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These notes are drifting gently from a farmhouse in the Gippsland
region of Victoria. We’re guests of the Rose family (Gary, Maria
& little Georgia- hot future fiddler) & we’ve had a rare day of
relaxation all together in a peaceful place. Greg & Caroline are
off raging tonight in one of the little towns nearby, but I stayed
behind to listen to my thoughts accompanied by the hum of the fridge.
We’ve just finished arranging three new songs- Caroline is
singing Greg’s beautiful “Seventeen” about the repercussions of
teenage suicide & in contrast there are two new Liz ditties. Both
inspired by the same tall dark & handsome gentlemen, the first is
a sultry little jazz inflected song of lust & frustration, the second
is far more innocent & friendly. It’s a song that resulted from
a challenge to write a song as a birthday present in the four days
between flying out of Perth & getting to Port Fairy. Talk about
writing on the run! This added to Gregs striking new song “Blinded
Few” written in response to the Gulf war situation & the rapidly
evolving “Chainsaw Wedding Arrangement” means that we have a lot
of fresh material to play you. Check out some new lyrics if I’ve
managed to get them up, or come & see us live somewhere & we’ll
sing them to you. So much has happened since Cygnet. I think I’ll
stick to point form, my grammar isn’t up to the challenge of avoiding
the shopping list...
- staring at the blackening sky from the fire escape of Infidel
Studios at Queanbeyan where Fred Smith & I have been recording rhythm
tracks all day for our album. It was Friday & we had no idea that
those plumes of smoke making the sunset look so romantic were the
precursor of such destruction. Saturday was another day in the studio
& I will never be able to listen to the album without being reminded
of how we played our fiddles while Canberra burned! (The album "Into
My Room:FrenchamSmith" is almost to mastering stage & sounds fantastic!
It’ll be out by the National Folk Fest, fingers crossed...)
- It's Saturday night at the Australian Blues Music Festival
in Goulburn & Greg is really taking his blues chops to the limit!
(boys with guitars will be boys with guitars even if they are acoustic!)
the night ends with the Goldfish jeans in the air & Greg attempting
to play my bass with his teeth. The night is so amazing that I don’t
notice ‘til the next day that I’ve done some major damage to my
little toe in all the excitement. It stills hurts two months later!
- A relaxed recording session in Soundmine studios in Perth
with the talented Lee Buddle comes up with the goods. We’ve started
album #3 very gently with “Sweet Basil” & “Jericho”, & ohhh the
goosebumps as Caroline (violin) Geordy (viola) & Peter Grayling
(cello) enter together for the solo as a section. (Thanks Nick Southcott
for that STUNNING arrangement) & then to make things just perfect
the final Doublebass overdub goes down in one go!(Liz takes out
the coveted Soundmine First Take award for 2003)
- The WA tour is small but lots of fun. I particularly remember
kicking off the Dunsborough show with “Little Things” & dedicating
it to the poor guy who lost a bet & had to do a nudey run around
the pub. Our gigs are always classy! We also have the honour of
being the first live entertainment at the newly opened Bordern Pavilion,
& we sign a photo to put into a time capsule. A magical night at
Mojos wins over a local Chiropracter & guarantees good WA chiro
care for Jigzag indefinitely.
-Nannup (photo thanks to Steve Boaks) hosts a hybrid intercontinental jam combining the wild talents
of Canada’s Ember Swift with Jigzag for another incarnation of the
“Chainsaw Wedding Arrangement”. The evening gig after Joe Camelleri
is a standout for us (oh the stars & the beautifully lit trees)
thanks to the beautiful addition of David Hyams on “Stronger the
Tree”. We betray all our secrets at a Sunday workshop as Greg proves
that licks stolen from the Police & The Beatles CAN sound at home
accompanying the most demure celtic tunes. The final jam with Dot
Combo (including the exuberant grooves of my fav WA percussionist
Reuben Kooperman) finishes the weekend on a high & I’m not keen
on going home...
-Port Fairy sees me trying to put a little bit of Jigzag
into as many acts as possibleas I run around to jam with Fred Smith,
Peter Willey, Steve & Ros Barnes & the brilliant Chris While & Julie
Matthews from the UK. Jigzag’s Stage 4 gig completely rocks as Misirlou
powers into new territory. (Will we ever get sick of that tune?
I hope not!)
-The day after the festival we make up for all the nights
of being forcibly removed from the green room mid-session by security
guards. Koroit Hotel is the scene of one of the most amazing sessions
I’ve partaken of in my life. The key players are the three scots
from “Fine Friday” & the legendary Sharon Shannon & her entourage
including amazing guitarist Jim Murray. Of course anywhere you find
good musical craic Andy Rigby is never far away, & for comic relief
there is juggling, string sculpture & manic accordion from the inimatable
Mike Jackson who keeps us all in stitches. The photos don’t really
give you the magic, but believe me it was exhilarating!
-Ping joins us once again on the dance floor at the Corner
Hotel where we dance to Totally Gourgeous after a delivering an
exuberant set. The Gourds have a guest member... Greg looks particularly
alluring in an orange turban & fluffy orage pants as he fills in
for a missing Karl on percussion. Cymbal cuts on his hands & a huge
grin mark a job well done!
Thanks to all those that helped us on our travels with a
special mention to Jenny Simpson for the great car hire deal & to
our Fairy Godhosts of the East & West The Packards & the Duffs.
Time to head for Apollo Bay, but first remember handy hint No.6
~ (I never remember this one) Brush your teeth BEFORE you put your
lippy on!
~elisabeth
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