Tezza posted a video of the Paladins and Candye Kane, which made me think of my week end a few weeks ago. I was fortunate enough to be asked to tag along with the Straight Eights when they played at the Narooma Blues and Rockabilly Festival.
We left friday morning for the eight hour drive, plenty of laughter and singing along to Snappys ipod, seems like every third or fourth song had Dave or Victor saying "we used to do that one, we should do it again" and with me being asked to remember to tell yell it out at the Micawber on Sunday (and they did a few or them.) These guys can pull stuff out of a hat and make it sound like they play it everyday.
Once we checked into the motel and got ready, we headed down to the festival. The eights were the first band on the main stage Friday night and blew everyone away with their set, including Candye Kane and her band that followed them.
The next morning when we all got up we piled into Snappys car to get some breakfast in town, we noticed Candye Kane’s drummer walking towards town, so we squashed him in with us, he was looking for a feed as well. Once we had all had a good feed at a local club and realising it was almost lunch time, beers were ordered and we got talking to Candye’s drummer, Evan Caleb, who is also her son, and as it turns out, his father is the Paladins bass player, Tom Yearsley, (There is the connection)
We ended up back at our rooms with Evan and before long Candye and the rest of the band were with us too. Snappy broke out his homemade salami and wine, which made Candye comment that she should get an Italian in her band. Her bass player also asked Snappy how he set up his bass to get his great sound, as he also plays in a rockabilly band back in America.
After they left to get ready for their show that evening we also got ready and headed back to the festival to catch their show, before the eights went on again.
The weather was much better on the Saturday night (it rained all night Friday) The Straight eights played a killer set of rockabilly, with the guys pumping up the crowd and visa versa. I noticed backstage Candye Kane with her band and also blues legend Charlie Musselwhite and his band had come to watch the eights. ( they were not just there waiting for their turns as they were playing on a different stage, in a different marquee)
After the eights set we had a few drinks and got ready to see Charlie Musselwhite. I was lucky enough to be backstage with the guys to watch him play and also got a great view of his drummer June Core, this guy is so fast and never missed a beat and barely worked up a sweat.
After the show the boys got photos with Charlie, who is one of Rays heroes. Charlie then came up to Victor and said that he had seen them play their set and that he had immediately rang a friend in Melbourne when they had finished to tell them that he had just seen a fantastic rockabilly band called the Straight Eights, to which he was told to make sure he introduced himself to them as they were good friends of his. Charlie also told us some brilliant stories of growing up in the fifties in Memphis, living across the street from Johnny and Dorsey Burnette and being good friends with Charlie Feathers and his family. I also heard Ray telling June (Charlie Musselwhites Drummer) that he felt humble just watching him play, to which June said, I saw your set, you should see YOU play.
After everything was packed away, we headed back to the motel and within half an hour, half or Candye Kanes band and half or Charlie Musselwhites band and a couple of others were in the room with us. (news of Snappys salami and wine had spread) All the guys from the other bands told all the guys in the eights that they could and should be playing in America and wouldn’t have any trouble getting any gigs anywhere.
Sunday morning saw an early start for the trip home and the gig at Micawber that night.
Thanks guys for letting me tag along. I already knew how good you guys are but to hear it from legends like Candye Kane and Charlie Musselwhite tops it off.
I'M VERY ..VERY ..VERY.. ENVIOUS OF YOU JOHN
BUT PROUD OF THE STRAIGHT8'S AS ALWAYS.
WOULDN'T MATTER WHERE THE 8'S WENT *OS* THEY WOULD BE A KILLER ACT. THEY'VE GOT MORE TOONS IN THE VAULT THAN I'VE HAD HOT DINNERS LET ALONE KNOW.....
Rumors are carried by haters, Spread by fools, and accepted by Idiots
Well done guys you got to meet the Delta Bluesman.If that man doesn't know his music nobody does.He is a very significant musician in the world he has played with INXS,the Rolling Stones,Tom Waits,Bonnie Raitt,The Blind Boys of Alabama and his good freind John Lee Hooker just to name a few.He also has a strong affiliation with 81 in the U.S.especially the President of the San Francisco chapter he teaches his son to play harp.You can see them on Youtube together.You're very lucky you got to talk one on one with such a living legend.I would have rode my old pan head with the hard tail in the rain all the way to Narooma without thinking about it for that experiance.Didn't hear anything about it ,the Straight 8s just flying under the radar like usual, wowing everybody who sees them, even Charlie Mussewhite.What can I say? " WHAT A BAND" Great write up Man in Black you should do it more often Cheers BB
Re: Weekend With The Straight Eights
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