Graham Rodger

NEWSLETTER - March 30 2010
UPDATE FROM GRAHAM RODGER - March 30 2010
Cripes time gets away when you are having fun, and I have been having some wonderful concerts so far in 2010. It all started with Tamworth of course. I have put some photos up on the website for you along with some of my mates. Please keep the pictures coming to me via the computer I love to keep up with you all.
I have been down to Victoria to Melbourne and Moe and did two shows with Amber Poulton. Barry and Maree Andersen treated us like royality in their home, loaded me up with fruit, home grown, to take back and Barry cooks the meanest roast in his bar-be-que. Elaine Bechaz worked tirelessly to get the show together for us at Moe. Sincere thanks to all of you from Amber and I.
I travelled down in the Prado and what a relaxing trip with the cruise control doing all the work for me. Never again will I go back to a geared car. As I love camping out I took the little $29-oo tent however two things were quickly discovered, the zip was broken so the mozzies had a field day and secondly it was not rain proof so even with a light shower a lovely mist of rain drifted down upon me, so ever resourceful out came my banner and with it draped over the now sagging tent frame I was dry but the roof was near my nose all night. I rang Dad and told him "I'm getting soaking wet" and he impatiently replied, "Well get back into the tent" and I replied "Yeh Dad, I'm in the tent!" Arrived in Melbourne two days later with three days growth on my face, stinking of smoke and honestly looking a derelict. There’s a photo of me and the Hilton tent in the photo gallery. Great fire and the steak was just right with the slight smoky taste.
I am in love with Western Australia. I entertained at the Boyup Brook Festival and caught up with old friends as well as doing a couple of shows with Terry & Jenny Bennetts. The country over there was dry but the stock were doing well. Apparently, though it looks dry, the grass is good. I sampled the wine from the Scottsbrook Winery and can recommend you try and get some, it is very palatable.
Following on from WA I flew down to South Australia and did a Victor Harbor concert with Amber. For the months of April and May I have a line-up of some terrific concerts from Benalla, Wedderburn and Maryborough in Victoria up to Mackay in Queensland. Laura and I will be teaming up following our great concert down at Tamworth. Even though my knees tremble when she turns and confronts me with her wit I have proved one thing, I can yodel better than her, well that's what I'm claiming anyway. The Bush Balladeer Concerts at the 2010 Urban Country Music Festival is always a highlight in my performances for me joining a great line-up of Balladeers with the talents of the Coad Family backing. All the concerts are up on the website.
A new Album is in the pipeline. I entered four of the songs into the Songwriters Awards at Tamworth and all four reached the finals so that was a good sign. They were varied in their subject matter. One of them is very close to me as I wrote it for my mum who is in a nursing home now. I won't go into the details as I will be spoiling your first hearing of the songs when I release the album, however I am now thinking that this album will surpass the last one. I am on the final songs now and then the hard work starts choosing which ones to record. Decided to relax and go for a bit of a drive through the state forest in the Prado, it was during the rainy season but the rain had stopped for a couple of days, bad decision. Yeah you guessed it, got bogged up to the back axles in thick slimy mud. The wheels just spun. Sticks under the wheels did no good, sooooooo walked back 8ks to the house for a pair of maxi traks (get a pair if you do this sort of thing) in a pair of ill fitting sloppy joe shoes, blistered feet was the result and a little embarrassment. Some relaxation!
Dad is good. He is playing his chanter every day which is doing great for his lungs and he is finding walking up and down the hill from his unit in Nambour to the shops much easier now. I am delighted that he is able to come to some of my concerts even if he steals the show with his performance on the harmonica. By the way he says hello to all his mates in country music as well.
I have really been enjoying the rain as it means that being on tank water I can have lots of deep baths and wash the car that gets muddy every time I drive out the gate. The down side is that the grass won't stop growing, and even though I leave the gate open the neighbours cows won’t come in and eat it so the mower is running hot at the moment, the upside is that my weight is creeping down. You know the saying there's a sunny side to all things. On that note I will say au revoir, next newsletter should have the news of my new Album No. 9.
I sang at the Country Music Heritage Assoc at Grandchester on Sunday afternoon on March 28th and thoroughly enjoyed the great hospitality and the great audience of true country music lovers. The club members entertained me, I was feed with sausages and cakes and I appreciated the response to my songs. Thank you to all for a lovely afternoon and I recommend the afternoon to all Aussie country music ballad lovers.
Keep an eye out on Community Television Station 31 previously Briz 31 for Graham approximately 26th April through to start of the Urban Country Music Festival.
Graham
austrakmusic@bigpond.com.au

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