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.