Cutting 'Randall-Blair' from The Wedded Bliss.

Ok so this has been happening by default for the past year or so...but I'm starting to drop the 'Randall-Blair' from the all of the posts regarding the band etc. There are a few reasons for this:

1. It feels like we are a band, finally. I've been working with the same small bunch of people for quite some time now. On most gigs you will find a core group of the same ugly, occasionally drunken faces. We also have an old time mate of ours, Deane Toohey on guitar..

2. It's just shorter & sweeter. The Wedded Bliss. On the phone I don't have to say 'its Randall-Blair &....'. It's less of a mouthful.

3. You guessed it. That ugly word that starts with a B...rrrranding. I've never been one for phoney arsed marketing bullshit but then again, I wouldn't be here on myspace now would I? I want to finally be in a band that can fit its whole name on a T-shirt (an one that won't induce an epileptic fit at that). I want a name that you can SMS on video hits!

SOME of my muso mates have thought this was dodgy strategy. They gasp...but what if the band breaks up...you can't use that name anymore!..etc..etc...You'll have to start over from scratch! No one will know the real Randall-Blair!

My reply is thus...do you know how many musicians have been through this band? I started losing count at around about 13...particularly when some of those same musos started materialising on the bandstand unannounced. Haven't you heard of The Brian Jonestown Massacre?

Now I love the BJM. But who are they other than one Anton Newcome, possibly one of the more gifted, crazed and drugfucked musicians of our times. If Anton can still maintain the BJM 'brand name' after 40 odd line up changes (I'm being conservative now) then why can't I??

Also, as I look around my humble digs, the lack of rockstar spoils has galvanised a few home truths.

I am now finally convinced, that at 35 years of age, after 20 odd years of playing the blues, (bugger....Rockstar 101 states I should shave a few years off my real age......at 27 years of age - 27 has mythic rock credibility) if it was going to happen, I would have 'made' it by now.

So who gives a toss if I trim a little off the band name? I can hardly imagine David Geffen or Michael Gudinski slamming down their phones as I post this. They haven't called yet and I can safely assume they won't be callin' ever.

It'll still be me, writing the tunes & singing them with my best mates. We'll still be playing & sweating up a storm in the corner of your local pub somewhere. Hopefully the folks in the band will be able to brag about being in a band without cringing as they state the name.

Who knows?

I'll still play solo shows as Randall-Blair, so the three of you can rest easy.

Thanks for your indulgence on this one.

cheersbigears,
R.B

Hey there folks,

Some of you may be privy to the fact that I happened to agonise over this mmmugspace thing for quite a while before actually plucking up the courage to do something about it. About two or three weeks ago, I bit the bullet, accosted a mate and set up this site.

Well, firstly, the whole enterprise hasn't assuaged my fears that I would be wasting my time. In fact, I feel that I am wasting my time, the problem is I'm actually enjoying the process a lot more than I thought.

It took me a week or so, and much plodding about on my local scene's mugspace locales to actually venture out and check out some new music. I actually have discovered, and not really much to my surprise that I am eating my cynical words. There IS a fantastic amount of excellent music out there, with people just like me slogging away independently, losing sleep, money, sanity and relationships in order to make music. I guess real musicians are compelled to make music, and this here myspace thing is another tool of expression.

Discipline is the key here for me. If I can manage to keep this experience in perspective then myspace will remain a tool - a means to an end - rather than an end in itself. My initial apprehensions about mspace was that it would drain my time & effort, and detract from achieving real & tangible goals such as playing gigs, performing, recording and meeting real, rather than virtual people. As a consequence, and after this 'manifesto', I'll probably only post here relatively infrequently & in far less depth.

News for me is that:

* The Cry Baby performance with the Mirramu Dance Company went very well. People seemed to enjoy the show and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. There is talk of touring the show in future to other cities, but, as always in this game, keep your fingers crossed & hope for the best. Having said that, the Mirramu Dance Company founders & directors, Elizabeth Cameron Dalman & Viviene Rogis are incredibly driven & well organised. The 'Cry Baby/Soft on the Inside Show' has grown from a single choreographed routine for 'Silver Spoon', to a performance spanning 1hr showcased at the 2007 MultiCultural Festival. I'm impressed.

The dancers in this performance were a revelation. My notions of dancers, as egotisical divas, was transformed. I've yet to see a more quietly commited, relaxed, professional and down to earth group. A joy to work with.

Matt & Richy were also champions, I have to say. Thanks fellas.

* The recording is ticking on. Poor old Duncan, my producer/sound engineer/mate, will probably see in his next child before its finished. Slow & methodical. Remember people, I work full time!

Alison Procter, the wonderfully talented singer from the Cashews has lent her voice to one of my songs. It will actually be a duet. We finished tracking it on Sunday, and I'm a little intimidated by the ease with which she sings & performs. Is there the female equivalent of a 'true gentleman'? Perhaps I shall just say thanks to Alison and recommend that you check out the Cashews, whether it be on myspace or live/real time.


It is time for me to stop procrastinating now. Time for real work. I'll try to cycle my 'top friends' list every now and again to try to hype some different musicians that I like. Isn't that the entire point of this site?

Thanks for indulging me. Keep well, remember to hop off the computer every now and again to hug a loved one!

Blair.

Ok, so i've finally relented to the growing anxiety that the Wedded Bliss - which is basically my baby, with alot of support from some devoted friends & loved ones - was slipping out of the technological & 'cool' loop. We have a myspace site now, with much gratitude to my mate Pete Gare (he was bribed with a gargantuan steak in the bargain).

I agonised over this. I really did, ask Matty or Scratch.

So I will wait with some small trepidation as to whether or not my 'friends' list rises in the coming weeks. This is not without consequence, as I have heard through the muso gossip vine that Festival organisers are 'checkin' up on a band's 'myspace friends' roster. This is supposedly to deem whether or not a band's stocks are high enough to warrant booking them. Indeed it was this factor that finally lit a fire under my arse.

If you've known me or read any of this site you've probably gathered that I don't suffer show business phonies lightly. I try to avoid it like bird flu, but like bird flu or the ebola virus more probably, mmmmugspick has infected the globe. So now I have two websites to manage, when I should actually be writing, rehearsing or performing. And unlike a few other musos i know, i'm not on the government arts related subsidy (the dole). I have to work. I'm a chalky, that means I have neither the time to trawl for 'friends' or the money to pay for a team or Burmese ITmonkees to sit all day a' trawlin' (or should that read 'building brand awareness'?)

And here i was thinking that playing shows locally & interstate, doing supports, recording & promoting, and yes, HAVING A WEBSITE was enough! When will it end!

*sigh* So if you want to, you can click along and check it out, listen to the tunes, or leave a message. Go to..

http://www.myspace.com/theweddedbliss

cheersbigears,
Blair.

Hey there.

I'll be supporting Canadians, Mad Violet @ the Merry Muse folk club this sunday night from 7pm. You can check out their website at www.madviolet.com. They sound very slick & polished so i'm a little bit nervy as I'll be playing solo without the aid of stompboxes, bass, banjo etc. No gimmicks whatsoever people. Raw naked acoustic music. Maybe this'll be the gig that I finally give up!

The fellas are in Melbourne this week seeing Neko Case, buggers. I couldn't afford it, i'm still awaitin' my 28cent cheque from APRA....ain't commercial radio a bitch!?

Next week we will be continuing our Wedded Bliss suburban crusade @ the Old Canberra Inn, thursday Feb 8 , between 8 - 11pm. Beer googles will be provided at the door, but you'll need to limber up thise 'swingin' arms' I hear.

The Mirramu Dance performance of 'Cry Baby' approaches...Feb 16 & 17 @ the Street Theatre. Keep posted.

cheersbigears,

blair.

Upcoming Gigs:

Jan 28 Rose Cottage, Monaro Highway, Gilmore. 2pm - 5pm .Free.

Feb 8 Old Canberra Inn. Moaut St. Lyneham. 8pm -11pm. Free


Hello its been a long while, i know. I should be writing all the time...letting you know what's going on...getting friends on myspace and generally working harder to become famous, I know, I know. well here's a little wrap up of things that went well for us since I last had a spare couple of minute to write.

The Melbourne tour went well, met up with some old mates and met some new friends, thanks to the punters &folks at the Espy & the Cornish Arms in particular...also to the folks at Channel 31. We all held up pretty well i thought, big hugs for Matty, our bass player, who helped out with sound at Wagga Wagga ( we did manage to have a hideously long lost drive from Melbourne to Wagga, Scratch & Matty being MOST hungover..)

Major's Creek 06 was excellent. A really strong line up of acts, Soursob Bob, Damien Coen & Damon Davies, Allez Gators, Tamensia, One Night Jam, Dev'lish Mary, Triskel...for us the best bits were when Damien Coen and Sam from One Night Jam came and made us sound like a million bucks on our Saturday night gig.

Gigs, gigs, gigs....always a pleasure.

The Backy Skank Christmas party at the Empire in Sydney was a memorable moment for me, as a managed to summon the courage to play another solo set in a roomful of tattooed punks. Steppin' Razor were awesome, top blokes and sooo much energy to burn on stage. always leaves me with a smile on my face, as per Bacy Skank. The Creepers were another highlight, featuring an amazing guitar player full o' country & rockabilly fire. Goood.


This year. Currently still working on album, will it end. I'm really enjoying it, althoough i'm losing alot of sleep.

Feb 16 -17 sees us performing with Mirramu Dance Company as part of the National Multicultural Festival.

cheersbigears,
rb

Finally we get to head to the mecca of all things trendy, modish & happening in music..Melbs...or Mexico as we liken it here as it 'tis Very South of the Border. home of some of my fav bands....Dead Salesmen, Mick Harvey, the Darling Downs, the Small Knives, Conway Savage...to name just a few.

Our watches are syncronised and perhaps we'll actually get there this time, weather & day jobs permitting. Check our gig guide for venues etc. There may be a radio spot or two, but you know the drill...in this game you only believe it when you're there in the moment.

We're also in the midst of slowly chippin' away at our second album, which I'll tentatively call 'Chin Up, Chest Out'...it's taking a bit longer cuz of the old hassles of money & time constraints so if there's any of that Australian Idle promo money floating about, flow it my way....(as you can guess I'm far too old for idledom, so I'll have to work for my dosh.)

big up to the fellas from Steppin' Razor & the Signals, we had a real ball playin' at the empire the other week, and we were treated so well by a bunch of punks!We thought there was a going to be a lynchin' (it terribly hard being a folkabilly country act these days...)

thanks for your patience.

cheersbigears,
R.B

I know its been sooooo long since I've actually added something here but life gets in the way. The band has been up & down and in & out and experimenting with a stripped back new sound that makes lugging much more easier for Uncle Richy on drums. Now he's playing a nifty stompboard contraption..

Anyway. We've got a few gigs coming up over the next month or so, and will be adding...Heads up to our good friends once more in Sydney & Wagga & elsewhere!

the better news for us is that we've actually booked the studio for mid July. We'll be crankin' out a follow up to the 'Tatts' album. If you've seen us recently, you realise that we are looking & smelling more & more like a bunch of hillbillys...lots of banjo, mandolin, acoustic bass etc etc....dear o' dear.

Anyway. Best wishes to all the players & socceroos fans who've lost sleep over the past two weeks. I reckon we did alright, and anyway it wouldn't be an Australian sporting defeat without the hint of a 'We wuz robbed' style scandal....

cheersbigears & support local music & culture!!!
R.B.

Hey there just to let you know I've got a fair few gigs & event coming up in the next few weeks for those suffocating of boredom in the 'Can. I've score a month long residency at the lovely DAs Kapital Bar in Narrabundah where I'll be joined by some of my favourite singersongwriters that I've met around the traps...Jordan Best, Matt McBeath (Rebel Astronauts), Hashemoto (ex Trouser Trouser), Jim Boots (Ocean Moses, Caution Horses)and the wonderful Foina Bolton.

So keep an ear out for the 'Refuge of the Shammed' @ Das Kapital, Narrabundah shops.

Also we'll be playing a free 'Sunday in the Park' gig at Stage 88 in Commonwealth Park on Sunday Feb.12.

Cheersbigears,
R.B.

Well its been a few months since i've had the energy and effort to write...I'm sorry but life gets in the way far too often...i think you can forgive me. Had few ups & downs as they say...but we're all still here surviving and trying to get $$$, time & commitments for the next recording, which is scheduled for 06 (if the last album is anything to go by, I'll be hocking my Kingswood & record collection to raise the cash..)

The past few months have been the usual array of gigs,rehearsals (last minute shenannigans), squeezed in between work, family, life.. A few highlights of which included...

*The Major's Creek Folk Festival...this was our first trip to a folk festival, what can you say? Amazing talent, weird dancing & esoteric instruments, and good times. Special thanks to the Majors Creek crew for having us and One Night Jam (who basically became surrogate members of the Wedded Bliss on the final day, and made us sound like a million bucks). What a lovely bunch of folks. We'll be touring/gigging with them in 06.

* Ill Starred Captain - I rate their new album 'YEh Na' highly. Aslo a HUge sound from two of the nicest guys we've met around the traps. Must be all that Tuna-fish down at Port Lincoln, SA. We're also scdeuled to play a small east coast tour with them in March '06.

cheersbigears..I'll try to keep you posted with a bit morew hype as it comes to hand...

R.B.

We'll, like most earthbound folks we've been a bit crook & cranky with the flu over the past couple of weeks, which has made gigging a fresh experience. I've had this flu that I can't seem to shake, so if anyone's got a recipe that'll blend cafienne, robitusson & chocolate into something that won't produce more phlegme & vomit than necessary...

We've had a pretty good run with gigs in Sydney & Canberra, with some decent shows at the Phoenix and the Cat & Fiddle in Balmain (a strange mix of 'Idol' moments & biker shenanigans... best left unsaid really) and I need to get better before the next gig in Wagga Wagga on the 24th..C'mon, there's only so many sickies a man can chuck...

Anyway, we've also been accepted to play at the 'Music at the Creek' festival in November(otherwise known as the 'Major's Creek Festival'), which we're all pretty chuffed with at the 'mo. you can check all the other act & find details etc at http://www.musicatthecreek.com...

Hope some of you are well enough to make it..

Cheersbigears,
R.B.

G'day...its been a few weeks since the last posting. I won't lie to you and tell you that Sony/EMI/Micheal Gudinski/David Geffen et al. have been beating down the door to get at me. That would be phoney arsed 'rawk' hype, and I don't do that particularly well (I've been told I should be 'talking it up' as they say in the industry, but I'd figure you'd see through that...can't you?)

Suffice to say I've been gigging a bit, jumping in the wagon & playing around just as any good ol' apprentice songsmith should. Had few interesting nights in Goulburn, and a few in Wagga Wagga (apparantly only 'city folks' call it Wagga Wagga) at bars called the 'Red Lion' & the Tourist Hotel. Well I can tell you that the good folks in Wagga certainly like a drink or three (the blokes at the Red Lion can actually drink & hurl & drink again without leaving the bar stool...how's that for entertainment? I should be paying them!)

I actually ended up at the local night club, 'the Capital', 'cutting rug' with Gina Villalobos, who I might add was decent enough not to relocate metres away when I stepped on the dance floor next to her. Like most singer/songwriters I'm egotistical enough to think I'm a great dancer, but the horrified looks on some of the faces suggest otherwise. One day I'll be convinced.

I guess if I'm 'Alt-Country' I shouldn't 'do dancing' or some such, but hey, I really like Destiny's Child, they're so godamm sassy, especially when you're in Wagga Wagga in night club reminiscent of the Private Bin circa 1992 (if you don't know it, just think of the daggy, crappy niteclub you were dragged to at a buck's or hen's night and you'll know what I mean). Needless to say it was utterly fan-foogu-tastic! I had a ball.

Speaking of the 'Ga, I like to say a big cheerio to the folks at the Tourist (which seems to be the artist's bowery of choice..)who came to see the Wedded Bliss. You were so lovely, friendly & supportive (& pissed), you really made the trip worthwhile! We'll be back soon.

We'll I'm off tonight to see a dance performance (choreographed by Viviene Rogis) which will be featuring one of my recorded tunes, which i'm pretty baffled and happy about. I wonder what it'll be like? Probably a lot better than my dancing, so it'll be daaaammmmnnn gooood!!(you can say that last line in your best BA Baraccus celebrity voice-over impersonation.


cheersbigears,
R.B.

Heya, its been a while but life's always dragging me down sunny laneways & dingy ditches, hence the lateness of any posting. But there has been some interesting twists & turns on the musical carousel...

PBSFm in Melbourne has decided to plug 'Tattoos & Taillights' as a feature album for the week of June 20, so I'm obviously quietly jubilant. I hear that PBS has a fairly large listenership, so I hope a few folks out there will get what I'm on about. They might even invest in an album. It's all a bit of a slow & steady approach, gigs come in & out, fall off the radar so to speak, but I'm busting my arse here trying to preach the gospel according to the 'Bliss, so sooner rather than later we'll be down in Melbourne for a few dates. I promise.

I know I'm always meant to 'talk it up' as they say in 'industry' parlance, but hey, you probably wouldn't be reading this far if you were really interested how many 'names' I can drop in a paragraph (can you tell I just read Tim Friedman's 'Diary' in the SMH, Sat 4/6? man that guy's the Richard Wilkins of the uberarts scene..).

Anyway, I'll try the name dropping thing.

I've just returned from playing a lovely 'intimate'(again, industry parlance..) gig in Goulburn with two seriously talented singer/songwriters, namely Gina Villalobos (USA) & Andy White (an Irishman residing in Melbourne I believe). These people are the goods and if you haven't checked them out I highly recommend that you do.

You can go to www.andywhite.com & www.ginavillalobos.com for details.

Gina has this tune that goes (I'm paraphrasing & could have completely misheard it of course)..

'I'm in need of an operation, c'mon cut me up...' which I believe is THE coolest line I've heard this year.

You'll have to go & see her to hear the rest of the lyrics, but I've got two more gigs to check whether or not I heard it right the first time. If I'm wrong I'm going to plagarise it anyway (hey 40,000 Year 9 students can't be wrong, can they???)

Cheersbigears,
R.B.

I should be sad...I won't lie. The week of my birthday & usually its a depressing trip, but I'm kinda numb about it now, I'm starting to clock 'em up as they say. Oh well.

The Lior gig (May 6) was a real eye opener. Lots of smiling faces, enthusiasm, genuine applause. Grouse. Maybe there is still an audience out there for a bunch of rock dinosaurs.

Actually, I kinda felt like of of those tiny sardine-like fish that hover beneath the belly of a much larger shark-like fish (ie the metaphor being that Lior was the larger fish, but you all got that anyway..) Yes the Lior juggernaut rolled into town last week, and we being the humble support act, got to do just that, support. It was a great night and lots of the punters I met were really kind, friendly and very supportive of what we were on about. Cheers to those folks & I hope you like the album.

I've got some pretty interesting gigs coming up in June, most notably with Gina Villalobos (USA) and Conway Savage (Melbourne) as well as a few small musical road trips to take. If you're interested in attending those gigs you can simply join the mailing list & I'll ping you an email closer to the date.

I've also had a track of mine, 'Leaving You' featured in the Australian Music Online Listening Room. You can check it out at www.amo.org.au. You can also read the interview I made with them (follow the links on the press page).

If you're interested in downloading a track of mine, you can use the 'downloads' section on this site for a taster, or go to

www.mp3.com.au/randall-blair&theweddedbliss/

to get a free copy of 'Triple Truth'. In case you're wondering, the track is hanging in there, it was #6 on the AltCountry charts, and #30 in the country charts. C'mon people...I can't die without telling everyone that I made #1 (albeit on the Mp3.com.au country charts, but it's just not as impressive to own up to that one..)

If you've read this far I thank you for your patience.

Cheersbigears,
R.B.

Hey there, its been a little quite of late..lots of work & writing,rehearsal, not enough sleep etc.etc. the same usual complaints.

Indyfest was interesting, lots of good acts & a few perplexed punters when we got on. Ahh the life of a roving roots rock band, maybe it was the tux I was wearing..Anyway, by the end of our set we had a few toes tappin' and hearts afire (I can still hold on to my dreams can't I?) We even managed to break out a few smiles amongst the rawk set (there are still some booners out there people, bless em..).

The band has been invited to participate in the Cat & Fiddle's (Balmain) 'Live at the Cat Vol.2' series of recordings in late June. The live recording set will feature 15 Sydney & interstate acts strutting their stuff and will also be distributed on 456 records/MGM. Keep posted for more details.

We've almost locked in all of our dates for a Melbourne tour in June...so we'll be blowin' this here old 'one Datto town' for good (so to speak...we'll let you know the details when we can organise a spare change of clothes..

I've also been wasting alot of time on computers & The Web and as a result you can download a full album track from our 'Tattoos & Taillights' release (available through MGM) on Mp3.com.au:

http://www.mp3.com.au/Randall-Blair&theWeddedBliss/

Hope life is sweet & dandy.

cheersbigears,
r.b.

Its been a while now, but people have started noticing something different, a startling change.

Yeah, I've cut my bloody dreads off.

It took 6 years of authentic time honed nastiness & neglect to grow them and no, I never paid for them. They were the real deal. Natty. Skanky. Long. Dry. Itchy. Heavy. Rank. Beautiful.

And possibly the only hard-core-fuck-you-street-cred I had left in me. It's strange but people seem to mourn the loss of dreads as if they were their own. Maybe its got something to do with living vicariously...

Do I miss them?...well...no. It wasn't like I was a devoted rasta or anything. When I quit my stupifying-suffocating public service job 6 years ago I decided that I was never going to wear a tie, and office slacks again. I also resolved to never cut my hair again.

Why the cut? I'll tell you why, it has to do with certain public preconceptions that, after 6 years, really wear down your will to live...

Reasons why I cut my dreads.

1. I'm not a hippy.

2. Being asked if your a hippy gets tired really quickly. Also people assuming you are a hippy, or even 'watching what they say' because you're a blah blah.

3. I don't smoke pot. I might look like a honky-ganja- smokin' drop out, but I'm actually a light weight who gets head spins & deep paranoia from the slightest whiff. How hard core.

4. No, I don't sell pot, so don't ask me.

5. I do realise I look like John Butler and no its not cool. There is already a JB and that's fine, I just don't want to be his body(hair) double. (I've spoken to other dread-locked musos about this. We're forming a support group..)

6. I could never play slide guitar again because of point 5. (Actually, slide guitar has unfortunately become the 21st century finger-tappin'-eighties-wank-inspired-look-at-how-big-my-member-is technique of choice these days for many a guitarist...so I don't mind. Also I'm not that good at it anyway..)

6. I don't want to be confidently asked, in broad daylight, where the needle exchange is (do I look THAT strung out???).

7. I love reggae/dub as much as the next person, but really I'm not a rasta, and no, I'm not Jamacian, so its strange that people would assume that a born & bred Belco boy would want to go back, Marcus Garvey style, to Africa and chant down Babylon. Likewise it can be assumed that like most level headed and righteous people I do like Marley, can't it just be assumed mon?

8. I don't like to talk about my hair. I never have, so its unbearable to have to answer the 'how'd you get yer dreads??' or , sigh, 'How much did you pay for your dreads?' C'mon, why the hell would I pay good money to look like this? You're meant ot be scared and intimidated!!You're meant to feel DREAD....

9. Looking like an extra from 'Braveheart' is incredibly embarrasing when you catch a glimpse of yourself.

10. What started out as an 'anti-image fight the power gesture' turned into an figurative (and strangely almost literal) albatross around my neck (head).

Anyway. 'It used to be about the music' so why am I talking about my dead hair?

Its gone.N'uff said. Looks like the Bliss will be playing at INDYFEST on Saturday 19th March. The Wedded Bliss. Yes, we're a band and not a hair style.

cheersbigears,
r.b.

Ok.Ok. Whilst not laying claim to the Spinal Tap throne per se, if there was gig that we would have to claim as one of the weirder gigs we have played in all of our collective experience (and that IS alot of time in rock-dinosaur years..)it would have to be this one. I've posted the details on the following link:

www.rncas.org.au/showwebsite/dailyplanner05.pdf

Feel free to check it out for a lark, yes there are some strange & wonderful hobbies the showies get up to these days. So check it out @ 4pm, Sunday 27th Feb after the Milking Competition and before the Shearing Comp . Stick around and you might even witness the Pig Racing & Diving Pig...

CheersBigEars,
r.b.

Well well what d'ya know, here I am in cyberspace. I guess it had to happen eventually. No more dodgy emails clogging your inbox and going mouldy in you trash. I tried to resist but THE MAN kept saying 'get on the web, its the only way to go', 'its the way of the future', 'how can you move more product without a website..' blah blah...

I've been having a Art vs. Commerce dilemma lately so this web site stuff doesn't exactly help.

Anyway, 2004 was a fairly busy year. There was mixing & mastering the 'Tattoos & Tail-lights' album, launching it, gigs up & down the Hume & 'round the usual traps, crazy rehearsal schedules (trying to fit in everyone's agenda), more writing & recording & performing. I also managed to get to work most days on time & mark the roll.

(I type this rather furtively at the local internet cafe'.Can you imagine how cringe-worthy I feel, logging on to my own website in public?..Its lucky everone else, all 13 of the blokes, are too engaged in virtual warfare to notice a guy logging onto his own band's website..)

Anway we started the year on a positive note, playing a tsumami benefit gig with a bunch of hard rockin', nu-metal, ska & punk bands. Although we stood out like a shit-in-a-sugar-bowl (being the only original country/roots/whatever band on the bill) everyone chipped in and made the night enjoyable.

I really enjoyed a band called the Australian Kingswood Factory so much that I dedicated a song to them. An all- round top night (sorry I missed Los Capitanes, but their disc is bloody good..) The Red Cross was there and we managed to raise a bit of cash for victims of the tragedy.

In late January, we also managed to score a gig playing by the lake to a few hundred kind souls for the NCA's 'Summer by the Lake' Series. It was a lovely afternoon with lots of good folk of all shapes & sizes - all music lovers & regular attendees from what we could gather - a nice change fromt he regular drunken louts (bless 'em) who drift in & out of our lives.

Our next gigs are set to be at the National Multi-Cultural Fringe Festival on the 20th Feb & The Royal Canberra Show on the 27th (look for us in the prized poultry & game section, we're after the Scottish Pipe abdn and before the Puppet Show..)

And after that...Castle Donighton 'Monsters of Rock'(I hear Whitesnake are playing.....

cheersbigears,
r.blair.