The best of the Canadian insurgents this year without a doubt, has been Carmen Townsend. Get to see her if you can while she is in Australia.
Hailing from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Carmen Townsend is a pocket power house. She'd make Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Tyler and Sinead O'Conor run for cover in terms of her talent and full-on performance. Top stuff !
On Richard Glover's "Thank God It's Friday" tomorrow 11th Februay, appearing is my fave rave band of the moment, Chase The Sun. I think highly of this band ...
The Rock 'n Cafe {home of Pro Guitar & Sound} has held its official Opening Celebrations, fittingly on Australia Day !
Some great performers, including Phil Emmanuel, Smokin' Joe Robinson, Steve Edmonds, Stu Marshall, Ella Freestone, Jesse Emmanuel, the Floorboards and Anno Domini were on hand throughout the day to support the new guitar and quality gear shop in Hornsby.
Click on the thumbnail in the sidebar to see the photos of the celebrations.
Here are some of the other artists helping to celebrate the best guitar, drums, keyboards, PA and amps store in Sydney - manned by real musicians and current performers.
Here's Stu Marshall of Empires of Eden - guitarist and songwriter best known as a member of Dungeon for four and a half years and now the leader of Paindivision. Apart from these bands he also played on the album Fear No Decay by Japanese band Cerberus. In late 2007 he released a solo album entitled Altered States.
A bluesy set was played by the Steve Edmonds Band - Steve has played guitar for Jimmy Barnes, Renee Geyer, Richard Clapton, Matt Taylor, The Australian Idol Band, Shannon Noll and Delta Goodrem.
The delighful Ella Freestone played in the lounge - this 18 year old from Manley has a lot of promise and talent ..
Down from Coffs Harbour and with quite a dynasty of talent in her forebears and rellies, Jesse Emmanuel reckoned it was more fun playing and singing in Hornsby than spending Australia Day getting wiped on the beach ... she was terrific .. loved that green Fender acoustic !
... and then there was Joe Robinson .. for a young lad, this winner of the Australia'a Got Talent 2008 has played at a lot of places including London, New York, Helsinki, Budapest, Sydney, Berlin, Milan, Vienna, Bangkok, Rome and Amsterdam.
Finally, there was a the great wall of sound from Anno Domini ... striving for the death metal gong in Australia, like Dred, Templestowe, Aeon of Horus and I guess the famous Behemoth from Poland ... just the job for Hornsby on a hot Australia Day arvo
On New Year's Eve 2010, I was delighted to shoot Kate Miller-Heidke.
Here is Johnny Wishbone from the ever-so-colourful and disrespectful Snowdroppers.
... and here she is, star of TV's Spicks 'n Specks, Megan Washington performing with her great band Washington at The Bellbird, where I shot her for Home Brew Radio ...
... you may recognise both Martin Rotsey and that battered Fender Jazzmaster from Midnight Oil, now reformed after pointing Peter at the Parliament, as The Break ... wipeout, halfway between The Chantays and the Beachboys .. which I guess is where The Oils started, in surfrock.
.. and Ella Freestone, 18 and as talented as she is delightful, at Pro Guitar and Sound where you can buy the best guitars and gear in Sydney from the people who play them ...
At Thompsons Square Gardens, I shot the legendary Kevin Borich ...
I was lucky to find bassist Suzie Bambach (pictured) and Ellie Plummer (daughter of well-known festival photographer Noel Plummer) from Paul Greene and The Other Colours at the Illawarra Festival.
.. - and here's Phil Eammanuel at the opening of Pro Guitar & Music in Hornsby
.. adding some glam, Phoebe Juskevics on the drums and tinkle for Adam Hole & Marji Curran Band at the Fitzroy Hotel
... and in the blue light, Jan Rynsaardt of my fave rave band of the moment, Chase The Sun at The Macquarie Arms ... one of the best bands in Sydney .. get out and see them
One of the very best acts at the Peats Ridge Festival was Love in the Circus.
Strange and eerie, fronted by the sultry Leanna Rachel, who also swings a big bass, this is a hybrid act with a lot of front including dancers and bizarre presentation. To me, the band sounds like The Motels, sprinkled with Sade. I like this stuff.
The music is a sort of gentle soul {like Martha Davis' Total Control} within a multi media performance. Regan Remy, on the harp {see her in the photos in the album in the sidebar}, creates a bizarre sight and sounds, with her great makeup and mask - and then there is troupe "Tuju Taksu" dancing around - plus trumpeter Johan Asplund. Excellent.
... and here's the Delta Riggs, performing at The Underworld, led by the oh-so-colourful, smoking brave, Elliott Hammond
.. more photos as they happen by going to the individual band photo albums listed in alphabetical order in the sidebar.
I was down the south coast at the weekend .. great drive .. to shoot the festival at Thirroul, at the bottom of the Bulli Pass. Click here to see images of the Illawarra Folk Festival.
To whet your appetite, here's Ami Williamson, doing her famous "Boil the Bunny" stunt while singing "Woman in Love" - great stuff ... she is just terrific ..
One of the very best acts at the Peats Ridge Festival was Love in the Circus.
Strange and eerie, fronted by the sultry Leanna Rachel, who also swings a big bass, this is a hybrid act with a lot of front including dancers and bizarre presentation. To me, the band sounds like The Motels, sprinkled with Sade. I like this stuff.
The music is a sort of gentle soul {like Martha Davis' Total Control} within a multi media performance. Regan Remy, on the harp {see her in the photos in the album in the sidebar}, creates a bizarre sight and sounds, with her great makeup and mask - and then there is troupe "Tuju Taksu" dancing around - plus trumpeter Johan Asplund. Excellent.
One of the best bands I have seen this year is Chase The Sun. I have seen them a couple of times, firstly at The Sydney Blues Festival in Windsor and again at the Peats Ridge Festival. In the sidebar you will see two albums of photographs, one from each occasion. They are a tops, all-round band of fine musicians.
Above, Chase The Sun, appearing Thursday with a cracking opening set mid afternoon.
Jan Rynsaardt leads this powerhouse trio - with top bass player Ryan Van Gennip and drummer Jon ?Howler? Howell. Excellent. I will go and see them at any opportunity, one of Australia's best bands.
