Princess Safia, our beautiful youngest grandaughter at 2 months !

















and at 3 months !!




















And our eldest gandaughter Kaya celebrating her 2nd birthday
















November 2006 - Kaya and Safia the two grand daughters in Nanna's bed.


Reading:
I have had a feast of good reads over the past few months, which have occupied the early hours of morning when all is still.

I discovered Ian McEwan's Atonement and his latest, Saturday, both engrossing, lyrical and they stay with you for days. I won't go into the story line - you can check reviews on his web site or Amazon but suffice to say if you enjoy finely written characters, prose with great imaginative flights and a good strong story check them out. Atonement was a Booker prize finalist.



I read my first Stephen King - old mate Len put me onto his book on writing called coincidentally On Writing, part bio and the rest about his writing methods. I was so impressed that he could make a potentially dry subject so interesting that I thought that I'd sample the proof of his prose pudding. Incidentally the chap at Cantys, Fyshwick where I bought the book informed me that it is used as a textbook at University of Canberra. The proof I used? Hearts In Atlantis. The book consists of five interconnected short stories spanning 1950 to present day. The first story is riveting and swiftly hooks you and reels you in, his skill as a story teller is compelling and as a writer he's no literary slouch. I followed it with his The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon which coincidentally, like parts of Ian McEwan's Atonement is written through the eyes of a pre pubescent girl. In King's novel the girl is lost in National Park and like Hearts it's a quick quality read.

Tim Winton's latest book of short stories, also interconnected, The Turning, is rich and a joy to read, suprising you with literary crackers. His characters are usually earthy working class, with little of the middle class demeanor, the layers of 'civilisation', which for instance an Ian McEwan character might have. Consequently the language has a street sensibility, it is rough, direct but also poetic.

"Biggie truly is a funny bugger. He can do Elvis with his belly button - thank you very much - a toothless King sprouting manky black hairs in a face of fat. He can fart whole sentences, a skill St Augustine admired in others."

The stories are gritty, humorous and tragic, you are amazed and blown over by his boldness.
He and Carey are such wonderful writers - Robert Drewe, Richard Flanagan et al - more qualityAussie word shufflers than you can poke a stick at - and we have two Booker (female) finalists this year !! Check out the fabulous SMH Winton interview, "just an ordinary bloke who wears tracky daks".

I was fascinated to read that Tim Winton, like Stephen King, does not start a book with a plot in mind, just a few "little flickers and just wait and see what they end up being." Stephen King uses the metaphor of discovering a fossil and gently unearthing it, part of an undiscovered pre existing world. Start with a character or two, put them in a situation and see how they get out of it. He's the first reader, and sometimes reaches the outcome he expected, but mostly it surprises him. What? Fascinating.

What else? Ah yes, being interested in the creation of music, the Eric Burdon autobiography "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was on sale at a price you couldn't walk past, with an accompanying CD. My review is at Amazon.

Listening to:

Michael Franti and Spearhead's Yell Fire ! He appeared at the ANU here in Canberra recently and son Brendan and partner Shaz enjoyed it, and my good friend Kirsten enjoyed it while checking out the talent but was crippled in high heels.....that's Kirst! The album is excellent and was made following his visit to Iraq where he made the documentary "I Know I'm not Alone". He displays an empthy with the soldiers there, hey more so than the sorry lot of politicians who sent them, his lyrics bold and his music interesting with flair and attack, never passive.

Dylan and Paul Simon show that old Yid songsmiths can still do it - and Chuckling Len Cohen did it again last year - what was that hilarious song called about Len on his deathbed suurounded by beautiful women saying "Speak to me Leonard"? Well, Simon has some assistance from soundscaper Brian Eno and I'd give it four stars.

UK world mag Songlines provides me with updates in the world scene, and I usually buy the annual BBC awards and Charlie Gillett's world choices for the year. Daughter Cara is buying me the late Ali Farka Toure's Savane for Christmas - currently top of the world music charts. I'm looking forward to that one. Recent purchases include BBC Cream which I enjoyed and reviewed in Amazon, the Delux editions of Bob Marley's Burnin' and Rastaman Vibration - both with fascinating additional concerts, Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey - 2 Cds of Bill's favourite early blues recordings with a quality booklet, all good stuff as you'd expect - some standards and rarities. Some impressive world releases I have heard this year have been Mercan Dede's Su, Camille's Le Fil, the best of Manu Chao, and the award winning and world chart No 1 Amadou et Miriam's Dimanche a Bamako, produced by Manu Chao.

Great Southern Blues and Rockabilly Festival Narooma, NSW. October long weekend 2006

Daddy Cool reappears and plays among us, to the absolute delight of the huge audience !! The legendary OZ rock 'n rollers from the early seventies played classics plus material from "The New Cool" CD in a set which was better than imaginable. The harmonies are tight, Ross Wilson's vocals superb - "I'll Never Smile Again" was magnificent - Ross Hannaford's lead was eloquent and spare, and the rhythm section was boppier than you remember. They are cool, they rule, Daddy's back!!



The festival was held in beautiful Narooma, maybe for the last time due to local noise considerations - well you'd think the revenue would assist - but it's the vocal minority I guess.



The entertainment was well worth the price of admission as always. Unfortunately I was a bit crook so had to miss some acts - I didn't hear Bomba or Kevin Borich Express who Jamie my 17 year old son said were "awesome". Also there were a number of people buying the Audreys' CD, so they made an impact.

My faves from those I saw, apart from Daddy Cool were :
Charlie Musselwhite Band - a muscular swinging unit with old lege Charlie showing what a virtuoso he is, and what a nice guy
Jim Conway's Big Wheel - another fab harp player and wide choice of musical styles, also entertaining band
Kelly Joe Phelps - intense introspective performer playing to himself, but what a voice and masterful guitarist - those who missed him missed a brush with greatness
The Backsliders - with Broderick Smith filling the harp chair and adding his own personality - a very good gig
Lee Rocker Band - propulsive rockabilly with an edge from this ex Stray Cat


Kelly Joe Phelps

The Sunday service was blessed with the voices of the Gospel Hummingbirds. I was expecting Blind Boys' gruff sledgehammer vocals but these guys were smooooooth like 70's silky soul, but could steam it up as well with great guitar, rhythm and panache in their holy white 'meet Jesus' suits. In fact they were almost too good and maybe a bit too preachy for the blues crowd. Their parting song about "Meeting you in the Rapture" was almost The Three Amigos do gospel. Still, ya can't discount the sincerity...

The three speeches /sermons at the service were excellent. Thought provoking topics - diversity and ecology which we need more of in today's climate of erosion of human rights through the politics of fear and marginalisation. I read in Rhythms that Charlie Musselwhite , now in his 70s, was compelled to include three political songs on his latest "Delta Hardware" CD. "In the past I've never touched on anything political. I think it's patriotic to stand up and say what's right and he's [Bush] wrong. It's about greed and power and money - the worst president in history".


Legendary Charlie Musselwhite at Narooma 2006

Top 200 songs.

An interesting diversion. My Top 100 or so CDs have been nutted out over the years - refer Desert Island Discs. Now my old friend Len has provided me with a disc of his Top 100 "songs" so I felt that I had to attempt something similar, but I don't have Len's fortitude. 100 or so, I thought, then perhaps 150, nahhhhh.....maybe 200... could have kept going, but then there's the write up, the accompanying reasons for choice, which I must get started on.....world's yer oyster son, get into it. Is this final? Not likely - I could add more tomorrow. Only 1 classical?? Well I could have added more but then we'd be up to 300...this one had to go in.

Collectors are orderly creatures and jump at the chance of classifying and banging things into their appointed boxes - refer Saturday Morning Ashwoods and Collectors. But what is the basis of choice - nostalgia, artistic merit, lyrics, musical innovation, classic status, da groove mon, aesthetically appealing, dig the beat, cool man, tickles my ivories, absolutely fab, "oooh, ah like it"?

Well these are discs which I would hope to have with me, should I be stranded on a desert island (with a superb sound system and electricity of course, a fabulous tsunami proof island hideaway, a fishing rod... and maybe one or two mermaids....I didn't say that!!) Some have nostalgic value eg Cliff Richard's live version of "Move It" which I recovered from the lifeboat platform after a wind gust blew it over the side of the "Fairsea" in the Indian Ocean 1962. So, that had to be included didn't it? Nonetheless, it is a superb example of early British, pre Beatles rock - check out Hank B Marvin's lead and Jet Harris' bass. Edith Piaff's "Les Mots D'amour" has romantic attachment, but of course it is a great performance by a chanteuse magnifique.

Looking through the list I realise I'm a traditionalist, a roots aficionado. There is little from recent years and yet modern eclecticism does appeal. I love the use of technology, particularly when it incorporates indigenous music, as for instance with Mustt Mustt by Nusrat Farka Ali Khan, Amadou et Miriam, Lo Jo, Susheela Raman, Mercan Dede, Omar Sosa.

The final list, like the list in Nick Hornby's very amusing book High Fidelity, is a moveable target, subject to whim, nostalgia, vacillation, further listening and discoveries. If only one had more ears, and time.....! The record that gave you a glow back then and put a smile on your dial, your secret song, has now been flogged mercilessly by those two cent stations and one cent jocks. But that's pop music, instant glow.......or is it art where further listening reveals depth? It turns like a diamond and each face reveals another aspect......Mmmm sometimes - "Madame George" but perhaps not "Papa Oom Mow Mow". It depends on your memory and imagination. This is not high art and was not intended to be so, initially. It was intended for dance, excitement and foreplay, intimacy and instant glow. And along the way the moneymakers shook the roots out of it and tried to cabaret, homogenise and codify. But the roots prevailed, yea on back streets bro, porch and dance halls and independent small labels kept it alive. In writer Tim Winton's expression, "dirt music". Real music. The best of it sounding spontaneous, exciting and unpredictable.

I have included the top 30 here, the remaining 170 or so can be viewed on my website

Were You There Soul Stirrers (with Sam Cooke)

Laudate Dominum Mozart - K 339 Vesperae Solennes Phillips edition soloist (?)

Madame George Van Morrison

Mystery Train Elvis Presley

I Am The Walrus The Beatles

All Along The Watchtower Jimi Hendrix

Moonlight Mile The Rolling Stones

Drown In My Own Tears Ray Charles

Gimmie Shelter The Rolling Sones

Elvis Presley Blues Gillian Welsh

A Change Is Gonna Come Sam Cooke

Tomorrow Night Lonnie Johnson

Al Bowley's In Heaven Richard Thompson

Les Mots D'Amour Edith Piaff

Come On In My Kitchen Robert Johnson

Canned Heat Tommy Johnson

Dark Is The Night Blind Willie Johnson

A Strange Affair Linda and Richard Thompson

Oh Well Pts1&2 Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green)

Lucille Little Richard

Unchained Melody The Righteous Brothers

See Emily Play Pink Floyd

The Green Manalishi Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green)

Gimmie A Pigfoot Bessie Smith

Paint It Black The Rolling Stones

Future Blues Willie Brown

Pain In My Heart Otis Redding

Any Day Now Soul Stirrers (with Sam Cooke)

Give A Man A Home Five Blind Boys

Little Wing (live) Jimi Hendrix

A rare sighting of the Shy Bald Headed Steve Buzzard, alongside Eadaoin, Kirsten, with myself in the background.


A surprise birthday destination ended up in the Blue Mountains for our friend Eadaoin Corcoran, who was also hit with a surprise party at the Irish Club, Weston when she returned. Eadaoin will not believe anyone from now on, certainly not Kirsten or daughter Jamie ! A guest at the following day'’s bar-b-que, in fact a real Guest, was Barry Guest who had traveled from Sydney with partner Mary. Ex Woronora Bush Band member Baz and I had jammed a couple of years back at a similar function at the Steve and Eadaoin Burra manor and it was a treat to back him again on some Irish tunes. We then wandered into some blues, old rock '‘n roll and bush music. Baz, who is 6'’4"” was called B1, and I was B2, or Stumpy due possibly to a marginal height difference. Big Baz is an excellent cello maker, using Australian woods, and he can be located at BLOG Cellos-By-Guest.



The misty atmospheric Grose Valley and Angel Falls, Blue Mountains,
New South Wales, Australia.


Another surprise birthday destination ended at the Blue Mountains for my wife Denise. We had an enjoyable two days at the warm and cosy Pardolote Cottage, with its central heating, wood fire and spa. The large well maintained garden will be a delight over the coming months right through to Autumn, in fact even in Winter the camellias were blooming. Mountain scenery is so spectacular, it was years since we were there and despite heavy rain on the first day we thoroughly enjoyed it.


We met my brother Stuart at the Isobar Jazz Cafe/restaurant in Katoomba, which he calls Balmain in the mountains, and had an enjoyable meal and chat. Well, it's a rather unusual town, faded gentility to modern chic buildings, home to wonderful second hand bookshops and good eateries and some rather exotic species of humanity which festoon the streets. The mountain scenery is timeless and some pics can be found at my webshots site in the latest folder.


Norman Lindsay: Adolescence

Some pics also of the Faulconbridge property owned by artist and author Norman Lindsay, who was infamous back in the twenties for his nymphs and satyrs, in fact Norman adored the female nude no matter who was wearing it, the more the merrier. Huge hipped women with wobbly bums populate his pictures and actually drop from the sky in one extravagant painting "Spring" I think it was called!!. Yea the old Norman was a fabulous aficionado of the female form.




Norman Lindsay: Journalism and art

Anthony McGloin plays The Merry Muse

Friday 28 July 2006 saw my bro Anthony McGloin play at the Merry Muse folk club which is held in the White Eagle Polish Club at Turner. Trevor Dunham (web site coming soon) was the main support. It was a most enjoyable performance with Trevor'’s musical excursions into gospel (a great version of "“Wade in The Water"”), blues (an impromptu "“Crossroads"”), Cajun, folk, pop, rock and probably some genres I'’ve missed. A popular performer, who brought his own audience, ha ha -– Trev has a large family who can all either play or sing very well and although Trev'’s great aunt didn'’t show up (she was probably there in spirit !!) the others more than made up for her. Son Billy was impressive with his guitar compositions, which were according to my bro Tony "“soulful"”, and played with feeling.

Trev was also accompanied by fellow musos Baz on accordion and his harp player whose name escapes me but was especially fine on an instrument which is often butchered. Trev and Baz had Anthony join them on guitar for a lovely textured version of "“All Along the Watchtower"”. Trev has an engaging personality, shows great enthusiasm and appreciates audience involvement which makes for an intimate all inclusive performance -– we all kicked a goal there at the Merry Muse!!

Trevor Dunham accompanied by Anthony on mandolin.

Anthony'’s performance was relaxed, humorous and fluid -– he was obviously enjoying the venue and audience. He mixes a number of styles which show his influences, choosing mainly from the debut Cd "“Nightflight"” which has received some excellent reviews (I think he'’s working on getting some more up on his web site). It was great to watch his masterful playing take off in the intense rythmic numbers, and appreciate the deft colouration, the tone pictures.

His introductions, particularly in the longer pieces, such as "“Ship in The Storm"” and "“Nightflight"” allow the audience to travel with him as the music follows the journey. These are interspersed with shorter musical pieces such as "“Money Money Money/If I were a Rich Man"” and "“Sunny Afternoon"” both done with a sense of wry humour which enticed the audience to join in and sing along.

He has added a couple of songs and tunes to the repertoire, the Son House/Robert Johnson song "“Walking Blues"” and "Just a Dream", an amusing blues song using mandolin. Other new stuff were the lovely American Civil War tune "“Ashokan Farewell"” which was segued with "“Land's End"” as a mandolin medley and "Gloomy Sunday", a fine guitar piece - plus an excellent "Classical Gas".

I must admit that the warm ambience of the Merry Muse and the accompanying ambience facilitating beverages (the excellent Polish Zywiec beer and Annie'’s Lane wine) served to enhance the time, and subsequently blurrrrr the memory - oh– details where art thou?? But it was a fine night of great grass roots entertainment. Finally much praise is due to soundman Guy Gibson for a sensitive tuning of the mixing board and the welcoming, down to earth MCing of Bill Arnett.

Australia to be renamed GUUSLAND. Hail Guus Hiddink, a man with the vision to see Oz upon the scoreboard of the World Cup. At the least the capital Canberra will be now known as Guus. “This is Peter Harvey, reporting from Guuuuus”. A Guus ticket will be entered at the next federal election. Guus for Emperor, or at least Prime Minister. John Howard will be replaced by a visionary, a man with heart, hope and faith, a man who patiently waits at the bus stop of humanity for his dream to come around the corner. A man who occasionally makes errors... (Aloisi should have gone on earlier, maybe Josh Kennedy also) but who has the generosity of spirit to appreciate the strengths and allow for the weaknesses of the human condition. A man who knows his bus is late, but will arrive. A man who is happy to have you on board. Guus be with you.

The image above of an Italian soccer player purportedly taking a dive in order to obtain a penalty i.e. acting in order to obtain an advantage - which in this particular instance won the Italians the soccer match in the last seconds of a tightly fought game against Australia ( sorry, Guusland) - is just sour grapes. Yes indeed. It is extraordinary that some disgruntled person would go so far to vent his spleen by highlighting the thespian abilities of this player, and then post it to millions around the globe. Extraordinary....

Yeahhh. She's arrived !! Cara Louise, with technical and emotional assistance from husband and Sensitive New Age Bloke, Greg, gave birth today, 18 May 2006, to the most beautiful baby Greg has ever seen in his life. 7 lbs 3oz in the old currency, cute nose, light brown hair, dark blue eyes, called Safia - pron. Saf-ee-ah. Mum, Babe, and Greg are all well. We won't go into birthing details but it was not the piece of cake that some blokes make out....not Greg....now where was that book I was reading.... Nanna Denise has zoomed down to Melbourne to assist, and nurse the baby. Nanna Erika also on the way, in fact a whole flotilla of nannas is descending as I type... What's the collective of nanna? A knit of nannas, a nod, a nuzzle, a nibble ...... a knicker of nannas??? Yes, we've hit writer's block...

BLOG 03/28/06 or 28/3/06 as we know it in the ROTW. The site although opened sometime last year has only recently been utilised (May 2006) due to laziness, procrastination and lastly lack of space on my webbo. Unfortunately the blogs are published arse about, datewise, as we say here.

• 
  Denise's Australia Day Award (photo now added !!!)
• 
  Reading
• 
  Lisening to, and playing
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Denise was presented the Australia Day Medal by the Secretary of her Department of Veteran's Affairs. This is quite an honour because few are awarded in the Department, although she says that they have plans to issue more in coming years. Anyway, this year it is worth lots, and not to be diluted by future largesse. She implemented a user self serve facility on their computer system despite many obstacles, using her singular vision to make smooth the ricks and rocks of doubt and distraction.
  On the home front she has been having visions again and has foretold of a mighty water feature in the front courtyard. A tranquil zen like pool, with large square pieces of tranquil, albeit bloody heavy granite over which the tranquil water flows, in the centre of a large deep square requiring the extraction of numerous barrow loads of rock like clay. It is this singular vision which produces such works of almighty significance, and I have in my diggings been half expecting to come upon an ancient Egyptian king perhaps, or New Zealand..... to which I could charge an entry fee.
  
  Reading:
  I've just finished A Fine Line by Rohinton Mistry, Indian author now residing in Canada. It's an historical reality from 70's/80s India which really hits you and stays with you, makes you angry, curse the author, curse God (wherever He is), curse humanity's inhumanity, makes you bleed inside, makes you ultimately pity the author. Mistry is a powerfull writer. You grow to know his creations intimately. He's been compared to Dickens and his characters are so finely wrought that yes, they burn brightly in your imagination. You feel for them, you fear for them, love them. Ultimately you turn your eyes from Mistry for his treatment of them. His characters may curse God, but Mistry could have been bigger than God, he could have risen, been Dickens, an author whose final chapter inevitably proved God existed.
  
  Now reading: Colum McCann's short stories Everything in This Country Must. The first story is a stunner. McCann's language is a joy to read, full of surprises and he's great with distilled dialogue and emotional impact. I also have his novel Songbirds which I'm anticipating with pleasure.
  Andrea Levy's Small Island, recommended by my very pregnant lovely daughter Cara. About the problems of Jamaican Immigrants with the shabby illusions of grandeur and class common among the mid 20th century English. Well so far this is it. I'm just into it.
  
  Listening :
  the soundtrack to this week - what's playing in the car and will be on my program Mystery Train - Valley FM Thursday 18:00 to 20:00. The play list this Thursday looks like:
  I went to the Merry Muse Folk Club last Friday to see and hear The Wailin' Jennys and David Francey, both from Canada. An excellent night. The Jennys have wonderful harmonies and support themselves on guitars, fiddle, harmonica, and bohdran, but mostly they amaze you with their song poems. Also their covers were carefully chosen. I liked Jane Siberry's Calling All Angels, Emmylou/Daniel Lanois' Deeper Well, so I must play the originals of those two - I didn't have the spare cash for the Jennys CD. A knockout was their "Parting Glass". They stepped off mic up close to the audience and sang a Capella. David Francey is a Scottish Canadian and might be compared perhaps to Eric Bogle, the Scottish Australian folkie - and both entertain the audience with witty intros - but I think Francey has the finer pen.
  Amadou and Miriam - blind couple from Mali, French No 1 CD, produced and contributed by Manu Chou, this is boppy, poppy, exotique and gutsy. Also some Tinariwen, Malian desert bluesy rock band, some Issa Bagayogo, the late Ali Farka Toure
  Susheela Raman from Music For Crocodiles - Indian fusion rock, folk, jazz - a sexy singer and sensuous songwriter
  Kings Of Leon, from Aha Shake Heartbreak - best rock band southern US, a gem, manic preacher muffled, understated lean tough band, surefooted
  Artic Monkeys best Brit band of the moment, intelligent provincial rockers, unashamedly Brit
  The new Vines CD - Jamie loves it - about 3 tracks appeal to me
  The Kinks EP Collection I have found it !! It went up in the bushfire which took everything, except us thank God, in January 2003. This has some great tracks on it. I also had the French EP collection which I hope to find
  Van Morrison Pay The Devil well I'm a Van fan but this is not really my cup of tea. He does this country stuff well - and I also like Jimmie Rodgers and Hank, as long as it's not the C&W Nashville crap, but this doesn't move me much. So, maybe track 4 or 5
  Leela James recommended by The Reverend Donaldson, the first track was good to my ears, the following tracks, although well executed and recorded sounded like the usual rap crap R&B and did nothing for me, but the latter half of the Cd is melodious and gutsy, gospel, soul and r 'n b. She has a terrific voice and I love her version of Sam's A Change Is Gonna Come
  Graham Parker & The Rumour I found his best Cds at Revolution CD Civic recently - Howlin Wind, Heat Treatment and Squeezing Out Sparks (plus live sparks). ei
  I also picked up the soundtrack to the movie "Until the End Of the world" which went up in the 2003 flames. Again, some great tracks - Lou Reed, U2, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnette, Talking Heads, Nick Cave and the aforementioned Jane Siberry track, Calling All Angels.
  Also, some Detroit Cobras, Pink Martini - I haven't played any Bill Frissell in a while, Burmuda Triangle by 1974 version Fleetwood Mac would be topical at the moment with the film just out. Rob Robinson from VFM's Blue Trane with Rob Robinson gave me some good CDs last week - so some Jools Holland and skaman Derrick Morgan I think. Also my old friend Alex Plegt from VFM's Consolidated Fuzz (formerly Journey to the Centre of Your Mind) put me onto an Angus and Robinson book and CD sale at the Albert Hall where he said they were selling jump blues Cds and historical country for two bucks apiece. Well it turned out to be Rosetta Stone stuff, absolutely wonderful digitally remastered recordings from Germany. So...... I bought 5 initially then returned after listening to them and chose another 14. So I'll be playing some of those tracks no doubt.
  ,

• Ratings and adventures at Byron Bay Bluesfest !!
• contacts with ghosts from the past

Firstly, Another grandchild almost here !! Cara and Greg are about to see their first child. Cara is glowing. We all can't wait! Release date is 13 May 2006. Watch this space.

Byron Bay Bluesfest This year was a feast of music and we were booked in from Friday to Monday. Our piece of turf/accommodation spot was provided by the redoubtable and lengthy Patrick Carty, Cricket Coach to Celts, and golfing and music enthusiast. I was amazed that Pat's six foot six frame could sleep comfortably in his Toyota Rav. Pat does this gig every year and then disappears to Dublin where his cricket coaching skills come to the fore.

I have to mention that a more than slight improvidence in the weather left Len and I, plus Pat's equally lengthy brother Shane floundering about in a river within the tent. The show commenced just after midnight with mega wind, thunder and lightening followed by what appeared to be a typhoon, dumping five inches on us in an hour or so. The tent, provided by Pat and his Sister - "Dry Tents For The Cosy Camper Inc", was severely traumatised by this indignity. It had been a good tent in its time. Done the right thing, kept the rain out, mostly, and had hosted many jolly camping gatherings. This night it met it's used by date. It sagged, it lolloped and leaked. It was fucked. So were we. Meanwhile Pat was sleeping like a king in his dry warm and comfortable Rav. Not an appearance from Pat. No. Not an appearance. And Shane his bro took off for his own car. All thirteen feet of Carty was warm, comfortable and dry. Now Len, being mildly euphoric after the Bluesfest, was taking control. His vision was clear, his eye sharp and his aim unerring. "What we need is a contingency plan. I reckon we pull up our small tent next door and put it up in here, take us thirty minutes." Yup, Len and emergency go hand in glove. I suggested that we chance our luck, Len. So then Len focussed on tying the frames tighter outside which did indeed get rid of the saggy water filled bows. Unfortunately while I was merrily splashing about in bare feet looking for rope while being deluged upon, some dislodged waterlogged angry beastie bit the crap out of my toe. Wow! And holy fumigations!! Hey man whydya wanna do that bro, as we say here in Byron? Toe throbbing, couldn't sleep for hours. Fortunately not poisonous. The Great Outdoors, love it.

OK. My Top 10 score. Amadou and Miriam Martha Wainwright The Skatalites Five Blind Boys Los Lobos Rodrigo Y Gabriella Robert Cray Buddy Guy Bob Geldof Jackson Browne w. David Lindley

Len:

The Skatalites Five Blind Boys Amadou and Miriam Bob Geldof Damien JR Gong Marley Martha Wainwright Los Lobos Robert Cray Afro Cuban All Stars The Cat Empire

Hat Fitz OK. I sneaked in Hat Fitz because I thought he deserves mention. Patrick was enthused by Hat. Len informed me that Hat lives inland, somewhere up in the hinterland, comes down, plays his gig and lopes back to his den. He's a one off. Looks like Ned. built like Ned, well close to it...plays like he's been to the crossroads, sings like he's blind, looking up like one of those old apocalyptic bluesmen - Blind Willie Johnson, Son House, Willie Brown, or Charlie Patton. Yeah, that school. It's fuckin' unique, here in Oz. I mean, take yer Ash Grunwald, what a powerful voice....but a bit Chris Wilsonish, powerful but a bit refined as well. Like the phrasing is polished. Hat is raw, untutored, just bellows... pretending he can see.

Martha Wainwright knocked me into the corner. Wow. so sensual, sexual, naked emotion. Blown by the song, what a performer!! I had an urge to buy the CD and ask her to write something....what? "Baz, some nights are sooo lonely" Shit, that would have been good. Someone wrote that she has a slightly unhinged stage persona, well maybe so. She had a shot at bassist Brad for starting a song early. Brad appeared miffed, face like stone. He provided the Brad Factor. Musos not happy with their lot. Len noted that the first rule of management had been broken i.e. you don't openly chastise employees. Given the 360 degree performance rating Martha would be well up the creek. Shane McGowan did the same last year with one of the Popes, no... all of them, mind you, Shane had mitigating factors...Shane spots the audience, "Ah so there youse are", well ya can all fuck off..." Not one for sentiment, Shane.

Sir Bob Geldof also tells it straight. "If you saw us the other night, we were fuckin' shite". Well they really put in some work and the crowd loved it. I was amused by an article in the local press about Bob's band being the worst dressed on the program. Well, apart from Bob's sartorial splendour and the chain smoking fiddle player who played in his singlet/vest after divesting his jacket and shirt, the rest must have stepped out of the house in their 70s pub gear.

I must admit that Damien Marley put out a dramatic show, but I'm not really fond of hip hop. However I've since been listening to his Welcome To Jamrock CD and it is very good, including the rap stuff. Had I listened to it beforehand and not have had to grapple with my defective hearing and longing for subtitles, I think I would have rated him higher. Anyway, Len has him nailed at number 5.

Los Lobos, as Len pointed out would have been up the top but we agreed that their set could have been better chosen. It was the last gig on Friday, and those who had wanted to see them had probably caught them on Thursday and were watching Sharon Jones, David Gray or Roy Rogers. So the tent was one third full. It was late and the band did not look enthused, so they may have chosen their set on whim. At one point David Hidalgo asked the crowd to sing along with La Bamba, I think - anyway in Spanish. Shit, here in Oz we're lucky to sing in English nevermind Spanish...I enjoyed the inclusion of the Rascals "Good Lovin' "

A point which Len made about his list was that he is very familiar with songs by Harry Manx, the Backsliders and Jackson Browne who ordinarily, were it not so, would have rated higher. So, disadvantaged by familiarity.

Top 100 Desert Island Tracks. An interesting diversion. My Desert Island Discs have been nutted out over the years but Len provided me with a disc of his Top 100 songs so I felt that I had to attempt something similar. Collectors are orderly creatures and jump at the chance of classifying and banging things into their appointed boxes. So I'm giving this some thought. Next issue.

Well it's been old friends week. Russell (aka Gus) Thurgate contacted me by e-mail after his name popped up on a web search and we spoke on the phone. Gus and wife enjoy life on the Gold Coast and his boys have left home. It was good to hear from him again after so many years.

Max and Jenny McGrath visited Canberra - Max marched with the Naval Apprentices on ANZAC Day. We hadn't seen each other since the late 80s when we visited them in Muswellbrook so after inspecting each other to make sure we were the same people (we are - some are a bit more grey and robust than previously), we sat outside in the sunny day, had lunch, a couple of wines and discussed families, old times and names from the past. Most enjoyable.

I'd arranged to meet cousin Chris McGloin at the Byron Bay Bluesfest but the fault in the plan was that I didn't have his phone number. Well more than a fault really, Chris steers away from modern technology and is uncontactable. So, I was surprised to spot him walking through the large crowd. "What's this rap crap anyway - it's not blues!" he grumbled in his frank and open manner (Michael Franti was playing). "I only came here to see the Five Blind Boys - this is not my scene". Chris was looking the worse for wear - he'd spent the previous night with an old band mate near Nimbin - and his tolerance was diminishing fast, and it actually departed along with Chris when we told him you had to buy beer tickets in order to get a beer.