Australian Tour Blog 2012
Blog 5- Sydney
After making the flight by the skin of our teeth we arrived in Sydney and went straight to our accommodation at Vibe Hotel in Rushcutters Bay. After sleeping off a fantastic night in Melbourne and a refreshing swim it was off to the venue. The Standard is a great little place (once you get up the numerous flights of stairs. I imagine doing it with a bands gear would take some stamina!) it has kind of a stylish loft club vibe with a spacious green room reserved for all the visiting artists. Various phrases adorn the walls expertly painted on like ‘Cunning stunts’ (try saying that one fast but not in the presence of minors!).
The openers on this occasion was a local band called ‘Pocket Of Stones’ another band with a slight country rock twinge. They pulled off the ‘all singers round the mike singing harmonies’ thing pretty well. With her success in the Aria winning ‘Super Jesus’ Sarah McLeod once again attracted a large crowd during her set ensuring the room was full when I went on . It was the busiest gig I’ve done on the tour and the crowd was well up for it. Once again there was a nice mix of ex pats and local Sydney folk. Its probably the best reaction to ‘Four To The Floor’ I’ve heard in a long time!
The following day we checked out of the hotel and took a trip out to relax in the beautiful surroundings of Palm Beach(Special Thanks to Jonno’s Mum Jilly for letting us stay at her place!).
On the last day after a nice breakfast at The Boathouse we headed back to the airport. Not before a quick stop off at Darling Harbour Wildlife Park to see the Kangaroo’s and Koala’s (Who sleep 22 hours a day! What a life) and so here I am on my way to Abu Dhabi writing this blog.
I’d like to say a big thanks to Jonno Gosselin who made this trip possible and introduced us to his wonderfully entertaining bunch of friends! It’s a gruelling 24 hour+ trip to the other side of the world but it was worth every minute of it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Thanks Australia!
Love
James
Blog 4- Melbourne
Hi Folks,
So after the fine wine and calm of Adelaide it was off to Melbourne for the penultimate gig of the tour. The night before the gig we headed out to the famous Chapel St for a spot of shopping and a few drinks. Its a great area with some good bars and boutiques. Walking around it kind of reminded me of Islington. We even brought the rain to make us really feel at home! It was an early night for all so we had enough energy for the show the following day. The gig was held at the legendary Espy (Esplenade Hotel) in the St Kilda district. Its a great old place and a popular destination for live music in the area. There was a fella doing Free covers for the moment we arrived and the music didn’t stop in all 4 rooms until we left around 2am. As for the gig it was an absolute cracker! First up was a band called Jackson McLaren and The Triple Threat. They played a kind of Whiskeytownesque emotional alt country music. Right up my street! The singer was shy but witty with it. The room filled up nicely as the night went on and there was quite a crowd by the time Sarah took to the stage. She was as usual on fine form. Great banter and a lot of passion. I was struck by the reaction when walked onto the stage in Melbourne. A great cheer went up which is incredibly flattering and puts me at ease that its going to be a good night. There was a good mix of locals and ex pats(I heard a few shouts for Yorkshire,Lancashire and the rest) and locals.I have to thank the fans who found there way to the front that knew every word. It’s always great to be reminded that some of the lesser known songs still reach people(there was some enthusiastic singing on ‘Keep Us Together’ for example). I gave the set a bit of a shake up and played ‘We Could Try’ (Brand new song) and covers of Kids (MGMT) and Nobody Does It Better (Carly Simon). It was a risk but I think it payed off (just about!).
The sensible thing to do then would have been to get a cab straight back to the hotel to make sure we were rested for an early flight to Sydney. As it was I stayed for a bit to sign some EP’s and setlist’s and then had a drink or two in the dressing room (it would be rude not too). One notable guest was The Bill and Neighbours actor Daniel Macpherson. Quite the achievement to star in both British and Aussie soap institutions! We managed to hit roadworks on the way to the airport which left us very late for check in. Despite arriving 30mins before departure and with huge queues ahead of us thanks to the helpful staff Me,Les,Jonno and the other panicked passengers behind us,managed to make the flight. All in all flying around Australia has been an infinitely more pleasurable experience than the stealth charges and unhelpful staff that we too often find at home.
So now I’m in my hotel room getting rested and ready for the gig at The Standard tonight in Sydney. You can hear all about that in the next blog!
See You Soon
James W
Blog 3- Adelaide
Hi Folks,
So on Tuesday morning we gathered our stuff (no doubt taking a few grains of sand and some fantastic memories from Byron- check out video I made on Byron Beach http://youtu.be/9AcWyuBVKF0 ) and headed to the airport bound for Adelaide. We headed into town the night we arrived but it was very quiet with this being the end of the popular Fringe festival.
After an early night we were well rested and ready for a trip to the picturesque The Lane Vineyard up in the Adelaide Hills. It was by far the best meal of the tour (scallops to start,beef rib for mains) and of course the wine was amazing. We were given a tour of the winery and I was asked to play a couple of songs with the vineyards as a backdrop. After such a great feed and a little wine tasting session I was happy to oblige! (If you are ever there I recommend the sparkling chardonnay).
Later on that day we headed over to The Gov for the gig. Its a fantastic venue that has played host to some great artists over the years and continues to do so (e.g Critically Acclaimed Foster The People played a show there not too long ago). The Adelaide crowd was really great. Very respectful and appreciative. I love the more riotous shows but sometimes a more relaxed vibe where everyone is paying attention can be just as inspiring. I get the feeling although it is not a ‘live music hub’ for Australia the people that do support live music in Adelaide are very passionate and that’s why people keep coming back (the wine probably helps too!).
Adelaide is Sarah McLoed’s hometown so she joined me up onstage in the encore for an acoustic version of the ac/dc classic ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ which brought the night to a perfect close.
Next up Melbourne!
Bye For Now
James W
Blog 2- Byron Bay
Hello Folks,
After all the fun and games in Brisbane it was back in the car for a road trip to Byron Bay.
As somebody born and bred in Lancashire this of course had to involve a stop at the world famous Yatala Pies which I can confirm are worthy of their fame! Soon after we arrived into Byron. You are struck by its beauty and laid back atmosphere as soon as you drive in. The shops/restaurants all have a wooden beach hut look and the dress code is casual. We had an amazing house by the beach so it didn’t take long before we were running into the sea. There was a bit of rain but that didn’t stop us as the sea was warm when we got in.
The show was at an old venue called ‘The Great Northern’ which has been around for years. The sound guy had a fantastic perm,jeans up to his chest and I’m sure he has a story or two to tell! With the show falling a day after St Patricks we weren’t expecting a huge crowd. In the end there was a fairly decent ‘walk up’(as they say in the trade) and mixed with a few of our own guests it was a really energetic show and an enthusiastic crowd. Sarah McLoed had some good banter with the crowd and ended her set with a rousing ‘New York State Of Mind” and I noticed ‘Elliots Rooms’ dry humorous lyrics which perfectly complimented their bluesy sound. As for my own gig I decided to don my toreador style jacket and give it everything. It was a really fun show and the drinks carried on back at our beach house until the early hours!
We were lucky enough to have a day off after the gig so me and Les went out to the famous Byron Bay lighthouse and also the most easterly point in Australia.
Its such an amazing place and the people were lovely so I’d love to go back there one day. The following day involved a quick stop in Sydney for a photo shoot at mx newspaper and an acoustic set for the lovely people at Drum Media(thanks fellas!). Then onto Adelaide where I find myself now. You can hear all about this leg of the trip in the ‘Adelaide’ blog so…
James W
Blog 1- Brisbane
After an epic 27 hour journey from London via( Abu Dhabi and Singapore slings in Changi Airport as the band in the airport bar played Lyin Eyes). We finally arrived at Urban Hotel Brisbane. Despite being absolutely shattered we decided to fight the tiredness by heading out into the Brisbane night for Japanese food at Gyoza. This included a ritual song and dance every time a sake was ordered. It was a lovely meal of dim sum parcels and the staff treated us well.
Then we headed to Cloudland where hundreds of people were salsa dancing. Anyone who’s ever seen me dance will understand why I didn’t join in! I managed to sleep in till 3pm the next day but after a refreshing swim I was ready for the day ahead and the gig. The show was at a place called Tempo Hotel. It’s a great room that has music on 6 nights a week.
After entertaining sets from Eliots Room and Sarah McLoed it was showtime. After such a long time away I was quite anxious what the reaction would be. I needn’t have worried the Brisbane crowd was enthusiastic and reacted to the new songs and old Starsailor classics in equal measure. With St Pats day just around the corner I played ‘Wild Night’ and ‘Into The Mystic’ by the great Van Morrison.
So to bring you right up to date I’m currently in a car with Jonno,Les and Gg from Eliots room on our way to Byron Bay.Special mention to Jonno Gosselin who got us here in the first place. We met Jonno in Dubai and he said he was going to sort me a tour in Oz. I’m happy to say he was true to his word!
See You Soon Folks
James W