Tour Update #3 - if you want to stay in order, scroll down the main page and read the first two, otherwise you'll be...um...less confused?

How Old School can you go? Vintage Desk that made us sound great in Myrtleford!

Tour Update #3

This would have been part of update 2, but I had an appointment with Simon from the Rented Mules to jam last night, and discuss a little quantative analysis and probability. No foolin.

Thus (drum roll)

WEATHER ADVISORY TOUR 2008 - Update 3, The Wildest Colonials Girls!

We rejoin our blues travellers as they set the cruise control (except for poor MRose...) and point the cars in the direction reccomended by Google on Friday Morning!

You Cant Do That In Sydney 

I affirm my committment to my gloriously brazen Sydney, and weather the truths that melbournians fling at us when they point out that they have better restaurants (I agree somewhat but not entirely) and the host of other cultural icons that They Got and We Dont. All we got is this harbour. Hmm.

So I will acknowledge that Melbourne rocks (tho' it stick in my throat!!) But I gotta tell ya folks, when it comes to driving. YIKES!!! I have personally been chased by Maori delivery dudes in a courier truck when they thought I had strayed too far from my lane. I have poked my tongue out at other Sydney drivers in frustration and done my own minor road raging, by way of various gestures, mumbled expletives and dirty looks.

But man oh man, Melbourne drivers HAVE NO FEAR!! After a lifetime of dodging Trams, Melbournians cast their cast their cars through traffic with a zen like faith that they will emerge unscathed. MRose had to apply some Defensive Driving when a BMW and  a Truck on the Westgate Bridge decided to find out if they could occupy the same quantum space. The answer is NO. The problem was, Mrose had to do the whole hit-the-brakes-skid-and-pray routine. I watched this in my rear vision mirror and thought casually, 'oh. MR got cut off by that truck.' I didnt see the white knuckled terror on the other side of that truck as a merging Beemer entered MR's lane and braked as a truck did the same thing in front of it.

Like I said. You cant do that in Sydney. We'd ram you off the road. Melbourne truly is far more civilised.

The Fields of Glenrown

With the timely Mark Groover in the Nav Pod, we pressed onwards into Kelly Country. Mark looked out across the fields and remarked that he could imagine what it must have been like back in the colonial days, the time of Ned Kelly. Mark is an Albury native son and the legend of Ned Kelly stirs within his blood. Mark suggested we should write a song called 'Last Drinks At Glenrowan' - (NOTE: Done. Recorded the guide tracks last night. Neat lyrics) .

Melbourne to Myrtleford with Stop Making Sense 

FREE at Last!

With Mark riding shotgun, we went in search of good beats from the random selection in the car. Of mention are:

Stop making Sense - Talking Heads.

Faya - O-Shen - PNG's pacific star. Who else can take slack key guitar, Pidgin Rap and tribal drumming and come up with something so damn good. if you've never heard of him, check him out at www.o-shen.com 

Musst Musst - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan mixed by Peter Gabriel. Vocals and drumming. Mark was able to pick the vaious drum styles and types they employed.

Googling Fools Again 

With Paul sitting with Mrose in the car  behind us (and playing FREEE!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!) we followed Google (!!!!) and turned left to go right.

Cheers Sheila

We stopped at Sheilas Milkbar just outside Wangarratta and then called Mrose to see where he'd wound up. By the time we gave him three sets of differing instructions, he was lost. Even better, so were we.

EXIT B500 

Thats all you gott a know. Of course, by this time, we were on the wrong side of the highway coming in the opposite direction (dont ask). When MRose asked how we were so sure it was the right exit, when we phoned to help guide them in,  I could guarantee its accuracy due to the fact we had gotten completely frickin lost ourselves.

Cinematic Combo - Music and Scenic

The trip in to Myrtleford is beautiful. Myrtleford is green where the plains are parched.

Enjoy a bit of our drive:

And in sunshine and calm we finally drew up to the railway hotel

The Railway Hotel

Karen and Shane at the Railway seriously looked after us. Oh, I forgot to mention something that Mark will be sure to:

When I walked into the bar, Shane nodded to me and asked how he could help. I said 'that's our poster on the door!' pointing the the tour poster on the fridge, and thereby hoping to demonstrate we were the band. of course, I should have just stuck to 'we're the band'. Shane helpfully offered to return the poster to me and he and Mark enjoyed a laugh. Again and again for the rest of the night. When will I learn?

In The Shoes Of Gravy

I didn't know until the following day, but the last band to play at the Railway was the Illustrious Collard Greens and Gravy. Holy Harps Batman! Myrtleford has damn good taste in Blues. Wonder why they had us there? Anyway.

Big Serves In Myrtleford

Country Sized Helpings On the Menu. OMG!

Thus fed and readied, we began the setup in the back room.

Age Shall not Weary them! They just get Badder & Better!

The PA was the same vintage as the music we're playing. Now some of you might think that a problem, but hell no. This was some awesome gear. To our friend DDJ, I thought of your love of analogue when I took these pictures:

Yo YO DDJ! How good is this??

Sound Check At Myrtleford

Yamanote Line as a sound check whilst the boys wander around the pool tables!

Gig 2! The Railway Hotel, Myrtleford

At the start of the night, a couple of young guys asked if we knew Copperhead road. I admitted we didnt (I do but if I suggested it, I think I might get some growls from the boys), whereupon the young man in question made some lewd suggestions about my parentage and the cost of our cd and departed.

But everything changed when we kicked the set off. We were fortunate enough that the local girls were having a night out - Mum, Aunts, Cousins, Sisters, Fiancees, you name it and even better, they got up and grooved on the dance floor, much to the delight of the band. 

By the third set, things were cooking. I tried to video a few bits but had some 'technical difficulties' (ie i pushed wrong button) but here's what happened when the camera was on in my jacket pocket.

You can hear/See wome good bits of slide from Paul. Then again, its loud, annoying and muffled. Oh well. You have been warned.

We closed the place down at 1am, with a little help from a local guitarist who attempted a drop d tuning on the guitar MRose very graciosuly lent him until Shane came and turned the amp off.

Morning In MoitleFoid!

Nice accom courtesy of the Railway, crisp mountain air. Great start to the day. Set off in search of breakfast and Albury Bound!

Fine Dining At Yackandanda

After a cruisey ride up to Yacka, we stopped to soak up the vibe. I'd post pics but Paul says they're not blues enough. i.e the boys look too comfortable on our makeshift picnic blanket, making sandwiches, drinking coffee and arguing about music.

But! Score of the day. Mrose found a hidden treasure while looking through a stall: 

NEXT Installment! Albury and the Strangeness of Kinders!