Cathie O'Sullivan - - Artesian Waters

This wonderful rare 1980 Lp from Cathie O'Sullivan is
Celtic harp folk songs sung in her beautiful voice.
I saw Cathie back in the early 80's one cool night
outside, at the Maleny Folk Festival, it was one of the
stand out performances of the event and I promptly
bought her Lp

Track List

01 Planxty Dermott O'Dowd
02 Green Bushes
03 The Lost Sailor
04 Song Of Artesian Water
05 The Halting March
06 Barbry Allen
07 Molly Baun Lavery
08 The Teams
09 The Miner
10 Cliffs Of Moher
11 Norfolk Whalers
12 Old Copper Plate
13 Love's Coming

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West End Block Party 2012

 Well I had a ripper of of weekend, it started with going out to see
the Rockwiz show " Some kind of Genius" on Friday night
and continued on into the West End Block Party the next day.
Rockwiz was fantastic, so funny with some great guest stars
including Tex Perkins. I didn't take a camera so no photos.
I should have however, turns out the wife had procured front
row seats!

 So off to West End, the block party has came out of the older West
End Boundary Street Festival and in the same tradition is a
celebration of the community that is Brisbane's West End.
Highly multi-cultural, eclectic and on the cutting edge of do it
yourself culture. The festival had some of the best of the not so rock
bands Brisbane has at the moment as well as circus  performers,
spoken word and visual performances
The band above is the Rusty Datsuns, a great folk bluegrass outfit,
I'm looking forward to seeing them again
They have a great little cd as well!

The local Ice Cream Factory Circus performances are another fav
I find it exciting so many people are into this stuff these days

Karl Williams was great, the kind of blues I love, what a voice!

 And the Brazilian street dance is the sort of thing that always gets
my attention, sorry I missed the capoeira later

 Sharmaran gave us some wonderful Middle Eastern music while I ate
Greek food and waited for the band I most wanted to see

The Mouldy Lovers are a fantasic party band, playing their very own
exciting self described sub tropical gypsy music

 They are the kind of band you have to see for yourself so
I shot some video for your enjoyment!

 Oh and Dubmarine were incredible

Ratpack - Live at the Paradise Room Surfers Paradise 1979

  

Michael  has sent the 2nd cd in his trilogy of 3 very interconnected bands from the Gold Coast. The first being the Strand Cd found here and the 3rd will be the Seven Ballerinas, which I am so looking forward to. Here is also the link to some press clippings of the Strand here and the Ratpack single here. The Seven Ballerinas single is here and press clippings in info on the band here.  This recording sounds great I can here quiet a bit iof the Strand or even the Sunnyboys sound in them, well worth a listen and I'd love to hear your comments! Thanks Michael for all your work again, now over to Michael for the low down on the band      

  John Smethurst (vocals and guitar) later founding member of Seven Ballerinas in 1981

Mario Spina (bass guitar and vocals) later founding member fo Seven Ballerinas in 1981

Nigel Baker (keyboards and vocals) later founding member of Seven Ballerinas in 1981

Cliff Hoad (drums) later founding mermber of Kings Of The Sun.

On the Coast not many bands played originals back in 79. Or more so not many bands playing originals got work. Was very hard to compete with the cover bands and discos. Formed on the Gold Coast in 1978. Ratpack secured a regular gig at The Paradise Room Surfers Paradise.We were very lucky to have 2 venues (Paradise Room and The Miami Hotel) that gave us  opportunity to show original bands can pull a crowd 

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The Bushwackers - Down There For Dancing 1982

The Bushwackers follow up to their 1980 Dance album is this
wonderful collection of Bush Dancing music.
It's my favourite of the two, of course there is no album that can
capture the pure energy this band has live. I've seen them a
few times and they are incredible.
I did see a 3 song bush dance as part of one performance
once but never a entire gig!

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The Bushwackers - Dance Album (1980)

Perhaps the longest running band in Australian history the 

Bushwackers have been delighting audiences with their Irish, 

country, rock folk since the early 1970's and I've been a 

fan since I was a teenager playing the back to back with 

with the Sex Pistols or the Saints.  

They are still very popular in folk circles and on the 

country music circuit.This 1980 album is devoted to Australian 

Irish dance music, its completely instrumental and a rollicking 

good time. In the 1980's the Bushwackers were at their peak 

playing sold out shows many of which were bush dances, 

these shows would get 4000 revellers to them with their 

dancing shoes on!

Download Here