 this journal lists newest entries first. click here to return to current entries. click here for the first 2005 entries. musings archives: June-Dec 2005 entries. Jan-June 2005 entries. July-Dec 2004 entries. Jan-June 2004 entries. July-Dec 2003 entries. Jan-June 2003 entries. July-Dec 2002 entries. Jan-June 2002 entries. 2001 entries. June 27, 2005 Have been enjoying a rare sleepy day in. Aside from the usual living stuff like laundry, shopping, garbage, etc, it's been a well-earned rest. I played Thursday to a small but faithful crowd who stayed to hang out around the ol' fireplace. Mostly locals, and all newbies to the place, it was a pleasant evening, if not very profitable. Friday, Shane played to a rather empty room, sadly. Sydney's winter-itis shows its form. Saturday was much better, with Simon Bruce delivering a strong set to a well-attended room. But it turned out to be an early one, and we repaired around the corner to catch the Wolftones' last set. I'd type more and have much to add, but I'm far too tired. Perhaps tomorrow. June 24, 2005 Something of a cold snap has hit the area, and in typical Sydneysider form, most folks have chosen to stay indoors. Consequently, we've had a couple of pleasant nights with only a half a dozen customers who've ended up sitting around by the fire with all of us getting to know each other over a glass of red or a port. It doesn't help our bottom line much, but it's a great way to spend an evening. Jackie Bristow's headed overseas next week and decided to throw a small bash for her pals at our place on Monday, when we're normally closed. The cream of Sydney's musical crop appeared, armed with drums, amps, keyboards, violins, etc etc. The all-star jam lasted well into the early hours, and miraculously, nary a complaint from the neighbours... thankfully. Oh, and as for my wish for a short night in my last post.... I locked the doors at 6am. Wednesday night, the best band in the land, The Flood, played The Basement, to a packed house. It was great to catch up with a lot of industry folks I haven't seen in some time, many of whom were asking about the new venue. If you're in Australia, the show was taped for an upcoming ABC TV "Live At The Basement" show. Catch it then. A few folks came back to the Tav afterwards for some libations, the highlight of which was when my old pal Mark Punch (longtime guitarist for Renee Geyer, amongst others) got on bended knee and proposed to the Gypsy Gal. Until, of course, she announced that she wasn't much of a fan of Mark's idol, Joni Mitchell. The betrothal was called off, and it looks like I'm stuck with her.... np - The Hands / Live and Breathe June 19, 2005 Yes, it's another end-of-the-week post. I actually got around to installing my webbuilding software on the computer at the restaurant, so I'll hopefully find more time to post, being as I seem to spend most of my waking hours there these days. Hosted a birthday/anniversary bash for my old pals Irish John and Lyn. The usual jam session ensued, and it was once again 5am when I locked up. Those nights will soon be curtailed however, when the Sunday country music sessions kick off next month. Funny thing is, I phoned my sous chef a little while ago, as we're off to the monthly Wolftones gig at the Unity in Balmain and he wanted to come along. He's 24, and extremely hungover. I'm nearly twice that, and I feel fine. So much for aging disgracefully. Nostalgia continues, as more old pals from the Northwest rock n roll days seem to appear in my inbox. Heard from an old fan who'd discovered his copy of the Sneakers album, and now his 14 year old daughter loves it. Doesn't surprise me, though. We made music for the teenybop set in the first place. Got over to Big Rock studios during the week to record my track for Chris Turner's upcoming 13 Guitars album of instrumentals, featuring the cream of the Aussie guitar crop. Did an extended version of the theme music in the intro to my Bluegrain website, and managed to nail it in one take. Will post when I hear of a release date. Speaking (well, typing) of Aussie guitar legends, I've just found out that yet another pal has been stricken with cancer. Don't know too many details as yet, so I'm not game to name names at this point, just in case. Tomorrow night, we're hosting something of a sendoff party for my pal Jackie Bristow, who's off globehopping in the wake of recording her new album. We're expecting a solid crowd of great singer-songwriters, and it should be a great evening.... which hopefully will end long before the last one did. I have too much to do this week, and I'll need my beauty sleep. np - The Flood / Paul Kelly's Blues June 13, 2005 So it's the Queen's Birthday. I've got a great gift idea - dismantle the Commonwealth. Aren't we a little long in the tooth (teeth?) to be paying homage to an antiquated royalty figure? Another great weekend of music and pals. Friday night, Jackie Bristow brought an entourage of great singer-songwriters, all whom had a turn at the mic. We closed the doors at midnight and kicked on til the wee hours, as one does. Saturday featured the amazing Amy Vee, who wowed the crowd with her latest tunes. Sunday was time for some r&r (racounteuring and recounting). Checked out a couple of bands at some of Balmain's pubs before hitting the Cat & Fiddle for the CD launch of The Yearlings latest release. The band were spectacular and well received, certainly by the various celebrities and media moguls in the crowd. And they'll be playing my place next tour. Then it was off to the Empire to catch Bill Chambers' show. It was great to catch up quite a few old pals I haven't seen in a while, especially Kasey. Took a handful of folks back to the Taverna afterwards for yet another late night jam. And as if to prove to myself that I'm not as young as I once thought, we're foregoing the Headhunter's reunion gig at the Bridge to catch up on some work and have a quiet night in. Heard from the last missing member of Sneakers over the weekend. No idea if this means a reunion show may one day be on the cards. Last post, I'd mentioned my friend who passed away from cancer. One of our regulars at the Taverna, a rather eccentric retired shipbuilder has terminal cancer and is about to return up north for more chemotherapy and to spend some time on his yacht. He says he's coming back in November - I hope we'll be seeing him. Also caught an interesting bit on tonight's TV news about a Queensland vineyard which has developed a series of ginger concentrate drinks loaded with antioxidants, and purportedly destroys cancer cells in the prostrate. I'll be watching this with interest for, as I'd said at the beginning of the post, I'm not as young as I used to be. Nor are the rest of you reading..... np - The Yearlings / Wind Already Blown June 7, 2005 Somewhere while I wasn't looking, the month of May disappeared. I'm still fighting off traces of the flu, I seem to be fine for a few days then relapse for a few. It never quite seems to take hold, which is a good thing as I can't afford to be out of action for any time. Our head chef, Al Catraz is heading off for some family time shortly, and I'll be pulling double duty in his absence. Other tidbits of restaurant news, our liquour license is being transferred, and I can start compiling a decent wine list. One of our distributors is providing me a nice cleanskin line, and I'll be designing labels for our own house brand. And of course, I'll try to support my boutique winemaker pals out West as best as I can. Cancer. It's an insidious disease, one that creeps up with little or no warning and spreads like, well, like cancer. I've seen too many of my friends and family depart far too early, and it never seems to end. I have a very dear pal, a true music legend, that's struggling with it at present. It's not exactly public knowledge yet, so anonymity shall prevail. And on the weekend, we received the news of the death of a more recent pal, a truly nice gentleman who ran one of the video outlets up on the lake. So on Sunday, the Gypsy Gal and I took a drive up to our former local pub to catch up and commisserate with the old crew. Hitting the studio this week to begin one of the record projects previously mentioned. I think the guitar instrumental album is due for release fairly soon, I'll post any news when I get it. Happy b-day to Trish for last weekend, hope it all ended up well. And a belated happy b-day to Chavaleh last week. I really need to update my diary. May 30, 2005 Once again, an entire week has slipped by without a chance to post. And once again, nothing too remarkable has occured. Had a good jam with Chop Chop and the Chookman on Tuesday night, we're kicking around whether to make it a regular thing. We had fairly steady trade thru the week, except Friday, which was dead all around the area for some strange reason. Saturday, Simon was the featured artist and nearly packed the place. He brought his drummer who sat in on most songs, although for the ballads that Simon did on his own, you could've heard a pin drop. A great kickoff to our live music program. Managed to sort out a few problems over the weekend. The heating units are kaput in the building, but the open fire seems to be holding its own so far. Sydney, however, tends to fall a little on the chilly side come June / July, and the fire alone won't be enough for that old brick building. Also managed to address the liquour license bureauocracy issue, and we should be able to put wine & beer on the menu by the weekend. If we can only find some money to buy stock, that is.... Somewhere along the way I managed to miss the news about the death of Aussie TV legend Graham Kennedy. To you northern hemispherians, Kennedy was a iconic figure much like the late Johnny Carson. Apparently some are grumbling that ol' google eyes deserved a State funeral, as Slim Dusty received. One guy's even claiming that Kennedy touched more people than Slim, which is something I'd certainly disagree with. It's all relative, I suppose. Also watched the finale of my fave TV bloodsport, My Restaurant Rules. The winner, as I'd oh-so-humbly predicted, was the Adelaide team, for three reasons: they were consistent, they didn't screw up too much, and most importantly, they endeared themselves to the Aussie public. Especially Justine, with her nutty antics and off the cuff openness. Every viewer knows a Justine somewhere in their family or circle of friends and related in a big way. I may have to visit next time the Gypsy Gal and I are in town. I'm soon to return to recorded music again, two projects for my pal Chris Turner. One is a collection of country rock songs, all with different vocalists. The other is an instrumental album, where I'll contribute a full-length arrangement of the Bluegrain theme. Now, to find time to practice. Been trying to stave off the dreaded early winter flu virus that always seems to hit. The Gypsy Gal caught a good dose last week, and may well have passed it along to me. "Well," she told me, "I share everything with you." Uh-huh. For some strange reason I'm craving cognac and chocolate..... np - Chris Turner / new song demos May 23, 2005 Another typical Sydney May weekend, warm sunny days, cool eves with just a touch of chill in the air. Sometime this week, we should have the website up for the new digs, it just hasn't been much of a priority as yet. Mondays have turned into the weekly opportunity to take care of paperwork, cleaning, household stuff (since I rarely see the flat other than sleeping and showering), miscellaneous errands and catching up on some badly needed sleep. It's all starting to sound routine, no? Caught the tail end of the FA Cup match the other night. I still can't see the rabid appeal of a game where, in the final, one of the most widely televised sporting events globally, two teams can come out at the end, even with extra time, with still no score. Watching the entire season come down to a penalty shootout between two players seemed somewhat anticlimatic to me. Maybe that's why I'm not such a huge sport fan.... May 20, 2005 Two things are evidently hits at the ol' Taverna this week: the open fireplace, judging by the rearranged dining room, and the live music program, judging by last two nite's turnout and tonight's bookings. Anyone nearby have a good, cheap source of quality firewood? I may need to take a run back up to the Central West... My old pal and bandmate Gwyn Ashton is back downunder for a short tour before heading back to jolly ol' England where he resides these days. Catch his shows while you can. Or, if you're in Sydney on Sunday, catch us both as special guests at the Wolftones monthly gig at the Unity. May 17, 2005 Oh, heck. Do people in the 21st century actually say that anymore? Apparently, they do, well, if you're a Long Island hack at any rate. The story was about some miserable sitcom (in this writer's oh-so-humble opinion) that ended its long-overdue run, but as I scanned the e-news, I was amazed to actually read this archaic misnomer. Didn't "heck" used to mean "hell", to us kids of the 50's-60's, possibly even 70's? "Hell, no", Bart Simpson may indeed reply. I've heard the pseudo-expletive "heck" used in many old Westerns and the like, but the last time I can recall was in the 70's TV series, Room 222, some 'hippie' rebellion spouting "Heck no, we won't go........." Fighting words, indeed... worked for the fall of Vietnam, no? May 16, 2005 3am my time, after tossing and turning for a while I've decided to get up and peruse the 'net some. I feel a combination of stress, long hours and my decade-running sleep apnea problems appear to have left me with a solid bout of insomnia. But with the first gusts of wintery winds breezing through, I'm enjoying sitting in front of the screen in the wee hours once again. For pretty much my whole life, I've been a nightowl, and having played music professionally for decades reinforced that. But shortly after my daughter was born (and I was saddled with the middle of the night feedings), I began returning to what most of you would consider a normal daytime schedule. Meaning up and awake at 6am, rather than just hitting the hay. But now having a restaurant that's primarily night time service, I can feel my body clock slowly returning to the ol' schedule. Meaning, hopefully for you, dear reader, that I may as yet be able to post something of interest from time to time. Scanning the news, I see that it's the 25th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in the Pacific Northwest. Being in Oregon at the time, I remember it well, and even heard the blast loud and clear at 8:30ish, having just gotten in from an after-gig party (speaking of my old nightowl schedule). It was a strange thing to have experienced, and scientists seem to feel its days aren't yet over. If you're interested in seeing what ol' sleeping giant is up to, here's a webcam view. Well, I shall once again attempt slumber. Back with more soon. May 15, 2005 Once again, another week has slipped away with all the lasting endurance of a celebrity wedding. Speaking of, Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger? Terri Clark engaged? I suppose it worked for Elton and Jacko, well, for a few weeks anyway.... Our Mum's Day at the fooderie was about as full-on as one would expect, with the general public deciding that advance bookings were optional. Not that I'm complaining, but we simply weren't as prepared as I'd liked. Prepping until 2am Saturday night, then to the fish markets at 7am wasn't exactly my idea of a cruisy weekend. Still, that's what I signed up for, and when we collapsed in a heap at our local pub at 9pm, it was all worthwhile. On Monday, the Gypsy Gal and I went to check out one of the newer trendy bar/pizza joints in town, and found it groovy, fab, ohmygawdish, and incredibly overpriced and under portioned. Wandered around the backstreets of Kings Cross, where I called home nearly twenty years back. It's amazing how little has changed, but the few newbies we found were worth the effort. Discovered a very funky Czeck/Slovak brewery/cafe hidden away down a laneway that served great food and amazingly cheap Czeck beer. Much more filling and satisfying that the first place that evening, and at about a quarter of the price. The rest of the week was a typical week in the life of a restauranteur, if I can call myself that. Winter began to rear its ugly head midweek, and Thursday saw a cool night and plenty of rain. Now one thing I've never understood about Sydneysiders - they spend most of their leisure time either out on the harbour, in the ocean, or at the swimming pools. So why is it that everytime the first rains of the season appear, everyone ducks for cover and hibernates for a week? As we gazed upon our one table booked for Thursday, I commented to the staff that, had we been in Melbourne, we'd have been packed to the rafters. Someone offered the basic human condition of avoiding inclement weather. Tell that to the people who've lived in London, NY, Seattle, Toronto, etc etc for how many centuries? Sydney still holds on the the illusion of being a year-round beachside paradise. This week, I must say, I'm not looking forward to. Battles regarding my children, a small matter with a local competitor and a gloves-off business meeting with our building's owners are all on the cards in the next 48 hours. But I've got some old friends back in town later in the week, and we're kicking off our live music program (finally), so it's best to get the nasty stuff out of the way first. Such is life, no? np - George Winston / Winter Into Spring May 7, 2005 Mother's Day is almost upon us, and with the bookings we've taken, we should be busy indeed. Had a reader email to congratulate us on how well the new fooderie is doing, which was nice. I realize that I tend to put the more positive foot forward in this blog, after all, who wants to worry friends and family with the bad stuff? But truth be known, we're barely keeping our doors open, and the backlog of bills from the last place is beginning to drown us. Hopefully, if biz keeps growing, in a few months we may be back on our feet. In the meantime, if anyone's interested in investing in a nice tapas/wine bar/music venue, you know where to find me.... Happy b-day to our head chef, Al A'Mode. No late ones this weekend, we gots work to do. The British Elections. WTF were they thinking? Or is it that the devil one knows is always the preferred alternative when a clear chioce seems unfathomable? Witness G. Bush, J. Howard, for example. By the way, have a peek at the photo in the linked article. Looks like ol' Number Ten Tony is wrapping his mitts around what appears to be Sharon Osbourne. May 4, 2005 My gosh, has it been this long since my last post? Time has been flying by indeedy. The opening party was a huge one, lots of great musicians, the jam lasted far into the night, and I vaguely recall leaving the premises around midmorning.... and then on to the next gig at 5pm. Last Sunday my pals at Vamp Media held a screening for their new short film, "Pistol, Blade, Grenade". Cute film, and should do well at the film fests this year. Later we joined the Wolftones for their gig and naturally I guested on a few tunes. Otherwise, my schedule has remained positively unpostworthy - out of bed, answer email, off to the markets for fresh seafood, produce and meats, to the restaurant to return phone calls and handle biz stuff, prep for the evening, almost always running out of time by 6pm, dinner service, clean up and head home. Perhaps once things setlle a bit, I can resume something of a normal life and return to commenting on various events and observations. np - Ben Lee / Gamble Everything For Love April 24, 2005 Had a busy week at the new fooderie, looks like the word's getting out, which I'm very pleased about. Lots of good feedback, and big wraps for our head chef, Al Fresco. And being a holiday weekend, it seemed a fitting time to hold our opening bash this evening. Still not sure what we're serving, will figure that out on the fly. And as I've invited most of the Sydney music industry, I'm guessing it'll be a late one indeed.... And then off to the Brighton LeSands RSL tomorrow for another duo guest appearance with Erik Damberg. If you're an Aussie (or at least familiar with the traditions), picture this: an RSL club on Anzac Day.... April 21, 2005 Simon Bruce's new single, Too Late Now is out this week, and it's a nice piece o' work. Kasey Chambers' brother Nash produced and did a fine job. You can hear a preview on Simon's website, which I've been trying to update while juggling everything else. Speaking of, I've been winding back my webwork commitments to concentrate on the new project. I know a few of my clients aren't too happy, but there's simply not enough hours in the day. As it is, I still haven't got around to finishing the website for the restaurant... np - Simon Bruce /Too Late Now April 16, 2005 Today would've been my mother's 80th birthday. I often wonder what my life would be like if she were still alive. I'd probably be on the phone to her weekly for her classic Southern recipes. I suppose my one regret is that both my parents didn't live long enough to see my kids. But my mother passed away when I was in my early thirties, and we'd gotten to know each other as adults, rather than just mother-son. I think we'd said everything to each other that we would have wanted to. Speaking of birthdays, it's also my nephew Geoff's Thirty-somethingth. Happy b-day to ya up in Brisbane. Slowly getting our dining service routine worked out. Our head chef, Alfonso (you think I'd be game enough to try to run a commercial kitchen on my own? Even I'm not that overconfident) has been helping streamline ordering and balance up costings to ensure that we won't remain a non-profit organization. And hopefully I'll get to the music stuff asap. And the rest. Sleep is becoming but a distant memory. If anyone's tried to email me thru my broadband address, it ain't working. I'm migrating everything to a new network, and you can always reach me here. April 15, 2005 After our first night's service, everything went well and everybody was happy. It was a good trial, as we ended up serving close to three times the amount of guests we'd expected, and have several bookings for tonight. Now, if I can only find time to book some music.... np - Shane Flew / Lucy and Jemima April 11, 2005 A few more minor hiccups, but we look to be in full working mode in time for this week's dinner service. Got a great new book in the mail today, good timing as I'll be putting together the dinner menu this evening and always welcome more inspiration. A couple of the spare daughters are arriving tomorrow, and will be put to appropriate promotional use. Flyer drops, that kind of thing. Why, what were you thinking? However, since we'll be open for dinner, I'll have to miss the gig of the week: Simon Bruce, with Richard Clapton this Saturday at Penrith RSL Club. Happy b-day to Genevieve over in Naw Zillun. April 10, 2005 The first weekend with the new fooderie was a success, in that the customers came, nothing broke down (not even the chef), and all reports were positive. Due to encouragement by some of the local businesses, we've decided to open for lunch weekdays. Yes, it's back to a seven-day workload, and I'll have to make some serious alterations to my songwriting schedule, but ya gotta do what the market wants. It seems a little odd and somewhat schizophrenic, being a pseudo-cafe by day and a quasi-restaurant by night, but it's somehow fitting. Now, it's off to the couch to catch this week's My Restaurant Rules, and probably some mind-numbing sci-fi reruns with an adult beverage or three. At least tomorrow I can sleep in til, oh, at least nine or so..... which is a bonus. April 9, 2005 It's 6am, and I'm waiting for a bread delivery. Yes, we're finally going to open, brunch and lunch for the first week, then nights, providing all repairs are complete. The cap machine's installed and it's a beaut. Same brand as we had before, but with a nice stainless steel finish which matches our bar area - you'll see on the website, which I still haven't finished yet. The music calendar also needs attention, but by the end of this month, all should be running smoothly. Well, as smoothly as one would expect in this biz. Was reading this article about the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet. Knew we were onto something... Ran into Jackie Bristow the other day. She's been in L.A. recording and is doing a swag o' shows around town. Natch I have her pencilled in for the new music calendar. np - Don Henley / Sunset Grill April 5, 2005 Still haven't opened yet, due to a few more last-minute equipment problems and delays. Pretty much the usual story, I'm certainly not stressing over it as we went through a similar delay last year with the old coffeehouse. But this weekend looks certain for us to open for brunch, and hopefully nights the following week. Missed a few birthdays, first to the Lego Lad - schminky pinky bang-bang to you (inside joke, he'll get it). And happy b-day to Jon in Jersey, and Sandy in L.A. Dropped in to my old pals Hunter & Suzy Owens' gig in Balmain last Sunday. And got up to do a few songs, as per usual. Nice to see a bunch of the old crowd, it's been some time. Just another reminder of how much I'm enjoying being back in Sydney. Off to haggle with cappucino machine dealers, more later. March 28, 2005 Shortly after I posted that last entry, I began hearing reports that Paul Hester of Crowded House had taken his own life. By the next morning, those reports were sadly confirmed. Much of the media are tying the incident in with depression, but many that knew him best have their doubts. Whatever the motivation, it's a tragic loss and yet another gentle reminder of how fragile we all are. Most of the Australian television media ran the news as lead story last night. In a country where the media is totally dominated by sport, politics, European royalty and Hollywood, it was nice to see an entertainer from the arts receiving the recognition that he richly deserves. With any luck (yeah, I'm laughing to myself as I type this), we may have the new eatery open this upcoming weekend, at least for weekend brunch. Evenings and live music will have to wait another week or two while we muddle through the ever-growing minefield of faulty equipment, red tape, and diminishing funds. Today's pow-wow with the building's owners have promised swift action. I think they're anxious to come and hang out as well... March 27, 2005 Happy Easter to all, hope yours is safe, happy and healthy. I have an exciting day planned of housework, cleaning and paperwork. Life's pretty exciting downunder, no? Actually, I'm looking forward to the relative downtime. These past three months have been pretty draining, what with the coffeehouse closing, the Gypsy Gal's kids heading south, our moving house back to Sydney, and the new restaurant, it's been a very intense time. Weekend recap - the Gypsy Gal's birthday bash was a hoot, aside from some kitchen problems. Aside from the faults we were aware of (cap machine kaput, underbench fridge not holding temp, self-igniters not working on the stoves or ovens, dishwasher not up to required temp, etc etc), we were unable to get either of the ovens to light. With four hours before guests were to arrive, we had three dishes that required oven baking. So, with plan B in hand, we finished the moussaka in the salamander and the desserts in the oven at home. As I was trying to wrap up the olive tapenade, crostini and souvlakia, I felt as if I was in an episode of the Iron Chef, with that voiceover, "Ten Minutes... To Go". But all fell into place as the first guests arrived, and we settled in for a great night of food, music and good friends. Speaking of music, the jam session consisted of Chris Turner and band, drummers extraordinaire Theosaurus and Keith Newman, and other guest artists. But, as usual, the night was stolen by Simon Bruce and his great songs. Someone stole a shot of me at around 4am..... No caption required. Upcoming, a couple of new, somewhat last minute gigs with Erik Damberg, at the Brighton Le Sands RSL Club. Check the gigs page for details. np - tried to put on an old Miles Davis CD, but one of the cable channels is running all 256 episodes of M.A.S.H. back to back.... frivolous perhaps, but still one of the classiest, best written and cast television shows in this generation. March 25, 2005 Happy b-day to the Gypsy Gal. Mere words alone cannot possibly express how much your love, friendship and support have meant to me over the past few years. Sagapo, agape mou. Even though I can't repeat last year's surprise party for her, tonight we're breaking in the new restaurant with a lil' private dinner bash for eighteen or so. With the house p.a. alreayd in place, I'm sure all the musicians will get the vibe at some point. I'm expecting a late night jam session. Reports when I surface. March 20, 2005 Still waiting on my broadband transfer, so I've been avoiding being online for too long. The new fooderie/venue is becoming more of a challenge than we'd thought - the kitchen hasn't had a decent professional clean in months, and some of the equipment isn't working properly. But we're still hoping for an early April opening. Caught up with an old pal, Mark Oats of the Bushwackers fame on St. Paddy's Day, playing with his Irish band. If you're in and around Sydney this eve, Chris Turner's Wolftones are appearing at the Unity in Balmain. I'll undoubtedly join them for a few songs and some loud guitars. It's nice to be back. March 15, 2005 The pre-opening things to do list gets longer by the day. The guy who ran the restaurant before us had health problems and was hospitalised shortly after he closed at last Christmas. So the place needs a major clean-up - the kitchen in particular. My work's cut out for me for a while, especially as we're entertaining ideas of opening for weekend brunch this coming Saturday. Otherwise, getting settled into the new digs is taking its time as well. Downsizing from a spacious 4 bedroom house to a tiny 2 bedroom inner-city flat can be, uh, creative. My computer, et al are set up in what's to be the spare room, which is slightly smaller than the previous house's ensuite bathroom. And the new bathroom is around the same size as the old walk-in wardrobe. But once we're up and running, I don't expect to be spending a great deal of time here for much of anything other than sleeping and showering. March 12, 2005 Still waiting on broadband, but making do with the old fashioned method. Funny how easily spoiled we get by technology. Speaking of, we've got cable TV on at the new place. It's something of a novelty for me, as we were unable to get it at the old house. The music, food and doco channels have been getting a workout. Odd things spotted along the F3 freeway between residences: a car parked on the side of the road, with a woman retching violently - being comforted by another woman with her head wrapped in hospital bandages.... and a tow truck, towing another tow truck that had obviously decided to retire early. Our fair country has been treated to a lenghty visit for the Danish royal couple of late. You can't turn on a news show or pick up a paper without Princess Mary splashed all over. She's an Aussie, y'see, born and (presumably) bred in Tasmania. The UK's own Mr. Ed, Prince Charles was here as well, although nobody seemed to care. In this day and age, is it really necessary for a forward-looking, modern Western democracy to have a "royal family"? Do these people really contribute anything of any value to the society that they purportedly rule over? Is a few token charity events and the odd landmine sweep worth paying her majesty some $14 billion a year so she can continue trying to tell the difference between her Corgi's and her son's new girlfriend? I'd say that a bunch of scruffy rock musicians did more for chairitable causes in 1984 than the British royal family did in a century. I was somewhat lamenting leaving the beach, but as it turns out, the new digs are a whole two blocks from Sydney harbour. And we have a great local pub, just around the corner. Staggering distance. Although once the new restaurant's open, I won't have much time for such frivolity. Some, but not much. np - VH-1 March 9, 2005 I've been in the throes of moving house, so this will likely be the last post for a few days or so - my ISP folks tell me it may be up to a week before they can reconnect my broadband. So I'll be back on the dreaded dial-up until then. The new restaurant is confirmed. We cut a compromise deal with the building owners, one that we're all happy with and which will allow us to build trade comfortably. So at this point I can reveal that the new digs are in inner-west Sydney, the 'burb of Five Dock to be more precise. It's licensed, so we can sell wine and beer, has a great fireplace for the winter months and a totally fitted-out kitchen, complete with all bits & pieces. The owners are very keen for us to develop the live music aspect, and we're having a stage built in a couple of weeks. We're looking to open early April, dinners Wednesday - Saturday and brunch weekends. Some of you Sydneysiders will be getting an invite to our pre-opening party and jam session - you've been warned. More as this new project develops. March 5, 2005 Another week slips away like so many raindrops. Looks like we have a few problems with the proposed new restaurant, several things from council regulations to lease details to licensing transfers, etc etc. At this point, it's not looking as viable as it was a week back, and we're on to plan B just in case. Sydney however, is our next destination. I feel like I've been away too long, having been caught up with the last cafe. Running seven day weeks doesn't leave one much time for anything else. But we made a couple of trips this week and are about to decide on a new home shortly. As much as I've enjoyed the lake and the ocean, it's time to move on, yet again. The Adventures of the Texas Troubador and the Gypsy Gal continues... Caught up with my old pals Rob and Smithy from the Lucky Bastards and joined in for some backing vocals. Not much upcoming on the gig calendar at the moment, but I'm reticent to chase anything while we're still not committed to a new fooderie. Speaking of foodstuff, the new season of My Restaurant Rules is in full swing, with all five restaurants open. I'm hoping to check out Sydney's entry, the Pink Salt soonish and see what the fuss is about. No idea if the series is screened overseas (aside from New Zealand, who'll get it later in the year), but it's a clever concept for that dreaded animal known as a "reality TV show". It's the season of the dinosaur here, judging by the tour schedules. Either here or about to land are the likes of the Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Cher, Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart and Janis Ian. Did this country become Southwest Las Vegas while I wasn't looking? To be fair, the balance is met by the perennially cool Byron Bay Roots Music Festival, which has its usual stellar lineup of great stuff. I'll also be catching up with Kevin Welch and Kieren Kane this Monday, who'll be appearing at the Basement, if you're in Sydney. Otherwise, catch them on tour. They're great guys and truly gifted writer/performers. np - Sarah McLachlan / Solace February 27, 2005 The place is buzzing with the ol' moving house vibe. We held a garage sale yesterday, alas, the garage did not sell, but all the other stuff did. It's always amazing to see what people will buy. Having said that, I'm just as guilty as the next guy - especially when it comes to old guitars or funky kitchen gear. We've dedided on a name for the new digs, all will be revealed later in the week after we've locked away the business name registry, domain name etc. At this point, we're shooting for an early April opening - pretty much exactly a year after we opened the Java Bar, oddly enough. If you're around Sydney today, I'll be at the Sydney Rowers Club sitting in with the Fabulous TeeJay's, from 4pm. Drop by for some groovy acoustic blues. And a happy big 6-0 to my big lil sis, Cheryl. February 24, 2005 Well, well well. What a difference a few days maketh. We've passed on the Newcastle bistro thing, once we met the board (straight outta a David Lynch film, they were, I tellsya...) and have just signed off on an extremely cool and funky inner-west Sydney licensed restaurant. Wine bar, cool food, it's all gonna happen. The owners are very keen for us to do the live music thing. And we will. In a big, big way. Watch this space. A late note re the late great Hunter S. Thompson - his funeral plans calls for his body to be cremated and the ashes fired from a cannon across his Colorado property. Now, if that ain't rock n' roll, what is...... np - "Box Set / Crosby Stills and Nash February 21, 2005 I'd meant to make a longer entry in yesterday's post, but we've been hit with a wave of storms and power brownouts, so I had to shut down early last night. Will catch up when I can recall what it is I was going to post.... R.I.P. the great Hunter S. Thompson, king of gonzo journalism, who shot himself at his Colorado home, aged 67. "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" was one of my fave books, and I didn't mind the movie version either, with Johnny Depp playing HST. If you're unfamiliar with him (and there wouldn't be many who would be), here's a few classic HST quotes: "Anytime there's a big sporting event, go to either the winning or losing town; there'll be riots in both of time. Riots are fun." (Hunter S. Thompson, advice on 'adventure' in Men's Journal)np - Kacy Crowley / Moodswing February 20, 2005 More meetings, more trips to Sydney, more number crunching. Lots of possibilities, but not quite the right spaces for the next gen cafe/fooderie. This week should be conclusive, as we have a very likely local contender to consider. It'd mean that Sydney would have to wait until later in the year, but my gut feeling is that I'll back in the harbour city by the year's end. np - Willis Alan Ramsay / Willis Alan Ramsay February 15, 2005 Happy St. Val's Day to all. We did the dinner thing on Sunday, as Monday was spent in Sydney checking out restaurants for lease. It's beginning to look like I may be returning to my adopted hometown, which I gotta admit, feels pretty good. Hanging around in my ol' stomping ground of Balmain yesterday, running into old friends and associates, it felt like home. So we'll see what transpires over the next week or so. Forgot to mention that I caught up with Simon Bruce at his recent Newcastle show. I've seen Simon a lot socially, but it had been a while since I'd seen him perform. He's grown so much as a performer and a stagecraftman now, it was just great to see. The tours with Dido and Bond have been great for his confidence and experience. One of Australia's best developing talents indeed. The Grammys? Yawn. February 12, 2005 Nothing too particularly postworthy of late, just continuing talks with prospective new locations. We'd been offered the pub from the Central Coast, but they wanted an immediate start, with seven day trading, both lunch and dinner. With two months remaining on the house lease, and plenty of unfinished business still to attend to, it was simply the wrong time. But we're awaiting the greenlight on the most likely option, and I'll post as soon as I know. It's been a typical suburban-type Saturday here, with the thrilling chore of cleaning windows. The house is two-story, on the side of a hill with an undercover garage which effectively makes the upstairs front windows three stories high. So the only feasible way to hit them is with a pressure hose, which I did. Which also had the effect of releasing some of our eight-legged housemates. Two things need to be clarified here before I continue. Firstly, Australia has some of the most lethal reptiles, snakes and spiders on the globe. And the majority of them dwell within a couple of feet of my back door. Spiders don't bother me much, to be honest, and as I was playing with my new pet Tiny (one of the largest huntsman I've seen in ages), I was reminded of the second point. If you look up "arachnophobia" in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of the Gypsy Gal. Tiny grew tired of being sprayed and decided to drop to the ground. Precisely where the Gypsy Gal was standing. I'll bet they heard her clear over at the Discovery Channel. np - Lyle Lovett / Pontiac February 6, 2005 The daily routine has been - exploring new venue options, meeting with owners and operators, drafting expression of interest letters, examining trade figures and lease agreements, checking out pubs, clubs and hole-in-the-wall former takeaway shops. We have a couple of options open at this point, but I don't think we've found the right place yet. We'll hang for a few more weeks and see what becomes available. And I'm really missing being in the kitchen. So the biggest quest has been deciding what to cook for dinner. Last night was a chicken and coconut curry which had been brewing for three days, tonight, something much simpler - fettucini carbonara with homemade garlic & herb bread and a Mornington chardonnay. Speaking of curry, but typing it different, it was nice to read a request for Kim Currie's seared chilli peppered beef recipe in this month's Gourmet Traveller Magazine. Go the central west foodies! Winner of the 2005 "Stupidest Thing Uttered From A Stage" award (and we're only barely into February) - some hip-hop tsunami victim fundraiser was held in Los Angeles over the weekend. Between "songs" (well, this is hip-hop, y'all), someone from the stage bleated, "Let's give it up for the Tsunami victims, without them we wouldn't all be here tonight." I hope someone er, 'explained' that gaffe to them. Preferably with a baseball bat. np - Crosby, Stills and Nash / Deja Vu February 3, 2005 We've been scouting locations for the next fooderie venue. This week's contenders ranged from a pub way out in the country to an inner-city cafe to a Central Coast bistro to a bowling club just down the road. There's a fair bit of opportunity out there, and I'm quietly optimistic we'll be in something by the end of this month. np - Andrea Terrano / Latin Soul February 1, 2005 Long time, no post, yeah I know. It's been an eventful week. After a long, protracted discussion with all concerned, it was determined that the Gyspy Gal's kids would live with family interstate this year. On the downside, I'm going to miss them - more than words can express. On the upside, it now leaves us free to pursue many other avenues for the next food/cafe/music venue. And to that extent, we've been holding talks with many people - publicans, club managers, restranteuers, etc. - seeking out the next venture. And it's not far off. And my kids went home, to start the new school year. Hope I'll be seeing them a little more, and now that they have a computer with net access at home, I can type to them regularly. Happy b-day's last week, to two great parties I missed - to Theo, the chookman, and to Ali, whose 50th I'm really sorry I missed. But hey, family always comes first, even though you're both nearly family. January 24, 2005 RIP the great Johnny Carson. As a kid, I always wanted to be a guest on his show. Never quite made it, although I was in the audience at the old Burbank studios a few times. If things weren't growing increasingly hysterical in the US of A, now, some moral superiority group is claiming that Spongebob Squarepants is "promoting homosexuality". First the Teletubbies, and now this. Some days, you just gotta shake your head. Brady Bunch around the house again. All five kids are here, as the neighbourhood is no doubt aware. Will try to post when things make sense. January 23, 2005 Had a couple of last minute fill-in gigs, a Newcastle pub on Friday and a private bash up near the Hunter wineries on Saturday. Was nice to play a couple of full sets, also a gentle reminder that I'm a bit out of shape, playing-wise. My agency is booking for the upcoming months and say they have a fair bit for me, so that'll soon be remedied. Some words of wisdom I ran across in my inbox: We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box. How true, indeed. np - Viktor Krauss / Far From Enough January 21, 2005 I haven't been posting much this week, not that there's been nothing happening, but rather my trusty LCD flatscreen monitor is in its death throes. With the screen growing darker and darker, and not having had a chance to get to town to replace it, it's kinda painful to look at. Hence I've just been handling urgent email until I can replace the beast. With the Bel returning on the weekend, my kids arriving on Monday, various birthdays upcoming and next week's Australia Day celebrations, it'll be a busy time ahead. Will post when I can. January 17, 2005 With all the extra food now available, we held a BBQ/wake on Saturday - which I'm still recovering from. Friends came up from Sydney, regular customers stopped in, and I think we had most of the neighbourhood here as well. Thanks for the nice wishes and commiserations received over the closure of the cafe. It's really not as dire as it may appear. In fact, it's a considerable weight lifted, and the options are aplenty. And work's already rolling in. So we'll be jes' fine, y'all. Happy b-day to my son, Callum. Nine years and going strong. Sorry you couldn't be here today, but we're all looking forward to having you and Casey-Lee back next week before school starts again. np - Trespassers William / Love Is Blind January 13, 2005 They say as one door closes, another opens. Regular readers will no doubt be aware that we've been looking at various options for the cafe, including selling, relocating and merging. The building we're in has new owners who took over in December, and we've been trying to renegotiate our lease to no avail. It seems they have plans to redevelop the entire block and clearly aren't interested in losing tenants. Everything came to a head this week, and yesterday the decision was made to close the business. So I now have some time on my hands. I also have a garage full of cafe equipment and no current source of income. However, things turn up, and there's a few possibilities that have already surfaced. So we'll be watching for that new door to open - hopefully very soon. To those of you who have visited the Java Bar, many thanks for your patronage and support. It was a fun year, discovering that I could actually run a commercial kitchen and create interesting foods. I wonder what's in store next. Anyone have a crystal ball? And as the late, great Jerry Garcia wrote, what a long, strange trip it's been. Was saddened to learn of the passing of Jimmy Griffin, from Bread. There's no news story on the wire that I can locate just yet, the news comes from Nashville folks. Apparently he'd contracted lung cancer. I met Jimmy when I lived in Nashville, we did a couple of writer's nights together. He and some of the other ex-Bread members used to play around town under the name, "Toast". He was a nice guy with a great, great voice. January 9, 2005 Apologies for the apparent lack o' posts... there just hasn't been much to post about this week. Being Sunday, I'm home today doing mundane but essential household/lifestyle maintenance. Which is fancy way of saying cleaning and laundry. And apologies to those of you whom I still owe return post-holiday emails. I need to find the time to catch up on correspondence. Speaking of time, here's another anecdote: Was typing to a friend today who's recently left a job she'd held for over a decade. She'd commented how she felt lost without a daily routine and was keeping odd hours. It reminded me of a period many moons ago where I'd lived a similar pattern. It was around 1978 or so, the band that was to become Sneakers was taking a couple of weeks' post-Christmas break from gigging and rehearsing. I'd bought a house on the outskirts of town. Hardly anyone came by, because hardly anyone knew about it yet. I decided to immerse myself in a period of total creativity. Since I had no other obligations on my time, I wrote, composed, whatever - as long as I felt like until fatigue overtook. I then slept as long as I chose to, rose and began working again. The drapes were largely kept closed around the house, with winter it was dark and gloomy outside at the best of times anyway. So I led a clock-less life. I recall waking to start my "day" at midday, 5am, 8pm, all hours as my personal body clock spun its own course. It was an amazingly free and cathartic time, and one that I'm certain could never be revisited. Such are the demands on our time these days, and certainly without running a business, I'd still need to follow the same time continuim that paces society. Was sad to read of the passing of Danny Sugarman, The Doors' former assistant and gopher turned manager. It's but another reminder that all of the 'colourful' characters of the music industry and leaving us, and leaving the world with the same kind of bland executive as the cardboard muzak they shill. Speaking of The Doors, it seems that the 'new' lineup of the band (with the Cult's Ian Astbury on vocals, no less) is due to tour here shortly. I hear the sound of graves spinning.... np - Lyle Lovett / Step Inside The House January 4, 2005 Here's one for you net-banker type folks: To donate to the Australian Red Cross Asia Quake and Tsunamis Appeal by bPay: BSB: 112 879 Account: 299 904 767 Name: Australian Red Cross Customer Ref: Gift to Australian Red Cross - ABN 50 169 561 394 My daughter phoned me last night to tell me that our old Labrador died. I'd bought her from breeders in '92 and she'd been living up in the country with my kids' nan & pop for most of the last ten years. She made it to the ripe ol' age of eighteen. Casey-Lee was surprisingly philosophical. She loves animals dearly and has often spoken of wanting to be a veteranarian. I suppose she's getting used to the idea. It seems that these type of weblongs and online journals are becoming more and more popular, according to news sources. Never have so few typed so much for so many, etc etc. np - Luka Bloom / Turf January 2, 2005 Another year goes by, another new calendar to open. And a newly archived set of musings. The New Year's Eve gig was pleasant enough, the crowd turned over a few times as folks made their way to and from the Newcastle foreshore to watch the fireworks, Grinspoon and each other. It was a nice surprise seeing so many friends, old and new, dropping by for a few throughout the evening. My scheduled 1am finish stretched to 2am (as it often does...), but it was enjoyable. As it was a working night for me, yesterday became my defacto NY Eve, and the Gypsy Gal and I took in a leisurely lakeside lunch and a lenghty afternoon/evening at our local. As Casey-Lee's gone back to the country, and the Gypsy Gal's kids are interstate, we have another childless week ahead. But as this is the peak tourist season here, we're also anticipating the cafe to be kept busy. As I look back and ramble each year about the previous one, I do have to say that this year wasn't nearly as tough as it may have seemed throughout. Starting a new venture is always extremely stressful and financially risky, particularly if it's a food service biz. But having opened a coffeehouse in a run-down shopping centre, in a two-year's empty space, during one of the toughest maket winters in eons, with very little capitol, I have to say that we've done alright. Sure we're juggling bills, hoping for more trade and hassling with business stuff, but our doors are still open, and we're growing. So after a couple of seasons of annus horribilis, things are looking up. I'm in good shape, health-wise and emotionally. Money's tight, but I've managed to pick up a few toys this year, a new car and a few more guitars. Musically, things are still in a holding pattern as we sort out the future of the cafe and what will be the next incarnation. I've held off on buying new recording gear until the dust settles, which unfortunately it isn't doing in the new studio, judging by all the sweeping I have to do. They say (who is this 'they', anyway?) that one can be judged by the company one keeps. I'm pleased to say that I have a large and diverse group of friends scattered around the planet, many keep in touch regularly by email and reading this journal. Each year, a few more familiar names turn to the net thinking "whatever happened to" and drop into my inbox. It's one of the blessings of the communication era that our forebearers couldn't have dreamt of. And each year, as events and tragedies remind us of how precious life is, we're told that to love and be loved is the only thing that truly matters. Looking back on the past couple of years, I managed to find myself involved with a couple of unstable women who both had issues with the concept of love and giving freely. They're now each where they want to be and happy within themselves, I'm guessing. Que sera. However, I can honestly say that, between the Gypsy Gal, her children, and my Casey-Lee and Callum, I don't recall ever feeling as much true, genuine and unconditional love as I do now. And for that, I am truly grateful. What bodes for our future, we humans? A few things are certain. People will continue hating and killing each other, whether it be in the Middle East, Middlesex or middle America. We'll continue to chip away at the stability of this planet by global warming, chemical byproducts, oil exploration and nuclear testing. Think the recent tsunami will be the wake-up call that it was meant to be (imho, that is) for our global leaders? Not likely. What bodes for my future? The coffeehouse isn't going to eventuate to be the winebar / music venue that we'd hoped for, due to a myriad of unforseen problems. Eventually we'll sell and look for something else. Where - who knows. There may be another seachange ahead, depending on when the doors of opportunity swing open. I'll get back to finishing the new album soon, after the January holidays, and my agents have already begun live bookings for the year. Watch the gigs page for details. And thanks for reading. Type at y'all as the year progresses. Best regards, good health, peace and happiness to each and every one of you. np - Kevin Welch and The Flood / Live Down Here On Earth |
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