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BACK LIKE FLYNN
Mark Mordue wrote a beautiful piece about Bobby Flynn in
The Sydney Morning Herald. "Travelling with him," Mark declared,
"is like going on a voyage and not knowing where it will
end up." Bobby, who started his career in Brisbane, has
now landed in Melbourne. He's playing at the Northcote Social
Club tonight (Wednesday). What prompted the move? "The reputation
that Melbourne is Australia's premier music city," Bobby
tells Howzat! He says he loves Melbourne's "satellite suburbs
that all have their own soul and psyche. And the great musicians,
writers and producers who are all working hard!" What does
he miss most about Brisbane? "My family, the weather and
the river."
Bobby released his debut album, Out Front, in 2008. He's
now working on his second album, in the studio with Pip
Norman from TZU. "We did a couple of co-writes together
and there was chemistry so we just kept writing," Bobby
says. "Before we knew it, we had an album on our hands."
Fans can contribute to the making of the album via the Pledge
initiative. "Pledge is a great way to give people a chance
to get into the studio and hear tracks as we make them,"
Bobby explains. "It breaks down that wall a little more,
and it's a good way for people to see the creative process
at work. It's also a sweet way to pay for the record to
be made." There's a range of offers: $10 will get you a
download of the album; $30 will get you an autographed CD.
For $50, you can get a phone call from Bobby or your name
in the album credits; $100 will land you two tickets to
a gig and the chance to drink Bobby's rider, while $1500
will see Bobby doing a gig at your house. Find out more
at
www.pledgemusic.com/projects/bobbyflynn.
Bobby was 11 when he wrote his first song. "It was a pivotal
moment," he recalls. "It felt like magic." Around this time,
Bobby started washing cars for $4 an hour, spending the
money on cassettes, so he could tape his neighbour's record
collection. "They had this great collection of vinyl: The
Clash, The Church, The Cure … Hearing this music really
affected me. The Cure's Killing An Arab was the first song
that really went into my mind. It affected me physically."
Bobby - who lists his three favourite local songwriters
as Don Walker, Perry Keyes and Alex Burnett - was the Idol
revolutionary, the artist who confounded the critics and
didn't fit the format. When he was voted off the show (he
came seventh in 2006), a SMH reader, Roger Joyce, was moved
to write a piece for the paper: "The night that Bobby went,
I was reminded of the dispiriting scene in the film JFK
where Kevin Costner's character learns about the assassination
of Robert Kennedy. He quietly goes upstairs to break the
news to his wife: they got Bobby. Well, they did. They always
get the Bobbys of this world."
LUCAS AID - I'LL DRINK TO THAT
Steve Lucas is a survivor. As Murray Engleheart's new book,
Blood, Sweat & Beers ($35, HarperCollins), points out, many
X members are sadly no longer with us, including Ian Rilen,
Ian Krahe and Steve Cafiero. In fact, Steve - who also fronted
the blistering Bigger Than Jesus - is X's only surviving
original member. But Steve needs a back operation, and a
benefit gig this Thursday at the Espy's Gershwin Room will
help with his X-penses. The line-up includes Kretch, The
Ears, DollSquad, Brian Hooper Band and Chris Wilson. $20
will get you in.
MAYDAY IN DECEMBER
They call their sound "postmodern folk". There are also
some classic British influences. JJ Symon & The Monochromes
are prolific - Mayday is their third album in three years.
They're also very good. The album is being launched this
Sunday afternoon at the Northcote Social Club with special
guests The Ronson Hangup.
VALE PAT PICKETT
Doc Neeson did a moving tribute to The Angels' legendary
roadie Pat Pickett, who died of cancer last Thursday. Doc
dedicated Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again (which was
originally inspired by the motorcycle death of a girlfriend
of the band's manager John Woodruff) to Pat at their Doncaster
Shoppingtown show. In Clinton Walker's Bon Scott biography,
Pat was described as "a wicked friend of Bon's who managed
to attach himself to both Fraternity and AC/DC. In doing
so, he learnt the ropes as a roadie and today enjoys almost
legendary status himself as one of that game's elder statesmen."
Pat also did some work with Howzat!'s favourite band, Horsehead.
CHART WATCH
X Factor winner Altiyan Childs arrives at number eight.
Somewhere In The World ALTIYAN CHILDS (number eight, debut)
Who's That Girl GUY SEBASTIAN (11, debut)
Saturday Night JESSICA MAUBOY (16)
Freefallin' ZOE BADWI (26)
Planets SHORT STACK (27)
Plans BIRDS OF TOKYO (30)
Big Jet Plane ANGUS & JULIA STONE (38)
Guy Sebastian's best-of has a Top 10 debut.
Twenty Ten GUY SEBASTIAN (number nine, debut)
He Will Have His Way VARIOUS (14)
Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (15)
The Great Tenor Songbook MARK VINCENT (18, debut)
This Is Bat Country SHORT STACK (19)
Get Closer KEITH URBAN (20)
Vegas Songs From Sin City HUMAN NATURE (23)
Gilgamesh GYPSY & THE CAT (27)
Jack JOHN FARNHAM (28)
Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO (32)
Little Bird KASEY CHAMBERS (33)
Get 'Em Girls JESSICA MAUBOY (40)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Running Around BOBBY FLYNN
Snifferdog Blues JJ SYMON & THE MONOCHROMES
Everything You Need NICK BATTERHAM
Cold Change GUN STREET GIRLS
Degenerate Boy X
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