Music & The Machine–An Enchanting Evening

Dave Rawlings Machine – photo from ABC RN Facebook

This is the first opportunity I have had to post about the Dave Rawlings Machine concert at the Palais last Friday night.

Seeing the Gillian Welch / Dave Rawlings duo a fortnight ago, certainly didn’t jade the pallet for more divine music from the pair.

We had better seats this time, four rows from the front, so even though, disappointingly, photos were not permitted, it didn’t in any way detract from the pleasure of the night’s entertainment.

It was quite a different set up and sound. The added accompaniments of Willie Watson on violin, banjo and guitar, Brittany Haas on violin and Paul Kowert on double bass delivered a deeper and richer sonic landscape; quite bluegrassy in fact.

In the Dave Rawlings Machine, David Rawlings assumes lead vocals, while Gillian Welch sings background harmonies and plays her rhythm guitar, though she did sing a couple of songs as lead. Gillian’s voice is warm and honey coloured and stands out even when several male vocalists are singing harmonies.

Willie Watson added his distinctive voice to many of the songs and was lead vocalist on Stewball, a traditional ditty about a racehorse He was formerly a member of Old Crow Medicine Show, so I’ve seen him before performing with them. And Paul Kowerts also took the lead on the gospel inspired He Will Set Your Fields On Fire.

As was the case in the Gillian Welch concert, there was an intermission of approximately 30 minutes half way through the show, where the band goes off to do mysterious things (David Rawlings words) and the audience does likewise.

However, we didn’t go next door to Luna Park and ride on the Scenic Railway as the band purportedly did and cheerfully admitted when they returned on stage for the second set.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have been driving to all their Australian concerts, crossing the Nullabor early in their tour, performing shows at Perth and Adelaide, then Sydney, Canberra, Bangalow and Melbourne. They have an aversion to flying, which explains why it took them 11 years to return.

Both the Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings Machine shows were wonderful in diverse ways, so I’m glad I seized the opportunity to see them this time around. I doubt if they’ll be back this way anytime soon.

Setlist (from Setlist.fm)

1. The Weekend

2. Bodysnatchers

3. Pilgrim (You Can't Go Home)

4. Wayside/Back in Time

5. To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High) (Ryan Adams cover)

6. Bells of Harlem

7. Keep It Clean (Charley Jordan cover)

8. The Trip

9. It's Too Easy

Intermission

10. Ruby

11. The Last Pharaoh

12. He Will Set Your Fields on Fire (Bill Monroe cover)

13. Sweet Tooth

14. I Hear Them All / This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie cover)

15. Stewball ([traditional] cover)

16. Short Haired Woman Blues

17. Queen Jane Approximately (Bob Dylan cover)

Encore 1:

18. Look at Miss Ohio (Gillian Welch cover)

19. Method Acting / Cortez the Killer

Encore 2:

20. The Weight (The Band cover)

21. Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby ([traditional] cover)

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Music Festival time is only a few weeks off, when music lovers in Australia are spoilt for choice.

I’ve got tickets to five upcoming shows in March, April and June.

I’m looking forward to seeing Jason Isbell at Melbourne Recital Centre on 29 March. His opening act is non other than the delightful Eilen Jewell, whom I’m catching again the following night in a headline show at Thornbury Theatre.

On April Fool’s Day Frazey Ford (of The Be Good Tanyas fame) is at Caravan Music Club, and local singer writers Liz Stringer and Suzannah Espie are performing there together on 21 April.

And in June I’m seeing John Mellencamp at Rod Laver Arena, courtesy of a Ticketek Gift Voucher from Nu Country.

Happy New Year 2016

First cat photo of 2016 – Talya on my computer chair 2/1/16

Talya hates having her photo taken. When you point a camera at her she invariably starts washing herself and ignores all cajolements to cooperate. So I had to be fast to get the above shot and catch her mid wash.

I spent New Year’s eve watching episodes of Wolf Hall, the highly regarded BBC TV Series based on Hilary Mantel’s novel of the same name and its sequel Bring Up The Bodies.  I was given the DVD for Christmas and was pleased to receive it as I’d given it as a present to two friends, and hadn’t bothered to acquire a copy for myself.

It certainly lived up to the critical praise that has been heaped on it.

In a word, it is stunning: the costumes, sets, and acting were all first class. The attention to detail as regards the period setting (1500 to 1535) during the time of Henry VIII is commendable. Nothing jarred as anachronous, the lighting being predominantly candlelit and sombre, setting the mood of the times.

Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell is superb, as is Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn and the support cast are spot on character wise.

I thought the screen version of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell was excellent and one of the best I’ve seen. Wolf Hall is just as good.

Hopefully the long awaited third and final book of Hilary Mantel’s take on the life of Thomas Cromwell will be published this year.

So far, reading the lists of books expected to be published in 2016 have left me disappointed, with nothing much taking my fancy, and books by my favourite living authors being in the main missing from the lists.

However, dare I hope that the 10 year wait for the 25th Anniversary edition of John Crowley’s Little, Big will be over this year. Every year since I subscribed to the edition I’ve been hopeful of seeing it finally published. This year may be the one where I will finally hold it in my hands. The latest Newsletter on the edition envisages the book going to press in March 2016, May 2016 at the latest.

I have several musical treats in store early in 2016 – Gillian Welch and David Rawlings being the most highly anticipated. That’s in February.

In late March I’ve booked for a Jason Isbell concert at Melbourne Recital Centre. It’s a fabulous venue, so it will be a treat to see him there, after putting up with a stand up show at a pub venue the last time.

Eilen Jewell and her band are also expected to be touring in March  2016. Hopefully she will also play at a decent venue like Thornbury Theatre or Memo Music Hall or even the Recital Centre.

There’s only a little over a month to go before the first Group 1 of the Autumn Racing season is scheduled.

I’ve been missing going to the races, so yesterday I attended a low key meeting at Moonee Valley. The main attraction was the promising three year old filly Love Days having her third start. She’d won her first two in dominant fashion, so there was something of a hype surrounding her. I’m chary of  hyped youngsters these days as they eventually disappoint, but just in case they are the new Black Caviar, I’m always interested in seeing them in the flesh.

Love Days at Moonee Valley 2/1/16

It was pleasant being back at the track with all the pretty horses, but certainly not a day for successful punting. I had one bet on Orion in Race 2 shortly after I reached the track, but he missed out on a place, so I eschewed wasting my money on anything after that.

The majority of winners over the afternoon were long shot outsiders, and that also proved the case when Race 5, the Gold Carat was run.

Love Days was the hot favourite, but she had a torrid run, three wide for most of the race, and a clever ride by top jockey Damian Oliver resulted in 20/1 shot Rocky Boombao winning the race, lowering the colours of Love Days who couldn’t catch him and finished second.

Rocky Boombao steals a lead in the Gold Carat.

Rocky Boombao returns to scale

The most interesting race of the day was the Perth Cup at Ascot and it was won by the wonderful staying mare *Delicacy who started as the  top weight, carrying 59kg. She defied history with her win, being the first mare to win the race at that weight. She certainly has delivered on her promise of the 2015 Autumn where she won two Derbys and two Oaks and was awarded Australian Champion Three Year Old Filly of 2015.

There’s a possibility that she might contest the Australian Cup at Flemington in March. I hope so, as I’d love to see her in the flesh.

With that I wish everyone a rewarding and interesting 2016 as I hope for myself.

* Delicacy unfortunately sustained a tendon injury in the Perth Cup and has been retired. It’s a disappointing but a commendable decision by her owner. However, the consolation prize is that her younger stable mate Perfect Reflection who defeated Delicacy in the Kingston Town Classic will possibly be contesting the Australian Guineas in March at Flemington.

November Music

During the past month I have been to three concerts, only one of which featured International artists, the others being performed by local musicians.

Fleetwood Mac at Rod Laver Arena - 4 November 2015

The first was the Fleetwood Mac concert at Rod Laver Arena on the day after the Melbourne Cup.  I never was a big Fleetwood Mac fan, but of course their songs were familiar, so I went along with an open mind and enjoyed the the concert, it exceeding my expectations over all.

Fleetwood Mac played for over 2½ hours and their set covered 19 songs with the band returning for two encores.  They played all their hits, Rhiannon, Go Your Own Way, Landslide, The Chain and You Make Loving Fun etc.

We (that is my ex neighbour B & I) travelled to St Kilda for the second show on the 14th November,  a concert celebrating Neil Young’s 70th Birthday at Memo Music Hall.

A sterling line up of local Melbourne musicians performed songs from Neil Young’s repertoire over several hours.  Led by guitar maestro Shane O’Mara and his ace band,  it featured Lisa Miller, Rebecca Barnard, Chris Wilson & Sarah Carroll, Angie Hart, Nick Barker, Gallie and Simon Bailey.

It was the first time I’d been to the venue, which is run by the same mob who manage Caravan Music Club. It is a comfortable space at the back of St Kilda RSL in Acland Street.  I’d certainly go there again.

Angie Hart – Memo 14 November 2015

The concert was excellent, with the various artists presenting great versions of Neil Young’s songs, including Old Man, Wrecking Ball, Needle & The Damage Done etc, etc.

Nick Barker – Memo 14 November 2015

Gallie – Memo 14 November 2015

Chris Wilson – Memo 14 November 2015

Shane O’Mara – Memo 14 November 2015

An Evening With Robert Forster was the most recent concert I attended and it was closer to home at Thornbury Theatre.

Robert Forster live at Thornbury Theatre 27/11/15

I must admit I am not familiar with the career of Robert Forster  formerly of the Go-Betweens, and would not have thought of attending the show if I hadn’t been invited by ex neighbour B to go. 

He is acknowledged as one of  Australia’s top singer songwriters and writes clever quirky songs that are performed with great panache. His music reminded me of Talking Heads and I believe they were one of his major influences along with Lou Reed and the 1970s New York rock scene.

He had two support acts, the first being a David Bowie tribute band, The Thin White Ukes. As their band name suggests they perform David Bowie songs with ukuleles and are very entertaining. They are Betty France (soprano ukulele) Michael Dwyer (concert ukulele) Rob Stephens (baritone ukulele).

The Thin White Ukes live at Thornbury Theatre 27/11/15

They played a short set of David Bowie songs that included Starman. Ashes to Ashes and Golden Years.

Jen Cloher, singer songwriter partner to Aria winner Courtney Barnett was the second support and played a gritty set of tunes from her repertoire and included one Gillian Welch cover, Everything Is Free, in the mix.  I have never listened to her music before so wouldn’t have a clue as to the names of her songs, though she did mention the name of two of them, one written when she was in New Zealand to care for her ailing parents and entitled My Mother’s Desk and the other called Mount Beauty about obsessive love.

Jen Cloher live at Thornbury Theatre 27/11/15

She also called The Thin White Ukes back to the stage for two songs.

Jen Cloher & Betty France live at Thornbury Theatre 27/11/15

With the two support acts warming up the audience for over an hour, it was quite late in the evening when Robert Forster and his excellent band took the stage.

Robert Forster live at Thornbury Theatre 27/11/15

They were worth waiting for and from the first song, I knew I was going to enjoy his act enormously and continued to be beguiled throughout his set.

He has recently released his first new album in seven years, entitled Songs To Play, and has been touring in support of it.

Several songs from the record were performed on the night - Songwriters On The Run and I Love Myself (And I Always Have), Turn On The Rain are three I recognise from the night

I must say his band was terrific. They were Scott Bramley and Luke McDonald of The John Steel Singers playing guitar, keyboards and bass, and Robert Forster’s wife Karin Baumler contributed  tasteful violin and backing vocals.

Scott Bramley & Luke McDonald – Thornbury Theatre 27/11/15

On December 11th B and I return to the Caravan Music Club for Jeff Duff’s  Bowie Unzipped performance. I’m not sure what to expect, but no doubt it will be entertaining and unusual, so thanks B for the invitation and for expanding my musical horizons with shows I normally wouldn’t attend.

The big news last week was of a return tour by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings after an absence of 11 years. They’re doing two shows in Melbourne, one with the regular duo, the other with the band known as The David Rawlings Machine a fortnight later.  I intend to go to both, and have tickets already for the second concert, buying them this morning on the pre-sale. Amazingly, I managed to score really good seats. Hopefully at the public sale tomorrow, I can get seats of equal quality for the first concert – cross fingers I get lucky.