This Week’s Vault Post – ‘Skeleton’, featuring live footage from the first European tour, 2007. Shots & video snippets from Romania, Poland, Germany & Ukraine. There’s a live bit at 3 minute mark, from a club in Bucharest (Romania). By that stage, adrenaline was off the charts…
Fires out.
Had a great night sitting up way too late watching NITV – National Indigenous TV. One riveting program after another. That channel’s gotta be one of the most important developments for indigenous Australians in recent times. It’s also a rare gateway through which non-indigenous people can experience the thoughts, opinions, culture & music of the worlds oldest living civilisation. Man, I got into it last night. Had trouble dragging myself away.
Fires out.
Took Mojo down to the Collingwood footy ground this morning. Couldn’t get onto the turf. Pleasantly surprised by AFL State Police sides playing off for the Aussie Grand Final. Victoria v Queensland. No love lost either. It was rough out there in a very good standard of game. The Vics were up at half time (they’ll be well into the 2nd half as I write). Had a chat with a fellow onlooker who summed up perfectly; “Got a million things I’m sposed to be doing. Bugger that, I’m watching a quarter.”
Victoria vs QLD, ALF Police Championship Cup, Victoria Park – 8:30am 8th Oct 2014.
Nothing like early morning footy when you least expect it.
Fires out.
Had a productive conversation with a guy from Victorian Liquor Licensing yesterday. Temp license now applied for – re proposed shows in the new venue starting Sunday 22nd November, running weekly til Sunday 20th December. At this stage, we’re calling them ‘Yak Bar Sundays’ (if all goes to plan). Just like the Yak, where the band started nearly 10 years ago, we’ll have a lot going on. Theme days, half time raffle, party-pies etc, sausage sizzle, guest artists, the infamous ‘3rd set’, audience percussion and a whole lot more.
Pics from Yak Bar, Hoddle Street Abbotsford, 2005.
More details coming soon.
Fires out.
Jamming at Stalk & Kim’s Friday night. Max on mandolin detail.
Pic thanks to Stalk.
Had a long informal strategy ‘meeting’ yesterday. Looks like we’re gearing up for a series of Sunday afternoon shows at the new venue, starting November. More details coming soon. (Yak Bar Sundays)
Fires out.
Polish tour manager, Pawel sent us this pic taken after a show there in 2010. It was the first time we’d toured Europe in winter, which also happened to be the coldest winter there in 30 years. We were buried in snow for the whole thing. None of us had ever felt cold like that.
That’s Pawel on the right. He’d jump on stage & play guitar for some shows. Mark (next to Pawel) came along & played bass. He left mid-summer North Fitzroy, landing the following day in sub-zero Warsaw clad only in board-shorts, thongs & surf hoodie. Problem was, there was no air-bridge from the plane to the terminal. Mark walked down stairs from the plane, along the tarmac and onto a terminal bus through snow at minus 20 degrees. And they took their time closing the bus doors. Classic Aussie arrival.
Fires out.
Paperwork this week for the new venue. Been drawing up plans for an awning to run along the side of the building & wrap around the back, giving some coverage to the beer garden. At the moment, there’s no weather protection walking from the venue to the beer garden & toilets. Need to get the awning done – which includes local council planning & permit process – before returning to work on the venue space.
East elevation, new venue awning in red. Beer garden at back (to the right).
Back to it this weekend, working on downstairs studio rooms.
Fires out.
Saturday night flashback. After Grand Final debacle – back at Stalk & Kim’s jamming late into the night. First outside session for many months. Weather getting warmer.
Buddy TC staring down camera, Sat 27th Sep 2014. Pic thanks Stalk.
Fires out.
Massive weekend. Started Friday night at Yarra Hotel. A fantastic show, a who’s who of legendary Melbourne musicians paying tribute to their respective football teams. Ash Naylor lifted the roof off with the Collingwood theme song (as you might expect round here). Then the Big One on Saturday. Got down to the Barkers Arms in anticipation for one of the great AFL Grand Finals of the modern era. No one expected what happened next. Hawthorn destroyed Sydney from the opening bounce.
Tim Rogers, Davey Lane & band – North Melbourne theme song, Yarra Hotel – Grand Final Eve, 26th Sep 2014.
The game we all thought would be a titanic struggle to the last minute, was all over before the end of the 2nd quarter, the Hawks 7 goals up & Sydney looking just awful. And it only got worse from there. I think everybody felt a bit shell-shocked. Not necessarily because firm-favourites Sydney lost – but how they lost. Obliterated. One of the most uninteresting Grand Finals for years. Then it was over to Stalk & Kim’s for drinks, debriefing and jamming. Got up Sunday morning & needed to catch up with the guys again. Back to the scene of the crime, the Bakers. Several conversations about what the bloody hell happened to Sydney. Out to lunch, back to S & K’s, played a few tunes. Another late one & slow start this morning. Goodbye AFL football for another year. Congrats to the Hawks.
Fires out.
Yeah, Melbourne’s not football crazy. Here’s a shot taken earlier today, courtesy ABC News website: Grand Final parade through the city.
Captains Luke Hodge & Kieren Jack holding that elusive AFL Premiership Cup.
Excitement building. Swans versus Hawks in one of the most eagerly awaited Grand Finals in years. We’ll know the result by this time tomorrow, unless of course it’s a draw – which is probably unlikely… Off to the Yarra Hotel’s Grand Final Eve party tonight. Baker’s Arms Hotel for the game, 2pm tomorrow. Then to Stalk & Kim’s for post GF jamming. Ahhhh, what a weekend.
Fires out.
