Rock Roxx



This is one of our Top 12 finalists for Australian Idol TV show, Hannah - she is one of my faves

 
She is good !!!
 
She is a bartender from Perth in Western Australia. I really hope she goes places.
 
My 14th concert I have fond memories of. It was Australian group Sherbet, fronted by Daryl Braithwaite, who later pursued an enduring solo career.

It was at The Gabba - the Woolloongabba Cricket Ground, in Brisbane, August 1978 and was the first in a series of free concerts called "Freeps" funded by the Brisbane City Council.

It marked a shaping of my future career, as it was there, lying on my belly in grass alongside my girlfriend (became my first wife), that I made my decision to pass over a job with Woolworths supermarket chain, in favour of a job that promised security, with the Commonwealth Department of Social Security, now known as Centrelink,

I had sat for two tests or entrance exams -
  • one for Commonwealth Public Service, where I became one of only three people in Queensland to be offered a job, and
  • one for Trainee Manager with Woolworths. I was just short of 21, and Woolies did not usually offer the job if you were short of 25 years old, but I had scored the highest result in the world for the prior 10 years, and so they made an exception. I only found out how well I had done when I turned down the offer, and they flew the Australian Personnel Manager into Brisbane to try to talk me around.
Here's a couple of Sherbet songs

"Summer Love"



"Howzat" - became an anthem for ball catches and bowling wickets in cricket

 
 
My 14th concert I have fond memories of.

I'm kind of amazed that you remember all of these. I've been to a ton of concerts and can't remember the order in the slightest. I'm not sure that I remember them all. I've done a fair bit of performing which might play into that in that as it's all just one fuzzy mess of memories.

But, I can tell some stories of my youth and experiences...

One of my earliest concerts (with popular contemporary music and without adult supervision) was Peter Paul and Mary.

I fricken' love Peter Paul and Mary. Later in life, I'd meet Noel "Paul" Stookey. He doesn't live too far away and I've had the honor of playing on stage with him (at a yearly festival in Kingfield). He has never been to my house but I have been to his house a few times to rehearse. We were backed by a local orchestra which was pretty exciting.

He has a recording studio that was an old commercial chicken coop called the 'Henhouse". It no longer reeks of chickens. I'm told that I can use his studio 'any time' but I think he was just being polite. He's also quite a religious fella, as is his wife, which I'll leave at that. I was never made to feel uncomfortable and the man is remarkably down-to-earth.

While I maintained my composure, I don't think he realized how much of an idol he was to those who wanted to actually play their gutiars. He's very accomplished and skilled. His work is not easily replicated by a novice guitar player, meaning you've really got to work at it in order to learn.

I don't recall the entire concert but they did perform what I consider to be one of the greatest 'break up' songs ever created. The song is originally a Bob Dylan song (whom I've also seen numerous times) and everyone does a Dylan cover eventually. Peter Paul and Mary would cover multiple Bob Dylan songs, putting their own spin on them.

As I said, this is probably the greatest 'break up' song ever. Well, it's up near the top.


And, yes, as much as I adore Dylan's work - many of the people who've covered his work have made the songs even better than when he made them. They've certainly sung them with greater skill and played them with more skillful guitar. Though, Dylan's guitar playing would improve with time...

Though, to be fair, you don't listen to Bob Dylan because you want to hear the guitar. You want to hear him and the guitar is the medium he uses to express himself. So, it's okay if people cover his work and adapt it to their style. So many bands have covered at least one Dylan song. It's almost a right of passage.
 
I fricken' love Peter Paul and Mary.
And who in our age range would not just love the leggy long haired blond with the fantastic voice that was Mary Travers
 
And who in our age range would not just love the leggy long haired blond with the fantastic voice that was Mary Travers

Sadly, all sorts of people didn't like the band or their music. They're wrong and broken, but they exist(ed) - even in our age category.

Among my friends at the time, only a few of us were into folk music. They were more into that whole new hip thing we called Rock n Roll. Well, that and (American) country music. Country music was actually quite popular in the 60s and 70s, which were my more formative years.

Which reminds me of another awesome Peter Paul and Mary song...


And, yes, she was quite attractive. I don't get all that bothered when famous people die but I was pretty bummed out when Mary passed away. I'd never really known her though I did get her autograph once when I splurged for the VIP tickets. It was an outdoor event and VIP ticket holders were under a tent with catering and a bar. The real reason for the VIP pass was that we'd get to do a 'meet and greet' with the band. This was quite a bit later in life and they didn't draw much of a crowd - which seemed to be okay with everyone involved.

I haven't used it in a number of years but I have a nice bound leather notebook with quite a few autographs in it. It's one of those rare things that I've had since my childhood. I also still own my first guitar. The fingerboard is worn to the point where it needs to be replaced but I'll never have that work done. It could be done. I have a luthier who can do that job easily. I could probably manage to do it myself. But, that wear and tear was put on there honestly and the guitar has earned its retirement.
 
As you are aware, I am eclectic when it comes to music, but tonal quality in a singer comes first in my books followed by looks
some of my favourite FM singers are, Mary, Doris Day, Judith Durham, and Maria Callas I also like Katherine Bush [we use to live 2 villages away from her family] purely for her range [er style is not for me]
 

 
Excellent topic and jukebox right here! :cool:

 
I have to say, Judith Durhams voice sends a shiver up my spine. Pure class.
 
I'm kind of amazed that you remember all of these.

I cheated, but remind me when I get to David Bowie, Elton John and Billy Joel, and tell you how it's done, and also what I learned. ;)
 
I cheated

I did save some concert stubs but I didn't start off doing that and that never turned into a habit.

That'd probably have helped me remember 'em all.

I'll wait to read about those concerts as I've had the pleasure of seeing all three of those artists.
 
Our Australian Idol Top 12 released a single, a cover of The Doobie Brothers classic "Listen To The Music" - I particularly like Hannah's soaring voice at the end.

 
Be warned ... this one goes for nearly 30 minutes, so view it on your downtime.

I don't usually post such lengthy items, but this one is the top 5 interviews to get onto this year's Australian Idol.

Hope you enjoy it as I did watching it.

 
Found this today, a bit heavy for me these days,

 
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One of the three judges in our Australian Idol show is Marcia Hines.

Marcia was from USA (via parents born in Jamaica), and came out here at the age of 16 to appear in the Australian production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical "Hair". I saw her in that, in Melbourne.

She has been here ever since, although she only became an Australian citizen in 1994, after 25 years in her adopted country.

Here she is now (turns 72 in July) with a song from a performance on Idol.

 
I'd like to introduce to the rest of the world, a young lady with huge potential. Her name is Gisella Colletti and she comes from Perth In Western Australia.

Below are her "audition" for Australian Idol, conducted by Marcia Hines in Perth, and also a song from the musical Wicked, "Defying Gravity".





So far, Gisella has made it to the Top 30 (courtesy of Marcia), the Top 21, and the Top 12, through the judges. Since the live appearances and voting started, she has progressed to the Top 10, and I do hope she goes as far as possible.

Of course, from a parent's and grandparent's perspective, I do hope she finishes her schooling, but we'll see, lol.
 


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