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LOVIN' SPOONFUL
They started out doing fun blues and soul covers at 2am
gigs at The Club in Collingwood. But Spoonful - Andre and
Kit Warhurst, David Lord and Paul Winstanley - have now
delivered an album of all originals, Straight Out The Gate
(available at gigs, indie stores and on iTunes). It's a
sparkling collection from some of this city's finest players.
Ash Naylor calls Andre "the Jeff Beck of Australian rock
'n' roll, only better". As Spoonful get set to launch the
album at Penny Black in Brunswick on Saturday, Howzat! talks
gigs with Kit:
Best gig?
"The Christmas shows that we've held at the Labour In Vain
in Fitzroy have been pretty special. We just play on the
floor in the corner of the room and it seems to bring out
the good times."
Worst gig?
"Lorne Hotel, years ago. We drove there in a van and the
lights died somewhere between Aireys Inlet and Lorne, so
we had to creep slowly along the Great Ocean Road on a moonless
night. Scared shitless. We made it just in time, and then
a whole suburban football team arrived. They were all smashed
and started harassing us before we'd even started. We hit
the stage and were about to punish them with volume, but
as we hit the first note, the PA cut out. The footy team,
with all the sensitivity of a rabid dog, started up a chant,
'Play some music, youse cunts!' Two sets to go, our van
still had no lights and we hadn't sorted out accom yet.
Awesome."
The strangest thing that's happened at a Spoonful show?
"We nearly got beat up by a bunch of mountain men in Warburton.
A Melbourne booking agent got us the show and said it would
be a good earner because we could put a door fee on and
all the locals would be there. It turned out they never
did door deals and when the big burly men arrived and found
they had to pay to drink at their local, they were mightily
pissed off. During the gig, our pathetic little PA system
died mid song. We saved the situation by plugging a vocal
mic into Lordo's amp, but then that blew up and filled the
room with black smoke. We staggered through a couple more
songs and managed to fulfil the booked time. Andre did the
usual wind up, said cheers and that we had time for one
more song. We thought we might just make it out intact and
hopefully arrive in Melbourne in time for our 2am gig at
The Club. The mountain men by this stage were standing in
a line in front of the band, and one of them said, 'You
won't do one more. You'll do five more.' We did five more."
EVEN IN HIS YOUTH
"My flabber is gasted." So said a stunned Ashley Naylor
as he walked into The Workers Club last Sunday afternoon
to discover that 200 people had gathered to throw him a
surprise 40th birthday, organised by his brother Justin.
The crowd was filled with luminaries, including Ron Peno,
Paul Kelly, Davey Lane, Peter Luscombe, Charles Jenkins,
Rebecca Barnard, Dom Mariani, Andre Warhurst, Sherry Rich,
James Power, Dave Faulkner, Paul Thomas and Bill McDonald
- most of whom played. The day also featured sets from Even,
The Ronson Hangup, and The Swarm - featuring SEN's Francis
Leach on vocals. And Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis were
the MCs. Ash is the type of bloke, and this was the type
of day, that makes you glad you're a part of the Melbourne
music scene.
A SLAMMING BBQ
Two big events not to miss for lovers of local rock:
- The Aussie BBQ is happening at the Corner on Tuesday.
To help fund the Stage Mothers' "Aussie BBQ" showcases in
the US, this is a gig featuring Oh Mercy, Wagons, The Boat
People and more. $15 will get you in.
- Also next Tuesday, head to the city for the re-enactment
of the classic It's A Long Way To The Top clip - 34 years
to the day after the original was made. It's part of the
SLAM rally (Save Live Australia's Music). Gather at the
State Library at 4pm. More info at slamrally.org.
IT TAKES TWO
Loene Carmen launches her great new album, It Walks Like
Love, at the Toff on Sunday. A highlight of the album is
Oh Apollo!, Loene's duet with Jed from The Mess Hall. "I
love duets," Loene says. "I love Dolly Parton and Willie
Nelson's I Really Don't Want To Know, Tammi Terrell and
Marvin Gaye's You've Got What It Takes - I really love the
line, 'Nature didn't give you such a beautiful face' for
such a romantic song - and Hungover Again by The Supersuckers
with Kelley Deal."
CHART WATCH
Still no homegrown hits in the national Top 10.
Sweet Disposition THE TEMPER TRAP (number 14)
Black Box STAN WALKER (15)
Art Of Love GUY SEBASTIAN (18)
One Way Road JOHN BUTLER TRIO (21)
According To You ORIANTHI (29)
Art Vs Science ART VS SCIENCE (32)
You've Changed SIA (34)
Broken Leg BLUEJUICE (35)
Rolling Stone has declared it "Album Of The Year", but has
Powderfinger's Golden Rule underachieved? After three months,
it's yet to go double platinum.
Wrapped Up Good THE McCLYMONTS (number eight)
Conditions THE TEMPER TRAP (13)
As Day Follows Night SARAH BLASKO (18)
Golden Rule POWDERFINGER (25)
Bran Nue Dae SOUNDTRACK (29)
Walking On A Dream EMPIRE OF THE SUN (31)
Introducing STAN WALKER (33)
Wonder LISA MITCHELL (34)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Shining Star EVEN
Long Way From Home SPOONFUL
Oh Apollo! LOENE CARMEN
Will You Shine? PERRY KEYES
What Can I Do TOKENVIEW
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