World Wide Woozle episode #614

Welcome, hello, lovely to see you, and here we go!

Quite often I worry about what I write here in the blog. Will I offend someone? Are people getting the meaning of what I write? Am I causing concern? In the past I've said and done things because I wanted someone to notice. That was usually when I wasn't doing so well. And thankfully there are a couple of keen eyed readers out there who, as a result, have reached out to me from time to time. Thank you.

Primal Scream - Moving On Up (live) - https://youtu.be/OAg_f4Bv4FU

In exciting music news, not only are The Darkness heading to Australia in February 2024 but they are coming right here to Canberra. I'll be there in my catsuit, singing in falsetto and rocking hard (one of those is true). Come along if you like. I'm getting used to going to gigs alone but I'd prefer not to. The Darkness are hard rock for people who don't take themselves too seriously, enjoy loud guitars and want to sing along too.

The Darkness - One Way Ticket - https://youtu.be/enJiLuH9YUA

The Rolling Stones have a new song called Angry. It's pretty good as well. Maybe the new Stones album, Hackney Diamonds, will be full of great tracks rather than a few hits and heap of filler. The sticker price of over $80 for the vinyl LP pre-order is nothing short of highway robbery. I do like this single though and the video is worth a look. The guitars and bass bump and grind, the drums push this one along and Mick sounds like he always has. This one is classic Stones.

The Rolling Stones - Angry - https://youtu.be/_mEC54eTuGw

Cold Chisel are releasing a 40th anniversary deluxe version of their live album, Last Stand. It comes packaged with extra tracks, a DVD (which many will already own), The Barking Spiders Live recordings (again, which many may already have) and some other stuff as well. I'm unsure about this collection. There does come a point where one wonders if a couple of extra tracks are worth the price of the whole thing. Still, what an awesome band they were!

Cold Chisel - Standing On The Outside (live, Last Stand) - https://youtu.be/CFU58orUte4

There are plenty of bands out there fully immersed in the rock and roll, bluesy hard boogie, 70s style thing and at times it feels just far too derivative. Dirty Honey sits in this genre but my goodness they do it well. Their first EP in 2019 and then album the same year were great fun to rock along with. Here they are back again with a new single and an album not that far away. I'll be honest, the whole annoyed school kid, angry teacher music video peaked with Twisted Sister but still, rock and roll is about freedom and escapism for so many people so I guess it works.

Dirty Honey - Won't Take Me Alive - https://youtu.be/L477rBAu7jo

I've been trying out a whole lot of songs for an upcoming solo gig I have. Since it's just me and a guitar, not every song will work. I'm deliberately trying to be eclectic because I have a feeling that the audience might span a wide range of tastes and ages. Here's a classic that may or may not make the cut...

John Williamson - Rip Rip Woodchip - https://youtu.be/Eti99nV3gCk

Friday was a very, very good day. I have been dog sitting for a couple of days, the weather has been excellent and I've been really enjoying some hill work on my bike. It gets better though. I was asked to act at the next level up at work for three months. I knew that this might be an option at some stage but, with my track record I really wasn't holding my breath. My manager gave me the word on Friday and I'm not too proud to say that I found a quiet space and had a little cry. Everyone's life is a journey I know, but I really didn't think I'd ever see the day again where I was good enough for this. There's a lot to be said for grasping opportunities, putting yourself out there and simply working hard. The key for me though has been putting in a lot of work to get my mental health sorted out and subsequently my brain operating at more than the base level. 

Puddles Pity Party - Where Is My Mind? (Pixies cover) - https://youtu.be/zUNu3S6z7Qg

I know that I've recommended Fanny Lumsden here before. This week her album Hey Dawn not only came out on orange cassette, but it was nominated for an ARIA award. Fanny and her band, The Prawn Stars, have just finished a tour but keep a lookout for her in the future and seriously, support great Australian music and buy a CD, record, tape or t-shirt from her.

Fanny Lumsden - Hey Dawn - https://youtu.be/uD6ggl0oza0

Black Flag will be gracing our shores for the first time in 10 years with shows in Brisvegas, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne in December. It's as if every overseas band doesn't realise that this is a BIG country with plenty of people crying out for decent shows. With that to one side, these shows, in mid-sized venues, are sure to sell out. When I think of Black Flag's history of playing small venues to enthusiastic crowds it does make me a little sad that they couldn't swing some more dates. Greg Ginn is the remaining original member from 1976.

Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown - https://youtu.be/302oEzSPCqE

That's it, the sun is out and I have two dogs to cuddle.

Rock on,

The Woozle

"737 comin' out of the sky
Won't you take me down to Memphis on a midnight ride
I wanna move...."

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Travelling Band, 1970.

World Wide Woozle episode #613

Rock on brothers and sisters, it's another instalment of random thoughts and semi-curated musical musings.

On Wednesday night I had the privilege of playing a rock and roll gig at Parliament House. It was an event to highlight the positive things that the arts can do in the lives of veterans. There was sculpture and painting on show, poetry, a monologue, a panel discussion and a film trailer too. Whilst the gig was a bit of a nightmare in logistic terms (try getting a whole band's worth of gear into a very secure building) the actual show was cool. It was amazing to have a few good friends in the audience too. The event was a big success and ending the night playing rock and roll was a real treat. I got to see some footage of a few songs (thanks Lillie) and the mix was pretty good for what was a venue definitely not designed for music. My next show will most likely be an open mic night; I've got a couple of new originals to try out.

The Living End - Guitar Band - https://youtu.be/bFW9yxIvKy8

Last time I mentioned the new album from Murrigeejar Mob. Well, the latest video from the band has dropped and you should all have a look at it. It has great footage from around Goonoowigall, Killarney Gap and Tingha. The song is a ripper as well. In the clip you can almost feel Uncle Alex's eyes looking straight into your soul.

Murrigeejar Mob - My Gamilaroi Country - https://vimeo.com/858909212

Two of the guys in the band I played with are regular members of a group called The Externals. They told me some excellent stories about gigs with The Mark of Cain as well as touring with The Cosmic Psychos. It was absolutely awesome to get the opportunity to play one of their songs as well. This one is really catchy. It had pretty much everyone else in our band singing, "...and he watched too much shit on TV...", for weeks!

The Externals - Edge of the World - https://youtu.be/Fg32Pvg1cU0

Many of you may have watched, or heard about the Amazon Prime series, Daisy Jones & The Six. It's fictional but heavily influenced by the story of Fleetwood Mac. And if you've ever been in a band you'll recognise all the drama that can go along with it! I really enjoyed the whole thing and the soundtrack album is a cracker as well. The actor playing Daisy is Lisa Marie Presley's daughter and I was pleased to see that both she and the lead male actor both sang in the show for real as well as on the album. If you like Fleetwood Mac stuff from a time before they got boring then this will probably be for you.

Daisy Jones & The Six - Look At Us Now - https://youtu.be/1X9sT4RToEU

One of the singers I had the pleasure to work with over the last few weeks was a young woman who opened the gig with the next song. Aleisha's voice was fantastic and she definitely made this track her own. I'd never heard it before and the lyrics really hit home.

Selena Gomez - My Mind and Me - https://youtu.be/NgsENBX-sQQ

One of my favourite punk rock albums is Dookie from Green Day. I'm feeling my age as its 30th anniversary version has just been announced. This is an album that was played a lot in the car and our house. I played a couple of songs from it in various bands as well. It really was a breakthrough for pop-punk. Whilst that was divisive for some, for me it's just a great fun album with lyrics that have more and more to say as you listen more but also as you age! Here's one that Bruce, Gareth, Rafy and I used to rip through on a very regular basis!

Green Day - Burnout (4-track demo) - https://youtu.be/60UBjppU7_M

Lastly, I have a couple of regular listening playlists rolling around on Spotify. They are reasonably eclectic and change all the time. If you'd like to listen to them then please let me know and I'll share them with you.

We'll finish with Cold Chisel. This is a great song. I also spent the last few months learning the guitar parts (including the solo) by heart for last week's show. In rehearsals I was dreadful until about a week ago. And then I pretty much nailed it on the night. I'm a big fan of Ian Moss' playing so getting this right was very important to me. I'm sure my neighbours will be glad to hear me play something else.

Cold Chisel - When The War Is Over - https://youtu.be/HoS1Fr9G46I

Rock on,

The Woozle

"No lies, no more alibis
Turn it up, got me hypnotized
Rock on, won't be tranquilized..."

KISS, I Love It Loud, 1982.