Musical Musings with Joe Matera

“In all my shows, I try to include a little bit of everything,” Russell explained to me when I caught up with him last week.

“Some people come to hear the past, some the present, and some the future — for example, unrecorded songs.

“I am there to entertain them, not myself.”

Russell’s impressive body of work speaks for itself. From his debut #1 single The Real Thing in 1969, which has gone on to become an iconic Australian classic — so much so that the song was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry in 2013 — to his many other hits over the years such as Sweet, Sweet Love and Hush.

And from his domination of the Australian blues scene that began in 2012 with his platinum selling and ARIA award-winning Sharkmouth album to his latest outing, Jack Chrome, the follow-up to last year’s ARIA top-charting blues album Jack Chrome and The Darkness Waltz, which was a collaboration between Russell and another Aussie icon, Rick Springfield.

In a career that spans more than 50 years, Russell has toured nationally and internationally and believes country audiences really don’t differ that much from city audiences.

“People are people, and they tend to like the same things,” he said.

When asked if he could recall any highlights from his many live shows performed in regional centres, he recalls one memorable moment some years back in Mildura.

“We were working up there at a festival and when we arrived, we went out for dinner and during dinner the heavens opened up,” he said.

“So, we headed to the gig hoping for the best, to no avail, as people were leaving in droves.

“We did the show with a smattering of the crowd huddling around the edges of the stage, as there was a small overhang, with a partial sheltering.

“But it turned out to be an awesome show in the end.”

Dyson’s Tallarook blues

ARIA Award-winning Australian blues rocker Mia Dyson is heading to the Tallarook Mechanics Institute on Saturday, November 19 for an evening of gin-soaked blues and roots music. Dyson, who originally hails from regional Victoria but now resides in the United States, has toured the country with the likes of Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt and Chris Isaak.

Dyson has been hitting the road to preview music from her forthcoming seventh studio album Tender Heart, alongside favourites from across her entire catalogue, including selections from her critically acclaimed 2005 album Parking Lots. This will be one of the last chances for audiences to catch her live on stage this year.

Rami’s backstage pass

Last week, I played support to legendary English 1960s hit makers The Animals' two Melbourne shows, and local Rami Resul, who runs Shepparton's popular Stanley's Cafe, was my guest at the band's sold-out show at the Northcote Social Club. Watching proceedings from side of the stage, Rami had a great view of the band's show. After the show, Rami did a meet and greet with the band too.

"I really enjoyed listening to the band play all their hits, it was a blast from the past," Rami told me after the show.

"Seeing how energetic John Steel [original Animals drummer] was on the drums was amazing too. At 82, he doesn't look like he's slowing down at all."

Fun fact

Irish folk-rocker Declan O'Rourke, who is a major star in Ireland and has worked with the likes of Paul Weller, John Prine and Snow Patrol among others, named his 2004 debut album Since Kyabram. At the age of 13, he and his family spent a brief period living in Australia and upon a weekend visit to some friends in Kyabram, the local parish priest gave him his first guitar.

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Until next time, keep the music flowing.