Out two too

It’s standard practice for me on visiting a town to find out what bands and events are on, or if larger, where are the jazz clubs and the like.  I visit Beechworth often enough to know the several windows with their A4 ads for upcoming bands and visitors.  There were 2 coming for Friday and Saturday at Tanswell’s, the main street pub.  The visitors aren’t around this weekend, but include classical singers, renowned jazzers and pop bands at times.  Meg Washington was here recently.  The two Front Bar bands at Tanswell's would be it for this visit.  We managed the first set of The Torpedoes on the Friday night, a rock-blues quartet (2xgt/vox, bs, dr) playing Summertime blues, a string of 12 bars, Allejuliah I just love her so and the like. Plenty of good vibes and noise and dancing in a small space and the inevitable crew at the bar or standing by the fire.  Not sure how the bartender managed to hear orders, but it seems to work OK.  Then the Owls on Saturday.  Again a quartet (2xgt, bs, dr, all vox), in from Melbourne.  I happened to stand at the bar and chat to the leader's partner, Irene, and he was Sean McMahon and the others were Matt Green, Josh Duiker and Tim McCormack.  Sadly the PA and room were muddy so no recognisable lyrics, and for this folk-blues-rock-indie music, for me the lyrics are the key, although there were some decent solos and grooves amongst it all.  But Sean is noted for folk and songwriting and he writes this music so lyrics would be a key.  The music seemed to be all or mostly original, not that I'd recognise this style too well regardless.  I managed a chat with bassist Tim in the break and loved his '74 PB.  I once had a '72 PB and ever dread that I sold it.  This was identical, same pickguard, sunburst colour, rosewood neck in good condition, if less in the body than where it matters.  Lovely.  And the audience could be a blast, not least the schoolies or there-abouts with the mid-winter themed costumes, the girls videoing their black and fur hat presences.  So two bands in two nights in the front bar at Tanswell's.  Good.  Excuse the low-light pics.

The Torpedoes played Tanswell's front bar on Friday night.  The Owls played there on Saturday night.  The Owls comprised Sean McMahon (guitar, vocals, songwriting), Matt Green (guitar, vocals), Tim McCormack (bass, vocals) and Josh Duiker (drums, vocals).

Out

We’re away for a family birthday for a few days, based in Beechworth but tripping around too.  We come here often enough and we can be pretty staid but our visitors have us busier and exploring more.  First to mention is local town Myrtleford.  Not at all the period piece that Beechworth is, but lively and touristy with some op shops, a pass-time we enjoy.  The highlight was a quirky shop called Red Ramia Trading.  The website describes it thus: “an enormous globe-trotter’s emporium of furniture, pottery, homewares, rugs, exotic fabrics, kimonos, architectural & garden design features from marble statues to teakwood pavilions. Take a trip through Japan, Morocco and India as you wander through a mixture of hand picked antiques, artisan crafted good and recycled items.”  Pretty correct and pretty fascinating.  Like giant bears playing jazz instruments that once must have welcomed to a club or event.  One had a genuine double bass, not too aged or admirable but somewhat playable.  I found a string of guitars and e-basses on one wall, not too collectible, and one student violin borrowing a famed name.  Quite fascinating if not throw-away op shop cheap with some items into the $000s.  Then next day, back in Beechworth, the monthly Quercus market and community get-together.  The wind was chilly but the sun warm and lots of dogs and a few acquaintances and others to chat to.  Our indulgence was frittele (Italian doughnuts) but there was much else.  And some entertainment from Eva and Irena. Eva, the main guitarist, and Irena, the singer with a decent apt voice, for Noah Kennedy Everywhere everything and more.  Thanks for introducing me to NK.  Nice local entertainment.  Thus is the way of these smaller town events.

Eva (guitar) and Irena (vocals, guitar) performed at the Beechworth Market.  Red Ramia Trading is in local town Myrtleford.

Lazy January

We are in Beechworth for a few days having avoided floods and feeling the heat and looking for some music in a small, very touristy and quite historical, country town (Ned Kelly, gold, Chinese heritage, wines). We have a long-term connection here so it's not just an odd visit. I usually peruse the mainstreet for posters for gigs and events but it was pretty sparse this time. A DJ on the Friday was it. Walking towards Tanswell's Pub, the main pub in the main street, we could hear music but this sounded live, country, guitar/vocal. This was just next door, in a beer garden. Jack Raymond was a local product, from Harrietsville, now Queensland, and was down to perform in Bright and picked up this gig in Beechworth. A good, sturdy, confident, singer/guitarist. I only caught a few bars of a last song then a farewell and an encore on Canned Heat On the road again. I remember teenage driving with mates to this music, so it hit a chord, we could say. Then on to the pub and the DJ. No-one in the room when we walked in but I got to chat with DJ Arthur Gadon then a pic with some female friends who happened in, then a few minutes in the front bar and a return for the event. I liked the good solid beats (House to DnB) and could see it expressed in the dancers' involvement and could see how that could so easily fade with weaker beats. I could mention Victor Vergaara and Martin Solvieg and remixes by Steve Aoki and Mark Anthony Boucher, but it was just cheating with Shazam. I don't think I'd heard any of the tunes before but I can enjoy them. Maybe it's partly why I enjoyed Skepta & Amy Winehouse Can't Play Myself (A Tribute To Amy) when I came on it on Triple J next morning. It's all music and we have our preferences and there's plenty in the DJ field I can enjoy. No, not quite Leipzig but Beechworth has its own fascinations.

Jack Raymond (vocals, guitar) and Arthur Gadon (DJ) performed in the mainstreet of Beechworth on a summery Friday night.

Wrapping in the Rain

Not quite rapping, but definitely WRAP. We are in Beechworth for a few days with some mates. Beechworth is famous for Ned Kelly and gold and being a deliciously cute town. When we looked at what’s on, we found the Writers, Readers and Poets’ Weekend, an annual event in Beechworth. It’s not so big. A few public readings and a few workshops. A few locals and some decent imports: Tony Birch wrote Shadowboxing and was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin; Beverley Lello is a local from Yackandandah who’s written short stories and for anthologies and more; Eddie Paterson teaches scriptwriting at UMelb; Kevin Brophy has published 13 books of poetry, fiction and essays; Kate Rotherham teaches Creative Fiction and has published in Best Australian short stories and elsewhere. There are others. There are workshops and they are small and intimate, at least one we looked in on. We mainly just attended one public reading, in a light rain by the main roundabout in Beechworth so somewhat noisy, but it places poetry and culture at the heart of the real world, so good. We heard Jeff Braithwaite (?) with some political statements in poetry, about refugees and environment: “Where is your heart, Australia / Have you a red hot centre / Or just a cold hard stone”. I liked his honest ethics and open challenge to our current malaise. Then Lisa Ride who was associated with ANU (perhaps in the past) and was reading publicly for the first time. She rushed a bit, as early performers are wont to, but she was wily and amusing with a poem about commercialisation of Christmas then another about the centre aisle at Aldi, with its urgent specials. I associated easily with this: I have a USB microscope that was a great deal and is a story that amuses me no end, but which I’ve never used. Then Jean Memory (?), with several poems, A woman for all seasons (last line: “clever, thoughtful, well designed”), and Rachel and the fairies (about mother Rachel and baby) and another tongue-in-cheek suggestive one about janitors with clean premises and dirty minds. Then Amy Brown. Dr Amy teaches Creative writing at UMelb and has published several books, including Odour of sanctity, which she read from. OoS is an epic poem about six saints. She read lines about saint Rumwald of Buckingham, born 662CE, lived 3 days, spoke “Sum Christianus” as his first words before dying just days later. The 3-day speaking baby saint. Fascinating and richly lyrical language. Then Ro (?) with two poems on Trees and a humourous one on Molly the Moth. I am no poetry buff, despite hearing Les Murray at Poetry at the Gods only days before. There’s something in this, though, and it’s worthwhile. I’ll try for more. In the meantime, that’s a WRAP.