Richard Lawson Music

Sue Honeysett from Down the Tracks Cafe Kandos is to be congratulated for initiating ANOTHER festival locally. Kandos has already seen Cementa Arts Festival which we were proud to play at and keeps up our festival ethos [ie only playing festivals and big gigs]. This festival was the first Bob Marley festival to be held locally and they are popping up all over the world…it is a salute to the great man that his legacy still shines on and is held close by so many people

Both Kings of Congo Congo and Fig Jam were booked to play. Fig Jam as one of the main acts on the big outdoor stage and Kings of Congo Congo on the ground area between the first few local bands to get the audience vibed in lieu of a drumming circle.

SO after packing up both drumkits , assorted percussion and Fig Jams gear we headed on over to Kandos and quickly set up…all the drummers were waiting there and remember 3 of our drummers have only turned 12.

A run through of ‘Fanfare‘, the original opener for the group quickly set the scene for some frenetic 6 piece drumming with 2 kits, djembes, bongos, timbales and extra floor toms and the new pieces were unveiled and went well…Triptych is a special BUT it does require 2 drumkits playing sixteenth not triplets to make it work…Erin Kelly is now out front with me and the main drummer

KINGS OF CONGO CONGO      ’TRIPTYCH’

By now the sun was high and there wasnt much shade…we were all quite warm but the crowd was even warmer. I was run off my feet keeping up the vibe for 2 Kings performances and Fig Jam was set to go on about 1.30pm

Fig Jam …what do you say. We started out as organic rock as a 3 piece with no computers with Josh Gow and Erin Kelly and since the have played festivals, toured down the coast with Southerly Change and Big Erle, ;played electronic with live drums and keys at festivals [and slayed them there...I get to hammer it on drums there] and now we finally come to the point I knew was going to happen…we loose our first young dude to the call away from Mudgee. I knew this was going to happen and had made allowances for it having been through it before with Tangent in the 90s and noughties…but it still dosnt make it any easier. Josh Gow is mercurial, affable , irritating and loving and mature all iin the same sentence…but he is also a great drummer , guitarist and DJ as well and is leaving for Coffs Harbour…we have made a friend for life and will miss him sorely

Katie Gilbert on the other hand is joining and brings a whole new dynamic approach…shes a lead singer and will be eased into it…not that Im over singing but the harmonies are finally sounding great and Im sure well work out some stuff…one wag said we sounded the same. Shes a fantastic presence onstage and gets us all going. Witness our hilarious but uplifting version of GET UP STAND UP BY BOB MARLEY

I was exhausted utterly by the event…having also been on a fast at the time..[not the best timing!!]

…but have already received texts and facebook messages congratulating is on a fine job and it seems out love affair with Kandos and music and arts ferstivals only grows….now to find a drummer…should be OK I already work with 6!!

Kings of Congo Congo on facebook

Fig Jam on facebook

Over the last 6 months Erin and myself have written a whole heap of new material. Sometimes she’ll come up with a riff or a sound picture and we’ll just doodle around with some different sounds…put it on a loop and go outside into a paddock and listen to it through the PA speakers . I have a massive backlog of material…I sometimes get confused as to what is where…is it classical is it ambient is it electronic…one things for sure…the classical is now going to be played by classical instruments and the electronic is going to get more electronic

Still wondering when to put this stuff out…we can pretty much put up some of it on an EP mid year but we still have the rock EP recorded at Pirate studios. Next electro gig is at Electronic Meat on Sat May 18 at a venue to still be confirmed. It might be the farm at Braymont yet.

http://soundcloud.com/fig-jam-music/orchestral-4-fear-of-flying-5

http://soundcloud.com/fig-jam-music/nepalling-18-3-13

http://soundcloud.com/fig-jam-music/cherry-tree-7-9-12

Its 5am Monday morning and Im sorting through tracks for the latest recording project at ‘Braymont’ just out of Gulgong. I have Kerry Ellen here, she played yesterday at the Gulgong RSL, to do a 5 track EP of material which I am doing all the backing for as well. She is also projects officer for Orana Arts and has been instrumental in helping me access grants for the Gulgong Folk Festival and in starting up drumming workshops with Kings of Congo Congo…nice to give something back.

The recording side of the business has taken an upturn since the release of Rainbows End and word seems to be getting out that I also record other people , not just myself. My last job was star student Brooke Colley in her first ever venture into the studio and I have another local girl Katie Gilbert lined up for Wednesday this week.

The week that was after the Blue Mountains Music festival was spent mostly here in the studio and at the Paragon for 2 gigs; one on Thursday for the monthly Mudgee Music Jam where I took onstage 3 of my vocal students for their compulsory performance “update” and here is where this little gem by Brooke Colley was filmed by Elizabeth Walton. She’s a great talent and only 15 and really is quite an exciting prospect.

Brooke Colley / Hurt

http://youtu.be/YW1IJYPSoyw

The other event at the Paragon was for a benefit for a local Mudgee lad in his twenties with brain cancer. Turns out I used to work with him and his brother at Eltons, a local eatery , when I was cheffing round. The place was jam packed and “Fig Jam’ really turned on a searing performance for our first ever Mudgee appearance [we've been playing everywhere else for almost 6 months now]. Refreshing to see so many old faces and musical cohorts coming out of the woodwork and I know I surprised the hell out of a few of them. It was also Elizabeth Waltons first outing on keyboards with the band and she lent some keyboard finery to Lovely/My time/Valentines Day.. all recently recorded at Pirate Studios.

I attended ‘The song and the sigh’ an exhibition by Sam Paine, my great friend and media champion from the Mudgee Guardian, at Lyra Burghaus’ ‘My little dress shop’ which is sadly closing now after 2 years of operation in Gulgong. Both these guys have brought a sense of style to the are which transcended rural eegance with a certain 1920s chic . Sam is off to New York this week and Lyra is off tho Europe and Asia. Hopefully both will be back because I find it hard sometimes filling downtown Gulgong with any sense of bohemia!!

About 3 months ago I was asked to volunteer for the Blue Mountains Music Festival and told with my experience I would be put on staging and MC work. I didn’t need a second look as I was keen to learn how a major festival worked in light of the decision to go private with the Mudgee Music Festival and promote it myself.

Festival skies …misty mountain hop Fri night

Liz Stringer Blues Room Friday

The time came round and I was rostered on 3 shifts ..the first on the Friday night at the Blues Room in the Katoomba RSL and the second after a whole day off on the Saturday was a big spell in the Mainstage Pavilion from 11am till 7.30pm.

First up I got side of stage and witnessed Liz Stringer’s Blues/Soul intensity first hand. Passion is what seems to drive and make great music and here was a clear example. She is starting to make real headway and her intensity and passion is what seems to be winning it for her, indeed the theme over the weekend was not just musical excellence but driving passion that boils out of every great artist here. Next my good friends from Melbourne and Gulgong Folk Festival times , April Maze, were on and I loved doing their stage set up. They nailed the set in their usual charming fashion and it was a lot of fun having some friends around. Speaking of passion next up on that stage was the Popes, Shane McGowans [Pogues] backing band for a few years in the 90s. By now I had made my presence clear as a stage manager and Tim my cohort was leaving me to it a bit. The Popes were chockful of energy…a bit light on the songwriting side and a bit anthemic for me but there was no denying their infectious energy

Rich and Dave Allen form the Popes…broken fiddle!!

The set up for these guys was more intense and it was a full rock band set up and I was doing drums/guitars/bass and all the usual water /leads/string changing requirements. I take my job seriously and I watched the stage like a hawk making sure they were all comfortable…I had to do a lot of running back and forth to frony of house to get foldback changed as well. the drummer was a legend and Dave Allen on fiddle a nicer guy you couldnt meet…he reminded me of Dave Hill from Slade.

Volunteer office

I had Saturday off and strolled round and checked out all that makes a larger festival work…lots of volunteer grunt on security and ushering and miles of cable/barricading/lights and festival stalls plus big sound and light rigs…so much to take in before I start my Mudgee Music Festival out at the Showgrounds in May 2014…Gulgong will be nothing on this.

Zoe Keating weaves her Phillip Glass style magic Guinness tent Sat

Spooky Mens Chorale Guinness tent Sat

I was impressed with Zoe Keating and her cello loops  [very Phillip Glassish] was thrilled to catch Luka Bloom [he even played 'Diamond Mountain' first song] but was tempted to an early bed as Id just found out via SMS that I was going to be MC tomorrow on mainstage as well as stage manage Arlo Guthrie/ Kate Miller Heidke and Seth Lakeman. Pretty nervous and thought I should do some youtube research…I didnt even know who Seth Lakeman was…little did I know what a profound experience he would be tomorrow!!

Guitar chronicles Mainstage Sunday

Arlo Guthrie warming up

Early onstage and before anyone else was there Id cleaned up the stage from the night before and started setting up for first act which was Mike McClellands guitar circle including Fiona Boyes/Sean Taylor and Chris Smithers. Next up Red Molly were so so but then the action really picked up with Arlo Guthrie arriving backstage…by now Id taken over stage management and was to do the MC for him. I was so friggin nervous having to go out in front of 2000 or so people but it went OK. He was a lovely guy and very approachable and I gotta say a wonderful guitarist/story teller and his singing reminded me of Willie Nelson…the last song ‘Peace be with you’ brought me close to tears as I realised his wife of 30 years had died only last October and how sad he must still at his tender waning age of 66.

Arlo Guthrie

Kate Miller Heidke pic Elizabeth Walton

Kate Miller Heidke was imperious and swerved from Opera to idiosyncratic pop with utter ease. Id got her album ‘Little Eve’ back in 2007 but she has grown in stature so much in the last few years and 2 albums and I found her voice/songs and presence utterly rivetting. Sarah and Mama were particular standouts   chilling!!

Seth Lakeman…Id met up with him and the drummer Simon earlier in the day when they came in to check their set up and hire instruments…lovely guys straight up and down and utterly Irish!!  ..[note they were the only artists to do so at whole festival]

What a force of nature , what a show…Id caught one song of theirs at the big top on Saturday [Kitty Jay] but was spellbound and  they were fantastic …I found myself running again and really having to take care of Simon on drums…the hire kit was falling apart round him a bit and at one stage I was holding down the hi hat whilst he played…a brilliant set and my pick of the festival.

Seth Lakeman pic Elizabeth Walton

All in all a fantastic experience and nice to know my staging credentials got me a guernsey on the mainstage…must admit I do love being in the zone with the artist and it only makes me hungrier for my own little pot of success!!

We were invited by Oli Statham to come down and play at the private mini festival ‘Woolstock’ about 6 months ago when I held our little mini festival ‘Farmfresh’ at the farm at Braymont just out of Gulgong. Its held in March at the big organi Rosnay farm just a few kms out of Canowindra and attracts sometimes up to 500 people and hqas been going for almost 20 years.

View from stage are across the valley

After a full day doing markets over in Orange I made my way to the farm and arrived not long after 4pm on a hot March day. The tent set up alone was impressive and atopa beautiful rolling hill that afforded a sweeping view of the surrounding countryside and Oli Statham introduced me to Shaun Lawler [Trumpet] and Greg McLaren [Vox] who were heading up the PA side of things. I got a good look around at the wonderful Fig/Olive/Wine property and was blown away by the rustic organic nature of the sprawling 600 acre property that just summed up the real Tuscany in a nutshell. I felt right at home and vowed to come back for a bigger better look and Oli and Sam Statham want to do some business olive wise with me anyway

Drumming frenzy with Josh and Erin

Shaun Lawler Organiser, sound dude and Trumpet player on Valentines day Fig Jam

The fIRE DANCE KEPT ME ENTHRALLED WHILST WE PLAYED…ENTRANCING

Back to the music…  A few bands and playrs were on before Fig Jam and I had a lot of time to kill before Josh and Erin arrived. At sundown there was a huge percussion jam which all three of us joined in on and soon enough it was our time onstage. I think word must have got around about us because expectations seemed to be high for us and I must admitt we were the best rehearsed band on the night and slammed a tight and punchy set through some seriously loud gear. My guitar never sounded so big. Everyone was effusive in their praise of us and I seemed to be in good voice…by now though I was terrible tired after a 4.30am start and crashed in Olis pad on the property…what a wonderful place.

It was a beautiful day on Sunday and Pieter Van Gents vineyard down by Pipeclay Creek had the the sweet smell of vintage hanging in the air.  Ive been in Mudgee on and off since 1996 and the sheer rustic pastoral elegance of the place never seems to fade.

This idea for “Electronic Meat’ came about over the last year along with “Farmfresh” and my penchant for running music festivals and events, initially because I was looking for a quality outlet for my music where I wasnt required to play covers. Now it has come into being because I have identified a need for free music as the only real way to engage an audience. As soon as you put a door charge on it, everyone deserts in droves.

My first love is Electronic music…rock/pop/classical/folk/ambient are all in the mix but Electronic music can cover all bases and fly further and higher in its artistic scope  [do a degree].

I knew David Coxs [Piperine] stuff well and his precise/clean beats and fluid lyrical lines are spare and minimal and hit home …the others…Brendan Leary [Psynapsurfa] and DJ Gowey I knew from being in my band and facebook though we all call Mudgee home.

I can set up an event on my own now with all my associated gear I have 2 PA systems and 3 drumkits as well as keyboards and guitars. Indeed I set up this on my own and the guys rolled in and away we went.

DJ Gowey was first and there were a few people to watch his raucous teenage romp through dubstep/breakbeat land…it was mind alteringly loud and one wag came up to me to say it was a bit OTT but I brushed it off…Electronic music can be any volume you like  and the reason we came out of town was so we could play loud…if you don’t like volume …don’t come. !! Hell he even did a dubstep version of Ebay by me…its quite good and continues the humorous vein in the song.

DJ Gowey

Ed and Roger and Brendan…some of the crowd and performers mix and workshop ideas in the beautiful setting

Richard and Josh from Fig Jam work it

Brendan Leary [Psynapsurfa] was next and armed with a battery of keyboards computers outboard gear and other stuff he mixed a sublime little set that incorporated found sounds, field recordings and clean lines and loops that was smooth as velvet and set up a real chill zone…very late night rainy stuff…very enjoyable and my pick of the day.

http://soundcloud.com/psynapsurfa/darkmatter-sun

Fig Jam electronic combine live instruments and electronic backing to Richard Lawsons massive back catalogue of Electro pop/rock and ambient and Erin Kellys new stuff

[check Choco Balls]. Their take on Digitalisms Idealistic left a few in the crowd breathless with its sheer brutality and crowd favourite Egypt was filmed. By now the place was full and applause appreciative. Late in the set Josh Gow and Richard swapped instruments for Richard to play guitar and sing on Cover Girl/Magic Touch and new song Kingdom Come. Erin Kelly was unavailable today but returns for the next round of gigs and Josh takes his leave for a while working on an apprenticeship in QLD.

http://soundcloud.com/piperine/horseplay

Piperine [David Cox] finished the day with a chilled / professional /bouncy set showing off his original stuff. Hed just done a 4 hour DJ gig at a local watering hole the night before so was in auto pilot mode and happily drank the Pieter Van Gent wine whilst chatting away with people and friends and other artists who had gathered round his performance space…very chilled

The next ’Electronic Meat” has already been  mooted and Phil Van Gent offered his space again later in the year for a return bout…he was very happy and so were we…the vibe was fantastic and carried over from the recent Cementa festival in its altruistic appeal

David Cox [Piperine] discusses the finer points of Virtual DJ with Josh Gow during Piperines set.

A very relaxed and happy group of Electronic campers L to R Richard Lawson/Psynapsurfa/David Cox/DJ Gowey