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MUSICIANS IN ISOLATION- MELODY ANGEL 0

Australian Musician’s Greg Phillips caught up with Chicago based blues guitarist singer-songwriter Melody Angel to talk about life in isolation, her album ‘Angels & Melodies’, gear, career and her fond memories of her two trips to Bluesfest

Melody Angel is from the south side of Chicago. Rock N Roll and the Blues took over her life at age 7. Melody blames the following artists for her obsession: Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Slash, Chuck Berry, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Melody’s mom got her a Fender Stratocaster guitar from a pawnshop at age 15, Melody then taught herself to play and never looked back, in fact she plays the same guitar to this day. Melody Angel has played all over the world, and continues to defy the odds as an independent artist. Currently touring to promote her 2nd full length album, Angels & Melodies, featuring songs like,The Boogie, American Dream, and Dance With Me Baby.

http://www.melodyangelmusic.com/

Bluesfest photos by Jason Rosewarne

MUSIC RETAIL IS OPEN, OPTIMISTIC AND LEARNING TO ADAPT 0

We’re now three weeks into Covid-19 lockdown and Australians are doing their best to adapt to a new way of life. The flattening of the curve means that there’s reason for cautious optimism. Permitted to trade, most musical instrument stores are not only open but many are experiencing an unexpected period of growth. This is in stark contrast to the lives of our friends around the world, who are battling a diabolical number of virus cases and deaths and in many countries retail has totally shutdown. In the USA things are particularly bad with some music wholesalers re-tooling their equipment to produce medical gear rather than instruments. Ernie Ball Music Man is using their strap making facility to produce cloth face masks. D’Addario’s drum division is turning drum heads into face shields. Froggy’s Fog, a theatrical fog producer in America has switched to making hand sanitizer and sanitizer bases. Thankfully in Australia our health system is well placed to cope with the current demand and we haven’t needed to resort to such measures yet and hopefully never will.

While Australian music stores are still able to trade, they are nevertheless learning to be flexible and remodel the way they do business in a significant way. Those who were set up well for e-commerce pre-Covid-19 are flourishing, those who lagged behind are learning quickly to get their online services up to scratch to deal with demand and the new trading conditions. To date many stores are still accepting floor traffic albeit under very strict conditions. Marcello Grassi, co-owner at Eastgate Music in Kew is taking the health advice very seriously.
“We have a very big operating centre, a big space so we could potentially have a lot of people in but we don’t,” says Marcello. “We allow no more than about eight. There are hospital-grade sanitisers all over the store. We have covid -19 trading terms on the doors, on cabinets and near instruments. Obviously things like microphone testing are out of the question during this period. We also have the store carefully marked so that people are 2 metres apart when they are at the counters and we ask everyone very carefully to practice social distancing. Prior to the store opening, every computer, every phone, every door handle is sanitised with a hospital-grade bacterial disinfectant.”

Macron Music has stores in Melbourne and Sydney and while store owner Anthony Ursino still sees “bulletproof’ young people coming in wanting to hang out and jam, he also imposes strict instore guidelines. “One of our main concerns is making sure our staff are safe so we’re making sure customers keep their distance and we’re reducing the number of people in the store.” he says. “We’re saying you are welcome to come in and get stuff but we are not really open for aimless browsing and jamming but really, the majority of our time is spent online, we are very busy with that.”

Rich Piper of Piper’s Wollongong Music Centre is having a bit of fun with it. “We’ve got those Colonial Leather Bio Hazard guitar straps up. They are either side of our counter, a couple of metres inside the front door, so customers have a bit of a laugh at that. People can come in and access the accessories, guitar strings and picks, straps etc but to come into the store further, it’s a bit of an invitation-only thing and we make sure everyone sanitizes.”

Pipers Wollongong Music Centre

Another retailer made the early call to close the doors to foot traffic a few weeks ago. “We closed the doors just as they started talking about a lockdown, so we went early,” he says. “People that have social media reach and regular EDMs, that can reach out are doing ok. We have seen an uptake.”

Despite the increased measures to produce a safe environment for customers to shop in, almost universally people are shopping via phone or online and stores are doing whatever it takes to deliver the goods and keep their loyal clientele satisfied. “We do encourage online sales,” says Eastgate’s Marcello. “We don’t ask any sensitive questions, we just say if you would like to pick it up instore fine, but don’t feel like you have to get out of the car to come into the store. You are very welcome to call us and we can greet you outside, we can load your car. We can do whatever you want that is required. If you want us to wear a mask and gloves when we meet you in the car park, not a problem.”

Rich Piper in Wollongong is one of the many stores who were well set up for online trading anyway. “We’ve always had the webstore there but there’s bundles of that going on now,” he tells us. “People are thinking, well this is how we need to go shopping now and that’s what they are doing. Someone might say can you just deliver this to me and I’ll do it personally because it is local but I’ll do it with gloves and mask on. It’s all contactless and prepaid. Our couriers have got bundles of work too, they come in every day and pick up a stack.”

Macron has also invested in its time wisely by improving their online service, not just for the current conditions for the future too. “I think we will come out of this quite strongly because of the way we are poised as an online retailer” Anthony Ursino tells me. “Because it has been less busy instore we have been able to catch up on things that we were putting in place anyway with our online service.”

As you’d expect customers are snapping up gear that can keep them amused while in lockdown, whether that be podcasting, livestream or recording gear or even a new instrument to learn. Another circumstance of the imposed isolation time is that customers are purchasing the items they’ve long had their eyes on. While so many musicians are struggling pay the rent or put food on the table, those who haven’t been as financially effected are finally getting around to buying their dream instrument. “Rather than I always wanted to learn to play guitar, it’s more like; I’ve always wanted that particular guitar,” says Anthony. “I had a guy last week who was wanting to buy a Maton for three years and thought, it’s a great time to do it now.”

Brett from Musician’s Oasis in Kingaroy, Queensland is seeing more of the first timer market. “It’s definitely not anything in brass and woodwind,” he says straight up, referring to the health problems related to the trying out of instruments that you blow into. “It’s more keyboards and guitars, things that they can learn at home and need less help to actually learn to play. It’s probably a bigger part of our market anyway. We do brass and woodwind, school instruments but we generally do more guitars and things. We have had a few who haven’t played before they come in and talk about taking up guitar. We have sold a few digital pianos to people who know they are going to be home and want something to play. They’re easy to get up and running.”

For specialty retailers such as piano stores, things are a little different. Online activity is also up but compared to the retailers dealing in multiple product ranges, there are limits to what they can do. As seen on the ABC recently Jenny Ko, owner of Gospel Pianos in Ryde, NSW stated that while acoustic piano sales were down, their digital piano sales had almost doubled. “It hasn’t really overtaken … selling acoustic pianos but at least it is helping us along the way,” she recently told the ABC.

Michael Cleves told us that his group of stores, which include the Australian Piano Warehouses tells a similar story, with loads of digital pianos selling to go with some softness in the mid range upright acoustic piano market with Grand pianos holding up. “As always with acoustic pianos, you’ve got to do the extra. In general MI, entry level gear has been huge in March, we’ve been very busy at Billy Hydes and Kosmic Music as well as in Dale Cleves stores. “we are seeing a lot of product sold to new customers during this period, and that’s a positive”

Billy Hydes Nunawading

“Acoustics are quieter but digital pianos are quite busy and portable organs too, the little Hammonds, we’ve been busy with those,” says Bernie Capicchiano, owner of Bernies Musicland in Ringwood, Victoria. “Most are looking for home entertainment, so we are getting comments like … we always wanted to have the time to play, now we do or we are locked up and need our music.”

Bernie was also quick to point out what happened during the great depression and believes there’s a comparable sentiment out in the community during this covid-19 period too. “During the great depression there was a great demand for pianolas. People stayed at home and sat around the pianolas singing. That was between 1915 and 1935, there was a 20 year run of pianolas. People still needed their music. We are lucky at the store here in that we have plenty of space and not jammed into one little showroom, we could have up to 28 people in here comfortably distanced. We have put signs up saying what the capacity of each area of the store is, so people are still welcome to come in and shop safely.”

Like every other store Bernie is learning to adapt. As a retailer who is very active with instore masterclasses and demos, he’s had to now consider the online options. “We are setting up zoom for the classes, masterclasses, with streaming but I think it is very confusing with retail as to how many people you can have in at something like a masterclass. People probably aren’t sure if they are allowed to go out to a music store or not so it would be good to get that message out that music stores are definitely open … we are here to help.”

In such a tough retail environment it seems that those who can ‘read the room’ are making the most out of the situation. The stores who already had a strong online presence and the ones who are learning on the fly to cope and going the extra yard for their customers are the retailers who will be in a better position at the other end of this tricky situation. One of the main pieces of information music retailers are wanting to impart is that the majority of them are open. It’s not illegal to shop at your local instrument store and it’s up to you how you choose to do that, whether it be in person (if their doors are still open to traffic), on the phone or online, plus delivery of goods can be arranged in many different ways. Most stores are open and willing to help you in any way possible and despite the unfortunate situation we all find ourselves in, there is still an air of positivity out there in music retail land.

“We are going to come out of this with a better online service and hopefully a lot more customers have been made happy in the meantime and will continue to shop with us,” says Macron’s Anthony Ursino.

And leaving the last word to Eastgate Music’s Marcello, “I’m staying enthusiastic, optimistic and learning to adapt and I think that’s all any of us can do.”

Story by Greg Phillips

Britons using coronavirus lockdown to become guitar heroes 0

MUSIC RETAIL IS OPEN! 0

Music Retail is still open for the time being as of March 25, 2020,

There is much uncertainty for music retailers about how long they will be able to service the needs of its customers, who, we understand might have their focus on other needs at the moment.  But for the musicians who have needs in order they can continue their practice, learning and recording our industry wants to be there for you.

While your local music store may be open & desperately appreciates your support, now is not the time to be casually browsing in any shop for half an hour because you’re bored. Go to the store. We advise in the interest of all our safety, that you make your purchase and leave as soon as possible.

We feel learning an instrument & playing music is going to play an important part in sustaining your mental health & the mental health of the community. NOW is the perfect time to take up that instrument you’ve always thought you would like to but haven’t had time.  

Logistics is still an essential service so stock can still be shipped from suppliers to retail, and retailers can arrange deliveries. By online or by phone.

Some retailers may be shutting their doors and serving customers via Online only. But for those that keep a shop front open, there is a lot of effort going into keeping the store environment safe for staff and customers.

General Info

Music retailers have been advised to follow World Health Organisation procedures on personal hygiene and proximity to customers. Retailers encourage customers to phone or email enquiries to save trips to the stores.

For the time being, most stores are maintaining their regular opening hours and they are offering the same friendly service but are cutting down on contact (sorry, no handshakes or hugs for now). Stores should regularly disinfect their demo gear. Hand sanitiser is being made available and most stores encourage payment via card rather than cash.

Should customers feel unwell (fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache or shortness of breath) or have recently returned from overseas, our stores ask that you refrain from visiting in store in order to ensure the safety of all customers and our team. In many cases, stores can look after you just as well if you browse our website, give them a call or email instead.

Q: Are retailers taking cash?

If they are, we have advised that The W.H.O. is advising everyone to wash their hands after using cash money, especially if handling or eating food.

To be safe, we encourage use of card machines and ideally contactless and to have a sanitiser close for team members who may handle cash. We have suggested retailers restrict cash handling to a single till in the store.

Please don’t take offence if a staff member reminds you about the protocols surrounding sneezing or coughing, especially into your hands.

Our stores would make hand sanitiser available and staff have been advised to keep a reasonable distance from customers; 1-2 metres where possible in line with government advice.

Q: What about wanting to try an instrument instore?

Many stores have implemented a No Blow policy for all brass, woodwind, harmonicas etc. You may see signs like this in store – please respect them.

You might see signs on ‘condition of entry’ that if you plan on trying an instrument you need to use the hand sanitiser provided at the entrance.

If you wish to try a guitar for example, customers should be asked to use the hand sanitiser that the store is making available.  Our advice to retailers is that all customers must use hand sanitiser BEFORE they touch an instrument.

Note, when practicing your own measures, Hand sanitizer is 60+% percent alcohol which can cause clouding in lacquer finishes.

Don’t use sanitizer or wipes with alcohol directly on the guitar.  But a person should use it on their hands.

Q: What actions have retailers been taking in their stores?
A: Retailers would be thoroughly cleaning doors, counters, computers, and areas where customers may touch. Instruments, especially wind, are being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Observing social distancing.

Retailers are printing advice to customers and posting it around the store.

Sanitising their POS equipment. EFT keypad pads etc after use.

Providing hand sanitiser on counters in clear view and encourage customers to use it, as well as staff after they have dealt with a customer.

Keeping the customer informed of the policies in their store at this time.

Q: What about Online?
Retailers are noticing an increase in phone and email enquiries and while restrictions are in place. Online is the best and safest way to purchase during these times.

Contact the stores for product advice by phone and email.

We know as musicians that Customers who are concerned about being at home for a prolonged period maybe looking to making music to relieve stress and anxiety in these times, start that recording project or online learning course or just get some practice in.

We want to be here to help with your needs. While our stores are allowed to open, so is their Online store.

Stores are aware of best practice in packing and dispatching.
At present, most stores’ online ordering services are running as usual with their team working in their online orders department, ready for your enquiries. Some are waiving their dollar minimum purchase for free delivery and are encouraging their customers to use online so as to limit, as much as possible, the spread of the virus.

Logistics is still regarded as an essential service. Therefore, for the time being deliveries will continue. We cannot control what deliverers do, but we are confident that at the store end the goods will leave after being wiped down and sanitised before it is packed and leaves the store.

REVIEW: PAT METHENY – PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE 0

Friday March 6, Palais Theatre
Review: Greg Phillips. Photos: Stuart McKay

Pat Metheny has enjoyed such a long and eclectic career, authenticated by the fact that he’s the only person in music history to win Grammys in 10 different categories. From his acclaimed solo albums and recordings with the Pat Metheny Group and Unity to his stunning work with Joni Mitchell and Jaco Pastorius on the Shadows and Light album, his compositions with the late great Lyle Mays including the fabulous soundtrack to The Falcon and The Snowman movie, Pat Metheny has never failed to deliver high quality, interesting material.

In concert, Metheny demands the focus be totally on the music. Upon entrance we’re warned that there would be a lockout for latecomers. No photographers were given access, phones turned off and the two and a half hour concert would have no break. If you’ve come to the concert, you’ve come to pay attention. However by definition, a Metheny audience is a discerning one and with such superior musicianship on offer tonight, the mesmerised crowd have his complete attention.

After strolling to the stage alone, Metheny sits centrestage with a single spotlight beaming down upon him and his 42 string Pikasso guitar as he delights us with a gorgeous instrumental piece, merging into So It Might Secretly Begin from 87’s Still Life (Talking) album.

Accompanying Metheny tonight are: 5 time Grammy winning musician and composer Antonio Sanchez on drums (he wrote the score to the 2014 movie Birdman), Perth-raised multi-instrumentalist Linda May Han Oh on bass and Gwilum Simcock (Professor of Jazz Piano at the Royal Academy of Music, London) on piano. Individually they are clearly virtuosos, together what they create is quite magical. They listen intently, taking chances and placing notes in the pockets as they appear, adding their unique voices to the collective, musical tapestry being woven on stage.

You can almost see the cogs turning in Metheny’s brain. Note ideas run through his head, a few almost but don’t quite make it to the fretboard or they do but aren’t plucked, as sometimes he decides that what the band is contributing far outweighs his own contemplations at the time. Above all else, it’s about what the music needs.

For most of the first hour, Pat favours his vintage Daniel Slaman ‘traveling sister’ hollow body guitar, an instrument inspired by the Charlie Christian guitar sound he’s always loved. The value of every note picked is considered, the final note of a song is as carefully chosen as the first and everything else in between. His guitar playing decisions are made in milliseconds, yet the consequences of his actions provide long-lasting memories for those in attendance. Lead lines suddenly end and strum patterns begin, adding drama and colour to the music.

Metheny only speaks once throughout the night and it’s brief … happy to be here, thanks for coming, we’re here for the music, let’s play some more. The set list stretches far and wide. Have You Heard from the Pat Metheny Group’s 1989 album Letter From Home is whimsical, Always and Forever from 1992’s Secret Story is lush and beautiful. Everything Explained gives us a taste of the new album From This Place.

Showcasing his band, Pat duets with each musician. Bass player Linda May Han Oh is a revelation. She’s totally at one with her instrument, flowing with it, finding notes with ease, adding incredible dynamics to the music. Pianist Gwilum Simcock oozes clarity and grace, with a sense of effortlessness in his impeccable playing. Metheny’s Roland GR300 guitar synth makes it’s mark on the show, conjuring distorted and supernatural orchestral sounds. His duet with drummer Antonio Sanchez is otherwordly.

A standing ovation, an encore and after almost two and a half hours Pat Metheny and band show that jazz can still be as vibrant and exciting an artform as ever.

HOCKEY DAD ANNOUNCE BRAIN CANDY ALBUM TOUR JUNE 2020 0

Off the back of releasing their brand new single ‘Itch’ and album news for ‘Brain Candy’, Hockey Dad today announce their own headline tour, supported by triple j. Joining them will be Last Dinosaurs, Vundabar (USA) and Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers. They’ll be kicking off the tour in Adelaide, then heading over to Fremantle, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. This tour will follow a mammoth run across the globe from the UK, Europe and the USA officially making this Hockey Dad’s biggest touring year ever!

Hockey Dad’s new single ‘Itch’, is out now, an epic fuzzed ballad, which started off as a delicate, droned out kind of feel. It grew in the studio as the band added more layers and has become a giant of a song that slowly builds to a massive finish with one of Zach Stephenson’s biggest vocals to date.

“It’s definitely the most non-Hockey Dad song we have ever recorded” shares Zach. “Itching is the worst feeling you could have sometimes. The idea comes from a person having someone under their skin and constantly invading their thoughts. But for some reason, can’t get enough of it. Can’t get enough of being controlled and held down. It’s kind of saying ‘come on in and keep me captive. I’m all yours’”

The music video is unlike any other Hockey Dad video you’ve seen before. Filmed in LA with their friend and director Laban Pheidias (Justin Bieber, Warpaint), it was an intense shoot with costume design, production and many actors which was all a first for the band. “The make-up and wardrobe was probably the funnest but also the most uncomfortable part of the day. We were coated in thick body paint and face masks during the steamy LA day whilst skating. But it was worth it to creep people out who were walking by us.” Zach shares.

Hockey Dad’s highly anticipated third studio album, Brain Candy will be released on May 29 featuring both ‘Itch’ and ‘I Missed Out’. The thirteen track album was produced, engineered and mixed by John Goodmanson at Robert Lang Studios (Bikini Kill, Blonde Redhead, Death Cab for Cutie, Los Campesinos) and was mastered by Troy Glessner (Alice in Chains, The Blood Brothers, Foo Fighters).
PRE-ORDER ALBUM HERE

Hockey Dad have had a huge start to 2020 and have just finished up Laneway Festival across the country and in New Zealand. Their recent single ‘I Missed Out’ scored a casual #60 in this year’s triple j’s Hottest 100 only weeks after being released.
In their few moments of downtime, the bushfire tragedy hit home for Hockey Dad. The duo put their heads together and decided to throw a massive show in their hometown bowlo in Windang which later had to be moved to the larger North Wollongong Hotel to cater for demand. The show, also featuring Tumbleweed, Odette and Pist Idiots, went on to raise a whopping $150,000 with the proceeds going to South Coast Bushfire Relief.

Australian Tour Dates
Supported by triple j
Thursday 4th June – Thebarton Theatre – Adelaide (All Ages)
Friday 5th June – Metropolis – Fremantle
Saturday 6th June – The Forum – Melbourne
Friday 12th June – Fortitude Music Hal – Brisbane (All Ages)
Saturday 13th June, Big Top Luna Park – Sydney (All Ages)
Mon 2nd March – Tour announce
Tue 3rd March – Fan presale
Wed 4th March – Fan presale
Thurs 5th March – General onsale
GET TICKETS HERE

#zildjian #pearldrums #fender