Shane Howard
It will be an experience Shane Howard says could only be dreamed together one time, when the spirit returns in the act of gathering. From Warrnambool to New York to Ireland, the new Goanna record has been years in the making, and this week many of the artists involved in Spirit returns will come together to perform in Melbourne. Shane and Marcia Howard and Rose Bygrave - Goanna's original line-up - will be joined in two shows marking the close of the Melbourne Festival by a remarkable collection of performers. They include Liam O'Maonlai from Ireland, Kerryn Tolhurst from New York, Queensland's Murri poet Lionel Fogarty and Gunditjmara singer-songwriter Andy Alberts. Shane says there is a largeness of spirit about the gathering of talent which constitutes Goanna, a band that has involved more than 80 musicians over its 16 years. "It would be false of us to try and think of it as a band - its a musical idea". Goanna's original members, in Warrnambool to rehearse with Alberts, Tolhurst and Sydney bassist Bill Jacobi, agree one of the most important aspects of recording Spirit of Place was bringing their music home. The female perspective, or what Rose describes as "women's stories", has also come to the fore. Marcia and Rose wrote six of the songs on the new record - due for release early next month. Marcia says her personal journey since Goanna's early years has influenced her songwriting, especially having children and "thinking about what kind of world you want them to inherit". It is remarkable to have created such a musical statement amid so much geographical dislocation, Shane says, an achievement he attributes to "all the collective energy and intelligence". Shane says everyone who contributed to the record has their own remarkable story, but what they have created is a love song to Australia. Goanna will perform at the Melbourne Concert Hall on October 30 and Victorian Arts Centre on October 31st.
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