Andrew Clermont's Touring Details and Latest News - New CDs from TG, Dya Singh,The Mowers, BackBeat, SupperClub & don't forget the Photo Gallery at end of page!!
The Supper Club in full 'fling' with visitors from Nth America to Japan across Oz and a plethora of Instruments to boot! Guitar Night Finale! 2010
Oh Joy oh Joy! Such a hearty gathering of near 70 performers again at The Supper Club - 20 acts just on the 'Girls Night'.
L - R Pete Fidler, Jess Stocker, Carl Pannuzzo, Peter Denahey, Liz Frencham, Tami Neilson (Nth America) and Mark Mazengarb NZ, Montz Matsumoto (Japan), Parris Macleod, Clermont & Robbie Long's Guitar!
Hope to write a little more succinctly shortly but meanwhile here is an article written re the attempt to turn our beloved CM Fest into a characterless affair.
Hahaha HOHOHO! Just getting your attention! There was once a town in rural NSW who had the biggest Festival of it's kind in the southern Hemisphere. No not just big, BUT the BIGGEST! Brilliant! How did it get that way you ask? A gathering of Country Music fans, keen to camp many weeks ahead, but mainly, keen to support and hear music on the country side of things, came to town. In fact a fairly isolated town - at least a hundred km from the next large town and 5 hrs from a capital city.
It became an 'island' of musical celebration. Some elements of the music was extremely traditional, other aspects were more from country music's influence and some just because here was a gathering of folk willing & waiting to be entertained and certainly by the end of each fest, if they were new to the concept of 'country' music, would get to believe what they love, prefer and of course rather not hear too much of as well. We all have our likes & dislikes yet occasionally still get surprised by a new concept or sound or idea.
Curiously the festival goers could and do come for many years and still always uncover an aspect of the festival & it's characters which was previously missed or perhaps a little more underground or simply on the other side of town! It was/is a vibrant festival endlessly producing variety and spice via the umbrella of country music. A winning formula to say the least.
Tamworth's Country Music Festival, attracts a wonderous variety of country influenced acts. And like any great event, food, music, it all needs a quantity of 'spice' to give the internal flavours a real chance to shine. Too much spice and you lose the point, the real flavour, not enough and you're continually looking for more salt to add, it becomes a bland affair. Yet Tamworth CM Fest has continually had a great blend of the yin & yang regardless of the powers that be (it would seem). But now at it's peak, the foundations are being completely rattled.
It's the Biggest & Best - so now you want to remove it's core and kick the main supporters/ creators in the teeth? It's the TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL!!!!! It is legendary like no other in the world!!! LIKE NO OTHER! - and let me tell you I have been to many festivals across the world and Tamworth has that beautiful blend of quirky individuals, heroes, underground and in your face events. It ain't Broke! So don't go fixing it (Yes a more 'American' quote but get over it and see the point).
If anything, that the festival is largely suffering from, is the profiteering 'behind the scenes' schemers who have continually screwed down the value of the general Pub /Club performers - getting less than what was normal over 20 years ago!!!!! (but don't get me started there !)
I suspect the same behind the scenes dingbats who also declared the acoustics of the (supposed to be multi-purpose events hall) TREC, would be the responsibility of the Promoter of the Event?!?!?!? Thus we have concert hall environment on par with an huge empty silo containing a stampede.....
But back to the good folk who make our Country Music Festival so special including the tireless CapNews/ BAL/ Rural Press/Leader/Times/TCN/and independents who struggle to make the most of the CM contributions to the Festival. And of course the visiting Artists from afar & near like..
Vanessa Amorosi, who came one year, did her rock thing but also sang harmonies and guested with other artists around town. The Waifs had enormous concerts in Tamfest but were involved with a superb theatre show of CM music within the Festival too. Jimmy Barnes with Cold Chisel gave us many country classics like Last Train out of Sydney - wonderful spice to a CM Festival - where a gay Fiddler can woo the most hardened traditionalist with songs of our historic touring showmen & women - there are/were so many with & beyond Slim Dusty.
Come on Wendy Matthews - at least put a fiddle player in your band..haha
Let's not over react to unfortunate quotes in the media - remember they were made by mere mortals, and we country folk know how easily we mere mortals can open mouth before putting brain into gear! I say let the spice in but let them earn their pay from the door takings - that be where the 'soul' of the people shows itself best!
Did Australia's mighty Woodford Folk Festival, (120,000+), change it's name? Noooo! It included spice from across the music fields and put it alongside worlds of Folk music where a great cross-section of the public gets fair opportunity to experience the breadth of Folk music and gets some moshpit/rock spice at the same time. Shrewd marketing in testing financial times, new fans are developed and the Arts appreciation broadened.
Now a whole gathering of CM Artists live down the central coast, they'd love a CM fest they can go home from each night. The Goldcoast would love to have it there because well they just want everything all the time. Let alone the Golden Guitar Awards move to Sydney the technical convenience of it all - and get to sleep in their own bed at night too! What? Rename that as well? Oh the tediousness of it all! (and there is such a nice big Golden Guitar perched in Tamworth)
The Festival despite having become a fairly self-perpetuating affair became some particular sponsor's Festival. Granted they contributed good money into the system but it was and never will be anything without the keen country music fans who brought their friends and the festival which does what all festivals are prone to do, attract more people.
Thus with it's identity solidly in place, and it's already the biggest, can we please get back on with the music.
Oh , except now I hear musos need to be their own bouncers, new laws require extra security when having live music - no matter what size/style venue. You'll all be wearing 'stack' hats to walk the festival streets soon!
Next update shortly!
3months in mainly Berlin has been life changing.
Father passed away - my hero.
New Love & Life. See you before long.
THE WINTER that WAS
SO the recent Stories to Tell - Blues to Berserk Tour with Josh has reached completion with the magic it began with and we made Finale with a day's flying/indeed soaring his 2 metre radio control glider. A tour which rekindled many musical and beyond layers for me and , well I may even complete my own long nearly finished 3m glider under inspiration of Mr Bennett - but meanwhile, in celebration of such a splendid music and cliff scaling adventure, may I present a sale of my various goodies of sound and DVD. Next time there will be the introduction of my Big Pictures Series of 1.2 metre wide prints - some of which are here on a DVD below. And some other samples on the web at Panoramio.
Do look up recordings from Josh Bennett - Sitar & Tabla and a solo album before long - see myspace.com/joshbennettmusic
and while on the mention of guitarist friends , also check out Simon Nield (may he rest peacefully), Ros Waldron, Rob Long and their wonderful solo CDs. All have myspaces etc find them on mine!
And my last Oz performances this winter are this Friday Night in the Adelaide Hills at Macropena Cafe , Mt Barker; SatNight @ Live Cafe, Littlehampton Hall
AND SYDNEY Sun 19th THE MARRICKVILLE BOWLING CLUB BLUEGRASS SESSIONS 91 SYDENHAM ROAD MARRICKVILLE
Don't forget to remind any Fiddle connected people to nominate in for the Golden Fiddle Awards http://www.goldenfiddleawards.org.au/
From Teachers to Players, Mentors to Makers - time to be in touch!
Tamworth Festival will be on us sooner than we think and The Supper Club will bring you the world of musical adventure again www.myspace.com/andrewclermontssupperclub
A LATEST summary of produce from Clermont World!
Brand New is the Master Class Tuition Book of TABs & Music of the Bluegrass Championship performances on Guitar I'd won with through the mid 80s (all good things come to those who wait - yes so many years later!). It comes complete with a CD of the solo guitar at full and half speed.
The CD Homegrown Vol 2 compliments the Book with the Original recorded performances plus the swing and Songs of the time - some of which became source material in the Totally Gourgeous event. $35 - $50 with HG Vol2 This Album is very special to me, both artistically and performance - I merrily play all parts.
1. The Lawnmowers (At the Cutting Hedge of Bluegrass!) – from 'The Good Road' & 'Second Cut' A specially selected near double album 18 trk Combo CD! To reflect the recent live shows. From traditional to worldly flair.
2. NEW – DVD – Clermont’s BIGPICTURES – World Montages of my wide & tall photos to amaze with soundtrack excerpts from Happy as Larry - soaring Fiddle & Piano $25
3. NEW - DVD – Totally Gourdgeous LIVE @ Woodford Folk Fest 07/08 – The Bazaar Clips! Up close & intimate on stage with TG with up to 6 camera angles. $30
4. Recent completed The DVD series of – The Supper Club 2005 - A 12 DVD series+summary DVD - The Nights of Fiddle/Harmonica/Banjo/Girl'sNight/Guitar/Slide&Bluegrass with sooo many guests including surprise visit of the brilliant and sublime yet cheeky, Colin Brooks from Texas. $25 each (Email for more details - $200 for the whole set)
5. DVD – The Supper Club 2004 Best of Video Clips summarising whole nights into special short feasts plus some surprise bonuses from that time.
6. 'The Longing' – presenting a 10 year crossection – the definitive - recorded in ABC Adelaide/Melbourne/ Sydney over 3 years in the late 90s
7. 'BackBeat …the sessions' – rockin’ Bluegrass – a Classic and Stereo spectacle to hear (in the vein of New Grass Revival) - A fifteen year reunion near 2 years ago promises the next to be very soon.
8. Fiddlers Festival 'Strung Out' –: Favourites & More includes the indelible Blacktown Jig and extra guest Fiddlers from around the world (Band now known as Fiddlers Feast).
9. 'Terra Australis' originally FowlHouse Jack Won the Battle of the BushBands 99, 00,02 - Top 5 Radio airplay and Heritage Award - Fun & Good-time music for the Barbeque
10. BLUEGRASS – Made In Taiwan : Live & Stormy – featuring Jenny Lester (Canada), Daryl (Jack ) Melbourne & Clermont - A lucky capture and more traditional but highly entertaining performance.
11. 'Dance of the Good Life' Instrumental movie-theme style Andrew dueling with the amazing Parris MacLeod (piano/drums/bass)
12. 'Happy As Larry' Clermont & Parris Macleod. Violin & Piano duets. Soaring instrumentals of Celtic to New Age flavour
13. Dya Singh 'Live' (At Last!) 9 piece Band. Adventures in Indian/Sikh Fusion Music - Nov 2005
14. Dya Singh '300' celebratiing the Sikh phenomenon with musical fusion plus English inclusions. Now 13 CDs from the groups 2 decades - see dyasingh.com
15. Totally Gourdgeous (self-titled CD), then 'D'vine' and now 'The Stroke of Midnight'! Penelope Swales, Mal Webb, Carl Panuzzo, Andrew - ‘Joni Mitchell meets James Brown in Bob Marley’s pumpkin patch – via the Muppets!’ VOTED BEST LIVE FOLK BAND IN AUSTRALIA 09
16. 'Live at The Supper Club' Oct 2003 Mark Atkins/Dheeraj Shrestra/Parris&PuYu Macleod/The Lawnmowers/Randal Wilson 78min of an extraordinary capture - powerful performances all around!
TUITION DVDs!– A Crash Course to Fiddling Freedom/ Mandolin Freedom/Guitar Freedom - $50 To get you off your plateau of performance
Didgeridoo Freedom - $30 to get you started in circular breathing, sounds & rhythms
Sponsored/ assisted by Epoch Violins, Gilchrist Mandolins, Maton Guitars and White Swallow Banjos with great appreciation
And much thanks to my families over the years.
Guitar News! It's BACK! Thanks all for looking out!
Missing for a fearful month & half till turning up not far from where stolen - Locally sorted they said! Not much more info - just a misguided not so young kid.
Tour News - Blues to Berserk from Melbourne round SE coast to Dorrigo/Coffs Harbour in May through June
with Josh Bennett (Dya Singh Group plus recently performing for Ravi Shankar & opening for Jeff Beck in Adelaide)
Guitar
My precious Terada Guitar came back just before the Easter Weekend. Apparently a not so young lad did an early morning snatch of the guitar from under the stage at Frances Folk Gathering but eventually word got out of a guitar where no guitar had been before. Pressure was exerted and as was quoted, It was sorted locally!
Dya Singh was driving passed just after it's return to Frances (1 & 1/2 months later) and he kindly picked it up and delivered it back to me in time for the National Folk Fest where it's first performance was a loan to Carl Pannuzzo for his first 'Pot & Kettle' concert there with recent wife (congrats) Penny.
Tour (gig guide below)
Finally free from their bands (briefly), they've come to tell it all.....
A twisted taunt of Celtic Blues Swing Bluegrass Jazz Indian adventure.
The roads and flights between Kenya and Calcutta, London, Vancouver, LA & Oz weave a soaring night of music, song and story between Josh Bennett & Andrew Clermont
- Both in Dya Singh World Music Group (twice World Music Group of Australia), The Supper Club & The Lawnmowers (at the cutting 'hedge' of Bluegrass!)
Andrew Clermont - http://www.myspace.com/andrewclermont
has finally settled down, nestled in 6 (or so) bands / 5 or 6 instruments appearing in Austria/ Kenya/ USA/ Canada/UK/ Germany/ Taiwan/ Malaysia/ Hong Kong/ Singapore/New Zealand/ and Australia wide! Pumpkin powered in Totally Gourdgeous (Voted Best Live Folk Band '08); 3 time Bluegrass National Guitar Champ; flying with the Fiddlers Feast; very Australian as Terra Australis (Heritage Award & BushBand winners); and Celtic Conundrums - to be sure, to be sure!
Andrew initiated the NoHoldsBarred Fiddle Contest and is a Director to the Golden Fiddle Awards. These are both sponsored by Epoch Violins with Andrew touring the unique 5-string models while also sponsored/ assisted by Maton Guitars, Gilchrist Mandolins and White Swallow Banjos.
Josh Bennett www.myspace.com/joshbennettmusic
fresh from a rocking Jeff Beck support appearance in Adelaide and playing at Ravi Shankar's George Harrision Birthday 66 tribute concert in India - and closing music for 'Stateline'
I've been doing this for as long as I can remember, but a starting point I suppose was when I started performing on stage when I was 15. I played Guitar Blues back then, and still do, but now it's mixed up with whatever music I find that speaks to me. More often than not that's been culturally significant (or roots I suppose you could label it) music from all over the world, in particular India, Africa and Ireland.
Also been playing Sitar, Tabla and Dilruba - a bowed instrument similar to Sarangi, for about eleven years.
I play all over the place, in different guises. These days I'm playing around the world with Dya Singh, a world music group that's been around longer than the term world music. I play solo, with jazz musos, blues, folk, experimental, film scores, ... the list goes on, which is why it's so much easier to just say I play music from my soul and leave it at that.
But, I'm also occasionally seen on stage with including Chris Finnen, The Silk Road Project, Guitar Safari, The Universal Jazz Band - you get the idea
Thu 30 April 8pm The Lomond , Nicholson St Brunswick VIC
Sun May 3rd 1pm
Hickinbotham Wines @ Dromana Sunday , Melb south of Frankston 194 Nepean Hwy Dromana 3936
194 Nepean Highway (Near Wallaces Road)
Dromana 3936
Victoria, Australia
Phone (03) 5981 0355
Email info@hickinbotham.biz
FRI 8TH MAY
MINGLING WATERS CAFE - MIKE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
Princes Highway
Nowa Nowa Victoria 3877
Phone: (03) 5155 7247 Mobile: 0409 515 572
Fax: (03) 5155 7247
Nowa Nowa/ Lakes Entrance - Josie Jacobi 5155 2464 - local philanthropist - must ring
bungalook@bordernet.com.au
Sat 9th 7.30pm Mallacoota , Workshops 4pm The Mudbrick
WORKSHOP/CONCERT AT SCHOOL Lisa Broom 0428 586357
Fri 15th May 7.30 Candelo Arts Society , South Coast NSW 0401180749
Sat 16th May 7.30 Cobargo, Yuin Folk Club, House Concert - Graham Friar & Coral Vobach 0264936758
Fri 22 May Karuah (North of Newcastle, NSW)
Jam time at River of Music Festival - Bluegrass Feature
Sat 23/5
banjo wkshop (Dave Hellens) - 9.30 - 11.30
Concert - The Lawnmowers 3 - 4pm or 4 - 5pm
Sun 24/5
mandolin / fiddle wkshop (Andrew Clermont)- 11.15 - 12.45 Check times
guitar wkshop - Andrew Clermont - 9.30 - 11.30
Harmonica Wkshop - Christian Marsh - 11.15 - 12.45 (TBC)
Concert - The Lawnmowers
For more info - 0407 071 417
Thu 28 May The Armidale Club, 91 Beardy St. Armidale, NSW
Fri 29 Uralla Arts Performance , Old St Davids Church TBC
Sun 31 Old Gazette Theatre, Dorrigo, - main Street with Indian heart warming food
Thu June 4th The Armidale Club, 91 Beardy St. Armidale, NSW
Fri June 5th Percussion Workshop Willow Tree School (Andrew's Birthday!) Ph 0267 471793
Sat June 6th Bush Dance - Willow Tree Heather Ranclaud Ph 0267 471793
Sun June 7th 5pm The Supper Club - North Tamworth Bowling Club , Cnr Bligh & Piper St
Wed 10th Ouyen Club VIC
Thu 11th Mildura Sandbar TBC
Fri June 19 Cafe Komodo 118 Prospect Road, Prospect | T 08 8344 7448.
Fri June 26 Wheatsheaf Hotel 39 George Street. Thebarton. South Australia. Tel.: 08 8443 4546.
July 20 - I fly to Germany till Oct 28
Based in Berlin
.....in our last episode, you may recall a 'southern England' tour section was looming for Totally Gourdgeous, and I were enroute to Sicily with Mal Webb (flying on the day my passport - sooo luckily - arrived back in the mail from the USA Embassy in Berlin for a Dya Singh Work Visa - talk about stressful timing!).....
Below is just that, plus USA & India visa & visit mayhem - and bliss; an Oz hospital tour and a 'lucky' 6 hrs at home between west world & east world tours!
Click here for the 'International' Supper Club plans for TamFest January 2009 & http://www.myspace.com/andrewclermontssupperclub , Adelaide now - Littlehampton Hall and Montz Matsumoto's CD Launch; Woodford (QLD) last week of year, The Lawnmowers - & Gourds @ Fairbridge (WA), April, plus Totally Gourdgeous in Singapore (March 2) & Canada Tour for TG next July! We were also voted Best Live Folk Act in Australia as we finished our Euro Tour this year! Many thanks for the votes!
So, SOooo much thanks to those we caught up with this year. The indispensable 'old' friends & the 'amazing' new friends without whom these tours are not possible. The 'incredible' Beez of Berlin (see them at The Supper Club '09), and their close realm of heaven sent folk; the lilting John & Ash Robeson of south England, the gracious people of Ficarra, Sicily; Murrhardt & Tübingen (and many more), Germany and Brian of Tamworth for his pickup from Sydney, 5 hour drive and delivery at the 'last' hour to grant me the only way home for a tragically short 6 hours before flying back to Sydney, Auckland (to unite with Dya Singh group after a 6 month gap) make San Francisco, drive to Chico (out from Sacramento) and play our first Concert. Yes and you can call this the 'adjectival' and 'drive,fly,drive' Newsletter - is it ever not?
Oz
For those in Adelaide - LiveTown RELAUNCH happening is on Friday 5th December from 7:30 - 11pm at our wonderful new venue,
the Littlehampton Peace Memorial Hall 93 Main Road Littlehampton
(coming from Adelaide take the Mt Barker Freeway exit, turn left and the Hall is 1.8km on the left, it's the lovely sandstone on just past the Great Eastern Hotel)
Bookings: 0427 336 131 Looking forward to seeing you there for yet another great night of music with yours truly with Montz Matsumoto; belly dance with Saffron supported by Gurdy Girl and Morgan, and a chance to jam with the best.
Then 2 CD launches for Montz Matsumoto at The Folk Centre, 8pm South Rd cnr George St, Thebarton. Ph 8354 4606 info@folk-sa.asn.au
and The ClubHouse Sun 7th 2pm 45 MacDonald St, Tanunda, Barossa Valley ph 8563 2058
Between the 2 extreme tours I did manage to drop in to Perth Hospital and see Simon Nield with his unfailing humour & cheer. We all cried a long time when he passed away just weeks later, finally succumbing to cancer. A beautiful family & friends remain and we offer our deepest condolences. Simon's music legacy will also soar evermore, please look him up on google. http://blogs.abc.net.au/wa/2008/09/vale-simon-niel.html http://www.simonnield.com/
Across then to Sydney to hospital with finger picking freak Ross Waldron (of the last years of the Supper Club and Fiddle Champ Jess Randall). A new pacemaker type thang into his heart but was soon stuck down by a stroke taking out most of his right side! Starting with no hand movement 4 weeks ago, he has set his quest to performing at the Supper Club this January! This year you may recall we had young Jess Stoker (Turkish Delight group) come back from near dead from a horrific accident with a Semitrailer this time last year and perform with full drum kit at last January's Supper Club! Guaranteed therapy via the Supper Club! This January will feature Tamarisque from Adelaide (from my earlier Brigalow days), Andrew Winton & Marcus Sturrock - wild WA guitarists, The Beez (Berlin), Whitetop Mountaineers (West Virginia, USA), Josh Bennett via India, Songwriters in the Round-Nashville Style
I managed to get my USA work visa from very expensive and enforced methods in the only possible gap while in Berlin with the luck of a thousand angels. In Sydney the tourist visa to India took letters, emails, phone calls from England/Melbourne/Sydney/ Arizona to finally get my passport completed in an incredible 2 days and actually getting the dispensary to open after closing and hand me the finished paperwork before racing to the train to meet the car to change clothes, instruments, mentality, and hug the homefront before the first morning flight out again. And I wonder why I finally got caught by a Staffacoccal infection right where you sit - probably from way too much sitting for travel/gig/relax/writing. Or just used up the luck on getting the visas! Ha! At least I've been able to deal with it back in Australian medical conditions before it got too too bad. Thought it was a 'boil' but no, quite worse, but well into healing. No more details I promise!
See more and larger/ clearer array of the tour at http://www.panoramio.com/userfeed/2010087.rss
and Euro Tour Finale in the Chapitol Tent, Sevenich
http://www.kulturverein-chapitol.de/cms/e107_plugins/autogallery/autogallery.php?show
