rockinluke

Last week Brisbane rock and roll lost an well known music figure with the passing of keyboard player Steve Neale who was from the Brisbane groups the Planets and the Sounds of Seven. Steve had played in the Brisbane Rock group the Hucklebucks which would feature Planets members Brian Gagen, Johnny Pal, John Reid and Bobby Rich(Richards)and joined the Planets not long after they were formed in 1959 which he would be with them for the next 6 years as he would be there till the end in 1965 and throughout those years played at Cloudland, the Gold Coast, Railway Institute, Sandgate, Festival Hall, Ahepa Hall from 1961-62, City Hall every Tuesday nights from 1962 until 1963, Birdland which they leased the building from the council and started October 26th 1962 until the very last gig there December 20th 1963, TC's from May-December 1963 as they were first Brisbane rock group to play there and again for a time in 1965, Teen City from January 3rd 1964 until March 13th 1965 and many oth...

Last night I went to the Cleveland Sands Hotel to see the legendary Australian rock band The Radiators which it is my 3rd time seeing them as the first was at the Countdown Spectacular 2 at the Brisbane Entertainment Center Tuesday August 21st 2007 and the second was at Kedron Wavell Friday October 1st 2010. I caught the bus to Cleveland, walk to the Sands Hotel, went to the Bistro, rang home, ordered my meal and did writing. Had chicken schentizel, chips and salad for dinner, drank 2 Coke with No Sugars, ate Chocolate Brownie for desert, paid for my meals, went inside, did writing and the support act Upsize who are an Brisbane band come on at 8.30pm which they did an of mainly their own songs which they sounded great. There was an interval where I bought Coke with No Sugar, drank it and use my mobile. The Radiators came on stage at 9.45pm with original member Geoff Turner and Brian Nichol along with Martin Cilia who played with the Atlantics from 1999-2013 and Mental As Anything fr...

For the classic album segment which I have not done for 3 years let's have a look at the 1975 album Northern Lights-Southern Cross by rock group the Band. The album was recorded in Zumba Beach California at their studio Shangri-La from spring to summer 1975 and it was the first album in 4 years that had original songs written by Robbie Robertson as they did the Moondog Matinee album in 1973 doing covers of rock songs from the 50's and 60's as well as recording with Bob Dylan on 2 albums. From the album had the hit single Ophelia which went to number 62 in the album and the album was released on November 1st 1975 which went to number 26 in the USA and number 27 in Canada. The Band produced the album and it is an great album with great songs which besides from Ophelia there is some great ones including It Makes No Difference with great vocals by Rick Danko and Acacia Driftwood which they hold up very well to this day and sound as great now as it did back then wh...

This is the soundtrack album of the upcoming documentary about Australian music executive and promoter as well as founder of Mushroom Records Michael Gudinski and this 3 CD set it has the classic songs from the Mushroom era including I hear Motion by the Motions, I Remember When I Was Young by Matt Taylor, some of the Skyhooks songs, some of the Hunters and Collectors songs and some live recordings. It is FANTASTIC, BRILLIANT and SUPERB with FANTASTIC songs which has stood the test of time which they still sound great today as it did back then and these are songs you can never get tired off. The upcoming documentary about Michael Gudinski will be released on August 31st and it is well worth seeing as it is must for Australian music fans. The soundtrack album has entered the Australian charts at number 18 this week and it is a must for Australian music fans too which I give the album 5 stars as it's in the shops now so do yourselves an favour and BUY IT which you will love it. L...

In August 1972 Australian progressive jazz rock group Sun released their one and only album called Sun 1972 on the RCA label which was produced by Horst Liepolt who went on to form the Sweet Basil nightclub in New York and this was the group that had Renee Geyer who would go on to a very successful solo career. The group lasted an few years and the album is now finally out on CD which it has been released by Aztec Records as an double CD. Besides from the original tracks on the album on the first CD and on the second CD it has the rehearsal tapes which has versions of the songs that were on the album as well some that were not. It is FANTASTIC, BRILLIANT and SUPERB with FANTASTIC songs which holds up very well and still sounds great to this day which another great effort by Gil Matthews from Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and Ian McFarlane did the liner notes. Renee Geyer and Keith Shadwick have passed away but their part of the music of Sun lives on and to great to hear Renee G...

This afternoon I went to the Denedy Cinema at Coorparoo to see the movie The Miracle Club. It's 1967 in Dublin Ireland and 3 ladies Eileen Dunne (Kathy Bates), Lily Fox (Maggie Smith) and Dolly Hennessey(Agnes O'Casey) are in an talent quest for the church to win an voucher to go to Lourdes France where they do miracles there which draws millions of people there and then Chrissy Ahearn(Laura Linney) who is the daughter of their friend Maureen who passed away arrives for her funeral and despite oppotions from the ladies' husbands they go to Lourdes which each woman's past will reopen old wounds and have to find an way to confront their past as they travel for the miracle and then it gets interesting. It's excellent, very impressive and very entertaining with great acting by Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Agnes O'Casey, Stephen Rae who plays Eileen's husband Frank, Mark McKenna who plays Dolly's husband George and Brenda Fricker is the voice of Chrissi...

1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970. Amazing entertainment from Slim Dusty, LeGarde Twins, Chad Morgan, Reg Lindsay to Normie Rowe, Digger Revell, Lionel Long, The Denvermen, Roland Storm, Mike Furber, Johnny O'Keefe, Tony Worsley to local acts including Sandy Ainsworth, The Escorts and Jon Blanchfield. An different time to what it is today.