Ross Wilson: News

Way back in Feb I was a guest panellist on an episode of ABC-TV's 'Spicks & Specks' music trivia show & was beginning to think they had ditched my ep or that I had somehow missed seeing it. Ah, but then it finally aired on Wednesday night. And what a great night to screen it, preceeding the much anticipated return of satirical skitsters 'The Chaser'. The result was that 'Spicks & Spicks' scored the highest rating of any ABC show this year, 1.607 million viewers, even beating 'The Chaser' which tallied around 1.5 mill (probably because the kids had to go to bed to avoid the adult content). You know I love to win so, even though my S&S team lost because I was overidden on the Iron Maiden auction item, we all came in as ratings winners. Thanks for holding it back ABC.

Keyboard maestro, & integral member of RW & The Urban Legends, John McAll is launching his NYC recorded 'Black Money' CD at Bennett's Lane, Melbourne Sunday arvo 14th June. If you like contemporary jazz music then this is the gig to go to. Here is the blurb:

"An inaugural graduate of the V.C.A.s Jazz Course, pianist and composer John McAll has been in- demand as a musician and Musical Director for over two decades.
His great versatility has seen him working with a diverse range of artists including Ross Wilson, Wycliffe Gordon ,Brian Abrahams, Renee Geyer, POAO, Nichaud Fitzgibbon,The B# bigband, and Nina Ferro, as well as playing international concert stages with The David Chesworth Ensemble. As elder brother of pianist Barney McAll, John has been a vital influence in the development of Barneys talent. With a featured role in over 40 albums this is the elder McAlls first foray into the bandleader/composer role.

The CD Black Money was recorded in New York in August 2007 at Tony Bennetts own Studio by Dave Kowalski. Players include Tommy Igoe (M.D. of the Birdland Bigband), Matt Clohesy, Curtis Fowlkes, and Tiger Rex on the New York Session, with Jordan Murray and Adam Simmons added on the Melbourne overdub session. For this launch, the line-up features David Rex (alto sax), Adam Simmons (tenor and baritone sax), Jordan Murray (trombone), Philip Rex (acoustic bass) and David Jones (drums)."

Use this link to book tickets from Moshtix http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=26945&ref=moshtix

As I was spending far too much time deleting unwanted pharmacy & porn spam from the otherwise friendly guestbook page I have had to turn on the Spam filter. This means that all guestbook entries must first enter the security code provided before the Guestbook will accept their entry. This procedure sorts out the humans from the spam machines. Then I have to personally approve those submissions before they can appear in the Guestbook. Tedious but necessary. In the battle of Spam vs Guestbook the latter must triumph!

Too bad if you missed the Easter double bills with me & Daryl Braithwaite cos they were great shows, particularly the finale on Sunday night at Doncaster Shoppingtown Hotel; what an uncharismatic name for a terrific room. Daryl & I first toured together in 1971 in the backblocks of NSW when Sherbet supported Daddy Cool and it has taken us all this time to do another run together. Young singer Michael Paynter was our support last week. He has a deal with Sony & you'll be hearing more from him I reckon. As well as a powerful voice, good looks & knowing his way around a guitar, this 23yr old chatted knowledgably with Eric McCusker about vintage amps & arcane guitar esoterica. He also turned Eric on to a very unusual version of 'Come Said The Boy' which you can check out on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIvmA1SP7g4

Last night Tania & I went to Sydney for the media launch of Jimmy Barnes' MusicMAX cable TV interview show 'My First Gig'. There are 10 episodes including one with me. Neil Finn, Deisel, Marcia Hines, Peter Garrett, Tex Perkins, Mark Seymour, Richard Clapton, Stephen Cummings and Joe Camilleri fill out the rest of the roster. We talk about how we got started, musical influences etc & sing a song with Jimmy at the end of each ep. Its all very relaxed because Barnsey is a great bloke who knows the artists personally so 'My First Gig' is full of interesting info & quite few laughs. MusicMAX are right behind it. The media buzz at the launch was full-on, the food great, & the drinks & good vibes flowed. We had fun. First episode airs April 13th.

We send newsletters & gig guides to RW email list members when we're heading your way but get quite a few bouncing back. If you've changed your email address since joining our list please log on & update it for us. We also suggest you include your mobile phone number so that we can text you a reminder to update if we get a bounce from your old address.

Of course the big news around these parts is the overwhelming reality of the death & destruction caused by bushfires in my home state of Victoria. The music community is organising many & varied benefit concerts & I will turn up somewhere in there & will let you know when its nailed down.

Meanwhile we've got to keep on keeping on & I've got a busy 2 months coming up. Amongst the gigs I still try to find time for recreation & have a couple of shows to attend on my list.
25th Feb the whole family is off to see The Veronicas at The Palais, St Kilda. I blogged a review here about their Nov 2007 show - they saw it & now we are their besties. Meanwhile they have broken through on the US charts after a lot of hard slog touring. IMHO The Vs are the best Oz pop/rock act so far this century & deserve all their success. We're really looking forward to seeing them again with their absolutely kick-ass band.

Its not til April 16th but I already have my tix for Rodney Crowell at The Prince Of Wales. A great songwriter who has had a resurgence in the past few years - this'll be good.

RW is a panellist on ABC-TV's highest rating national show - 'Spicks & Specks. Shooting an Episode on Feb 3 but no word yet on the screening date.

Foxtel's Bio channel starts screening Ron Brown's Daddy Cool documentaries this month. They premier on Feb 10 - 9:30pm 'The Daddy Cool Story' followed at 11pm by 'Daddy Cool: Live' (at the Myer Music Bowl 2005). Originally part of 'The Complete Daddy Cool' DVD, these 2 docos give a keen insight into the 4 members of DC & how they approach their music.
Screening will be repeated from time to time - consult your Foxtel programme.

A few days later Daddy Cool members Ross Wilson & Ross Hannaford return to the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne to participate in the SBS TV special 'RocKwiz Salutes The Bowl' as part of the 50th anniversary of this venue. The special screens on SBS March 7 at 9:30pm

RW & The Urban Legends had a very active Australia Day weekend making the hike from Tamworth to Penrith for a double dose of the national celebrations. But what has blown me away is the fact that some fans are more than happy to take their own long road trips to catch our act. Check out the 'Guestbook' entry from Vicki & Jeff who drove 9 hrs & 650kms from Griffith to Kincumber. Then at Belmont last Saturday night we met Lel & his lovely wife who came all the way across NSW from Coonabarabran to Belmont, a 5hr 360km trip, just to see me & the fellas. But the all time champs are Alana & Jen; not only do they seem to be at every show we do in Vic but there they were in the front rows of our gigs at Mingara, Belmont, Tamworth AND Penrith before catching a flight back to Melbourne & work on Tuesday. I think it might be a Thelma & Louise or Kerouac & Cassidy kind of road trip thing going on here.

As former headliners at the Myer Music Bowl Ross Hannaford & myself are among the special guests on the lineup for "RocKwiz Salutes The Bowl" on 13th Feb to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Melbourne's famous performance amphitheatre. Due to anticipated demand for this special event tickets will only be available to the public by ballot. The ballot opens Friday 16 January and closes midnight Sunday 1 February. The draw will be open to the public online only, on 16 January. For more info go to the Arts Centre's website http://www.theartscentre.com.au/whats-on/event.aspx?id=1456

Where am I sending you? To our MySpace www.myspace.com/rosswilsonurbanlegends where you can download my arrangement of the trad Christmas song 'Children Go Where I Send You' for FREE....Merry Christmas!

And at Daddy Cool's MySpace http://www.myspace.com/daddycooltheband you can hear 'The Christmas Bug' DC's absolutely classic addition to the Christmas song jukebox.

Friday 4 Dec: At the Age newspaper's annual EG Awards SkyHooks' 'Living In The 70s' album was voted "favourite Australian Rock album of all time". As the album's producer I am quite happy about that. But why wasn't I invited along to the Prince for award night? Had something to do anyway - I was nearby at ABC-TV doing my bit on this year's Spicks & Specks special 'A Very Specky Christmas 2008' - as usual its a laff riot.

We were happy to be part of a set up last Friday at New Capers when fan Dean got down on one knee & proposed to Mel as we launched into one of their favourite songs 'A Touch Of Paradise'. Boy was she surprised but gave him an emphatic YES reply. Ain't love grand? And it was all captured on DVD.

If you go to the photos page you'll find my portrait 'Eagle Ross' by artist Tessa Jones. She entered it in the Archibald a couple of years back &, when it didn't win that, later submitted it as a contender for the National Portrait Gallery collection of well known Australians. Of course they snapped it up. The gallery's official opening is this Weds 3 Dec in the nation's capital Canberra ACT; Tania & I will be attending. Along with a liberal, sorry laborly, dose of wine, cheese, speeches & portraiture maybe we'll get to meet the Prime Minister, the honourable Kevin Rudd. At the very least we should be entertained when indigenous leader Lowitja O'Donoghue gives ex-pat Rolf Harris a promised ticking off for his recent cracks about Aboriginals.

Mighty Kong - All I Wanna Do Is Rock album (1973): CD 2008 re-release reviewed in Vice Magazine says its a "smooth rockin', psychedelic masterpiece"
Also awarded Vice Magazine (Australia) 'Best Album Cover Of The Month' ! See the rest on the 'Reviews' page

The good weather is bringing us gigs at a variety of summer festivals, many of them involving food & wine - oh yeah now you're talking. This weekend we're at the very eclectic & very Australian music oriented Queenscliff Music Festival; then stretching into the future early next year I see both Tamworth & Penrith on Australia Day, followed in March by Warrigul's Jindi Cheese Harvest of Gippsland Festival (9.5K attended last year), the prestidigitatious Port Fairy Folk Festival, Mordialloc By The Bay and 2 x A Day On The Green. Details are on the 'dates' page.

I've added some new things to the 'Links' page. Non-music stuff that interests me & a couple of life enhancing sites run by friends.

On This Day:
1. I backed the winner of the Melbourne Cup - 'Viewed' at 50/1. Thank you Bart Cummings
2. Barack Obama was elected US Prez, head honcho, numero uno etc

Each day more surprising than the last...

LITLOO = 'Living In The Land Of Oz' the dedicated Oz Music show on community radio station 979fm, serving Melton & Melbourne's West. Put together & hosted by Leigh Stancliffe a/k/a Lee-Roy its named after MY song! & is co-winner of that station's award for 'Best Show 2008'. So I feel like I can share a liitle of the winners' glory. Good on you Lee-Roy. BTW Lee-Roy's 'Skyhooks' special a while back contains some of the best interviews ever on the subject - he really knows what he's doing.

PBS-FM's Saturday night 'Calling All Cats' hosted by Harry Q. Holden is another program inspired by a song of mine (its on the Mighty Kong CD). HQH has put together a special featuring Mondo Rock's 'Chemistry' album for broadcast this month.

About this time last year, while on tour with Daddy Cool & The Beach Boys, James Black suggested I read 'The Road', a novel by Cormac McCarthy. Last week I picked up a copy that had found its way into our bookpile, started reading, & didn't put it down until I was finished. 'The Road' describes the journey of a man & his young son through a post-apocalyptic world & raises some big questions about what is important. How do you have hope in a hopeless situation, or stay alive in a dead world; why should you protect your child when there is no future? For me the answer is that there is only now & we have to deal with that no matter what. This book is beautifully, horrifyingly written & has a conclusion that will tear you apart. Read it anyway. Worried about the financial meltdown? After reading 'The Road' you'll laugh off such trivial hassles. In McCarthy's shattered world you find “the frailty of everything revealed at last. Old and troubling issues resolved into nothingness and night.” The movie version is out in November starring Viggo Mortenson & directed by our own John Hillcoat (The Proposition). That looks promising but I don't know if I'll be over reading the book by then.

Gawd its October already. I arrived in Nashville 6 Sept & will leave on 6 Oct, mission accomplished, having pretty much wrapped up recording a new 12 song album. This project followed the usual rule that if you have a certain amount of time available then said project will fill the allocated time exactly. We cut the band trax on the 4th & 5th days of my month here and, except for 5 days off to dig the very excellent Americana Music Festival, have been at it every day since doing vocals & other overdubs. Dunno when its gonna be mixed. Producer Mark Moffatt will have to do that without me as I gotta get home and do some gigs. This the 1st time in years that I've cut an entire album in one go; usually breaking it up into 3 or 4 groups of songs recorded at separate sessions like I did with 'Tributary'. But that's when I'm producer & need space to reflect on what I've done. With another producer at the controls I can relax more & just let it happen. I guess as the man who's paying the bills I am Executive Producer. The album doesn't have a title yet, or even a label, & won't come out until 2009, but I guarantee it'll be the best album by a 60 yr old Australian that you'll hear next year!

The Saints lost. Luckily I was out of the country & didn't have to watch them get thrashed. Congrats to Hawthorn but I'm going for Geelong next week.

Meanwhile here in Nashville its getting 'interesting' just as I predicted below. I hired a car a few days ago - man getting used to driving on the right is nerve-racking - it came with a full tank which is just as well cos there's a full bore gas draught here & everyone has done the big panic. This has stymied my planned drive to Memphis - how would I get back? Upside, there are less cars on the road - bewdy. The hire car GPS is the lifesaver telling me where I should go while my brain screams 'Keep Right'!

This town lives up to its name Music City. Its not just Country; there's a thriving Rock scene too. Kings Of Leon come from around here & Jack White and Ben Folds are among the many recent settlers. 2 universities just down the road mean there are alt versions of everything for the student crowd. Last weekend's Next Big Nashville festival had 500 bands playing at scores of venues. This week its the Americana Music Festival (americanamusic.org) so I'm taking a break & going to see Levon Helm tomorrow night, then Thurs I'll be attending the Americana Awards. What is Americana Music? Google it. Our own Kasey Chambers is currently #1 on the Americana airplay chart (Australiana?). I've got an in at this fest as my old pal producer Mark Moffatt (Mondo Rock, RW) is on the board that puts it together.

Nashville is your music one-stop for awesome musicians, studios, songwriters, music publishers & the rest. Which is why so many Australians are coming here to record.

I might drive over to Memphis on the weekend and/or check out the bluesiest part of our planet, Mississippi. But I'll miss out on the Obama-McCain Oct 7 debate at Belmont Uni which is 500m down the road from where I'm staying. The Secret Service has been checking out the area & the locals are sprucing up their gardens, some of which have little Obama campaign banners stuck in the lawn. Its green around here, & warm. Big trees, with squirrels & hummingbirds.

Apart from all of the above the next few days should prove 'interesting' as the US economic meltdown has gone into overdrive just as the political campaign is revving up.

Unfortunately I've had to withdraw from my gig at the Eagle Rock Music Festival in LA Oct 4.

See ya! I'm US bound tomorrow morning. Heading for Nashville & the recording studio with my old pal Mark Moffatt co-producing & engineering. Hope to have a new album by the time I return in early October. I should have time for some fun tourist stuff too - e.g. side trips to Memphis & NYC and Obama & McCain will provide on location entertainment.

The 1973 album 'All I Wanna Do Is Rock', the one & only release by my group 'Mighty Kong', has been remastered & released on CD for the 1st time ever. Its on re-issue kings Aztec with a great looking digi-pack, 24 page booklet & a couple of extra tracks. I know a lot of people have been waiting for this (35 years!). www.aztecmusic.net

Songwriters love having their songs covered by other artists. Eric McCusker (Mondo Rock/Urban Legends) is the guy that penned 'Come Said The Boy', a song that just keeps on rolling along (I sing it every night & also have a new version on 'Tributary') & which has just been recorded by the inimitable Tex Perkins for his new album Number Ones & Number Twos. 'CSTBoy' did indeed peak at #2 on the Aussie charts back in 1983.

This week I received a call from Melbourne jazz singer Nichaud Fitzgibbon who has recorded 'Mood Swing', the song I co-wrote with Don Walker (Cold Chisel) for my 'Go Bongo Go Wild! album (2001). Nichaud also told me she is on the verge of working with a well-known Euro jazz identity in France & the US. Go Nichaud!