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RED HOT SUMMER 2020 TOUR ON SALE TODAY WITH EXTRA SHOWS 0

(Photo by Martin Philbey, Story by Australian Musician) 

The RED HOT SUMMER TOUR celebrates 10 years of Red Hot Rock in 2020 and in true style, organisers have put together an incredible all Australian line-up for a massive four-month series of dates. In an incredible coup for music-fans, ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Hunters & Collectors are reuniting to headline the 2020 tour, bringing with them special guests James Reyne, The Living End, The Angels, Baby Animals, Killing Heidi and Boom Crash Opera.

Promoter Duane McDonald launched the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR in 2011 with a line-up of three artists on the bill and six shows throughout Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Fast forward a decade, and the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR is one of the hottest tickets on the summer music calendar. In 2020, the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR will visit Queensland, both the metro centre and the Tropical North, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania, fully realising Duane’s original dream of ensuring the music-loving public around the country had to access to top-quality festivals.

“The past 10 years have gone so fast and we have been so proud to see the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR continue to grow each year,” says Duane. “The support we have received from audiences has been phenomenal. To everyone who has attended a RED HOT SUMMER TOUR show over the last decade – thank you. You are the reason we do what we do and will continue to bring you the best quality music experience, every year. We can’t wait to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Red Hot Rock with music fans around the country.”

Reforming for this special 10th anniversary of the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR, Hunters & Collectors performances are a rare thing indeed and a huge coup for music fans. The legendary band disbanded over two decades ago and have only performed again a handful of times since – notably at The Sound Relief Concert in 2009 and a brief run five years ago. Banding together again specifically for the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR is apt, considering that Hunters & Collectors voracious live performances are so well suited in a festival environment. With the smash hit songs such as When The River Runs Dry, Say Goodbye, Do You See What I See, True Tears Of Joy, Holy Grail and the anthemic Throw Your Arms Around Me, Hunters & Collectors have sold over one million albums spawning 19 hit singles.
“The lads are very excited to be getting out into all the regional towns that made them welcome when they were touring at their peak throughout Australia,” says Hunter & Collectors lead singer Mark Seymour. “This tour is going to be huge.”

James Reyne has been treading the boards in the rock halls of Australian music for decades. From his time fronting the legendary Australian Crawl through to his successful solo career, James’ music is part of Australian history. As a prolific songwriter and strong vocalist, it’s no surprise that James has won accolade after accolade for his contribution to music. When Australian Crawl split in the mid-1980s, James embarked on a successful solo career. James Reye stands alone within an elite cluster of exclusive Australian performers.

The Living End are considered Australian rock royalty, and for good reason. Their blistering live performances have seen them perform far and wide, and their reputation precedes them, they rock from the first note to the last. When The Living End first smashed onto the scene in 1997 with their double-A single Prisoner of Society and Second Solution, they embraced a new Australian sound and fans and critics sat up and listened. Since then they have released seven studio albums, two of which have debuted at #1 on the ARIA Chart – four of those are Platinum and two are Gold. They have been nominated for an incredible 27 ARIA Awards. They released their eighth studio album Wunderbar in September 2018, and audiences at the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR will get to see the band in full flight!

When it comes to great Aussie rock, it doesn’t come much better than The Angels. It’s been over four decades since brothers Rick and John Brewster co-founded the iconic band and have penned some of Australia’s most anthemic tracks. The Angels are widely reputed for their killer live shows. With hits like Long Line, Marseille, Be With You, After the Rain, Shadow Boxer and Mr Damage to name a few. Audiences have always loved seeing The Angels on the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR and 2020 promises to really rock!

Baby Animals burst onto the Australian scene in the 1990s with a solid rock force and a sassy lead singer. Suze DeMarchi proved that girls could rock just as hard as guys and the Baby Animals soon kicked some impressive rock butt with hits such as Rush You, Early Warning and One Word. The band scored themselves ARIA awards for best album and toured the globe. When they split in the mid-1990s they ended a special era of Australian music. The band’s recent reformation and inclusion again on the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR line-up is an opportunity for music fans to see their original rock at its best.

Killing Heidi also celebrate an auspicious anniversary in 2020, two decades since the release of their rock-pop debut Reflector. The smash-hit singles – including Weir and Mascara – embedded the album in Australian music history, took out four ARIA awards and reached four times platinum status. It also catapulted Killing Heidi and its teen musicians – Ella and Jesse Hooper – into international superstar status. The Hooper siblings were revered for their songwriting prowess and their subsequent albums earned them critical acclaim.

Marking another milestone on the tour, Boom Crash Opera celebrates the 30th anniversary of their ARIA Top 10 album These Are Crazy Times, which spawned smash singles such as Onion Skin, The Best Thing, Talk About It, Get Out Of The House and Dancing In The Storm. To make the occasion even more special, the band – Peter Farnan, Peter ‘Maz’ Maslen and John Favro – are excited to welcome back Dale Ryder who will lead the vocal charge. Audiences will be treated to all the hits, including Hands Up In The Air, Her Charity, Love Me To Death and Great Wall to name a few. Boom Crash Opera have a lot to celebrate and what better place to do it than on the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR in 2020.

The RED HOT SUMMER TOUR is always a sell-out series and the 10 Years of Red Hot Rock in 2020 will create Australian music history. Don’t miss these very special shows.

Tickets are only available through authorised ticket outlets listed. Patrons are advised not to purchase tickets from Viagogo or other Third Party Sellers, as fraudulent tickets will not be honoured.

Apple Music’s editors have created a playlist of Red Hot Rock for the 2020 RED HOT SUMMER TOUR. Stream it now on Apple Music here: www.applemusic.com/Redhotsummer

Saturday 4th January 2020
Bendigo Racecourse, BENDIGO VIC
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 5th January 2020
Old Mount Gambier Gaol, MOUNT GAMBIER SA
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Old Mount Gambier Gaol 08 8723 0032

Saturday 11th January 2020
Mary Ann Reserve, MANNUM SA
Sounds By The River
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Mannum Visitor Information Centre 1300 626 686

Sunday 12th January 2020
Sandalford Estate, SWAN VALLEY WA
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 18th January 2020
Mornington Racecourse, MORNINGTON VIC
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 25th January 2020
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, HOBART TAS
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 26th January 2020
Country Club Lawns, LAUNCESTON TAS
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 1st February 2020
Westport Park, PORT MACQUARIE NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Glasshouse www.glasshouse.org.au

Saturday 8th February 2020
Cockatoo Island, SYDNEY NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 15th February 2020
Roche Estate, HUNTER VALLEY NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 16th February 2020
Bella Vista Farm, BAULKHAM HILLS NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 22nd February 2020
Sandstone Point Hotel, BRIBIE ISLAND QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 23rd February 2020
Queens Park – Frogs Hollow, TOOWOOMBA QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 1st March 2020
Harrigans Drift Inn, JACOBS WELL QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 7th March 2020
Mackay Park, BATEMANS BAY NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Batemans Bay Visitors Centre 1800 802 528

Saturday 14th March 2020
Kiama Showgrounds, KIAMA NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Kiama Visitor Information Centre 1300 654 262

Saturday 21st March 2020
Gateway Lakes, WODONGA VIC
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 28th March 2020
North Gardens, BALLARAT VIC
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Sunday 29th March 2020
Seppeltsfield, BAROSSA SA
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 4th April 2020
Lazy River Estate, DUBBO NSW
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Dubbo Visitor Information Centre 02 6801 4450

Saturday 11th April 2020
Darwin Amphitheatre, DARWIN NT
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

Saturday 18th April 2020
Barlow Park, CAIRNS QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100

For more information, please visit www.redhotsummertour.com.au

PETER HOOK: THE ‘JOY DIVISION ORCHESTRATED’ INTERVIEW 0

It’s impossible to think of early 80s post-punk music and not remember the impact of the bands Joy Division and New Order. It’s also one of the most tragic stories in rock ‘n’ roll history. Just days before leaving for America on their first international tour and on the verge of an international breakthrough, armed with a powerful new single Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division singer Ian Curtis took his own life. Left to pick up the pieces the remaining members, guitarist Bernard Sumner, drummer Stephen Morris, and bass player Peter Hook went on to form New Order and enjoyed massive global success with hits such as Blue Monday, Bizarre Love Triangle and True Faith, until they broke up (twice) with the final blow coming in 2007. Sumner and Morris then reconvened the band in 2011, however, didn’t include nor inform Hook and communication since between the former childhood mates has been through lawyer letters only. Though unimpressed with proceedings, Peter Hook took stock of his life, formed his own band Peter Hook and The Light and has happily toured the world for the last nine years playing material by both Joy Division and New Order, mixed in with his own newer songs. Then having witnessed the success of the crossover dance music/classical music project Hacienda Classical and being badgered by its creator Tim Crooks to give Joy Division’s music the Hacienda treatment, Hook finally caved and now is about to tour Australia with his ambitious new show Joy Division Orchestrated, which features that band’s music played by a powerful 44 piece orchestra.

Ahead of the upcoming tour Australian Musician editor, Greg Phillips gave ‘Hooky’ a call to discuss the tour, as well as his past, present, and future.

I believe that Australia was one of the first countries to get behind Joy Division and Love Will Tear Us Apart in particular, is that true?
I think it was late ’81 or early ’82 that we first managed to get to Australia (as New Order). We were brought over by Viv Lees and Ken West who went on to do the Big Day Out. Triple J was the one in Sydney that I think voted Love Will Tear Us Apart as the best song ever for 15 years or something. Watching that from the ashes of Joy Division was very gratifying.

When did the idea come up for you to do Joy Division Orchestrated?
I was working with Tim Crooks who was the conductor and arranger of another classical project, which was a dance music interpretation of the Hacienda (a Manchester nightclub which New Order financed) tunes with an orchestra which has proved to be very, very successful. Over about four years, every year Tim would say … oh, I would love to get my hands on Joy Division. I was like, in yer dreams mate! Over the years after being very skeptical from the start, now the interpretation is so powerful … we just did a sell-out concert in Manchester with 14, 15 thousand people, an absolutely wonderful night with the Hacienda Classical. It came through that … I realized.. when I was honest with myself that I’d been ripping off classical sounds with Joy Division with Martin Hannett with the strings, the brass, oboe sounds, these were elements that we were putting into Joy Division. I mean we didn’t understand it at the time. Then when we moved into New Order, we were able to sideline the musicians and synthesize them quite easily. If you listen to a lot of New Order’s Music … Blue Monday … there’s strings, brass, oboes, we were ripping them off a long long time ago. So I suppose in a karma kind of the way we are paying back our dues with this. I must admit Malcolm McLaren was a wonderful inspiration, obviously he sold me my ticket to go and see the Sex Pistols on the 4th of June 1976 for 50p, then 40 years later he ended up sampling Love Will Tear Us Apart for an LP project he was doing and put it together with Captain and Tenille’s Love Will Keep Us Together, which I thought was a wonderful compliment. So I am able to to use that version in our show to pay homage to Malcolm McLaren for his role in giving me what has been a fantastic life. One of the nicest things about doing this alone is that I don’t have to do it by the committee and this is very much my interpretation, in the same way, that the others have done their interpretations over the years. I must admit, that it brings an air of melancholy out in me. I obviously get reflective about what happened to us in Joy Division, so I am able to indulge in shall we say the fabric of it and in the end, use the music to elicit hope and power in going forward which, whether we like it or not we all have to do in this world. Without hope really we have nothin’.

What do you reckon Ian would have made of this orchestral project?
When we were together as Joy Division, his greatest wish was to take Joy Division around the world. I always swore in a funny way that I would do everything to keep Joy Division going. Joy Division didn’t work well within New Order. Bernard, in particular, tended not to enjoy playing Joy Division so we did very, very little. It was only in 2010 that I decided to celebrate Ian’s life with Peter Hook and The Light that I actually got that wish. Peter Hook and The Light went around the world playing everywhere, all the places where Ian never got to go. So I like to think that it fulfilled his ambition from that point of view. If he were here he’d probably stop me and the others from arguing. But yeah I think he’d be Ok with it, he was pretty easy going Ian. The only thing he wanted to do was to make you happy, which was probably one of his problems really. Instead of looking after himself, he was fixated on worrying about everyone else. I’d like to think that he’d be up there smilin’. This is very much a celebration and a thank you to Joy Division from me. I’d like to think that with the fans, we can share it together.

Is there one particular song that you think benefits more than others by the orchestra treatment?
The whole thing is done as an art piece if you like. It starts in a particular way with a piano version of Love Will Tear Us Apart and finishes with what I think are two of our most powerful tracks. It tells the story of Joy Division from start to finish with the orchestra. So tugging at the heartstrings is the way to describe it. It’s very sad what happened to Ian and sad what happened to Joy Division. That fact is that just as we were about to make it, the pressures involved … we were very clearly thwarted in what was very clearly looking like a successful career, it was beckoning shall we say. There’s always that sense of loss of a great friend, the sense of frustration that we always feel whenever anybody commits suicide. So you are bringing those elements out again but hopefully putting out an upbeat, hopeful message.

You say in your book Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, that you never really dealt with Ian’s death properly at the time and it was only when you went back to an old rehearsal studio that it really hit you. Could you explain what you meant?
Yeah, that’s true. I mean as kids, we were allowed to ignore it. You know that thing when you are young and the adults go off to a funeral and we’d just be left at home wondering what the hell is going on. We just went to the pub and drowned our sorrows. We got a lot of strength from being together at that time and carrying on as New Order. The truth is that we threw ourselves into New Order completely to obliterate the grief and the frustration that we felt in leaving a great friend in Ian. It never really struck me until a long time after. It was The Swan in Salford, which was a pub where we used to practice upstairs. As long as we bought a pint and a pie the landlady would let us practice upstairs. I went back and stood in the room that we started in, you know, in 1976 and yeah it was a wild, wild moment and then I did realize, especially as I’ve got older that we should have grieved, we should have taken some time off and done it properly as most normal people deal with grief. Because we were in a group, we were encouraged to carry on writing, get going and put it to the back of your mind. Now I know it was the wrong thing to do. Now I’ve had 43 years as a musician, I realize I could have taken 6 months off back then to make sure we coped. When you are young you always think that somebody is going to come and seize it from you, take it away and you are desperate to cling on. Now you have a completely different way of looking at life. It’s a shame. I mean it worked, New Order was much more commercially successful than Joy Division were because of the effort we put into New Order by ignoring Joy Division. It was literally 25 years later when someone… I think it was me … decided we should do a Joy Division song for a charity concert we did in Manchester. We did our first Joy Division track, which must have been about 2004 and Bernard, in particular, didn’t enjoy it. He really didn’t enjoy singing Joy Division songs and we sidelined it after that, we only did it once more and went back to New Order, which is perfectly understandable and perfectly logical. It’s only since I started playing Joy Division more or less full time, that the others decided to amalgamate Joy Division into their set in Joy Division Forever. Maybe they think I have taken it off them somehow, which is not true. But let’s face it, it’s good for the fans!

What’s the most disappointing thing about the situation with Bernard and New Order, is it that you can’t make music together now or is that you don’t have that friendship anymore?
No we certainly don’t have the friendship. The rivalry seems to be … over the years I must admit since we split up in 2007 and they decided to get back together in 2011 without informing me or giving me any say in any of the negotiations or arrangements that were made … I tried to instigate an agreement between us. The only reaching we ever did was with all of the lawyers present, which has made things very antagonistic and very uncomfortable for everybody, so we have never managed to get a relationship back. From that, I think I can very safely say that the relationship at the moment is as bad as it ever was since 2011 and it is an absolute tragedy … now we have to sit there every day being very vocal against each other, which at our age is absolutely ridiculous. We’ve had a great life with both bands. I play New Order’s music, they play New Order’s music. It’s still very, very appreciated what we did and about the only people who can’t appreciate it are the people who made it. I mean really what we need to do is what most normal people would do … sit down, have a pint, hash it out, let lose a few tears and a little bit of anger and get on with your life and stop annoying each other. It’s a weird thing with the way the legal system works in England where lawyers basically profit from the altercations, so in a funny way, I suppose you are not going to get a lawyer saying, oh why don’t we all just meet in the pub and put this behind us.

I know with a lot of the Unknown Pleasures album, you weren’t happy with the mix at the time and there were bass parts that you weren’t happy within some songs, does this new project offer you an opportunity to play the music the way you always wanted it to be played?
You know what? The answer there would be no! The simple reason that I was unhappy with Joy Division albums at the time was that they sounded otherworldly, they didn’t sound like me. I wanted to sound like The Clash. In my head I was playing songs like The Clash, you know London Burning or The Sex Pistols. Martin Hannett didn’t capture that … but .. he caught something far more important, which is something I have realized over the years. We gave him a gift and he gave us a gift. Martin Hannett was right and we were wrong. So I am very glad that I and Barney didn’t get our way on the production of Unknown Pleasures or Closer because he gave it … an aura and they are very adult, shall we say accomplished songs but as he puts it, written by idiots! No one was more puzzled than Martin Hannett about how us idiots .. because he loved Ian, he thought Ian was incarnate in wonderful artistic impressions but his impression of me, Barney and Steve was that we were just idiots (laughs). One of his greatest frustrations was how these three idiots make music as powerful as this.

Have you had to change the way you play at all on this tour because you are playing with an orchestra?
Yeah, we have to be more delicate because we have to respect the amount of volume that the orchestral players have. We are used to turning up but we have to turn down so we are level with them acoustically, which is fine actually. It is actually nice. Over my work with the orchestral projects with the Hacienda in England I have learned respect, shall we say. A lot of musicians, me included, the answer to everything is to just turn up to eleven. To actually have to turn down to make sure we have a level with everybody else from the piccolo to the double bass, we have to be much more disciplined in our approach. I mean not disciplined in playing. They are very studious in their approach to the music whereas we are able to ad-lib because it is in our blood. There is a difference in those two aspects of it. We have to be much more respectful of the acoustics involved. Playing with 4 people has its wonderful moments, to play with 44 people and have wonderful moments is a completely different feeling and very powerful for that. At the Royal Albert Hall, the reaction … was such a wonderful compliment because nobody had ever heard it before.

What basses are you using on this tour?
From a bass point of view, I have now been given my own bass guitar by Yamaha which is the Peter Hook signature bass guitar. I have used a Yamaha bass in every incarnation from Joy Division for every song to New Order to the current day with the orchestra. Love Will Tear Us Apart was written on a Yamaha BB600. Then Yamaha got in touch a couple of years ago and said they’d like to do a Peter Hook signature bass, which was a wonderful compliment. I am using the Peter Hook signature which is a copy of my BB1200, my original bass guitar from 1980 that I have played for 40 odd years. It’s funny, even though we have our problems in Joy Division and New Order still, you do get your wonderful moments in your career where you realize that whatever happens, it is just part of your career. Moments like being given the honor to have a signature model with Yamaha makes life worthwhile. And the shit? You just have to put up with it because life for everybody is like that. I am sure you’re no different!

What are you most proud of in your music career?
My god, what am I most proud of? Well, the fact that I am still here! I’m still rockin’ which is a great compliment, you know to my mother and father. This business is funny. I have learned more about this business since New Order split up than I ever knew before and it is not a pretty business. It really isn’t. If anyone was going to get any advice from me, they would be getting a lot of, shall we say, warnings about the people in this business. I thought I had loads of friends in this business. When New Order split up and got together again, I found out I didn’t. It is called show business for a reason, it’s not called show friends. The worst thing that ever happened to me was that part of my musical career. Luckily I was able to get over it. Working now with The Light is very satisfying because I’ve got to be honest, it’s because of what I have now with my bandmates. My wife is the greatest advocate for every time I do a gig now, she says I come home with a smile on my face, I just wish that was the case for everybody. As to who is to blame we will never know. You can read the books and you can read everybody’s interpretation of what happened and you have to make your own mind up.

Joy Division’s legendary bass player Peter Hook is set to tour Australia with The Metropolitan Orchestra this August for a string of five concerts which will see him, special guests and a full orchestra perform the band’s seminal post-punk repertoire with classical elements.
 
Friday 2nd August 2019        Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Friday 9th August 2019         Perth Concert Hall, Perth
Sunday 11th August 2019      Plenary Theatre, Melbourne

Tickets: https://www.wearenice.com.au/tours/joy-division-orchestrated

HARTS, FRENZAL RHOMB, DELTA RIGGS + MORE FOR BYRON BAY GUITAR FEST 0

The Byron Bay Guitar Festival (BBGF) is returning on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October 2019 at the Byron Bay Brewery for its third year.

Headlining is Aussie punk-rock royalty Frenzal Rhomb, guitar hero protege Harts, and The Delta Riggs, who will have their much anticipated third album released in September.

Byron Bay Brewery will be turned into a guitarists heaven with performances and seminars by Torres Strait’s ‘Magic Fingers,’ Chris Tamwoy, industry legend Peter Northcote, bluesman Claude Hay and Australian guitar icon Nathan Cavaleri who makes his return to the stage on the back of his Demons album tour.

There is something for all music lovers from soul and funk band The Soul Movers, international supergroup – The Sidemen, as well as local favorites Marshall O’Kell & The Fro, Minnie Marks and many more! Sunday will kick off with Bunny Racket for the little rockers and schedule is a long list of family activities, hosted by Murray Cook (The Soul Movers/The Wiggles)

Produced by Byron Music, the event features 25+ live performances on two stages, as well as a Guitar Market showcasing some amazing instruments and craftsmanship from the world’s favorite manufacturers and Australia’s finest luthiers. There will be workshops and seminars presented by artists and manufacturers on both days.

Festival Director Nick Sergi says “ The guitar is alive and well! We are celebrating an instrument that has truly revolutionized music for over a century! In the digital age of music, we are still seeing the guitar as the principal songwriting tool for a new generation of artists. This year we are returning bigger and better again, with a diverse lineup that recognizes both the legends and the new wave of guitar heroes. ”

The Byron Bay Guitar Festival has been successful in bringing to the local community an accessible event embraced by artist and audience alike. In the past, the festival has presented acts including the late great Phil Emmanuel, Ash Grunwald, British India, Kevin Borich, Dallas Frasca, Hussy Hicks and has had a strong emphasis on recognizing and showcasing emerging talent as Tash Wolf and Taj Farrant.

Byron Bay Guitar Festival is an all-ages event and supports the charity Be Happy Music Club.

Full 2019 line up:
Frenzal Rhomb I Harts I The Delta Riggs I Nathan Cavaleri I Chris Tamwoy I The Soul Movers I The Sidemen I Marshall O’Kell & The Fro I Claude Hay I Creek I Stoker I Minnie Marks I The Fergies I Peter Northcote I Majelen I Nicole Brophy I Brave Gulf I Fergo & The Burden I Sarah Koppen I Bart Stenhouse I Soren Carlbergg Blues Band I Ben Jansz I Bunny Racket I special guest Murray Cook

General festival and Ticketing info:
The 3rd Annual Byron Bay Guitar Festival
Dates: Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 October 2019
Venue: Byron Bay Brewery, Byron Bay
Tickets at: https://www.byronbayguitarfestival.com/

AARON SCHEMBRI LAUNCHES ALBUM WITH AUSSIE LEGENDS 0

How did 25-year-old singer, songwriter, guitarist Aaron Schembri convince some of Australia’s most legendary artists to not only sing and play on his debut album ‘City Lights’ but also perform at the upcoming launch gig in September? Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips phoned him up and asked that very question!

Aaron Schembri is one of those musicians you’ve most likely seen and heard but didn’t even know it. He’s one of those humble guys, a hired hand around town that is more concerned about doing a great job for the artists he’s playing for rather than seeking the spotlight himself. He’s played guitar alongside everyone from Renee Geyer and Ross Hannaford to Normie Rowe, Russell Morris, and many others. Unbeknown to most, quietly and steadily Aaron has been working away in the background for the last four years on his own debut album. It’s called City Lights and to celebrate the occasion of his first album, he called on many of the legendary artists he has played with to join him on the recording. A testament to the type of guy Aaron is, anyone who was available had no problem accepting the invitation … but more of that later … let’s first find out who this Aaron Schembri guy is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron with Kevin Borich

Aaron took to the guitar early in life and was playing in his first pub band by the age of fifteen. Inspired by his grandfather, Aaron was schooled in all kinds of pioneering rock n roll. “My grandfather had the Chuck Berry records and Dion, all the great rock ’n’ roll records,” recalls Aaron of his childhood. “Then dad had ACDC, The Stones, ZZ Top … so I had a great range of where it all started. As I got more into guitar I was into Mick Taylor from The Rolling Stones but really, the one for me was Chuck Berry, his songwriting and his stage presence was on another level. If it wasn’t for Chuck Berry we wouldn’t have The Stones, The Beatles, and AC/DC. He could tell a story in under 3 minutes.”

The more Aaron developed his guitar chops, the more he got into guitars. Although he has played many different guitars throughout his career, currently has two main instruments are a Gibson SG, ’61 re-issue and a Gibson ES345, which get a workout more than his Strats and Teles. His very first electric guitar was an SG which his father bought for him. “My dad got it for me when he realized I was doing music seriously and it was an Angus Young model SG with the logo at the top and on the tailpiece and I still have it.  I actually got Angus to sign it a couple of years ago. So that’s going to stick with me forever that thing. Amp-wise, a Fender Deluxe is my go to amp. I’ve tried Marshalls and didn’t feel it was me. I just have a little pedalboard with tremolo and hand-made Tube Screamer. The stuff I do is not complicated so I don’t need a spaceship pedalboard.”

Returning to the topic of his debut album, it’s a project which Aaron began four years ago. The concept was always to utilize the many great artists he has worked with throughout his career, the problem was not so much getting them to agree, it was finding gaps in each of their schedules to come into the studio to complete their parts. Aaron’s patience paid off as he has managed to secure the services of; Normie Rowe, Ross Wilson, Russell Morris, Colleen Hewett, Phil Manning, Kevin Borich, Wilbur Wilde, Mark Gable, Mike Rudd, James Cupples, and John “Swanee” Swan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron with Ross Wilson

Aaron also co-wrote “Living Hell” with James Cupples and had begun co-writing a song with Ross Hannaford “Don't You Worry Now”, which features Daddy Cool’s Ross Wilson singing the lead vocals on this album.  “Each track has a different inspiration behind it, covering all aspects of my inspirations from reggae, rock, blues, and country. The artists on the album have also been big inspirations to me musically. As much as they are my peers, I’m a huge fan of their craft,“ Aaron said. “I first met Ross Hannaford when I was 17, we jammed together a venue called Musicland. We hit it off and started doing duo gigs together and even had Ross guest-spotting in my band over the years. I had worked with most of these artists before, I played bass for Normie Rowe at the Go! Show concert at the Palais Theatre. Phil Manning, Mike Rudd, James Cupples I work with regularly. Everyone was all for the concept and the idea of the project and it all just fell into place for me.”

However, the track that is closest to Aaron’s heart is the one celebrating his real hero, his grandfather. “I sing two of the songs on the album,” he explains. “There’s a bit of a ballad, with an Everly Brothers feel. I wrote that for my grandfather when he passed away because he was the only musician in the family and we had a great connection. When he passed away that song just came out. I didn’t change anything from when I first wrote it.”

With his City Lights album recorded and on the verge of release, what does Aaron hope people get out of listening to it?
“There are a lot of people of my age who don’t know a lot about Australian music history. I have some of Australia’s greatest artists on my album, singing my songs. So hopefully there’s a connection between my generation, what’s happening now and hearing and learning what has happened in the past. There’s a big gap between my generation and that generation and my dream is to connect both and get people to appreciate those who have come before.”

For a special ONE NIGHT ONLY at MEMO Music Hall, Aaron launches his debut album with appearances from his guest artists and his seven-piece band. The night will consist of three sets, including some of the artist's classic Australian hits, that first ever duet between Colleen Hewett and Russell Morris, and the tribute to Ross Hannaford, performing the song that he and Aaron began writing together before Ross became unwell.

$5.00 from each ticket sale will be donated to Aaron’s charity of choice “Support Act: The Heart and Hand of Australian Music” assisting the health and welfare for the people who are doing it hard within the music industry.

Website: www.aaronSchembri.com

GIG INFO
Date: Wed 25 September
Time: Doors 7pm, Show 8pm
Tickets: www.memomusichall.com.au

General Standing Room, $45.00plus bf, A-Reserved Seats $58.00 plus bf, Premium Res. Seats — (13 Available), Guarantees an allocated seat in the Premium Reserved Section (front & Centre) $68.00
Venue: MEMO Music Hall – 88 Acland Street St Kilda

SPIDERBAIT ANNOUNCE SINGLES BOX SET AND FORUM GIG 0

To celebrate their hit-laden career, legendary Aussie rockers Spiderbait have announced a one-off show at Forum Melbourne on November 9, with tickets going on sale at 9 am Thursday, July 11.  And another exciting announcement for long-time fans – the show will be paired with a brand new, limited edition 7” vinyl box set of singles, SPIDERBAIT – SINGLES and will be available exclusively at the show.

The story of Spiderbait is an unlikely but heartwarming one – three friends from a small Australian country town taking on the music scene and emerging triumphantly 25 years later, friendship intact, and now one of the biggest and best rock bands on the national landscape. Taking inspiration from far-reaching influences from all sides of the musical spectrum (everything from Slayer to The Bangles), Spiderbait took their fervent thrash-pop from their tiny hometown of Finley in NSW down to Melbourne and immersed themselves in the rich, fertile creative scene.  From there they quickly consolidated their status as national treasures, with their popularity spanning three decades with no signs of abating.  Spiderbait has released seven acclaimed albums, which have all racked up gold, platinum or double platinum status and have combined Australian sales of over one million units.  As if that wasn’t enough, they have also racked up pretty much every accolade there is to achieve on the Australian scene, having taken home numerous ARIA Awards, chalked up a number one single (their 2004 cover of Leadbelly’s Black Betty) and even topped the prestigious triple j Hottest 100 (for Buy Me A Pony, 1996).

The upcoming show at Forum Melbourne is sure to please old and new fans alike, as drummer and vocalist Kram enthuses, “For the first time we’ll be performing every one of singles in order of release, from Circle K way back in 1990 to now.  It’s been great to look back at all these singles, from number 1s like Black Betty and Buy Me a Pony… to my personal faves like Calypso, Stevie and It’s Beautiful….

They are like a diary of our lives bringing back memories from all the time we’ve been playing together.  The same three country kids who formed a band for fun and ended up having this fucked up, brilliant, unexpected adventure…so to all our fans, come celebrate with us at the Forum in November, it will be a special night.”

Thrilled to be dropping the SPIDERBAIT – SINGLES 7” vinyl box set in conjunction with the show, complete with original mixes & artwork, Kram explains why they chose to add an unexpected song into the mix, saying, “We included Old Man Sam from 1991 – which wasn’t actually a single back then but might as well have been, as weirdly and wonderfully it became our first big hit song!  I’ll never forget the first time we played the song at Big Day Out in Sydney.  This was a big moment for us as we went on stage a bit nervous, it was a massive crowd of thousands at the Sydney Show Grounds and when we did Old Man Sam, the whole crowd sang it and went nuts.  That day we came off stage a very different band than the one that went on 45 minutes before.  It’s amazing and dare I say fucking awesome how one song can do that.”

Spiderbait are a very special Australian band with an abundance of fans across multiple generations and this exclusive show at the Forum Melbourne will be a victory lap for the group, and they’re excited to be taking all their fans along for the ride.

SPIDERBAIT – SINGLES vinyl box set will be available to preorder as a ticket & vinyl bundle, and will be available for purchase at the show.

Spiderbait is Janet English on bass, Kram on drums and lead vocals, and Damian Whitty on guitar.

SPIDERBAIT – THE SINGLES EXCLUSIVE SHOW

Presented by Triple M Melbourne

SAT 9 NOV | THE FORUM, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+

Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | 13 61 00 | All Ticketmaster outlets

SPIDERBAIT – SINGLES VINYL BOX SET TRACKLIST

1. Old Man Sam / Circle K
2. Monty / Jesus
3. Buy Me A Pony / Calypso
4. Glokenpop / Shazam
5. Black Betty / Fucken Awesome
6. It’s Beautiful/ Straight Thru the Sun

FENDER LAUNCHES VINTERA SERIES: VINTAGE-ERA STYLE & TONE 0

Today Fender announced the launch of the Vintera Series, a line of vintage-inspired electric guitar and bass models that embody a period-specific vibe, including the Stratocaster®, Telecaster®, Jaguar®, Mustang®, Jazzmaster®, Jazz Bass®, Precision Bass® and Mustang Bass. Each model delivers the authentic look and feel of its era, as well as decade-specific tones from the `50s, `60s and `70s.

“The Vintera series celebrates the different vintage eras of Fender with the fundamental design of the Stratocaster, Telecaster and Precision Bass remaining largely the same, but with each decade assuming its own unique feature sets,” said Justin Norvell, EVP of Product at Fender. “Depending on your feature preferences, bands you love and the era that you grew up in, each of these decades has a different appeal in terms of sound, colours and pickups.”

Selected international media were treated to a Vintera Series preview last week in which Allen Abbassi, Fender Product Manager for Electric Guitars and Basses talked us through the range. The Vintera name is an amalgam of the words Vintage and Era and that’s exactly what these instruments provide in both look and sound. There are 15 new models in the Vintera Series, and as Allen outlined last week, “This is the Classic series evolved … Vintera replaces the Classic Series.” There are actually 21 different new models in total, however, six of those are Modified (Currently known now as Classic Player model).

Allen explained that the Classic series was an umbrella that contained many sub-series such as Road Worn, Classic, Classic Player and even some lacquer models. With the new Vintera series, Fender is narrowing it down to two major families of models. A vintage style model, such as a Vintera Vintage Strat and a Modified model like a Vintera Strat Modified (pictured below). “The Road Worns and lacquer stuff is going away and won’t be part of the Vintera series,” Allen said. “However in the near future, they’ll be carrying on the legacy of Road Worn models but releasing them only as limited editions.”

50s Vintera Vintage Strat Sea Foam Green

50s Vintera Modified Strat Daphne Blue

“The vintage models are obviously just that, “ Allen said before describing the new series in more detail. “If you get a Vintera 5os Strat, 6os Strat, Vintera 50s Tele, you’re going to get very era-specific specs, so that means 7.25-inch radius, gloss finishes on the neck, vintage style frets. One thing that you will notice is that all of the pickups have been upgraded. We worked with our pickup guru Tim Shaw… There’s really some important nuances between the different decades that actually effect the tone and in this new Vintera Series, we were very careful to make sure that was represented here…. If you look at a 50s Strat, that means it’s using formvar wire, bevelled magnets … they’re staggered. All this stuff goes into the construction of the pickups. So you are going to notice that if you pick up the 50s, 60s, or 70s Strat, each one has a distinct take on the Fender tone. As you move into the 60s, it changes from the formvar wire into enamel wire, the stagger remains the same but we lose the bevel on the Strat pole pieces. Then in the 70s, it’s flat stagger pole pieces on the Strat pickups… Each model from the Strat to the Jag to the Jazzmaster and all the basses has a Tim Shaw designed, upgraded pickup that sounds a lot more 50s, 60s, or 70s than it did when it was in the Classic series …The Modified models feature the same era-specific pickups but wound a little bit hotter for more of a modern sound, still vintage but a little more gain and oomph.”

Not only has Fender put a lot of time and effort into the sound of the instruments but they’ve also thought a lot about the look and more specifically the colour range. Fender’s Vintera Series models feature a wider breadth of vintage colours, including Mocha, Fiesta Red, Seafoam Green, Inca Silver, Burgundy Mist and Ice Blue Metallic. For nearly every decade correct model, there’s also a counterpart “modded” version that offers fresh features not available at the time of the first release.

For the promotion of the new range, Fender has come up with a wonderful 30-second digital commercial that introduces the instruments and overall feel of the Vintera Series, plus three artist performance videos, releasing on a later date, featuring contemporary, eclectic musicians. Each performance harkens back to a specific decade to showcase the vintage-inspired guitars and basses as well as the sound and style of the era. In addition to the performance videos, Fender captured each artist’s influences from the era of their performance, individual music style and what compelled them to pick up their first guitar and play.

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram taps into his blues roots, bringing viewers back to the `50s with a classic Seafoam Green Stratocaster and a cover of “I Put A Spell On You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Singer-songwriter Curtis Harding brings back the soul of the `60s playing a cover of Tommy James and The Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover” on the Ice Blue Metallic `60s Jazzmaster. Reminiscent of the Woodstock Era, Mexican garage punk band Le Butcherettes, shredded on the `70s Telecaster Deluxe in Mocha for their punk rendition of “Ever Fallen In Love” by The Buzzcocks.

Models include:
• Vintera Series `50s Stratocaster – $1,799 – $1,899
• Vintera Series `50s Stratocaster Modified – $1,999
• Vintera Series `50s Telecaster – $1,799
• Vintera Series `50s Precision Bass – $1,799 – $1,899
• Vintera Series `60s Stratocaster – $1,799
• Vintera Series `60s Telecaster Modified – $1,799 – $1,999
• Vintera Series `60s Telecaster Bigsby ® – $1,999 – $2,099
• Vintera Series `60s Jazzmaster – $1,999
• Vintera Series `60s Jazzmaster Modified – $2,199
• Vintera Series `60s Jaguar – $2,099
• Vintera Series `60s Jaguar Modified – $2,299
• Vintera Series `60s Mustang – $1,799
• Vintera Series `60s Mustang Bass – $1,899
• Vintera Series `60s Jazz Bass – $1,999
• Vintera Series `70s Stratocaster – $1,899
• Vintera Series `70s Telecaster Deluxe – $1,799
• Vintera Series `70s Telecaster Custom – $1,799
• Vintera Series `70s Telecaster Thinline – $2,099
• Vintera Series `70s Jazz Bass – $2,099 – $2,199

For detailed specs, additional information on new Fender products or to find a retail partner near you, visit www.fender.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @Fender.

70s Vintera Tele Thinline Candy Apple Red