After speaking to a few groups of country & interstate rockers who have either visited or settled in our fair city over recent years, a similar vibe seems to filter through when they describe their view of the Melbourne rock & roll scene. That is: “You guys don’t know how lucky you are”… referring not only to the smorgasbord of talented bands & venues, but the frequency of the gigs about the place.
Some of these interstaters still find it difficult to believe we can experience these talented bands free of charge at some venues. This prompted me to think about & post a bio of one of Melbourne’s greatest and revered rock n’ roots bands, the treasured … ‘Mooney Valley Drifters’ who incidentally, play the Ferntree Gully Hotel this Sunday 30th March … Free entry.

In 1985, American born Tom Forsell together with drummer Warren Rough, bolted some wheels on a vehicle they called the ‘Mooney Valley Drifters’. They drove around a while with the late Peter Linden on pedal steel and Bernie O' Brian on bass. Unfortunately the wheels fell off this line-up after three months.
Then Tom Forsell (lead vocals, guitar & accordion) reformed the band with Rob Grenville on guitar and a couple of other players including Gerry Hale (Uncle Bill) and finally adding Paul Pyle on double bass. Together with Andrew Lindsay on drums and the return of Peter Linden on pedal steel, this line-up stayed together for quite awhile and established the band with long residencies at Melbourne’s Terminus and Great Northern Hotels.
Forsell maintained the band through long term residencies at Melbourne suburban pubs like the Cricketers Arms, the Bleak House and finally the Old Homestead in Clifton Hill for 11 years. The MVD’s were playing over 120 gigs a year, including the Gympie Muster, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Byron Bay blues festival, Channel 9 TV shows and played live on Melbourne radio ABC, 3RRR, 3CR, and 3PBS.
The band recorded & released 4 CD’s on Brunswick Records, Larrikin-Festival, and one independent release all of which received significant airplay and great reviews from Rolling Stone through the Age, Sun, Sydney, and Tamworth papers. The Mooney Valley Drifters had songs in Australian films and managed to be written into Sydney crime writer Robert G. Barrett’s books.
The MVD’s supported Herbie Hancock, shared the stage with Flaco Jimenez, Chad Morgan, Lee Kernagan and Slim Dusty which meant going a long way for a band that refused to compromise but played vintage or “crucial country” with a mix of Cajun, Western Swing, Blues and even rumba styles with a strong dose of original songs. The Drifters were nominated for best country instrumental at Tamworth and their song “Here I go Again” was in the top 20 on Sydney’s 2UZ in the early 90’s.
But the real story and this band’s legacy is their ability to mesh Honky Tonk with Swing, Cajun, and even Latinise Rhythms to captivate their audience and keep em’ on the dance floor. So, in this day of planned obsolesces, some atonal vocals, and throw away music, it’s nice to see something that’s far more than good and last for over 22 years. My personal opinion of this band’s music … it’s hot, it swings and above all … it’s crucial. The Mooney Valley Drifters, “How lucky are we”.