|
Click
here to go back to the Howzat! archive
DUTCH TREAT
Meat Loaf's real name is Marvin, but he recently said: "The
last person who called me Marvin will be buried on Thursday."
Matthew Tilders was 14 when he came to Australia with his
family in 1955. Coming from The Netherlands, his new mates
gave him the obvious nickname - Dutch. Now he's never referred
to as Matthew, "unless someone's being facetious". Dutch
Tilders is a great name for a bluesman, though he's been
called plenty of other things. "When I was starting out,
The Age called me Dutch Tedders, and then I was doing a
gig in Queensland with Geoff Achison and we drove through
a place called Childers. Geoff said, 'That's one way they
haven't spelled your name.' But sure enough, we got to Rockhampton
and the paper called me 'Dutch Childers'."
Whatever you call him, Dutch is the Godfather of the Blues
in Australia. He jokes that when he started playing, people
thought the Blues was just a footy team. He was 15 when
he did his first paying gig - playing the harmonica at Collingwood
Town Hall. Australia's rock pioneer Johnny O'Keefe was also
on the bill, but Dutch can't recall if he met him. "I was
in awe of the whole situation." Dutch's musical journey
actually started in The Netherlands, where he was a choir
boy. "I was an alto for two years, but then my voice broke,
so that was the end of that." Dutch was also expelled from
boarding school "for being a bad influence on the rest of
the boys". He played the piano as a kid, and didn't actually
pick up a guitar until he was 18. "I like performing," Dutch
says, "it's my only egoism. If you're not an egoist, forget
it! When I was a young man, I was painfully shy with girls
and I used to say stupid things. Then I played the guitar,
and girls would come to me and say stupid things."
Like John Williamson, Daryl Somers, Paul Hogan and Peter
Andre, Dutch got his big break on New Faces, but he points
out that he already had a deal with Ron Tudor's Fable label
before going on the show. With his distinctive drawl, many
people assume that Dutch is actually American. And after
hearing one of his records, B.B. King thought Dutch was
black. But, believe it or not, Dutch has never even played
in America. The closest he's got to an international tour
is doing some gigs in New Zealand. Another surprise is Dutch
confessing that he's "not all that fond of the bloody guitar.
It's been all guitar since 1956 - I'm over the bloody thing.
I'd prefer to listen to a good sax player or a good piano
player."
Dutch is a wonderful showman and raconteur. Sadly, he recently
found out he had cancer of the oesophagus and liver. He
says the news didn't shock him. "With the oesophagus, I
couldn't get a piece of meat down it, so I knew something
was up." Dutch has written a song called Going On A Journey,
which he's recorded with an all-star band, including Broderick
Smith, Geoff Achison and Mick "The Reverend" O'Connor. Dutch's
spirit and sense of humour has not deserted him. "You gotta
die of something," he says. "I thought I would have been
more devastated, but I just decided, 'Here we go, this is
another journey to go on.'" Next week, Dutch starts his
chemotherapy and he'll join his mates at a huge benefit
gig at the Thornbury Theatre. "I've been honoured and humbled
by the support of so many friends." The bill for the July
29 event includes Chain, Kevin Borich and Chris Finnen.
The show is sold out. But this won't be your last chance
to see Dutch - there are a lot of gigs left in this journeyman.
CEO OF ROCK
Everyone in the local scene would have a Patrick Donovan
story. Like a character from Cameron Crowe's classic Almost
Famous, Paddy is your old-style rock star journalist. Put
simply, Paddy lives it. After 12 years as The Age's Sticky
Carpet columnist, Paddy is leaving the paper to become the
CEO of the new industry body Music Victoria. We'll miss
his Sticky news and views, but we're rapt that he'll be
serving the industry in such a big gig.
THE FAUVES CATCH-22
It's been a big year for birthdays, what with The Meanies
celebrating their 21st and Even turning a sweet 16. And
this Friday is the 22nd birthday for The Fauves. The guys
did their first gig on July 23, 1988 at the Mt Eliza Football
Club. "There was no rider, we were underpaid and no one
got laid," singer Andrew Cox recalls. "It was a microcosm
of an entire career."
CHART WATCH
No Aussie acts in the national Top 10.
We No Speak Americano YOLANDA BE COOL (number 11)
Lying AMY MEREDITH (14)
All The Lovers KYLIE MINOGUE (23)
iYiYi CODY SIMPSON (26)
Plans BIRDS OF TOKYO (30, debut)
Big Jet Plane ANGUS & JULIA STONE (36)
Mousetrap Heart THIRSTY MERC (38)
Baby, I'm Getting' Better GYROSCOPE (40)
Kylie spends a second week at number two.
Aphrodite KYLIE MINOGUE (number two)
A Beautiful Exchange HILLSONG LIVE (five)
Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (10)
Deep Blue PARKWAY DRIVE (15)
Cinema THE CAT EMPIRE (16)
Restless AMY MEREDITH (19)
Immersion PENDULUM (22)
We Are Born SIA (23)
April Uprising THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO (32)
Mousetrap Heart THIRSTY MERC (36)
Iron Man 2 AC/DC (38)
Golden Rule POWDERFINGER (39)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Going On A Journey DUTCH TILDERS
Always Coming Down CORDRAZINE
Everybody's In Debt JASON WALKER
Audacious UNDERMINERS
I Come In Peace ROSS WILSON
Click
here to go back to the Howzat! archive
|
