Warrnambool Standard 21st Jan 1999 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1999.
South-West Celtic sensation Flint is on a roll, with an upcoming tour supporting The Fureys kicking off in February. Flint frontman Don Grieve said the band had just returned after the Woodford Festival and a terrific New Year's Eve gig at the Living Room Club on the Gold Coast. While in Brisbane the band secured an Australia-wide distribution deal with record company MRA Entertainment. The Fureys tour begins on February 5 in northern New South Wales, followed by Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and winds up in March when the band will return for more south-west gigs. Flint will celebrate Australia Day by playing at a citizenship ceremony at Flagstaff Hill in Warrnambool.
Flint returns
Warrnambool Standard 8th April 1999 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1999.
PORT Fairy-based celtic duo Flint is back in the south-west after a two-month tour of south-eastern Australia supporting The Fureys. Flint member Don Grieves said the tour was extremely successful and had led to many more opportunities for the pair. Not only that, they also met some great people and had a fine time. “It was absolutely brilliant, we had a ball,” Grieves said. He said negotiations were now under way for Flint to tour Sweden and Denmark, and there were even whispers that the duo may support Irish singer Mary Black on her Australian tour in May. In the meantime, Grieves and Angela Priess are recovering from the gruelling tour and gearing up for forthcoming appearances at the Koroit Irish Festival and the Grampians Gourmet Festival.
Celt duo head north on tour
Warrnambool Standard 27th May 1999 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1999.
SOUTH-WEST Celtic duo Flint are about to embark on a two-week tour of New South Wales and Queensland, supporting Foster & Allen. Flint’s Don Grieve said the tour will kick off on June 7 in Brisbane and wind up at Bateman’s Bay on the 20th. Along the way, Flint are planning two national television appearances including a performance on Channel 10’s Good Morning Australia as part of Bloomsday celebrations on June 16. Bloomsday celebrates one of Ireland’s best-loved writers James Joyce and his 1922 novel Ulysses. Flint’s Joyce connections can be seen in three of the tracks on Grieve’s Gypsy of the Celts CD, which feature the the poetry of the giant of 20th century literature. Flint, comprising Grieve and Angela Preiss, have live shows booked well into 1999, with appearances in Canberra to follow the Foster & Allen tour. A Victorian mini-tour is planned for August, taking in Mildura, Shepparton, Albury and Wodonga, and September may well see the pair off to Singapore for a 12-day tour of Irish pubs. But south-west fans should not despair, because the duo is planning to release a new CD later this year.
Musician's tour tumbles into "return again" success
by Rebecca Trott -- Warrnambool Standard 21st Oct. 2000 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 2000 All rights reserved.
A SIX-WEEK tour of southern Germany and Italy has proved to be a worthwhile trip for Celtic musician Don Grieve.One half of the successful Port Fairy-based Flint duo, Grieve, of Warrong, returned from his tour earlier this week after playing to enthusiastic audiences and even a handful of dignitaries. The other half of the duo is Angela Preiss.An established Celtic musician, Grieve said he had no idea what was in store when he packed his bodrhan and guitar and boarded the plane six weeks ago. "I went across to Germany and Italy because I had friends there. I planned to go across for the six weeks by myself to set some gigs up for next year but of course it just blew up from there." Grieve began his tour at Baden Baden in the Black Forest area of Germany where he performed at the Baden Art Expo. From there he went further south to Offenburg followed by Herronwiez - all places where he will return to play again in June and July next year. From Germany, Grieve made his way to Italy where he followed a Polish act in a performance for the mayor of Aquasparta and Umbria's Minister for Culture. After the performance Grieve said he was hired on the spot to play the following Saturday at the Seniors Open University in Aquasparta, which led to an invitation by the mayor of Terni to play at the Terni Festival. Grieve said his overseas tour had added to his experience. "Every trip we've done has been a learning experience but meeting up with European counterparts was just fantastic," he said. Grieve said a highlight of his trip was the enthusiasm of his international audiences. "Some of my songs have a simple repetitive chorus and it was nice to see the audiences said. "People were just spontaneously singing and clapping along. It was amazing."
Flint going live for CD
Warrnambool Standard 14th October 1999 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1999.
A LIVE recording of a CD and video will be the next step in the career of Celtic duo Flint who are set to document their music in a performance at Flagstaff Hill. Recently returned from a tour with Foster and Allen, Flint’s Don Grieve and Angela Preiss also supported the Furey Brothers’ tour in March, playing at venues from Brisbane to Adelaide. Don Grieve said the decision to record a live performance would help the duo to break into the European festival scene. “We’ll have a better chance of getting into festivals if we’ve got something to show festival committee members,” he said. He said he hoped to break into European festivals such as Lorent in Brittany, France, which was the biggest Celtic festival in the world. Grieve said he was looking forward to recording live, but added that it was a risky business. “We’re pretty confident we’ll come out OK, but it’s not like a recording studio where you can do things again, this will be a one-off chance.” He said people wanting to attend the performances would have to book as the venue holds only 75 people. “We’re looking for a nice, small, boisterous crowd,” he said. Bookings for the October 29 and 30 performances can be made on 5564 7841.
Celtic tunes are timeless - CD REVIEW
by Eve Lamb - Warrnambool Standard 3rd Feb 2000 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 2000
Flint — Live in Concert
FROM Angela Preiss’s fluid and freewheeling flute to Don Grieve’s mellow acoustic fret-work and broadly-accented vocals, the essential qualities of satisfying celts music are here. Recorded raw and live the sailmaker’s loft Flagstaff Hill in Warrnambool, Flint’s new Live In Concert CD travels a timeless journey. From the lively rollick, Lannigan’s Ball, to the feisty Raggle Taggle Gypsy, the album evokes as much wild heather-festooned moor-land, plunderous seas risque shenanigans you could poke a shillelagh at. Its 18 tracks include instrumental originals Dance of Dedannan with its lilting flute and pulse-racing bodhran solo and traditionals like Danny Boy. The irresistibly reeling ride, Donald Where’s Yer possesses sufficient popular appeal to snavel fans among even sworn anti-folkies. The Port Fairy-based duo will launch its new work with a free public performance at Flagstaff Hill at 7pm tomorrow. They will also be performing tracks from the new CD at Mortlake Buskers’ Festival on Saturday and at Port Fairy’s new Victoria Hotel on Sunday.
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