Rosario De Marco signs on with the PBGB Family !

Santa brought PBGB a very special present this year.

We received an email from a fellow named Rosario De Marco. Rosario explained that he is a composer /guitarist from Melbourne, and that he and his family have a holiday house in Pambula Beach. Rosario had come across the PBGB Blog, and he figured we might be able to help him find a couple of gigs while he was here on holidays.

Well we checked out Rosario on the web, and were delighted to discover that Rosario is an exceptionally talented musician. So we got back in touch, and the fireworks started.

We sent out an email to people we thought might be able to help Rosario find a gig or two. We also explained the PBGB concept to Rosario and invited him to get on board.

The PBGB jungle drums started beating.  All across the Valley !

Next thing we knew, the always generous, music loving and talent promoting Lyn and Andy O’Donnell had offered Rosario a gig at their very groovy home of local music “The Cheeky Mango” cafe.             

Neil and Jan, Ken and Susie, Jem and Ami, and Pete and Penny went along for dinner and a listen.  We met up with Rosario and were all mighty impressed with his music and his friendly demeanour.  It was a great show, so good that immediately after the show Lyn and Andy offered Rosario a second gig a few nights later.  Fantastic support Andy and Lyn – thank you so much !  Welcome Rosario !!

New Year’s Eve saw Rosario and his family join us as we watched the mighty Figmentz, featuring special guests Andy O’Donnell (he’s everywhere), Garry Carson Jones and Pol O’Shea absolutely tear up the Ford Park NYE Community Concert.  Brilliant performance from Ken, Dave and da boyz!  Rosario was very impressed with their performance, and figured he was in fine company.

On to January 1 - things are happening at lightning speed and Rosario, Jem, Ken and Pete are in The Shed recording a couple of Rosario’s original songs.

We fired up the recorder and Rosario launched straight into Jambudvipa which you can listen to by clicking on the title, or by clicking on ‘The Rosario De Marco Project’ on the right of your screen.

Jambudvipa sounded great straight off the bat. Rosario only needed one run through. Just like that !

We knew straight away we had ‘a take’, so we handed Rosario a PBGB T Shirt and warmly welcomed him to the PBGB Family.

Rosario and Jem (on Soprano Sax)  then recorded a second Rosario original called Momentum.  After playing it back we decided we would really like to add some extra layers to the song.  So it will be a little while in the making, but watch this space.

Meantime, you can read all about Rosario by clicking on his ‘Musician’s Page’ and by clicking on “The Rosario De Marco Project” site on the right hand side of your page.

A very warm welcome to The PBGB Family Rosario !

Hurry on back to Pambula Beach and The Shed !!

Neil's New Album released

“Life On The Trapeze” 

So, here’s my third album of songs, 16 in all recorded between 2010 and 2012, and covering a fairly wide spread of genres, including jazz/blues, country rock, latin rock, acoustic rock and some odd little snippets of my life in non-genre-specific musical packages. 

I had always planned that I’d be in a position to do a “CD release” gig of some sort to celebrate the release of this one, but that hasn’t been possible. Maybe next album ☺ 

Once again, although I’ve played most instruments myself, there is a collection of 11 other players/singers who have helped me out. It’s a worldwide collaboration on some songs, with players and singers from Australia, the US and Norway. 

It’s the first of my albums where I’ve had members of the Pambula Beach Garage Band collective involved – on “Big Car – No Shoes”. I’m hoping to get more songs done with them for my next album. 

Included on the album is the song “(You Got Me) Spinnin’” which won me the “Artist Of The Year 2011” on the MSI international music website http://msi.icweekly.net/ 

Putting a collection of songs together is a fascinating process. To start, you need some songs worth spending time on, then you need to make the time! This has taken me over a year in preparation. All songs have been re-mixed and re-mastered so the quality is absolutely as good as I can get it. There are a couple of songs which haven’t been heard before, and quite a few that have – they are all originals, and all vastly better mixed than any previous versions. 

I’d really appreciate it if you had a listen to the tracks at http://jiguma.bandcamp.com/album/life-on-the-trapeze 

If you feel that you'd like to do a review of the album, I'd greatly appreciate it. You can buy individual tracks for $1 each or the whole album (download in a choice of digital formats, and including a .pdf lyrics booklet, a “make your own CD kit” and a video of “Safe Hands”) for $10. I’ll also have a limited number of “real” CDs (that you can play in your CD player) for $20 each plus postage (which includes the downloadable album and the other goodies that come with it). I’m also hoping to have it available on iTunes, but that may take a little while. If you’re short of $$, you can just listen. 

Almost forgot, you can also buy some spiffy “Life On The Trapeze” t-shirts @ $15 each from the BandCamp page already listed. 

Hope you have a Happy Christmas break and that 2013 is good to you, Neil

Real support for local music!

Bill Brown just sent this email out, and I'm sure he won't object to us reproducing it in full here:

"Hi All

ABC South East Music is all about promoting live music in the region – the musicians, festivals, and venues -  and as this is all about connecting you with our audience I thought I’d pass on some really good results that have developed over the last few months.

ABC Awards

Last month ABC South East Music was runner-up in the ABC’s national local radio awards in the Best Use of Online Media category – losing out to ABC Sydney. We were the only regional finalist in the category – so we did OK for the bush!

That’s s all fine, it’s an ultra high profile event attended by the NSW Governor, Premier, Opposition Leader, and Fed and State ministers, etc;  and the food and champagne was great – but the meaningful part was the opportunity of getting the attention within the ABC from the Managing Director, all the various network chiefs, and so on, with the message that out here in the bush there is a terrific community of musicians doing great things.

From the ABC point of view it has been highlighted as a significant example of the ABC supporting the arts in a regional area.

This is a big win for all of you – the feedback is all about the breadth and quality of your performances that comprise the content of ABC South East Music; and all about how in this remote part of Australia there is such an interesting music scene.

National ABC Local Music Online

We have demonstrated what ABC Local can do in supporting the arts in the regions and that we can create music productions that attract a national and international online audience – so this creates new thinking and new opportunities.

The latest development has been the establishment of a national ABC Online site: ABC Local Music – where one of the content streams is “Live to tape”, films and recordings from around Australia.

Have a look and you’ll see how well represented is South East NSW in the site’s national context.  Currently the site’s home page features videos of Garry Carson Jones and the PBGB at Pambula; Lucie Thorne and Kate Burke at Candelo;  Captain Matchbox at Tathra; Kade Brown Trio at Candelo; Six Feet Under at Tathra; (and no, I don’t select any of these – its done by the site’s producer)

This kind of media ‘traction’  means that between you all and us we are expanding our presence nationally, and expanding the audience for the performance videos that we make.

Four Winds Festival

Earlier this month ABC South East Music and ABC Classic FM partnered to dual broadcast recordings of the festival on Classic FM, while publishing a multi-camera coverage of the Festival on a dedicated ABC Four Winds Festival web site.

It took three years and multiple funding submissions to secure the budget to do this, and the outcome has been highly successful.

It is also another model for the ABC of the way things can be done in the bush – producing high value content suitable for online, radio and TV. Its the first time anything like that has been done – ABC Local Online partnering with a national radio network to film and record a regional festival.

Again, new things create new opportunities – so lets see what happens.

The future

Its just a matter of time before more clips find a way on to ABC 1 or 2 or 24 once the ABC’s TV Arts funding cuts and changes settle down.

The Four Winds Festival production has given iView a serious nudge; and we keep pushing for a regional music stream;  so we’ll keep knocking.

Work together and put it out there

The foundations are well established now. So its now all about continuing with new productions and building the buzz.

Please stay engaged with ABC South East Music:

-  musos: please use your web sites and Facebook to link to any clips we’ve created with you
-  festivals and venues: on your web sites and Facebook please use ABC South East Music clips of any artists your are programming
-  musos, venues, and festivals: please add your gigs to the ABC South East Music gig guide and help us promote you online and on radio"

Thanks for all the brilliant work in support of local music Bill!

PBGB Tee Shirts a WorldWide Phenomenon

PBGB T Shirts seem to be popping up with increasing frequency all over the globe.

Latest sighting has been reported from Mundaka in Spain, a wave that many regard as the best in Europe.

Due to a massive tide shift, the break at Mundaka goes completely flat on a high tide, no matter how big the swell – exactly as you see in the attached photo.

But............Mundaka does fire big time.........have a look at this Youtube clip for proof

OK,when Pete surfed it earlier this month it was not quite the size you see in the clip. Nor was there such crowd lunacy, but Pete rates it amongst his all time surfing highlights.

Would you like Tapas with that ??  Si por favor !!!

Garry's "Kumeka" video clip

We've been waiting a while now for Bill Brown's video of Garry's song "Kumeka" to appear on YouTube so we could put up a direct link, but, alas, still no sign ........................ so, here's the link to the ABC South East Music page for Kumeka.  You can watch the vid there in full quality using the ABC's viewer - just click on the pic below, or you can click on the link on the right hand side of the page.

Garry Carson Jones' ABC interview

Bill Brown's interest in The Shed has paid big dividends for PBGB.

In September 2012 Bill shot two videos of Garry, Ken and Dave playing Garry's original songs 'Whatever You Say' and 'Kumeka'.

Bill loaded up the vids of 'Whatever You Say' and 'Kumeka' as concurrent Videos of the Week on the ABC South East Website. That led to Tim Holt inviting Garry into the studio for an interview.

You can hear Tim's interview, along with a couple of tunes Garry played live in the studio, by clicking here.

And you can view the vids by clicking on the titles on the right of your screen.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to Bill and Tim, in fact all the good folk at ABC South East, for their continuing support of local music.

Free CD Download!

Did you know that you can download the PBGB Jukebox?  Just click on the Jukebox picture and then click "Free Download" to get your very own copy of the digital CD.

Bill Brown Shoots Dave Crowden, Ken Vatcher, Jem Savage and GarryCarson Jones

 
Monday September 24 saw another ‘special’ day in The Shed.

Garry, all fired up after some very successful recording days in The Shed, was keen to continue to build on the great songs we feature in ‘The Garry Carson Jones Project’ which you can explore by clicking on the ‘Garry Carson Jones Project’  icon on the right of your screen.

Ken Vatcher, and Dave Crowden, both very good mates of Garry’s, fellow members of the Stumblin’ Wilburys, and without doubt the best rhythm section between Sydney and Melbourne, were, as always, very happy to lend a hand.

So we set a date for another SuperSesh.

Now it so happened that Bill Brown, who works as a Multiplatform Producer for ABC South East Radio, and who shares our passion for promoting local musicians, had been in touch with PBGB and offered to do a video shoot if we had an interesting project coming up. Well we all agreed Garry, Ken and Dave would put on a good show, so Bill locked in.

Then we found out that Jem Savage would be visiting from Melbourne on the day in question. Things were looking GOOD.

Jem was delighted to join in the fun.

So, with maestro Neil Porter at the desk, Bill doing a strange voodoo like dance around The Shed with camera in hand, and Garry, Ken, Jem and Dave working on the spot to create grooves, arrangements and all round brilliant sounds, we were off.

The full results aren’t in quite yet. We have the audio recordings (produced by Neil) of the two songs performed on the day posted. You can listen to Kumeka by clicking HERE, and to Whatever You Say by clicking HERE.  You can view the video for Whatever You Say by clicking on the title on the right of your screen. Bill hasn’t finished the video for Kumeka yet, but it won’t be long – watch this space.

Bill had posted the Whatever You Say video on the ABC South East Radio Music website pretty smartly because that website (which Bill created and maintains) was a finalist in a competition  judged on October 4.

Bill explains .....................” Music in the South East of New South Wales has attracted national attention within the ABC. The ABC South East Music web site is a finalist in the ABC's Annual National Radio Awards to be held in Sydney on October 4.  ABC South East Music is one of  3 finalists on the Best Use of Online Media category, competing against metropolitan programs. It's a great opportunity for local musicians and festivals to be exposed to senior ABC management in Radio, Online and TV. Already the buzz is that something special is happening with music in the remote South East...We knew that!”

We had an absolutely brilliant day in The Shed.

We enthusiastically inducted Bill into the PBGB Family because despite his not actually playing an instrument he eagerly jumped into this project and has made a big contribution to the recorded output of PBGB.  Further, Bill had a blast and fitted in so well that it is almost a dead cert Bill will be back again, lurking around The Shed with his camera rolling. Apparently Bill is a guitar slinger as well, so we might try to nail him down for a recording of his work on the frets.

A very hearty welcome to the PBGB Family Bill!

The photos in the post below provide a pictorial record of the day.

Another day in The Shed

Garry discussing a shot with Bill.

Ken at the kit.

How many times did we do this guys?  Bill with Pete raiding the beer fridge.

Jem blasting away.

Neil, Jem, Garry, Ken, Dave and Pete.

The four players - Jem, Garry, Ken and Dave.

Garry Carson Jones – More Shednanigans !

We have launched a third version of Garry’s beautiful ballad ‘I Am’.

The first appearance of I Am on the PBGB Blog came from the July 2011 SuperSesh. You can hear that version, and read the story by clicking HERE.

In May 2012 Garry returned to The Shed with his buddies and fellow PBGB Family members Ken Vatcher and Dave Crowden, and recorded four songs which you can read about and hear by clicking HERE.

We all thought that latter version of I Am was so good that when PBGB Family Member Jem Savage popped into The Shed with his Soprano Sax in mid 2012, we asked Jem if he would be happy to add a couple of layers. Jem, always a good sport, stepped up to the mic. and added some truly haunting sax lines. Ken got excited and added some shakers and congas.

Neil and Ken sat around the production desk in their Producers' hats and came up with  THIS.

Now folks, we reckon this third version of I Am is an absolute cracker. We are very proud of it. 

Credits go to

Garry Carson Jones - Writer, Vocals and Guitar. Superb effort Garry !

Dave Crowden - Bass

Jem Savage - Soprano Sax

Ken Vatcher - Percussion

Peter Reid - Drums.

All the recording and super knob twiddling comes courtesy of Neil Porter. Ken gets a guernsey as Co-Producer for sitting with Neil to hammer out the delicate nuances of the final mix.

We reckon this ranks among the best products ever to emerge from The Shed. We hope you agree.

Congratulations to all involved.

Super stuff !  Long live The Shed.