Exploders reform for Kennedys Creek festival

Written by Matt Neal in the Warrnambool Standard 23rd October 2014 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard

IT’S been 10 years of ups, downs and rocking good times for Lake Bolac band The Exploders.
It’s certainly a decade worth celebrating, which is why the band is back together for their first shows in two years, including the headline spot on this weekend’s Kennedys Creek Music Festival. Bassist Paul Doery is no stranger to the small but much-loved event tucked away in the Otways — he’s played every year at the festival in various line-ups, including Brother James, Singing For Humans and Ancient Slate. But he’s particularly excited about getting to play the festival with The Exploders. Doery, frontman and fellow Lake Bolac local TJ Allender, and their West Australian bandmates J Cortez and Malcolm Clark have been rehearsing at Allender’s Lake Bolac farmer’s cottage/recording studio, having not seen each other since those last shows two years ago.“We were all a little bit hyperactive seeing each other,” Doery laughed.“We hadn’t seen the WA boys in the flesh for two years so it was a little bit exciting — we were giggling like schoolgirls, talking rubbish.“And once we got over that, we plugged in and decided to have a jam — it was good to be back in the cottage together again.” The setlist The Exploders are preparing for their Kennedys Creek slot will touch on all four of their releases over the past decade, but particularly their self-titled debut — the album kickstarted their career in a big way.“A lot of stuff happened very quickly early on,” Doery said when asked to look back at their 10-year career.“We’d only been playing gigs for nine months or so or maybe a year when we got signed and released an album and started getting a bit of airplay.“We weren’t expecting all that — we were caught by surprise, we were caught off-guard.“These days bands are a lot more prepared and have goals set and work their way up.“With us, it was all just happening and we had to go with the flow and make the most while it was happening.”Extensive national tours, recording and playing in the US, and some big festival gigs followed, but somewhere along the way the bubble burst and The Exploders could go back to doing things at their own pace, which has meant an album and a tour in 2009, a few years off, then another album and a tour in 2012 and then a few more years off. “You always look back and think you could have done things differently, like being more organised and more aware,” Doery said. “We were completely green on the whole music thing.“A couple of better decisions with the ‘back office’ side of things, like management, would have helped more. “But playing-wise, we worked hard, played a lot of shows and had a lot of fun.” The fun is set to continue at the Kennedys Creek Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday, located in the grounds of the Kennedys Creek Hall.

Fingerboard Road -- Warrnambool band

At Mickey Bourke's for Rebecca Schack's fundraiser on 30th May 2004. Shane MacDowall, Andy Shirtcliffe and Dave Wilson.

Shane MacDowall and Andy Shirtcliffe of Fingboard Road perform at Mickey Bourke's during the 2004 Koroit Irish Festival.

Felix's national role

Felix Meagher

Warrnambool Standard April 23, 2009 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2009.

FORMER south-west musician Felix Meagher has been appointed to the position of national co-ordinator for the Folk Alliance Australia. The F AA represents the interests of the Australian folk music industry and is a non-profit organisation. Meagher's role will involve education and pro­motion of Aussie folk music. He is also involved in Koroit's Lake School of Celtic Music Song and Dance and worked on the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann's Australia.

The Feelers

"The Feelers" was Warrnambool band formed in 1976 and consisted of John Sycopoulis, Brian Keilor, Mick Tait and Tony Peel.  John had been playing in the Port Fairy based country and western group "Mountain Ask". Brian played in a selection of heavy metal acts around Warrnambool, one of those being "Sultan". Tony had been playing in "Iris Kane" (which included Rob Granter, Barry Galbraith, Wayne Edney and Peter Wong). At the height of their success and popularity, Mick Tait had to leave due to other commitments. The others could see this happening earlier and so were prepared for the end of "Feelers".

Country feasts begin again

Warrnambool Standard 31st October 2002 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2002 All rights reserved

Laurie Muggleton

Laurie Muggleton's Feast of Country variety concert will kick off at the Warrnambool Performing Arts Centre on Sunday (November 3rd 2002) from 2.00 pm. The event, which was formerly held at Highview Entertainment Complex, will feature performances by Louie and the Rustlers, Johnny Maroniti, Rob Bevan, Nicky Merley [i.e. Nicki Murley], Porf [i.e Prof] Walters, Michael Schack,  Carly Clifford and many more. The family concert is a Life-line fund raiser.

Nick and Carly

The audience

Kate Gane

Phil Lawrence

Allan Powell

Prof Walters

John Maroniti

Louie and the Rustlers (Michael Schack, Russ Goodear, Tim Clingan, Louise Clancy, Jon Clegg, Ricky Holmes)

Under pressure

Chris Rodda. Warrnambool Standard 5th May. 2005 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2005.  All rights reserved

Warrnambool band the Extreme Sprinklers

A SPRINKLER operates best when put under pressure and the Extreme Sprinklers are no exception. Work, children, commitments to other bands and the expectations raised by being voted best musical act in the south-west all add to the pressure on a group that is less than a year old. Now there’s the stress of launching the debut EP, Jamaica. The band had its genesis about 18 months ago as a recording project for guitarist Matt Neal and singer Jade McLaren. When it came time to play live, prolific south-west musos Matt Hewson (bass) and Harry Fahey (drums) completed the chemistry. “Hewy teaches music, Jade studies music, I write about music and Harry teaches people how to hit drums,” Neal laughed at the obligatory drummer joke. “We were looking for a bass player and a drummer so we could play it live. We’re good mates with them and they’re great players so it’s become a real band.” Only two months after playing its first gig, the band won the inaugural Seanchai Unplugged competition. Two months later it was named best musical act in the south-west at the 2004 Warrnambool Associated Music Industry awards. “It was a popular vote thing so it’s not like we mustered up heaps of fans to write in or whatever,” Neal said self-consciously. “We felt like the new upstart punks. “It made us work even harder because we realise that we had something we had to live up to. “It probably put more pressure on us more than anything. “This band’s been all about pressure because we’re all so busy with various other things like work and Hewy’s got kids and all the other side projects that everything’s a mad scramble to get there. “On Saturday when we launch this, we’ve been trying to get as many originals together as we can. We’ve all got s . . . loads written but playing them is a-whole-nother matter.” The band members’ experience is complemented by the passion of a naturally talented singer. “Jade, because it’s his first band, has got the drive and the passion and the excitement of being in the first band and that inspires the rest of us to be excited about it,” Neal said. “Me and Hewy and Harry are more experienced, more realistic, more jaded about stuff that’s gone before.” So far Neal and McLaren have driven the songwriting “out of necessity”, he said. “I put on the cover composed by me and Jade and arranged by the Extreme Sprinklers because I think that’s really important . . . The songs are nothing without the stuff that Harry and Hewy bring because they’re both phenomenal players.’’ The Extreme Sprinklers have 11 shows in Warrnambool and Hamilton during the next 11 weeks and are planning to play in Melbourne by the end of the year. The band will put down a track on South West TAFE’s Music Industry Skills course album later in the year and is tossing up between recording an album or more EPs sooner rather than later. Gonz will open the show at the Royal Hotel, Warrnambool at 10pm on Saturday.

CD review of "JAMAICA" by  Extreme Sprinklers.

NO band can be all things to all people, but Warrnambool’s Extreme Sprinklers come close. The quartet’s new EP Jamaica touches on reggae, pop and hip hop with flourishes referencing all sorts of musical styles. Some of the lyrics have a mischievous bent without being lightweight and the band pays tremendous attention to musical detail without getting stuffy or self indulgent. Singer Jade McLaren’s voice covers an equally diverse range of styles as he emotes like Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal or throws in a Michael Jackson-style vibrato. Not content to build a song around single pop hook, each diverse track could be cannibalised for the seed three or four more songs. At first listen the title track seems tongue-in-cheek, but deeper down makes a strong statement about racial stereotyping. Frostbite Frida evokes the pain love gone wrong and St Elmo’s Fire builds a bleak atmosphere with gripping bass rumble and a ween- guitar line building the tension. Ironically, the disc’s throwaway novelty song, Lappers, shows remarkable depth of production hip hop beats and even Missy Elliott-inspired backmasking. — CHRIS RODDA

South West TAFE (Warrnambool) Music Industry Skills (MIS) students "Expose your arts" 1998 live performance pictures

Guy Smilie Jazz Ensemble

Busweary

Ruben Shannon (L), Matt Walkenden (C), Kate Gane (R)

Matt Walkenden (L) and Kate Gane

Ruben Shannon and Pat Dwyer

Slap 'n' the Cats

Ruben Shannon (L), Danny Grigg (C), Jodie Anderson (R)

Pete Maudsley

Heidi Gass and Mark Halliwell release Dice Man as first in a series of singles

Warrnambool Standard 8th Dec. 2016 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2004.  All rights reserved
WARRNAMBOOL musicians Heidi Gass and Mark Halliwell have eschewed the usual EP or album approach with their new recording project. Instead the duo plan to release a single every three months or so, with the first being the freshly launched eight-minute-long three-part prog-rock epic Dice Man. Halliwell said the song-at-a-time approach had its advantages. “The songs will be quite eclectic from one to the next, so that’s one reason,” he said. “Another is we want to have more concentration on one song at a time. It means there are little rewards along the way, instead of the much longer process of trying to do a whole album.” Mixing is almost complete on the second song already, which is a more folky-poppy acoustic track”, Halliwell said. “The next two songs are in the early stages and they’re going to be totally different again,” he explained. “I’m happy to explore any road musically. We’re both into heavy music, I’m into jazz and pretty much everything, and Heidi’s into tons of different stuff – she loves singer-songwriter stuff and more alt-pop type stuff.” Gass and Halliwell have collaborated regularly over the past 12 years but it has usually been as guests on each other’s projects. Halliwell recently worked on Gass’ forthcoming solo EP, but this new recording project was about being equal partners on each song, he said.

Essie Thomas

 

Played guitar since the age of 4
Moved from Shepparton to Heywood 2001 (then aged 11)
Entered Australian songwriters competition Sept. 2002
Entered music Oz Challenge Dec. 2002
Produced album of self penned songs in 2003
Likens her style to Jewel meets Alanis Morrisette
Managed by Studio Symphonies Hamilton 557711321

Pop classics covered

Warrnambool Standard 13th May 2004 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2004.  All rights reserved

WARRNAMBOOL-BORN musician Ian Edwards will return to his former home town this weekend, but he may hard to recognise under all the stage make-up. Edwards will bring his tribute band Crowded Enz to the Warrnambool Football Club for one performance only Sunday at 3pm. The six-piece group will faithfully reproduce the music and image of Crowded House and Split Enz — a far cry from Edwards’ work as musician in Warrnambool in the ’80s. Edwards said he cut his musical teeth in the south-west playing in bands such as Mod Squad, Nevada and Nightshift and alongside the likes of Garry Price and now-famous opera singer Peter Brocklehurst in the imaginatively named Edwards, Price and Brocklehurst. After jetting over to Perth for new beginning, the drummer set up funk covers band Maximum Groove and toured overseas, before finally coming rest in Crowded Enz. The whole (Split Enz tribute) thing has never been done before and the reason is that Split Enz stuff is so complex. It’s not easy to do,” he said. “It’s a cross-section of pop and rock, to ballads and punk rock and everything in between. “It’s quite adventurous to play as a musician. “No one’s tried to do it like Babba or Bjorn Again or those Beatles shows and that’s because it’s so hard.” The show will comprise 55 minutes of Crowded House music, a half hour change-over then 55 minutes of Split Enz songs, complete with crazy costumes and make-up. “We take it right back to the original look of Split Enz,” Edwards said. “I remember when I first saw them on Countdown in ’76 playing My Mistake and I thought ‘what planet are these guys from?’. “They were so bizarre, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off them. “Anyone who grew up in that time will remember how they stood apart from other bands at the time.”

Big Bed Benefit

Playing up a storm at Proudfoots
Published in the Warrnambool Standard Saturday 27th May 2017 - Copyright Warrnambool Standard 2017

Leading celtic band Cill-Airne is on the bill for the "Big Bed Benefit" concert which will be held at Proudfoot's on Sunday May 28th 2017. The concert is in honor of the late Dennis Taberner, an influential figure in the south-west music scene. Other acts include Likely Celts, Mem Taberner and Don Cowling, Lex's Shed, Lynne Moloney and the Teacher's Pets, Peter Daffy and Steve Gilchrist, the Bucks and the Southern Ocean Sea Band.

 

Big Concert for Dennis - written by Anthony Brady - Published by Warrnambool Standard Friday 26th May 2017

SOME of the south-west's finest musicians will gather this Sunday to honour the wishes of a fallen colleague. Dennis Taberner passed away in November last year from a terminal lung disease. He was able to spend his last days at home thanks to South West Healthcare's Regional Palliative Care Service (RPCS). Taberner's widow, Mem, said his final days were filled with thoughts for others. "From July last year, Dennis was bed bound in a hospital bed in the middle of our lounge room, where he held court to the numerous visitors who came to see him:' Mrs Taberner said. "Although the help and nursing equipment that was provided by RPCS was of a quality that is a credit to them, it became quickly apparent that the bed provided was too short for Dennis resulting in some discomfort. "At just under six-feet tall, what was a discomfort to Dennis would bea bigger issue to someone taller. "Luckily, we were in a financial position to rent an extendable bed. "We were aware there are many people who are not financially able to privately hire the equipment they need. "Dennis woke one morning with the idea of asking some of his friends in the local music scene to organise a concert to raise money to purchase an extendable bed for RPCS:' That vision will be realised this Sunday with the staging of the 'Big Bed Benefit' concert." The concert will be held at Proudfoot's Boathouse from 1.30pm to 6pm. The line-up includes - Lex's Shed, Mem. Taberner and Don Cowling, Lynne Moloney and The Teachers Pets, Peter Daffy and Steve Gilchrist, Cill-Airnie, The Bucks, Likely Celts, The Southern Ocean Sea Band and an Irish session finale. Taberner, who died at 68, was an influential figure on the south-west music scene. He moved to Warrnambool in 1967 and soon after formed his first band, The new Folk. In the 80s, Taberner was part of the prominent Emu Creek Band. Taberner played a big part in the establishment of the Koroit Lake School.

Endoscope

Unique groove
Warrnambool Standard 16th Sept. 1999 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1999.
By GLYNN COULSON
Warrnambool band Endoscope came into existence just five weeks ago, but the innovative four-piece is already turning heads around town. The band recently competed in the National Campus Battle of the Bands, where it stood out on an entirely different plane to its competitors, and has also performed at Brown Dog nights at the Criterion Hotel and private parties. Endoscope comprises some well-known local faces, including Ruben Shannon on double bass, Jon Emry on drums and percussion, Richard Tankard on keyboards and driving force Jason Nelson on trombone. One of the aims of the band members is producing an emotional landscape with their instruments. Nelson plays his trombone through various digital and multi-effect pedals, commonly used by guitarists, to help create sound layering and ambience.The trombonist describes the band’s sound as a “visual and interactive crass-discipline performance”. Nelson, who has been working on the concept for 15 years, says Endoscope’s sound is based on “tension and release”, the slow build up of spontaneous grooves and patterns improvised by the band members. Each instrument compliments the next as the sounds unite, drift in and out of togetherness, then unite again. Finally, the sound climaxes in a release — the end of a musical voyage. Without a formal structure, the musicians in Endoscope have the opportunity for free and textual expression. “There is no solid rhythm or beat,” says Emry, who uses mallets, brushes, sticks and hands while playing the drums and percussion. “We just shut our eyes and feel the way.” You can catch the band’s unique sound tonight at the Hotel Warrnambool from 9 pm. Featuring Ian Barton on guitar, Endoscope will play jazz standards, closing the show with a 20-minute journey of free jamming emotion soundscape.

Scope for performance
Warrnambool Standard 14th Sept. 2000 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2000
Warrnambool band Endoscope will be a highlight of the state final of the campus band competition Melbourne tonight. Endoscope spokesman Jason Nelson said organisers of the campus band competition were expecting big things from Endoscope’s multi-media performance. "Basically organisers are talking like this is the most exciting thing they’ve got on their books," Nelson said. Endoscope, who wear white paper overalls while presenting their musical, artistic and visual performance, are tipped to make a big impression at the state final. However, Nelson said the performance would depend on how things went on the night. "I think if we can get it together musically we have got a good chance. The hard thing is we are making it up we go along, it’s a bit hit and miss," Nelson said. Endoscope won its way through to a state final berth after winning Warrnambool and regional heats. For the band’s regional heat, Nelson performed from Byron Bay through a telephone hook-up with the rest of the band at Deakin University. He said the band couldn’t hear him with his audio coming out of front-of-house speakers but not through the fold back. Despite these problems, they were judged the most impressive band on the night as Nelson said one-third of the judging criteria for the competition was originality.

Why children's favourite Emily is back on song

SARAH SCOPELIANOS  Warrnambool Standard January 14th, 2007 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2007.  


Music teacher Emily Kilkenny is back in tune after a generous public response to the theft of her guitar. (Picture: DAMIAN WHITE)

MUSIC teacher Emily Kilkenny has returned to the classroom with a new donated guitar only days after thieves stole hers. The loss of her guitar and other equipment worth $1000 meant she had to cancel classes with children and put in doubt planned Christmas concerts at the Honeypot Childcare Centre. Overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, Ms Kilkenny said the children's concerts were back on. Music store Dale Cleves gave Ms Kilkenny a guitar and a fund-raising campaign by the child-care centre has attracted donations from businesses and families across the city. ``A little boy gave his piggy bank which had one dollar in it, which was beautiful,'' she said. ``My faith in mankind has been restored - I felt a bit naked without the guitar. I've been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers.'' Thieves stole her guitar and children's CDs from her locked car on Barkly Street.

Campaign a success

Published in the Warrnambool Standard 19th May 2017

DR. Colossus, featuring Portland’s Nathan Johnston and Jono Colliver, has completed a successful Pozible campaign. The campaign has raised over $7000, above the original target of $6000.The campaign is due to finish on May 20. The money will be used for recording, mixing and mastering the band’s new album Dank. It will also cover costs to help promote the album.

Didirri

Published in the Warrnambool Standard 19th May 2017 -- FORMER Warrnambool singer-songwriter Didirri has released a brand new single. Blind You was released last week and is available on Spotify and Apple.The release of the single is further justification Didirri chose the right direction when considering his career path.“I either wanted to be a cop or a muso,” Didirri said. “But I lack the discipline to complete paperwork so…”

Published in the Warrnambool Standard 2nd June  2017 -- FORMER Warrnambool singer-songwriter Didirri has announced a tour of Australia’s three biggesst cities. Didirri has booked in shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to push his single Blind You. On July 6, he will play in The Junk Bar in Brisbane before playing in Sydney at the Golden Age Cinema on July 13. On August 11, he will play at the Workers Club in Melbourne.

Scots ready to party

BY ANTHONY BRADY -- Published in the Warrnambool Standard 19th May 2017
SOUTH-WEST trio Likely Celts will provide some home-ground talent to the Robert Burns Scottish Festival in Camperdown this weekend. Likely Celts are part of a strong line-up assembled for the annual festival that begins on Friday night and finishes on Sunday.Joining Likely Celts on the bill will be fellow south-west acts Don Grieve and Angela Preiss and the Warrnambool and District Pipes and Drums band. Camperdown community choir Tuniversal will also be in action. Festival chair Ruth Gstrein said Tuniversal is a fine example of the importance of the festival to Camperdown. “Tuniversal is a great supporter of the festival,” Ms Gstrein said. “They are a group of locals who, under the guidance of Peter Daffy, come together to share their love of music. “The festival is a showcase for local talent as well performers we bring in from out of town.” New names at this year’s festival includes Satch Campbell, John McAuslan, Siobhan Owen, Platform 9¾ and Duck Duck Goose. They join festival favourites Fiona Ross, Tolka, The Drowsy Maggies, Chris Duncan and Catherine Strutt. Siobhan Owen is a harpist and classically-trained singer who has four albums in her back catalogue. The Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club will return to the festival and will be in action at the Theatre Royal on Sunday afternoon. A feature performer at the festival will be Scottish-born soprano Vivien Hamilton. Hamilton has played percussion with the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra and for the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra.She is director of the Early Voices Ensemble at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and regularly conducts masterclasses throughout Australia. Another special presentation will be a tribute to Danny Spooner at the Camperdown Court House on Saturday from 5pm. This will feature a performance from the Southern Ocean Sea Band.Spooner, who died in March, was an influential folk musician.

I

IN TUNE: Camperdown community choir Tuniversal will play at the Robbie Burns Festival this weekend in their home town.

Songwriter is going the distance

By VANESSA BURROW . Warrnambool Standard 17th Mar. 2005 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2005. 

 

Neil Murray at the Hopkins mouth prior to the heeling walk

A SYMBOLIC walk from the mouth of the Hopkins River to the shores of Lake Bolac will kick off the town's first eel festival early next month. Led by singer/songwriter Neil Murray, the walk will trace the path of the elongated fish as they make their way from the ocean to the celebrated eel habitat of Lake Bolac. Aboriginal people used to gather at the lake and Mr Murray said the walk and subsequent festival would allow indigenous and non-indigenous Australians to reconnect with the area. "It will bring home to people that we are part of the land and need to work with the land and not against it," he said. "When you walk through a country it's different to going by car or any other means. "We especially want to look at . . . regenerative farming methods to stimulate and restore natural ecosystems. "It's a quiet protest because we want our waterways to be healthier." Mr Murray said the eel was a particularly fitting symbol for the festival because Lake Bolac had not overflowed for a long period, preventing young eels from getting in from the Hopkins River. The lake was stocked by a local fisherman who brought in young eels from Tasmania, he said. The festival, which was put together by a dedicated committee, will commence when the small number of walkers arrive at Lake Bolac on April 2. Featured performers will include Shane Howard, Kavisha Mazzella, David Bridie and Murray. "I had the idea for a few years now and just wanted people to do it," he said. "It's the first festival for Lake Bolac and we hope to keep it going." The walk will begin at the mouth of the Hopkins River early on Wednesday morning.

New role satisfies

by Rebecca Trott. Warrnambool Standard 22nd Mar 2000 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2000

 

Lyn Eales

Budding south-west musicians and songwriters can now get some inside tips on how to make it in the industry from the new vice-president of the Australian Songwriters' Association. Warrnambool musician and South West Institute of TAFE music industry skills course coordinator Lyn Eales was recently elected vice-president of the association's national committee. Her new position will involve working for the Perth-based organisation, which is also run by former Warrnambool residents Brian and Jenny Ward. Ms. Eales, who has written a song called "So satisfying" which is on a national registry, said her position would bring opportunities for songwriters in the area, especially in terms of networking and seeking advice. "I'm absolutely thrilled with the potential it can bring to the area" she said. She said the organisation had more than 700 members, and as part of her new role, she would promote the organisation and give advice to budding songwriters. She said the association also offered a national songwriting competition that she would also promote in the south-west. Ms. Eales said her position would also have the bonus of entry into the ARIA awards and other major events such as the Tamworth country music festival. In the future, Ms. Eales said she would like to link existing projects in Warrnambool with members of the songwriting association. Also a member of Warrnambool band, Second Line, Ms. Eales said she was looking forward to adding her new role into her already busy schedule.

Spontaneous acts welcome at Cellar

Warrnambool Standard 12th August 1999 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1999.

Anna Berry and Luke Deacon

THE words “duds” and “browndog” may not conjure up visions of an exciting and creative experience, but that is just what is on offer at the Criterion Hotel on Monday night. Duds is the Deakin University Drama Society, and Brown Dog is the name given to its regular open stage night of poetry, music, art and performance in the cellar bar at the Criterion. Brown Dog organisers Luke Deacon and Anna Berry say the evening was originally conceived as a poetry night, but has mushroomed to include acts as diverse as puppetry and dance. “We didn't expect it to go in this direction, it just happened that way,” Luke says. “It has ended up becoming a fairly broad sort of event, it's a good creative outlet for artists in Warrnambool.” Anyone who comes along is welcome to take to the stage, Anna says. “It's a really relaxed atmosphere so people feel confident getting up.” “We just sort of let it flow and allow for spontaneity,” Luke adds. Interactive art installations, political poetry and percussion have all featured in the last two Brown Dog nights, giving people a chance for public expression that doesn't come along too often. “It's a big mish-mash of artistic talent, it's about blurring the distinctions and interweaving (different styles of performance and art),” Luke says. And the cavernous cellar bar of the Criterion is the perfect venue for a bit of creativity, with its dark corners and intimate atmosphere.If some Brown Dog sounds like your thing, get along to the Criterion on Monday night at 9pm.

Don Swanson

 

Don Swanson performing at the Civic Green Warrnambool in January 1993

 

Don Swanson and RSL president Kevin O'Keefe on the back of a truck being driven up Liebig St. to advertise an event at the Warrnambool RSL Club

Moving on

Warrnambool Standard 11th Jun. 2005 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2005.

Dennis O'Keeffe will be inducted as a "Lake School Legend" to recognise his contributions to the Koroit-based Celtic music school

Singer songwriter Denis O'Keeffe was busy with his usual array of musical and historical projects when his world came crashing down in late 1999. On top of working for his optometry business, performing gigs and writing his novel, he was up to his neck in developing a film version of the Waltzing Matilda story from a script by late screenwriter John Dixon (who also penned The Man From Snowy River). "We'd brought a producer over from the US and flown him up to Mildura and up the Darling and around the sheep stations where the shearers strike was (that helped inspire the writing of Waltzing Matilda)," he said. "There was real a lot of activity with the film." Meanwhile, O'Keeffe's hearing was seriously deteriorating, he was experiencing balance problems and the muscles in his upper body were knotting up. He put it down to stress from his busy schedule but a check-up to see if he needed a hearing aid suggested otherwise. Within two weeks he was in a Melbourne hospital having the brain tumour operated on, but complications led to the development of meningitis. "I was off work for probably four months - it was very heavy," he said. It would be almost 12 months before O'Keeffe even considered playing again, but getting back on to a stage was harder than he imagined. "I had some facial paralysis - I still can't play the mouth organ. It was very hard. I couldn't remember songs, which was the most difficult thing. I'd get halfway through a song and the words would just drop out." He said he would have really struggled to return to performing were it not for his oldest son Joel. Together they began performing under the name of Father And Son. "After the brain tumour, I helped Joel get out and play and he helped me get back out and perform," O'Keeffe said. "It gave him experience at getting out and setting up PAs and booking gigs. It was good - it gave me a focus." "Joel was the most confident and supportive musician I've ever played with. He'd never shirk at playing anything. We did quite a few festivals w together - we played pretty solidly for about 12 months." One of the many positives to come out of the Father And Son duo was the formation of Joel and Ryan's first band Airbourne, whose career has taken off since they traded their Warrnambool garage and gigs at the Criterion Hotel for the Melbourne rock scene. Airbourne is moving so fast that O'Keeffe can no longer manage them and the band is now in the hands of Grinspoon manager Greg Donovan. "His first task will be to sort through the recording contracts they've got from almost every major label", he said with obvious fatherly pride. O'Keeffe's journey to becoming a music-historian and respected Australian folk singer began "at home where there was always music". "I never had any formal training. At our family gatherings there. was music and singing in one form or another," he said. Like most musicians who grew up in the south-west, he eventually progressed to Warrnambool's Tatts Hotel playing "a mix of my own stuff and early '7 Os- American -soft-rock -sort-of­stuff'. "I started playing at the Tatts about 30 years ago. It was hard to see that go - most Warrnambool musicians would have cut their teeth at the Tatts." Eventually he headed to the big smoke, spending time in Geelong and Melbourne, but after almost a decade he and his wife Anne decided to raise their sons Joel and Ryan back in the country. The Irish blood coursing through his veins finally took over and the pop gave way to the Celtic, the colonial and the folk. With his wife Anne, brother Colin and Warrnambool musician Dennis Taberner, he formed O'Keeffe Slide to tap into their Irish heritage, and he also began delving seriously into Australia's true musical roots. With a move to Geelong fast approaching, O'Keeffe has been working flat out in to try and complete the expansive first draft of his Waltzing Matilda novel before he leaves (he's got one chapter to go, he confessed). "Amongst the body of work, I've been trying to bring out the relationship between western Victoria and north-west Queensland - many of the families involved in and around the writing of the song came from Warrnambool and the western district," he explained. For more than 15 years O'Keeffe has delved into the Waltzing Matilda story, following the tale through south-west families moving to Queensland in a land grab to a girl hearing the tune for the song at the May Races and passing it on to Banjo Patterson. The song's grip on O'Keeffe has also seen him record what he described as "the most complete recording made of the musical history of Waltzing Matilda" as well as joining in the tough task of turning the song and the events that inspired it into a movie. "It's not hard to get fascinated in this story," he said, adding the movie was just starting to get moving again. O'Keeffe's fascination in Waltzing Matilda extends to other colonial Australian songs, which he has been attempting to preserve. "It's been lost. (Australian folk music and culture) was just developing its own identity at the end of the 1800s and the early 1900s. "Then we had two world wars, a depression and television in the space of 40 years - that almost completely wiped out the Australian identity that was being formed." O'Keeffe's efforts to save some of colonial Australia's oldest original compositions from extinction led to him compiling a CD and accompanying book for school history classes in the south-west - yet another contribution he has made to the region. O'Keeffe confessed he would miss the support he has received across the district. "There's a real nucleus of different styles and good musicians here, (especially) for the size of the town," he said. And while he is certain he wants to retire back here, he has just one regret upon leaving. "You know, one of the sad thing is I've never done a concert down here of my own stuff, the stuff I've done all around the place," he said. Maybe it will take moving away for him to be able to come back to his hometown and do that, he laughed.

Photos of Dead Livers at the Stump during the Port Fairy Folk Festival 2005

Brendan Mitchell (pedal steel), Don Farrell (guitar), Richard O'Keefe (drums), Hannah Schack (vocals), Marty Atchison (vocals), Michael Schack (bass), Rodger Delfos (guitar)

Dead Livers live on

Warrnambool Standard 27th July 2006 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2006. 

The Dead Livers, the country group which famously sang about its desire to get stoned with Willie Nelson, return to the south-west this weekend. The Livers perform at Mickey Bourke's Koroit Hotel tomorrow night and the Caledonian Inn (aka The Stump) at Port Fairy on Saturday night. In other Dead Livers news, bass player Michael Schack told Offbeat he had stumbled across another band bearing the name The Dead Livers. The doppelgangers, which hail from Evansville, Indiana, proclaim to be a punk-rock comedy act. We can safely say Victoria's Dead Livers had the name first.

Partners in fame

Warrnambool Standard 11th Mar. 2004 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2004.

Derrin Nauendorf

THE musical partnership of Derrin Nauendorf and Dave Downing began late one night outside the Caledonian Inn at Port Fairy four years ago. That partnership has taken the guitar-and-drum duo around the world, but this weekend, the pair returns to the south-west to perform the Liquid Lounge in Warrnambool. Nauendorf’s right-hand man Downing, who hails from Warrnambool and has drummed with The Motorvators and Marco Goldsmith among others, is an example of the good fortune the city has brought Nauendorf. When the guitarist’s original drummer departed suddenly, mutual friend Goldsmith introduced the pair. “We just clicked musically and as people,” Nauendorf said. Finding Downing proved to be the impetus he needed to continue. “I got to that crossroads where I thought about giving up and doing something else or giving it one last crack,” the singer-songwriter explained. Downing said that without realising Nauendorf had brought the drummer to the very same crossroads. “Derrin was saying ‘I’ve got to have one last crack at this, so let’s go to England’,” Downing said. had to make some pretty massive decisions. . . in the end I bought a ticket, landed at Heathrow and away we went.” During the next three years, the pair “lived hard and worked hard with not much time off”, Nauendorf said. But the pay-off was worth it. The British media and audiences were impressed by their electrifying live shows and unique Australian take on blues and roots music. Swamp rock legend Tony Joe White, who has written for the likes of Elvis Presley, Tina Turner and Joe Cocker, caught a Nauendorf show and was quoted as saying, “Derrin, your music moves my soul”. The usually fickle UK music press was equally moved — Logo Magazine said they were “up there with the greats, and yes, we do mean Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen”, while Echo warned audiences to “expect have shivers run up and down your spine during many of their songs”. Warrnambool fans will have the chance to see for themselves on Sunday night at the Liquid Lounge.