Simon McCullough

Anthony Brady -- Warrnambool Standard 14th Sept. 2018 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 2018. All rights reserved

Performance: After 30 years, Simon McCullough is returning to his roots to launch is debut solo album.

McCullough will play at The Loft on Saturday night and the Commercial Hotel in Terang on Sunday afternoon.The gigs will showcase songs from McCullough's debut album Southern Ocean Rivers. McCullough lives in Melbourne but was born and raised Warrnambool."It will be good to be back, I left Warrnambool when I was 21," McCullough said. "The title track off the album is about Warrnambool. I hadn't written a song for a few years when I wrote it so it's nice to have it as an important part of the album." McCullough describes the sound of the album as Celtic-Americana.His band for the weekend shows will included John Emry (drums), Peter O'Shea (fiddle) and Jules Fines (accordion).Support act for the shows will be Lee Morgan and Andy Alberts.The solo album is a change of direction from McCullough, who has built a reputation as a hard rock performer.In his formative years in Warrnambool, McCullough played with hard rock bands Barbarians and Talisan.McCullough was part of the Bon But Not Forgotten tribute show to Bon Scott and worked alongside Australian music heavyweights Angry Anderson and former AC/DC bass player Mark Evans.

3WAY FM Hank night 2018

Anthony Brady -- Warrnambool Standard 20th Sept. 2018 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 2018. All rights reserved

COUNTRY: Singer-songwriter Tracey Jenkinson is looking forward to her debut appearance at the Hank Williams Birthday Tribute Night.

TRACEY Jenkinson has chosen to tackle an iconic tune in her first appearance at the Hank Williams Birthday Tribute Night.An annual event, the tribute night is a fundraiser for community radio station 3WAY FM.It celebrates Williams’ birthday, September 17, with an array of local artists playing their favourite Hank songs.A singer-songwriter from Glenthompson, Jenkinson is looking forward to her first tribute performance.She will sing one of Williams’ most famous songs, I'm so lonesome I could Cry, as well as one of her original tunes, Lord oh Lord, which comes from her debut album This Road.“It will be fun playing a Hank song and I will give it my own sweet little version,” Jenkinson said.“Growing up, I was always listening to my mum’s country music, Hank, Johnny Cash, all the great ones.“The first song I learnt to play on guitar was Me and Bobby McGee.”The tribute night will be held at City Memorial Bowls Club on Thursday, September 20, from 7pm.Other performers to hit the stage will include Jo Brooks, Lost in Suburbia, Peter Daffy, Lee Morgan, Danyo McPherson-Clifford, Garry McColl and Streamline.

Program:
7.15 - 7.25 -- Trevor and Mel (Stage 2) --

7.27 - 7.37 -- Garry McColl -- "I can't help it if I'm still in love with you", "Your cheatin heart", "Angel"(Stage 1)

7.39 - 7.49 -- Tracey Jenkinson -- "I'm so lonesome I could cry" "We're all gonna die". "Lord oh Lord" (stage 2)

7.51 - 8.01--  Eddy Boyle (stage 1)

8.03 - 8.13 -- Geoff McArthur/Mick Coates -- "Lonesome Whistle", "Lonely Tombs" (Stage 2)

8.15 - 8.25 -- Jo Brooks, Maree Daffy, Katie Gane - Weary Blues from Waiting (Hank), Gone, Long Gone (Emmylou Harris), Hallelujah (Reeltime Travellers) - a song about a truck crawling out of Nashville on 'broken down luck' - (stage 1))

8.27 - 8.37-- The Bucks - Someday you'll call my name (Hank Williams) ,"Please Don’t Bury Me" (John Prine), "New Train" (John Prine),(stage 2)


8.51 -- 9.01-- Lost in Suburbia -- I'll never get out of this world alive, When I die, Stop the world and let me off (stage 2)


9.15 - 9.25 -- Texas Tom -- Death songs: Long Black Veil and Miller Jack and Mad dog (Wayne The Train Hancock) Hank songs: Fool About You, Mind your Own Business, other to be sourced (stage 2)

9.27 - 9.37 -- Peter Daffy (Long gone lonesome blues” + “The Train Carrying Jimmy Rodgers Home” + old trad gospel song  “Ain’t no Grave can hold me down”)- Stage 1

9.39 - 9.49-- Louie and the Melways -- "Lovesick Blues", "Born under a bad sign" "Ode to Billie Joe" - (stage 2)

9.51 - 10.01 -- Lee Morgan (stage 1)

10.03 -- 10.13 --Hank Dilemma - 3 of: I'll be a Bachelor till I die / My Sweet Love Ain't Around / I'm Satisfied With You / Thirteen (Brod Smith) (stage 2)

10.15 -- 10.25)-- The Hack and the Thoroughbreds Poor Unlucky Me (Marty Robbins), Walking and Talking With the Lord (Hank) (stage 1) -

10.27 -10.37 -- Trevor Keilar -The night Hank Williams came to town, Long black veil, Seven Spanish Angels (stage 2)

 10.39 - 10.49 - Streamline - 6 more miles to the graveyard’ (Hank) ‘spirit in the sky ‘ and ‘When I die ‘(waifs) (stage 1)

10.51-11.01 -- All star band

Hitting the right chords at 60

Published in the "Seniors card magazine". September 2018 issue.

Although singer songwriter Robbie Bundle is a few years from his 60th birthday, he considers his past role as a poster boy for Victorian Seniors as “pretty cool”.Robbie, 57, who has been writing and performing music for more than 35 years, performed at the last two Victorian Seniors Festivals and was one of the faces of the 2017 Festival poster and program guide.At first he was surprised when asked to be part of the Seniors Festivals because he thought he was too young. But the father of five and grandfather of 15 didn’t  take long to change his mind and embrace the opportunity, in both years, to be part of the festival.I might have grey hair and be a grandfather – but I still feel so young and thought I might be too young to be the festival poster boy, he laughs. But then I realised my notion of being a senior was way of out of date and that rock ‘n’ roll performers like Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney are seniors – and look at what they are still doing. It changed my whole outlook.Every October the Victorian Government, with hundreds of community-based organisations, presents the Victorian Seniors Festival to recognise and celebrate Victoria’s seniors. The month-long event features more than 2,500 fun events across the state.Robbie, who has played with artists including David Gulpilil, Kutcha Edwards, Dave Arden, Bart Willoughby and Archie Roach, won’t be appearing at this year’s Victorian Seniors Festival because he is returning to Country – Yuin Country – in central Tilba, New South Wales, to work on several projects, including establishing a live music venue he plans to name the ‘Rustic Music Treehouse’.Equipped with a lifetime of experience and lessons learned – a getting of wisdom – Robbie feels he has the benefits of feeling young without the restrictions, insecurities and lack of experience that held him back in his early life.Like many of us, when I was young I was all over the shop, but now I have the wisdom and experience to make the right decisions, and this is combined with being healthy and flexible in mind, body, soul and spirit he says.I think older people today have a lot more freedom than older people had in the past – maybe it’s because many in our generation were brought up with rock ‘n’ roll and I think that has given them the permission to not be held back by who they think they should be, rather than who they are. When I play at gigs there are always plenty of baby boomers having lots of fun and I think many of them, like me, have the wisdom and confidence they lacked in their earlier years – to be who they are; to find pleasure and beauty in simple things, to really value time with family and friends and to feel joy helping people and contributing to community.I intend to keep feeling young no matter how old I get – to keep playing music and to ride my motor bike for as long as I can. It’s strange but I’m having a lot more fun now than I did was when I was younger because I’m now in a better position to understand the world around me.And what about turning 60? What is age? Age doesn’t matter, it’s how you live your life. I love the freedom of getting older and wisdom coming around in its natural form. But then again when I get on my motorcycle I feel 20.

Trevor and Mel

Written by Anthony Brady and published in the Warrnambool Standard on Friday 7th September 2018.
Performance: Melissa Bowman and Trevor McKenzie know a thing or two about entertaining an audience.The duo have been regulars on the south-west music scene for many years and in many guises.On Sunday afternoon in the Cally Hotel beer garden from 4pm, the pair will roll out their acoustic cover show, a popular event for those wanting a lazy Sunday.McKenzie first rose to prominence in the 1980s as one half of Trevor and Boyd.He played alongside  Boyd Advincula, who passed away in July.Both Bowman and McKenzie are part of well known Warrnambool band Lost in Suburbia, a combination that has been together for twenty-five years and has played at the Port Fairy Folk Festival four times.Bowman said Sunday's gig was another chance to entertain and engage an audience."Our set as a duo is easy listening covers," she said."It's a format people enjoy, they can get up and have a dance or singalong, it's a nice way to unwind."When as a duo you are covering a song that is usually played by a full band, it does produce a different version, that keeps it interesting for us and the audience."