Stormcellar Band Home Page

video night at the townie - gig report - also thank you to Newtown Police

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Thanks to Paulo and Sage, it was video night.

Paulo was flying out on a international flight the following morning, so that was a massive effort.

Thanks to you both.

I had a pretty mixed night. Band Dog Oskar is a little unwell and that's on my mind, and I couldn't seem to get comfortable all night. Forgot a few words, not quite sure if I correctly pronounced the ones I did get right. If the video makes it out, you'll be able to see the grin that I get when i realise I have just completely botched it...

All in all, I describe it in terms my dog will understand.

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That was a lesson in maintaining professional focus. (sigh). It's time for a set list rebuild and yet more development work.

Thanks to Sue and all the cellar dwellers who came out for a late show.

On a positive note, I'd like to thank the Police for a discretionary kindness.

I was feeling a little low, left the venue and crossed the road intending to get a cab. One was coming the other way and flashed their lights, I indicated that I was going the other way and there were lots of cabs, no big deal.

However, this driver opted to pull a U-turn across the road. Definitely NOT something I was seeking or would have asked, as there were vacant cabs literally coming down the street towards me, however, I figured he was keen so I waited for him.

Just at that moment a Police car waiting in a side street pulled out and flashed their lights.

oops.

I waited, thinking that this was an obvious and expensive ticket. The Cab Driver was understandably alarmed.

The constable in the car looked at me, carrying my gear, looking a little tired, turned to his colleague, flashed their lights and pulled up next to the cab and wound the window down.

'You crossed double lines and made a u turn, you can't do that' the constable said. 'It's a $425 fine'

Yikes.

The Cab Driver was not looking at all happy at the prospect. Having made their point and with a look over at me, they flashed the lights one more time and used their discretion to let this one pass by.

I think they literally took pity on both of us.

Once in the Cab, I suggested that the Cab Driver include those Police in his prayers. They really had the option of costing that poor bugger his whole night's earnings, I think we both received a little grace from the Newtown Police, so thanks guys, that would have been a fair cop Guv'.

You have to be grateful for the small mercies :-)

Also - Rosie had a strong night last night. A very strong night. He keeps going from strength to strength.

Also Mr Wizard had a new hat. So some things worked. (sigh).

Thanks to everyone who joined us, I look forward to my cheerfulness re-joining us too at a following show :-)

Today's poem - the question

If you were me

and you had you

and you had a question

you'd ask you

too.

I uploaded so many Blues tracks, it done made my shoulder sore.

As part of our ongoing Digital Streaming strategy, we've been releasing Digital Collections, starting last year with The Mid West Triptych and the 10 Years Underground collections.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stormcellar/cZtH

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https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stormcellar/dA3T

Even in the time that we have been active, things have changed a lot. I could write here, but I'll ask Drake what he thinks. What do you say, Drake, Mate?

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On every album we've made so far, there have been a variety of different styles.

Every time I upload one to a distributor they ask me to put them into a genre.

We've worked with everything from Cello to Mongolian throat singing, original Authentic Old Dude KC Blues, Colonial Folk, Japanese pop mashups, it makes it a bit hard to set us in one category.

Just as formats have always influenced recorded music, in duration and style, we embraced the Streaming world pretty strongly with Rogue State, starting some of the songs right at the beginning with no intro, as people now click on a song and either dig it or move on.

With 150 tracks in our catalogue, including singles and remixes, doing a streaming playlist as opposed to an 'album' gives us a chance to re-sort our work in different ways to suit the changes in the way people hear/access music.

Following along with the idea that Streaming Platforms are making simple genre based choices, I figured it was worth re-compiling the tracks into playlists based on styles.

We have enough for a Blues list, a Country List, 2 X Rock lists (hey cross overs right?) and a Folk List. That's close enough. Further detail perhaps overly complicates things LOL

Thus over the next little while, I'll be putting out those play lists.

The next one up, just uploaded is the Stormcellar Blues Collection Vol 1.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stormcellar/stormcellar-blues-collection-vol-1

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Managing the disaster & Preserving the Union

I gotta say it's been a heck of a last 3 years.

In 2017 we canned our 5th US tour when Bill got sick, 7 days before we flew out.

By 2018 Rosies Dad died, Paul's Mum died and Bill went back to Uni. I canned the tour in Feb.

It's 2019 and....yikes.

These guys (and gal) are precious to me. And looking after myself makes sense too.

To borrow from Lincoln, my first task is to preserve the Union.

As Self Propelled Artists it's up to us to look after us. That's first and foremost.

We have had a wonderfully productive decade - 11 albums in 10 years and a chance at some more work this year :-)

I'm getting ready to launch a few digital collections and found we have 150 tracks released.

We've hit show 500. We're still working.

Having the patience to be a good steward of the wonderful community we have takes time, patience, and a willingness to not always get what we want.

You know what I mean, right Mick?

We'll continue to adjust our navigation as the weather develops.

Stormcellar at the Townie, Newtown, Fri Mar 1 Late

Late Night, Live & Strange.

Your friends in the stormcellar.

The death of the alcohol based live music business

Yesterday, I had a chat with one of our Mentors in the scene, a long term Road Warrior and he was pretty bummed out.

Over the last 10 years or so, Australia has seen the consolidation of Clubs, the closure of music venues, the transformation of Pubs into Flats or into Gastro Pubs.

That's having a direct effect on Bands who played these venues; in frequency, total number and value of gigs.

We've explored this theme in the ill-fated pilot of 'the Last Gig In Sydney' and like many elements of truth, it's something not easy to face.

The Pub Rock scene was the genesis of the Oz Rock takeover of the world some 40 years ago OMG ITS 40 YEARS AGO.

Having a 'scene' meant opportunity to ply your trade, learn your craft, be exposed to and inspired by others.

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it was funded by the non stop Australian desire to Get It On, right Hoges?

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As a society we don't drink like we used to.

No really, we don't:

"Australians are drinking less alcohol than at any time since the early 1960s, as new figures show the country's gradual downturn in booze consumption has resumed. ... The ABS says Australia hit "peak beer" in 1974-75, when the average annual consumption of alcohol was equivalent to 500 stubbies per person.Sep 3, 2018"

500 Stubbies per person. Wow.

Now, at $20 a drink at VENUE CENSORED and a Random Breath Test plus $$ to go out, the cost of living in Sydney and.....THE POKIES!!! YAY!

"Queenslanders lose record $2.4 billion to poker machines" - Brisbane Times Feb 19 2019.

That articles from two frickin days ago. $2.4 Billion????? Are you kidding me???

There's no benefit in complaining about Lock Out Laws, Noise Restrictions, X-Box Alternatives, unaffordable housing or any of the other factors that have led us to where we are now.

Live Music at the Pub is no longer king in Oz.

Booze is not as big a part in our lives so there's less to spend on bands, and Pubs that rely on Food or Pokies for revenue do not want loud bands making noise over their $25 Hamburger and Triple Bet Feature Win Pokie moment.

The Booze-and-music era is a fraction of what it once was. It will never disappear altogether, but it has taken a hit and is no longer a sustainable business model for musicians.

Here in the Stormcellar Experimental Won-ton & Szechuan Pepper Philosophy and Marketing division, we can only suggest one response

Mutate now!