February 22 - 28, 2022
Following his passions ◆ IN HIS ELEMENT: Joe Matera loves his life in music, and will be at the Wangaratta Library on March 3 to speak about the many experiences contained in his book, ‘Backstage Pass: The Grit and the Glamour’.
By SIMONE KERWIN
JOE Matera feels lucky to be able to rise every day and do what he loves. The Shepparton-based musician and music journalist draws on his two great passions - music and writing - to create a lifestyle that would be the envy of many. From chatting one-on-one with The Beatles’ producer, George Martin, to meeting a wide range of performers and speaking in-depth with them about their craft, he has been able to write about those encounters for music magazines in Australia and across the world, while also creating his own music. Add to that writing a regular music column for the Shepparton News, and popping up on ABC Radio’s fortnightly ‘Music
Maestros’ with Nicole Chvastek, and Joe is busy, but feeling fulfilled. When things did slow down for him as the pandemic hit and live music opportunities halted, Joe used the time to write the book people had always told him he should produce - ‘Backstage Pass: The Grit and the Glamour’. He will visit Wangaratta Library from 6.30pm on Friday, March 3 to talk about the book, and his dual-path career. ‘Backstage Pass’ takes the reader into artists’ dressing rooms as they prepare to entertain the masses, and in some cases face their demons. Joe said he had been able to draw on his extensive diaries in writing the book, which was released last year through UK-
based Empire Publications. “I have kept a lot of diaries, and one book was not really enough to fit all the stories, so there could be another on the way,” he said. The first instalment of his anecdotes from life as a musician and critic has been well-received, spending two weeks as the best-selling music book on Amazon in Sweden, and attracting positive reviews. The book is the latest step in a life-long love of music for Joe, who remembers being enamoured with the first album he owned, The Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’. After taking up guitar at the age of 15, he said he “never looked back”.
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