Gigs, News & the occasional rant from the doghouse (scroll down for the gig guide)
coming soon:
Dateline 020513
Last night I had the honour, I guess you'd say, of taking part in a panel discussion on the future of live music in Sydney along with Laughing Outlaw Records head honcho, Stuart Coupe, esteemed author & journo, Clinton Walker, and tireless advocate for live music, John Wardell. It was an interesting, if sparcely attended, event which threw up some thoughtful perspectives.
Afterwards I got talking to someone who asked me, somewhat challengingly, how, past 40, a songwriter could possibly have anything relevant to say. Notwithstanding the fact that this proposition effectively writes off the opinion of anyone over that age, I resisted the temptation to be argumentative & gave it some thought…
“Relevant”? …to what & to whom? My band… we’re all over 50, most of our friends, if not fellow musicians, are mums & dads of our kids’ friends at school &, like most middle-aged people, music isn’t necessarily that important to them any more; if it is, they’re likely listening to what makes them feel good about themselves – stuff that drove them in their youth (why else the explosion of dinosaur rockers on reunion tours & a growing market for them?). Most have an idea that we are musicians but haven’t a clue what we actually do & aren’t really interested which is fair enough. Our wives largely think we should grow up & get real but are resigned to partners suffering a case of terminal adolescence. As for our kids & the generations of younger musicians in between- what could we possibly have to say to them that they don’t either plan to work out for themselves, or would actively deny or disagree with on principle anyway?
Due to a combination of employment & family responsibilities, as well as complete incompetence as bookers, we’ve yet to tour outside of the occasional festival & trip up the highway a ways, so we’re not exactly a household name, but, for myself at least, this is hands down, the most rewarding creative period of my life & I wouldn’t swop it for anything. Sure, I’d like to reach a larger audience but really this is for us & the vagaries of fads & fashions are not part of the Dead Setters mind set. It’s all (hats off to Townes)…for the sake of the song.
So… relevant? I don’t give a fuck. It’s only rock’n’roll, or folk music, or alt country (whatever that is) or just cheaper than therapy…whatever. It makes me happy
and I hope that, occasionally at least, we strike a chord with other folk too.
Dateline 190313
Now this'll be fun- we head to Bondi Beach to celebrate the end of summer with a month of April Thursdays at Ravesis Hotel.
The band will be in acoustic mode digging deep into the catalog with
songs from my first two Laughing Outlaw Records solo albums, current
Laughing Outlaw release, "Putting on the Dog", & the two albums
recorded in the wilderness between. These will be some of the last gigs
before we take time out to record a whole swag of new material for a new Dead Setters album & I start work on a more intimate solo project.
Dateline: 040313
Dateline 140213
The weather was a little against us on this run - James never made the Friday night due to car trouble & I only just managed the Newcastle end thanks to
torrential rain on the freeway but a fine time was had by all. Opening act De'May was a sweet revelation on eclectic electric resonator.
Dateline: 140213
Dateline: 281112
Now this is is gonna be HUGE...two big nights of all kinds of music folks, celebrating another year with the Laughing Outlaw family. Come and join us both nights if you can- you’ll not regret it, nossir!
And in other news:
Sun Dec 2nd Mark turns a shade of blue at “Bowls with a Feeling”, an afternoon of acoustic blues at Petersham Bowlo 5 to 8pm
Tues Dec 4th Mark is on his ownsome opening for Handasyd Williams at the good old Botany View, Newtown 7pm
Sat Dec 8th Dead Setters play their final gig for 2012 at Rozelle Markets 11 to 3pm, front stage.
We’ll be back with a whole bunch of new stuff in 2013, in the meantime we wish all our friends & neighbours best wishes for Xmas & the new year...
”May the God of your choice bless you” (thanks Kinky)
last show for the year at the pbc:
Dateline 280912
whoaa! this'll be a hoot! - after 16 years or so the stars have aligned & almost the entire 'classic period' (read pissed 'n' crazed) line-up of one-time seminal Sydney alt country pioneers can be in the same place at the same time. It's beer o'clock...
Dateline 130912
Lordy!- it's that time of year again when we elbow the house-band off stage & pose the eternal question- "Would Hank really have done it that way...?" Come on down and make up you own mind.
Dateline 250712
Our show at the pbc with Bill Chambers on July 24th was a real highlight, & it was a real privilege to spend most of the evening as backing band for an artist who has truly learned from listening to the elders & is now one in his own right.
Dateline 030512
We're well chuffed to announce that we are finalists in three categories of the 2012 Music Oz Awards:
Acoustic / singer-songwriter
Roots / Blues
Country
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This is gonna be somethin'
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Dateline 010212
Sunday 26th February - it's A Family Affair! - Half a Cow Records presents SMUDGE, MARK LUCAS & THE DEAD SETTERS, THE STICKER CLUB, AGNES KAIN & THE HANDLEBARS at the pbc from 2 to 7pm $6 on the door.
Dateline 060112
HAPPY NEW YEAR DEAD SET FRIENDS & FAMILY!!
Our New Year's Resolutions include drinking less, eating more healthily , mostly, making more music - the main one being to get of town & broaden our horizons. In the meantime we're back at the pbc on Sunday Jan 22nd for a very special command performance for Mark's sister who's over from the UK for the first time in a decade or so. She's never seen him play live so Mark'll be digging waaay back into the back catalogue through some...dare we say it...30 years of songwriting....
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Dateline 121211
We celebrate another year of the dog & our last gig of 2011 at our home-away-from-home, the pbc (where else?!).
Special guest for the evening is the inimitable Cletis Carr, one of our favourite troubadour drinking buddies.
We're going to deploy the famous pbc Chocolate Wheel fotr this one folks....veryone's a winner, we've got all kinds of giveaways from cd's & t-shirts to beer 'n' bowls & the lucky door prize is not to be sniffed at (it's potable).
The Portuguese meat tray will be raffled in time-honoured fashion & the bistro will be open for business.
$5 on the door.
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Dateline 121211
The pbc / Laughing Outlaw Records 2011 Xmas Party was the dog's bollocks folks! We'd enjoyed Mustered Courage at the Canberra Fest through rain & shine & were absolutely blown away by the diversity of talent on display on Sunday ... standouts were local sensations The Widowbirds & Sam Shinazzi's Bruce-channeling set.
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Dateline 171111
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we who are not Tamworthy salute you...
Just a quick note to let you know that the Dead Setters have come to the end of a fun-filled seven year Festival run at Joe Maguire’s Pub. Due to family commitments we could only offer the venue a couple of dates for 2012, one hinging on the other, however they were unable to accommodate us & we have no choice but to bow out.
Of course, it is not without some regret that we tell you this as we’ll miss catching up with a lot of our interstate mates. As a non-touring band we don’t get to see a lot of you outside infrequent festival appearances, & the annual Tamworth Maguire’s residency was always a good opportunity for that, as well as catching up with our musical friends. In truth though, we’ve always felt a bit like a square peg in the increasingly round Aussie country music hole, & recent negative Festival experiences with heavy-handed security (not, we hasten to add, at Maguire’s), & over-zealous ‘RSA regulation’ enforcement, as well as a progressively more intimidating police presence (swat teams & sniffer dogs at the worlds most benign music fest?!), have made the Tamworth CMF a lot less enjoyable. Then, maybe we’re just grumpy old men?! Either way- that’s it...doggone.
That said, we do still harbour ambitions to do some independent touring of our own now that the kids are a bit older (the main reason that keeps most of us off the road), so you never know where we may show up- & of course this is not the only festival that provides a stage for real roots music aficionados such as ourselves... and, don’t forget, if you’re in Sydney you can find us at our de facto home at Petersham Bowlo- Sydney’s Best Small Band Venue 2011, where Mark is still El Presidente, the beer is cold & they’re keepin’ it real for all kinds of music, from the garage to the stars.
We’ll see you ‘round the traps.
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Coming soon...
A special event for fans of top-shelf country music, at the Petersham Bowling Club (PBC).
See leading local musicians cover your fave country artists such as
Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, Steve Earle, Townes van
Zandt, the Man In Black himself, Johnny Cash and loads more.
Our confirmed performers are: Suzy Connolly, Mark Lucas and the Dead Setters, Queen Ravine, Bryan Estepa, and James Thomson.
If you love country music, especially new/alt country, Inner Western at
the PBC is for you! Come enjoy stunning live performances and support
the Inner West's most cherished community-owned venue.
When: Sunday Nov 13th, 5-9pm.
Where: PBC, 77 Brighton St Petersham
Cost: $15 on the door, kids FREE
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NEWS FLASH!!!
in breaking news we hear that our home away from home (& yeah- we admit Mark's El Presidente 'n' all) has just been awarded BEST LOCAL BAND VENUE in the 2011 Alternative Media Group Best of Sydney Awards.
Rest assured we'll be there celebrating at the next gig in our long-running residency this Sunday arvo Sept 11th.
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"...son of a gun, gonna have BIG fun..."
'The 2011 HANK & PATSY Birthday Bash'
A year passes like nothing, & before you know it, it's time for the annual Hank Williams Birthday bash at Canterbury Hurstone Park RSL & playing as we do, both kinds of music & then some, in our own particular way, we are pleased to announce that this year the event has grown to encompass the divine Patsy Cline.
If the shoe fits thought we...so, patsies that we are, the Dead Setters have, gasp...eschewed Hank in favour of The Cline. Lots of our pals & also some nice folks'll be there so dust of your glad rags peeps! (tried to upload the poster but, alas, failed miserably).
Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Thursday September 8th 8pm FREE
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Well, it's taken a while but I've finally sussed how to wrangle the software so I can update this - wretched thing won't let me cut & paste so my typing skills will be challenged- anyway...
Saturday 9th July- Petersham Bowling Club Annual Membership Drive incorporating the Laughing Outlaw Records Winter Ball
I guess that most know by now that I'm running the music program at this joint, lately I also became President- yeah sure...huh? me, bowling club, presidency?...could be gettin' old & staid - but it's only rock'n'roll & I like it.
Here's a link to the facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165532680179898
There are a whole bunch of fellow Laughing Outlaws appearing throughout the day including Jason Walker, Bryan Estepa, Sam Shinazzi, Jamie Hutchings, Miss Little, Hailer, Grun& more. Come on down & celebrate our community.
The following arvo (10th July) me & the Dead setters are back at the club with Nathan Handasyd Williams & the Primitives & our old mate Karl Broadie- we're in the middle spot at about 7pm.
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More News
The first review of Putting on the Dog is out. Read more>>>