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.