Volume 28#39 © 2014 Echo Publications Pty Ltd
P : 02 6684 1777 F : 02 6684 1719 adcopy@echo.net.au Editor : Mandy Nolan gigs@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au
A L L
MAR 11 – MAR 18
Y O U R
C O A S T A L
E N T E R T A I N M E N T
I can see Cleary Now . p14
.........
.... MUSIC
CULTURE .......... p16
STARS................ p17 GIG GUIDE ...... p19
CINEMA
S ......... p
20
GOOD TASTE ... p21
FUNK R&B MUSICIAN JON CLEARY WAS BORN IN CRANBOOK, ENGLAND, BUT SOMEHOW THE MUSIC AND THE SPIRIT OF NEW ORLEANS WAS IN HIS BLOOD. IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE CLEARY FOUND HIS WAY TO HIS MUSICAL HOME. ‘I was lucky enough to have three uncles who were musicians, and my dad was a musician, and both my grandfathers played music. Also, my grandmother had been a singer in the thirties. So there was a lot of music around. And everyone dug Black American music from different eras, so I got this kind of comprehensive access to old jazz right up to RnB and funk, right up to the seventies when I was a little kid. But the main thing everybody dug was New Orleans music, so I grew listening to New Orleans stuff. When I was little, my uncle moved to New Orleans and lived there for a while, and when he came back he was full of exciting stories and had two suitcases full of 45s, all these great records and photographs. So I grew up hearing about this exotic place as a little kid and just thought this sounds like somewhere I wanna go. The bug never left me and when I eventually left school I was able to get on the first plane and go there. Without any real plan, I just wanted to get to New Orleans as quickly as I could. So I came here and stayed, fell in love with it. Been here now for thirty years.’ Starting off as a guitarist, it wasn’t long before Cleary found his way to the keys. It was something inspired by his musical uncles who were continually exposing the young Cleary to pivotal music influences. ‘One record my uncle made the whole family listen to when he came back – I can remember it because I was WHO’S YOUR SKYDADDY? Tony Fallon has over 25 years’ experience playing music in pubs and clubs throughout Qld and NSW. In recent years he worked as lead guitarist and frontman for Fossil Rock. Currently Tony fronts his own rock covers trio, Skydaddy. When not busy with his band, Tony throws together a slick solo set of well-known covers from the 70s until now. Catch him at the Ocean Shores Tavern on Friday. SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER SAFARI Summer is ending, signalling that Byron Bay’s Sunday Safari will once again wrap up their unparalleled
my Grandma’s house and the only record player was up in my Auntie’s bedroom so we all stood at the foot of the stairs while he played this one tune. It was only the introduction, the piano start that was the most important thing. ‘I can remember it so vividly, because I melted, I just thought it was the most wonderful thing. The piano player I later found out was a guy from here called Dr John. It wasn’t even his record; it was somebody else’s record, and he was just a session man on it. But I thought that’s it, that’s what I want to do, so it meant jumping onto another instrument. But that was the moment that was the record.’ So what should players be expecting from Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen?
‘I don’t like planning things out too much because it doesn’t leave you too much room to improvise and be spontaneous, which is really a large part of what New Orleans music is about. But all I try to do is mix it up. I’m a student of New Orleans, a fan of New Orleans music. So I take pleasure in playing as many different aspects of New Orleans music as I can. Sometimes we’ll play some New Orleans funk and make it loud and raucous and then other times we might play a hundred-year-old tune that has Caribbean influences, which takes you into another kind of mood. There are so many different kinds of textures and colours so I try and mix it up a little bit.’
tropical dance parties for the time being. Not without a bang, however… A reunion of the one and only Bang Gang DJs, in fact! In the ultimate collaboration of summer and dance music, every young person recognises the Bang Gang DJs for the huge role they’ve played in Australia’s music scene. This very special event will pay homage to late legend and former Bang Gang member, DJ Ajax. DJs Beni, Dangerous Dan, Gus da Hoodrat and Double Nolan will come together once again to pay respects to their brother, with an all-star supporting lineup of Wordlife, Osima, Cutsnake and Safari DJs. Sunday at the Beach Hotel.
Green to Willie Dixon and beyond. So come on down to the backyard at the Billi with The Camel Tones, with very special guest guitarist and fab vocalist Guy Kachel and the man himself on bass Mr Ric Crothal on the drums the mighty Pete (Garter) Wilkins and also on guitar ’n’ vox Tim Longworth. From 7pm!
CAMELS AT THE PUB The Camel Tones return to the Billi Pub this Saturday with their brand of tha funkin’ dance blues from Al
At the Hotel Great Northern on Thursday.
BABIES WOT ROCK Sexy pub rock sensations Shybaby are busier than backwoods beavers this weekend as they perform a rare local double-header. Fresh from a summer break and armed with new drummer Karl ‘The Butcher’ Perske, the Byron-based fab four unleash their sassy, sweaty and downright seductive show this Friday at Mullum’s Middle Pub from 7.30pm and Saturday at The Lennox from 9.30pm.
coming soon Wed 12 Fri 14 Sat 15 Sun 16 Mon 17 Tue 18
21 MAR
BILLY BRAGG
22 MAR
THE NEW HIGH
GARRETT KATO 23 MAR SHAPESHIFTER (NZ) THURSDAY 28 MAR IN-CYDE THE SUNNYBOYS 13 MARCH 29 MAR THE DARK HAWKS THE SUNNYBOYS JON CLEARY & 30 MAR DUB FX & OPIUO THE ABSOLUTE THE SWAMPS 5 APRIL STICKYFINGERS MONSTER MARSHALL O’KELL 12 APRIL BALL PARK MUSIC GENTLEMEN SCOTT DAY-VEE HOTEL GREAT NORTHERN • thenorthern.com.au • 6685 6454
14 March 11, 2014 The Byron Shire Echo
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au