Category Archives: Mark

Album Review: But Seriously Folks – Joe Walsh

09 Wednesday Jul 2014

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But Seriously Folks - Joe Walsh

But Seriously Folks – Joe Walsh

Well here I go again showing my age but here is a seriously, get it,  good album by Joe Walsh best know as one of the Eagles. Walsh himself has had his own successful career despite his fame with the Eagles in bands like the James Gang and of course his own solo career.

Now I came across this album by pure accident. Some of you may remember in the good old days when there was a thing called the record club. The offer seemed too good to be true, five albums really cheap then one a month for 12 months at full price. Since then I have come to believe in the saying that if something to too good to be true then it probably is. The record club deal was effectively too good to be true. So if you didn’t order your next album in time then you got record of the month. You could send record of the month back unopened with your next order for two albums but if you didn’t you were sent the bill. Well, you guessed it, But Seriously Folks, was record of the month. I didn’t send it back and I got the bill. So I opened it and couldn’t stop playing it and like a lot of other albums, I played it so much I had to later purchase it as a CD.

At the time I had a few mates that were right into Joe Walsh. They came to my place for a listen to his latest offering and absolutely hated it. They liked Walsh for his soaring guitar work on songs like Rocky Mountain Way whereas this album was subtle and witty. One of my friends told me that he had “heard” that this album was a contractual obligation and that Walsh simply threw together a group of songs to fulfill his part of the deal. Some parts of the album do reflect this however if you read other reviews of this work  nothing at all is mentioned about the subject.

To me all the tracks are worth a listen and Walsh uses subtlety, humor and wit in songs like Over and Over where he delves into the repetition of some things in life and Second Hand Store where he reflects on things of great personal value that diminish over time.  Tomorrow is a great song, the opening lyrics say it all “Tomorrow making a list of things to do, and when I wake oh ho ho ho, gonna cross all them through”, yeah, my kinda guy.

Released in 1978 and runs for just over 35 minutes. As usual most of the Eagles are backing Walsh on this album.

I thought I’d post two tracks this time. The first it probably the hit from the album Life’s Been Good the full length version. A shorter version was released for radio and if you have heard this song before you probably heard the shortened version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMRl0198x-0

This next track, well it is actually two tracks that merge together, Inner Tube/Theme from Boat Weirdos is what I have requested to have played at my funeral. This is an instrumental piece and Walsh has captured the ebb and flow of my life here, soft, loud, highs and lows plus excellent instrumentation and a lovely melody. Hope you enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OAKZGwAY9U

PS: Tutu and I still listen to this album today. To us it withstands the test of time.

First published at http://hungsworld.wordpress.com/2014/07/07/album-review-but-seriously-folks-joe-walsh/

The Tail of God – Part 1

30 Monday Jun 2014

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my kinda santa

My kinda Santa

Hum diddy hum, diddy hum hum hum. Hmm, I hate waiting don’t you. Now I have been called to a special meeting and I just can’t wait, yee esse. Aren’t you excited? I am. Hmm, sorry, I haven’t introduced myself, I’m Gordon O’Donnell and I am the second youngest student ever accepted into Astrophysics at the spring chicken age of 512. Yes that’s right only five hundred and twelve years old and I’m going to become an astrophysicist, amazing.

Anyway I’m waiting for the lift to take me to the office of Professor T.D. Schnitzel who along with his partners Professor C. Chips and Professor G. Salad want to interview me after a couple of fellow students, Gees Ass and Holly Ghost and I created a new universe in a shoe box. The box resides in a cupboard at the back of lab, Astrophysics 101. The Professors want to talk to me about this universe and how to study it.

“Welcome Gordon” says T.D. “I’m Ten Dollar Schnitzel and my compatriots are Chunky Chips and Garden Salad”.

Wow, fancy being on first name basis with these legends. And what a combo they make, ten dollar schnitzel with chips and salad, every boys dream.

“So Gordon” T.D. leads off “A very interesting thing you have created with your fellow students and we have decided that we want the three of you to study your experiment for your astrophysics course. How do you feel about that?”

“Fantastic” I reply not knowing how to really feel until we get to the crux of the matter.

“Well, we have invented a machine so you can explore this new universe at your will. It’s called a Schnitzeliser. You go in one end as a Meupian and you come out the other end as a being that is proportionally acceptable to your project at the other” smiles T.D.

Oh, sorry. For those of you that don’t know, I’m from a planet called Meup. It revolves around a Sun we call Star T. Meupians live forever except for accidents. When an accident happens Meupins can then reproduce a new being. That way our planet is never over populated and degraded unlike some planets.

“So T.D.” I lead off “Let me get this straight. I start at this end as a normal Meupian male and end up in the shoe box the size of a sub atomic particle inside a space ship that will take me through this dangerous and unexplored universe where any thing could go wrong at any time”

“Yes” replies T.D. is his own unique way reflecting that I’m the one in danger while he gets the bus home at five each night, hmm.

santa“And if I don’t I will never pass astrophysics and live a miserable lonely life until one day I meet with an accident and die”

“Yes” replies T.D.

“Okay, where do I sign” I groan.

Wow, I’ve just been schnitzelised and here am I in a brand new space ship. You can tell it is brand new it has that smell. Yes, two arms, two legs, hmm, yes two something else. It’s funny when you have been schnitzelised, you feel as though someone has just punched all these little holes in you and you feel very tender, hmm.

Anyway I’m in some sort of bedroom, very swish and grandiose. It has a bathroom, shower and utilities area, very nice. One wall of the room is a book case absolutely full of all kinds of books, hmm, this could be one heck of a journey, only problem is I don’t know where I am going.

There is a knock at the door. I open it to find a droid standing in the passageway. Oh, let me explain a couple of things you will need to know about space travel. Droids or should I say, androids are sophisticated robots that can travel anywhere any time, need no food or oxygen and recharge themselves usually overnight or as necessary. They, for all intent and purposes, are your crew and it doesn’t take long before you forget they are machines and you very quickly see them as your travelling companions. The other thing about space travel is virtually everything that has a name is an acronym. You need to be alert as this will always hit you when you least expect it.

“Hello” I say to the droid “My names Gordon O’Donnell, please call me Gordy or Gord” I tick off trying to get on the front foot.

“Yes hello Gordon, T.D. has told me all about you” replies the droid. Now this droid is a rather large person with a big white beard and long white hair. He is wearing a red jacket with white cuffs and a white strip around the bottom of the jacket. His pants are red with white cuffs at the bottom. He has on large black boots, a black belt with a huge buckle and a red hat with a white pom pom. “My name is SANTA” says the droid “ I’m your navcom.”

“Please to meet you Santa” I hesitate.

“Yes Gordon, I’m an acronym. SANTA stands for Sub Atomic Neuroleptic Transparent Android but hey just call me Nick” he offers.

“Come down to the control room and I’ll show you around then I will introduce you to Viv” informs Nick.

We enter the control room and wow, this ship is state of the art. I peer out through the window where I can see out over the nose of the ship. There is a distinct red glow coming from the tip of the nose.

“What is that red glow Nick?” I ask in bewilderment.

“As we are travelling so fast Gordy the very tip of the nose of the ship excites any gas in space and that generates heat” explains Nick.

“And who built this ship Nick, it is of high quality?” I ponder.

“The Reindeer Company on Meup” replies Nick.

“And does the ship have a name?” I enquire.

“Yes. It does have a model number but basically it’s name is Rudolph”

Well you go figure. Here I am flying through space with Santa and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, unbelievable but true, well sort of.santa1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First published: http://hungsworld.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/the-tail-of-god-part-1/

A Weekend in the Riverland

26 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by in Mark, Travels

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Houseboats moored at Loxton

Houseboats moored at Loxton

Recently the wonderful Tutu and I spent the weekend in the delightful Riverland village of Loxton. The reason we went there was many years ago I worked for a company where I would travel all over the state and up into Northern Territory. One of my jobs was to help an injured worker who lived in the township of Berri, which is just up the road from Loxton. Anyway on my return trip home I would pass through Loxton and stop at the pie shop which I can truly recommend. I was always amazed at its beauty but also its history. Beautiful old sandstone buildings just simply tug at my heart strings and I vowed that one day I would revisit the township and take it some of its beauty. Well I did and for me it was a great experience.

Loxton is a small rural town on the Murray River that serves as a commercial centre for neighboring farming districts. It has a population of just under 4000  and surrounding farms produce fruit, grapes, sorghum, barley and livestock. Tourism is also important as us “townies” flock in for the the river and the wineries. It is about 2.5 hour drive from Adelaide and the road is pretty good. We stayed at the Loxton Hotel an the accommodation was high quality as was the food in the Dining Room.

Loxton is damn hot in summer and damn cold in winter so the best time to visit is in the in-between seasons although from my view the only two months of the year not to come to South Australia would be February and August, the rest of the time it is not too bad.

The Loxton Hotel

The Loxton Hotel

Like I say, I love early Australian history so to me it is a fantastic place to visit. If that’s not you thing maybe leave it till for your grey nomad trip. Or another alternative would be to fly from Sydney to Adelaide, borrow Hung’s car, spend three days in a houseboat forgetting about anything that bothered you, return Hung’s car and fly home, easy.

Loxton Historic Town

Loxton Historic Town

Apart from the history here a trip out to Banrock Station for lunch is superb. An eco-friendly fine dining experience that is hard to turn down. Check out the hotel as they have special musical events that would be worthwhile seeing or just walk around the town and take it all in. No art gallery I’m afraid but they do have an art trail, amazing bird life and the Historical Village. Now if you visit the village it takes a good couple of hours to get around but it has been beautifully put together, old banks, post offices, schools etc all with authentic displays.

Banrock Station

Banrock Station

Here are some links.

http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9002400

http://www.loxtonhotel.com.au/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loxton,_South_Australia

http://www.loxtontourism.com.au/

Album Review: Dan Fogelberg – Souvenirs

22 Sunday Jun 2014

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Dan Fogelberg Souvenirs

Dan Fogelberg Souvenirs

 

Here is a great album by Dan Fogelberg.  I first heard it in 1979 when a friend who was sharing a flat with us at the time came home with the album. This was a bit of a shift in direction for me as this album was a lot softer then any thing else I was listening to at the time, apart from say America. Subsequently I played the album so much I wore it flat.  Luckliy it was available on CD and now along with all my other music resides on my PC as MP3′s.

It was produced by Joe Walsh from the Eagles and Joe and the Eagles feature heavily on the album so the vocal harmonies are outstanding. Throw in Graham Nash from CSNY and Gerry Beckley from America the whole tone of the album is centered around the human voice. This doesn’t detract from the instrumentation as Dan is a great guitarist and in fact could play multiple instruments. Unfortunately Dan died in 2007 from Prostate Cancer.

While I didn’t follow every thing Dan did to me I loved this album and it brings me special memories from a time in my life that was less complicated than it is now.

Released in 1974, it has 11 tracks and runs for 43 minutes.

This is my favourite track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5IK5RH-enU

Changing Horses

First published : http://hungsworld.wordpress.com/2014/06/17/album-review-souvenirs-dan-fogelberg/

Mussels Singapore Style

16 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by in Mark, The Dining Room

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Picture courtesy Taste.com.au

Picture courtesy Taste.com.au

 

Now here is a story behind a recipe that happened to me about 10 years or so ago. One day I came home from work and I never went back. After years of excessive work hours and stress I decided I’d had enough. Our bills were all paid and our boys were working and the wonderful Tutu who was working part time did a few extra shifts to get us by while I had a bit of a breather.

To keep my brain active I enrolled in TAFE to study food technology. Now you all know I am not a morning person so as usual I was a bit late on the first day and when I walked into the classroom there was only one chair left next to this charming looking Asian woman.

At the next break she introduced herself as Jasmin and from that moment forward Jasmin and I became friends. We sat with each other, studied together and when we did field visits she always came with me. I would always help Jasmin with her class work and give her some pointers with assignments but she did the work herself. Most of the problems for her were simply language, mainly colloquialisms. See back in Singapore Jasmin was wealthy, no extremely wealthy, her husband was a multimillionaire. Both of her boys had been accepted into the local university so she followed to keep an eye on them and enrolled in the same course as me to keep her brain active.

One day she attended school and asked if I could help with her homework. I had to make it clear to Jasmin that I was a student not a teacher and that I couldn’t do the work for her. She understood perfectly and when I read her papers I realised this was one very bright woman, so I helped her. She asked me why I would always have a cheese and ham sandwich. I told her, they are easy to make and portable. Jasmin told me not to bring lunch tomorrow and from that day on she fed me lunch everyday Singapore style and man it was amazing, prawn dumplings being my favourite just ahead of curried chicken and noodle.

At the end of the year Jasmin told me she was returning home. She was home sick and the boys were doing fine. She shouted me this meal at a Singaporean restaurant in town as a farewell gift.

Ingredients

Mussels – the chef did 24 per serve

Bland oil

Garlic

Chilli

Prawn paste – belacan

Tomatoes finely chopped

Beer

Crusty bread

Method

Heat oil in a wok. Don’t use oil with flavour, canola is best. Saute garlic, chilli and prawn paste then tomatoes. Add beer, I would use light beer, lets face it it’s not worth drinking. Let it reduce then add mussels. Put lid on and using pot holders give it all a good toss so that everything mixes. Steam for 5 to 7 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open and plate up. Drizzle mussels with sauce and serve with crusty bread.

Serve this dish with beer not wine and it is okay to soak up the sauce with the bread. Jasmin made sure the beers kept coming and I got through and another round or two of mussels. Jasmin’s chauffeur drove me home and for years after we kept in contact by email. Unfortunately my computer crashed and I lost her email address. But doesn’t matter, it was a fantastic year, a fantastic friendship from two very different people and I will never forget her. The other pleasing thing is I know that somewhere in Singapore someone will no how to say “fair dinkum mate”.

 

Turkish Herbed Lamb Pizza

06 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by in Mark, The Dining Room

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Lahmacun-(turkish-pizza) Courtesy: SBS Food

Lahmacun-(turkish-pizza) Pic Courtesy: SBS Food

 

Many years ago the wonderful Tutu and I lived in New South Wales. In our town there was a great little restaurant called The Istanbul that funnily enough served Turkish food. We would go to the Istanbul usually about once a fortnight or so and after a while we had tasted everything on the menu at least twice. They also had a specials board which we sampled keenly until one day the owner approached us. He said to us hey look, you come here all the time and like our food, how about we do a deal, you book in, we will bring you the food at twenty bucks a head, as much as you want. Perfect. From then on we would take a seat, they would pour us a wine and out the food would come. Then one day we were served Lahmacun, I was already a pizza addict and yet here was a pizza with no cheese that was to die for. Tutu is coming over tonight and this is what we will have. Enjoy.

 

Ingredients.

A pizza dough – do you really need for me to tell you this bit. I use my bread machine to make mine.

Now I make enough for one large pizza given the tray I have so I’ll leave it up to you but for the topping you will need,

Lamb mince

Garlic

Onion

Cinnamon

Allspice

Pine Nuts

Tomato paste

Tomatoes, chopped and not tinned.

Chicken stock

Lemon juice

Mint

Parsley

Baby spinach

Yoghurt with some added water to pour.

Gordon feels hungry

Gordon feels hungry

Method.

Make a pizza dough [spooky music plays in background]

Fry off the lamb mince in a pan till browned. You will want to render off the fat by straining it.

Heat some oil in the same fry pan and saute the garlic and onion. Add spices and nuts. When the pine nuts are golden add tomato, paste, stock and juice. Add the mince and cook on low till you have reduced the liquid, this has to be fairly dry. Remove from heat and fold in mint, parsley and baby spinach.

Roll out your dough and top with lamb mix. 15 minutes in a very hot oven should do. Cut into pieces and in a jug put yoghurt and some water so the yoghurt runs like a gravy. Serve and add yoghurt as desired.

Crispin likes

Crispin likes, Follow me on Facebook, if you’re game.

Anyway I work with a Turkish girl and have spoken to her about this recipe. She and her husband love it but she said to me “When I make it Hung I add six chopped red chillies. When my husband eats it he starts to sweat, and sweat and sweat but he eats it all”

“So why do you do that Woman who cannot be named for Privacy reasons?”

“Because I can Hung, because I can”. Strange but true.

Father O’Way Meets O’Bad – Part 2

02 Friday May 2014

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O'Way counsels the Sinister Demons to pray

O’Way counsels the Sinister Demons to pray

Story by Hung One On

Geeps with all the excitement going on someone asked where exactly is Missen?

Missen is a planet found in the galaxy that we call Andromeda. As part of my space adventure, I played in the one day cricket final on Flong at the Foval with Big M. This was important to Gordon as he needed to prove that there was a relationship between one day cricket scores and the average number of beans in a 440 gram can of Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce. Hey, you think space and the universe is complicated, well think again.

Big M has become part of my team on the Unnameable II space ship which is currently hiding on the dark side of the moon so not to upset NASA.

After getting the call from God, Big M went back to Missen to pick up Shoe so they could help me with my deep and revealing interview with Eddie O’Bad. However I have just learnt that Eddie has an old mate with him, Arthursin O’Dinos. Now I’m starting to worry, Gordon O’Donnell, Sandy O’Way, Barty O’Farty, Eddie O’Bad and Authursin O’Dinos, hmm. Any one else see a trend developing.?

I ring the Bish. “Hey Bish” I lead “A bit of a problem with names beginning with O”

“Don’t know what you mean Sandy anyway that call girl said she was 16” barks the Bish.

Hmm. Anyway we get to the gates of the O’Bad Ponderosa. A couple of guards approach the car.

“Hey, Sandy here, from the church of St Generic Brand, want to interview the Big O” I say but really not knowing what really to say.

“Well Father, you better turn around and keep going cause Eddie don’t wanna talk to you” says the guard, smiling and laughing to his offsider.

“Well heck guys, but I have the Duckhunt champion from Missen sitting right here that can take you apart within a few seconds” I reply not knowing really what I am saying. Hey, where’s the rum.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Big M and Shoe were out of the car and after a few shots and screams had the guards under control.

“Big M, what are you doing?” I ask.

“Easy Sandy” he replies “This is a taping technique I learnt in NICU, tape their hands with the gun pointed to their abdomen, one false move, they pull the trigger, he he he he, etc” laughs Big M.

Gut wrenching laughter from Shoe “Me like” grins Shoe.

Geez, do you really know what you’ve been missing?

“Hey Sandy, how bout this” says Big M as the car accelerates and spins in a circle.

“Sandy, we is doing a donut” cries Big M

“Lets shoot some guards” says Shoe.

Bish, what have you done to me.

We travel into the O’Bad Ponderosa and arrive at the main door.

“Eddie, mate” I yell “Just wanna talk, okay”

Meanwhile Big M takes out seven guards and Shoe shoots out six windows on the second floor.

“Wadda ya want to talk about?” screams Eddie. Eddie’s eyes flash from side to side.

“Did ya do it?” I ask. May as well get to the point.

“Do what?” Eddie replies.

“It?” I reaffirm.

“Nah” says Edie

“What about you Artuursin?”

“I don’t remember”

“Did you go to McDonalds” I press.

“Yes” says Eddie, “I like a pickle with a meat patty”

This is unfortunately a true story, well sort of..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father O’Way Meets O’Bad – Part 1

27 Sunday Apr 2014

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O'Way counsels the Sinister Demons to pray

O’Way counsels the Sinister Demons to pray

Story by Hung One On and Digital Mischief by Warrigal Mirriyuula.

Hi, Sandy here. What? You don’t know me, well if you haven’t been listening for the last five years my name is Father Alexander O’Way, affectionately know as Sandy and I am the parish priest of the church of St Generic Brand which just happens to be down the road and around the corner from the Pigs Arms. Hmm.

Well as anyone who knows me knows I hate early mornings and yet again that relic from the last century Bishop Bishop, who we all know as the Bish, rang me at one in the afternoon.  What a bogan.

“Listen Sandy” bleats the Bish “I’ve just had a phone call from God”

Now to all you newcomers, God is Gordon O’Donnell, an astrophysicist from another dimension that created our universe as a science experiment in a shoe box. This shoe box sits at the back of the lab in Astrophysics 101 and is used for the students to study astrophysics. Hmm, I can see this is not going well. Yes, there is no God, Yahweh or Mohammad, it’s all mythological rubbish. It is us and them out “there”.

“Gordon wants us to wade into the O’Bad dilemma, lets find out if he really did it” demands the Bish.

“But Bish” I foolishly reply back “Who gives a zark if O’Bad is dodgy or what. Take him out someone else will replace him. I mean corrupt power is absolute but absolutely power corrupts something” Gees I wish I could remember that statement but it sounded good.

Okay. I can see some of you are stumbling with the word “zark”. As kiddies may be watching zark is a universal swear word. Just substitute “zar” for “fuc” and you will get the picture.

“Just do it Sandy or Gordon will cancel your credit card” barks the Bish.

Holy mackerel. No credit card. See when Gordon invented the universe he also invented money. So all of the money in our universe belongs to Gordon. Anywhere I travel in the universe is paid for by Gordon’s card, hmm, need to do something here.

“I have arranged a car to pick you up in the morning at 1000hrs so be ready. It’s a good two hour drive out to the O’Bad Ponderosa” What the zark, 10 in the morning, does this man hold no morals.

So ten the next morning a car pulls up out the front of the Rectory. Being so asleep, I didn’t really take any notice of the people in the front and I slumped into the back hoping I could get some shuteye. Somehow I couldn’t sleep, I kept thinking about the time when I first met Gordon, the delicious dinner made and served by the delicious Belinda who is now my wife. I remember thinking at the time,

“Acronyms, God how I hate acronyms. Usually stupid and generally meaningless along with mnemonics they stick in your head to remind you just how stupid you really are. Remember as kids in the parish school the all time classic, ARITHMETIC,   A Red Indian Thought He Might Eat Tobacco In Church. What twaddle. racist diatribe if ever there was one. I mean the only red Indians I knew were constantly having the shit shot out of them in country and western movies. Eat in church was a given no no and who in their right mind would want to eat tobacco for God sake. My dad used to smoke Cabin Cut, Ready Rolled, can I imagine dad hoeing into his tobacco after tea in the lounge, no way.”

Oh, yes those were the days. But then the POTTY Awards, oh yes, I remember well.

“ Anyway the one acronym that makes me tingle with pleasure is POTTY. The Potty Awards, the Priest Of The Tropical Year Awards and yes, I’m in the pipeline to win this year. See I’ve been invited to the Rectory to have dinner with the Bish and an important guest this Wednesday. Not next Wednesday or last Wednesday but the Wednesday before the Saturday night of the awards. Obviously the Bish wants to disclose that I’m this year’s winner so I have my acceptance speech ready to rock. Oh yes, all 32 pages, ready to roll thanks to the kind Voice who helped me pen an appropriate dialogue.”

Then heart break.

“Dinner finishes and the Bish goes off into another room to smoke that stinky stuff and Gordon ushers me into the study for a French Brandy that’s about 200 years old he just happened to find in his cellar and a cigar. How civilised. “Now Sandy, I’m sure you have some questions for me but first how do you feel about space travel?” Gordon asks. “Space travel? What about the Potty Awards?” I inquire lubricated by the fine wine. Gordon smiles “Don’t worry about them, that prick Basil Sauce will win this year. There are bigger plans afoot for you….”

Yes, Pastor Basil Sauce, that prick from one of the many mobs in town robbing my customers.

********************************************************

“ Driver, how long to go?” I enquire rather innocently wondering if anyone had a rum toddy to tide me over.

“ Not long now Father Sandy” said the driver.

Hang on, I know that voice. “ Big M” I cry, “ What in Gordon’s name are you doing here?”

“ I’m on a mission from God” replies Big M

“ Cut the God crap mate, we know the universe has been created from another time dimension” I reply with added futilityness.

“ From Gordon, you dope. Now meet Shoe.” Big M nods to the co-driver. “ She’s the Duckhunt champion from Missen and she’s riding shotgun”

“ Nice to meet you Sandy, heard a lot about you. And hey Big M was the slot car champion* of his street back on our planet”,  grins Shoe.

So I am going to face a big time crim with a driver that had a slot car set and a shotgun expert that knows Duckhunt, boy am I in trouble.

plot thickens …… (possibly due to the corn starch)

* Editors note – if I read between the lines correctly, there is some serious confluence between being a slot champion and obstetrics – just saying ‘  – that was when I started laughing and the rest got a bit off the track…….

Ambush Part 3

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Root Note Pleads the Fifth

Root Note Pleads the Fifth

Hung here again.

They are pissed, stoned, drugged and belong to some sort of group.

The longer the night went on the closer they got. Here’s another bracket. Now there were other songs but I can’t remember them all. Johnny B Goode was one we could pull out on request along with Today is your Birthday by John Lennon another. The singer would set the list depending on his mood. Bill was also a solo performer so at the right venue he would play half a dozen songs either by himself or with me and the drummer, mainly stuff like James Taylor, Neil Young or Paul Kelly.

      • Angels – Long Line
      • Mustang Sally – The Commitments
      • Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
      • Black Magic Woman – Santana
      • Crossroads – Cream
      • Whole Lotta Love – Led Zepelin
      • Black Night – Deep Purple
      • Paranoid – Black Sabbath
      • White Room – Cream
      • Lady Writer – Dire Straits
      • Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
      • Otherside – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
      • TNT – ACDC
      • Long Way to the Top – ACDC

The Finalé

Things were starting to go wrong, not with the band but with me. The black dog was approaching but I couldn’t see it coming. My job was very stressful and my alcohol intake was really bad. Smoking dope didn’t help either. I became very bored with the other band members who except for Tony I started to see them as ignoramuses. They didn’t want a sound engineer, the song list selection was getting tacky and the singer would get so pissed that by the end of the night you had to pour him in the car while the rest of us did the heavy lifting. Try lifting a woofer out to the truck by yourself at one in the morning after just having played for 3 or 4 hours. Some off the light weight members wanted to drop certain songs as they didn’t like them but I stood my ground as the songs in question would get the girls up that got the boys up, basic stuff really.

The last two gigs were agony.

Princess

We called her Princess but she never spoke to any of us as far as I know. She came to other gigs we did in the area and I think somehow she may have been related to the men in leather jackets. These men in leather jackets never wore their colours, never threatened us and really liked what we played. I think it was because Tony was a great player and had that ability to mimic all of the solos. Page, Hendrix, you name it, he would nail them. One day when I was at Tony’s house he showed me how he did it, a multispeed tape. At first he played the song really slow and Tony would work the solo our by ear then gradually he increased the tempo so he could play it at the right speed. Amazing as regardless of the tape speed it always remained at the right pitch.

Anyway Princess was, hmm lets guess, a professional dancer. She had a stunning figure and long blonde hair but when you got close she wore a stack of makeup. I loved Princess as she would get up and dance by herself in the centre of the stage and she really knew her moves. This would then drag others up and before you knew it the dance floor was packed and everyone was having a good time. This to me was what the whole thing was all about.

Post Script

I then lost my job, my family, my wife and was detained in psychiatric institutions. I gradually got better and Tutu and I built the house I am living in now. Tutu tried her best to stick by me but finally she left. I did try and rekindle my music with a poster here called Astyages however it was too late.

The good news is the black dog did finally leave and after some tough times when Emmjay kicked me out of the Pigs Arms I did get better. The medication has been stopped and Tutu and I see each other every weekend, have holidays together, still love one another.

To the Pigs Arms community, thank you one and all, you are my friends and even though at times I have been horrible, I love you all.

Ambush Part 2

20 Thursday Feb 2014

Posted by in Mark

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Story by the Great Hung One On and Digital Mischief by Warrigal Mirriyuula

Hung here again. When you play in a pub on a Sunday night and everyone wears a leather jacket the music needs to suit. The crowd arrived irrespective of our music and I eventually realised that the only way to live through the night was to play this. Second bracket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjwWjx7Cw8I

Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vppbdf-qtGU

ZZ Top – La Grange

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GoQsTF42M8

Angels – After the Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1Hb9ABpyts

Led Zeppelin – Rock and Roll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siMFORx8uO8

Free – Alright Now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLSAGnHNqGc

Free – Wishing Well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4sKdiWlLR8

Bad Company –  Can’t get enough of your Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYGITmvnwhw

Rolling Stones – Jumping Jack Flash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfqzQKt9UeA

Pearl Jam – Rearviewmirror

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pa9x9fZBtY

Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing

The Connection – Well you have heard of the six points of separation, well my last band had something similar. So I met my wife, Tutu, at the hospital were we trained in NSW. We had a great mutual friend, Kathy, who also did her training with us but came from Melbourne. For some reason she and her new husband, Bill, decided to move to Adelaide.

Prior to getting married Tutu had travelled to the UK and became friends with a girl from Adelaide, Kate, so putting the two together we planned a trip to Adelaide to catch up with our friends. Unfortunately I was involved in a serious motor bike accident that really set us back but after another year or so we set off. Well we had a ball. Kathy and Bill became our best mates and Tutu and I moved permanently to Adelaide to live. Kate let us board with her till we got on our feet, housing was cheap and there was plenty of work.

One day Bill said that he could play guitar and of course I said I could play drums. Now Bill was in the car trade and knew a bloke called Simon who played guitar so we teamed up for a jam. After many line up changes we joined with the Wilson brothers, who Bill met in a bar and we had our first band. Problem for me was the accident had interfered with my drumming technique and eventually I quit the band and sold my drums. Isn’t this interesting folks! (Ed’s note:  Yes, it IS, Hung.  Now get on with it J)

I missed music bad. Tutu had an old guitar that her mum wanted to get rid of however Tutu could play piano but wasn’t interested in the guitar so she said you learn. So I did, at first through WEA, then just by buying books until I met a young Greek bloke called George who really taught me how to play. Using motivational techniques and many hours of practice I became really good.

One day Tutu and I were out dining with friends when Simon walked through the door, just like it was meant to happen. We hadn’t seen each other for 10 years or more and started jamming together but this time as guitarists. We put a song list together and invited some folks to join in. None fitted until one day Simon suggested Tony, his ex-brother-in-law and our old mate Bill, who knew John, a drummer, from another band.

Trouble was we needed a bass player. No one knew one but I had been given a bass by a friend who said that he could never get his head around it. So I became the bassist, Bill sang, John drummed, Tony played lead and Simon rhythm except for the Dire Straits. So Ambush was formed.

The connection was: Wollongong, nursing, Melbourne, cars, Adelaide, in laws and best friends. Okay then seven points of separation. Sheesh!