Meet the New Band

I’ve been secretly rehearsing with a new group of musicians since the start of the year, and we quietly launched ourselves into the live arena on the first day of Winter at a local café. We are hoping to play a lot more gigs, so this was just a taste of what shall be many more shows in the coming months.

The night before, we had a rehearsal and I set up my video camera in our rehearsal room, the very picteuresq studio at SoundPark, in Northcote, hoping to capture a video snapshot of our performance. Though a little rough around the edges, I was impressed with what emerged. Impressed enough to share some of the songs with you and the world on YouTube. Seeing as you are part of my community, I also thought it would be nice to give you a preview of one of the songs, before I make the video public.

The band comprises Luchlan Dundas on Bass, Leigh Collins on Drums and Adam Lovering on Electric Guitar and Lapsteel on this song. These guys are stalwarts of the Fitzroy music scene, playing the pubs of Brunswick Street when it was still a rough neighbourhood back in the 1980s. For those unfamiliar with Melbourne music history, Brunswick Street was one of the live music hubs in Melbourne from the late 70s. It’s actually still going strong, as a number of venues have managed to survive the area’s gentrification over the last 20 years.

This video is a performance of a song that you may have heard before. It was part of a split single I released with the mighty Black Claw. As well it appeared on the 8th Death Roots Syndicate compilation that was released a couple months ago. That version was recorded with my other band, That Sinking Feeling, who moved down to Tasmania a few years ago.

After hearing these different versions, it’s clear that collaboration will definitely change a song. It’s that unpredictability that makes working with other musicians both a challenge, and a joy.