Notice of BASEQ AGM 2024 October 27th
All financial members of the BASEQ are encouraged to attend the AGM. With out active members there will be no BASEQ. We are specifically looking for someone to take on the role of Membership and merchandise co-ordinator - This role overseas membership and the procurement and sales of BASEQ merchandise at BASEQ events and external event such as Blues on Broad beach and Mitchell Creek. The present Membership and merchandise co-ordinator – is happy for the new person to shadow him in the role until they feel comfortable with it. We also [...]
Review: CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE– Brisbane – Sat Sept 21, 2024 – The Tivoli
Review and photographs by Robin Jones I could not help but wonder how this gig was going to turn out. Live music is still suffering the post covid effect and a lot of people are having to be careful with their spending, but it was encouraging to see a full house for a Blues gig in Brisbane. By the time Charlie came on there were only a very few seats not taken and with standing tickets also being sold there was a large and appreciative crowd. Local [...]
Vale Frazer Goodman
The sudden passing of well loved Gold Coast musician Frazer Goodman came as a shock to all. BASEQ would like to pay respect to this kind, gentle and talented musician by publishing here the thoughts of some of the people who knew him, with the acknowledgement that his passing has been felt by many more here in S-E Queensland, and indeed internationally. From Kevin Briggs I sometimes lose my faith in humanity from all the ego, greed and selfishness that I witness in this world. And [...]
Craig Claxton talks Guitars and Amps
This post of Craig talking about his guitars and amplifiers follows a previous one talking about recording his last couple of albums (see: https://www.baseq.org.au/craig-claxton-talks-about-recording-his-albums-lies-and-alibis-and-azure-blue/) Is there any particular sound, anything, anything that that impresses you that is a signature sound for you? Any favourite guitars that you like using? Well, yeah, absolutely. Both albums [“Lies and Alibis” and “Azure Blue”] feature a couple of amps. I record in stereo and on each amp they tend to put a condenser mic, a ribbon mic, a dynamic mics [...]
Craig Claxton talks about recording his albums “Lies and Alibis” and “Azure Blue”
Your humble editor recently bailed up Craig Claxton at his work to talk about a few things. Craig has a long history in the Brisbane music scene, and a longtime supporter of BASEQ. Craig's website is perhaps a good place to start get a better understanding of him. https://www.craigclaxton.com/ This post is one of two. I want to start by covering off the last couple of albums and future recording plans. There's a rumour that you're just about to go back into the studio. Recording. Yeah, I'm [...]
BASEQ Membership: checking if you’re current/ need to renew and how to self-service
This article covers some common questions BASEQ members have about their membership. Please remember, the main reason the BASEQ website exists is to allow members to renew by themselves via the website. For years, the BASEQ committee - humble volunteers - would drown under the weight of manually processing yearly renewals. This can all be done online, simply by going to the membership page on this BASEQ website: https://www.baseq.org.au/membership/#myaccount So, here's some scenarios and what to do: you are unsure if your membership is current (and [...]
Dezzie D and the Stingrays – So much good music to choose from.
Dezzie D and the Stingrayz at Coolie Rocks On Editor's note: For an experienced band leader and lead singer, there are literally thousands of songs they could choose to put in their setlist. So, how does one choose? What's the deciding factor? With Dezzie D and the Stingrayz playing Sunday Feb 25 at the Royal Mail, Goodna, as the feature host band for the 2024 restart of the BASEQ jams, I reached out to Dezzie D and asked her about what the criteria was for [...]
Notice of BASEQ AGM 2023 October 29th
Notice of BASEQ AGM 2023 October 29th - Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna (92 Brisbane Terrace) All financial members of the BASEQ are encouraged to attend the AGM. With out active members there will be no BASEQ Official start is 11am sharp but the committee will be there from 10:30am to talk with people about BASEQ. A rough schedule will be: 11:00am: opening and presidents report 11:10am: treasurers report 11:20am: assignment of chairperson to conduct the election of new committee 11:30am: - dissolving of current committee, - [...]
A local band to watch out for – Shade Hadie (formerly Writers Tongue)
So your humble BASEQ editor stumbled upon a group of four very young musicians who left me impressed. It wasn't their youth, it wasn't the use of vintage high powered guitar amplifiers played at a very comfortable volume but just dripping with tone. It wasn't really even the choice of material they were playing. Michael Georgas (Bass), Peter Donaghy (Drums), Oskar Thaw (Guitar), Buddy Moyes (Guitar, Vocals and Harmonica), It was the feel of that material. It was the musical communication between the members [...]
The four LP’s that introduced me to the Blues
By Robin Jones, BASEQ President In about 1972, when I was 14, an older friend, who had been to university and played harp with a uni band called Climax Chicago, started going on about “the Blues”. To give me an idea of what he was talking about he produced three LP’s from his smallish collection. When ever at his place we listened to these three records almost constantly. Although I was not that aware of it at the time these three LP’s and one other, would [...]
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on Sunday the 25th of September 2022
Can you lend us a hand to keep our association alive and growing? The Blues Association of South East Qld warmly invites you to join us at our ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on Sunday the 25th of September 2022 at 11 am at The Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna. Have you thought of playing a more active part in promoting Blues music? It may surprise you to know that even 2 or 3 hours of your time per month can have a big impact! BASEQ is a totally [...]
Review of River Heads Rocks Festival 2022.
Review and photos by Donna Hourigan An easy three and a half hour drive north of Brisbane brings you to the gates of Fraser Coast RV Park, the site of a new and exciting music calendar event, the ‘River Heads Rocks Festival’. Think early Mitchell Creek Rock ’n' Blues Fest, intimate, community driven, committed to supporting local artists and the discovery of new talent. The festival first launched in 2021 with a lineup featuring EightBall Aitken, The Rolling Stones Experience and The Miz Bully Band. June [...]
More Bunyips On The Loose (Part 2 of a sort of series).
The Bunyip Guitars Story continued. Bunyip guitars were displayed at Tamworth Country Music Festival in 2020, and we plan to return in 2023. Covid having made horrible inroads in the in between years. The return has been in planning for some time including discussions with the Oxley Bowling Club and a group of associates. Anyone who is going to Tamworth please be in touch as there are possibilities being given to me for paying gigs down there at the time. Bunyip Guitars Stall at Tamworth [...]
Bunyip Guitars – Home Grown monsters!
(Editor note: Local luthier Scoey gave a quick run down on the innovative guitars he is producing. These aren't fairy stories... Scoey writes, as only he can in his colourful turn of phrase...). I was having a yarn with the BASEQ editor the other day at BASEQ jam and he said I should put some things about Bunyip guitars on paper for post hole digging's sake or something like that. So very briefly. I worked for Fender and then Gibson last century before wandering off to become a [...]
Bender – Not the cartoon robot!
(Guitar Technical, one in an occasional series by Ross "Scoey" Colledge) While "benders" are mainly used by country players to replicate a pedal steel sound of sliding from one note to another, David Thompson recently displayed that a bender in the hands of a skilled guitarist can really do great things in the blues (it's a pity I don't have a youtube video of the event to give a link ... but if you see David Thompson playing somewhere, check him out). So what is a bender, [...]
Vix And The Slick Chix Go To War!
So ... you know the blues trio of Vix and The Slick Chix, and Vix's backstory involving Wiley Reed? Well .... forgive the pointlessness of doing a theatre review of a show that you've missed, but this was the second "outing" of "A Girls Guide To World War" ... and if good fortune smile on the troupe that put it on, you may get another chance. The trio of Vix and the Slick Chix feature promently in this production. Aleathea Monsour (bass in the 'Chix and [...]
photo’s from October 2021 BASEQ Jam
Photos generously supplied by Dale Smith. For high-resolution version, contact Dale at dale@cix.com.au
Presidents Pen – Barry B Signing Off.
So, I'm sitting in the Mt Glorious Cafe, with blues playing over their sound system, after a quick mid-week blast up the twisties (refresh skillz!), writing what will be my last Presidents' Pen, reflecting back on my involvement of BASEQ over many years. It was my good friend, Jules Victor (former BASEQ president), that urged me at the time to "upsize" my BASEQ membership to be part of the committee, as part of a larger effort to "restablise" BASEQ, and get back to it's mission after almost being [...]
New Album Review – Craig Claxton – “Azure Blue”
Craig Claxton and the Barbarians "And here is someone that needs no introduction" For the local blues scene, that fits Craig Claxton to a tee. But for those that might not know, Craig has been a professional Australian musician and talented guitarist from an early age, now with a career spanning decades. Want to find out more? Go here: Bio | Craig Claxton And just like some of his older local contemporaries like the late great Ewan MacKenzie, has mastered many styles, notably rock, [...]
Local Musician In Conversation – Simon Worlo Paying Homage to his Heroes.
Simon Worlo has been a regular down The Colonel [1] jams for many years, originally starting on bass before moving to singing and playing guitar. It comes to no surprise for Simon to have a strong affinity to the early electric blues era from the late 1940s and early 1950s, which he delivers as "Simon Worlo & The Colonel", or with Trev Gollagher as "The King Tones". Trev, Simon and The Colonel "Muddy Waters first caught my ear. Through research and listening I [...]
Back In The Day – Perspectives From The Front Row
(in this months installment of "Back In The Day", long-time BASEQ supporter Mick Power arranged an article from an enthusiastic audience member at the time, Maggie deKort, to share her experiences) People say to me “don’t you hate being your age” no way if I wasn’t this age I would never have gone through the best music years ever, and this is where it all started for me! I was only 12 years old when I heard Love Me Do on the radio, The Beatles, saw [...]
Vintage Electric Guitars: Are they all they are cracked up to be? (by Dale Robbins)
What defines whether a guitar is collectible? Is it the sentimentality of one of the classic designs from a bygone era that was used by great musicians of the past? Ie. Jimi Hendrix’s Fender, Jimmy Pages’ Les Paul… Is it the superior sound that old guitars possess? Is it because they aren’t “made that way” anymore? Is it because they easier to play? Down the biggest rabbit hole of all guitardom we go! … And the answer is…. It’s a very subjective issue but Vintage guitars [...]
Back In The Day – Brisbane Music Scene in the 60’s and early 70’s.
Mick Power Remembers: My life in Music really started at the age of 15 years after running away from Boarding School at St Brendan’s in Yeppoon. At the beginning of the second Term, I took off across the Pineapple Farms and managed to hitch a ride in an old beatup FJ Holden back to Brisbane. I did have a musical background from the age of 8 years learning Piano, Piano Accordion, and Vocal training gained from my schooling days in Private Colleges. My first gig was [...]
DJ Reckless Robin – Blues and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Bear with me, this post is going to take you along for a ride... unfolding pun intended ... So, recently I had the good fortune to attend a motorcycle rally with, what turned out to be, 527 other kindred spirits... most adhering to the mantra of "I'd rather ride than polish". The rally site is in a very scenic spot between Stanthorpe and Tenterfield, on the banks of a river. Honestly, you couldn't have picked a better spot, a fitting destination from enjoying some great - [...]