T Bones at Danny Hamburgers in 1990: Charlie Wilde, Helen Cattanach, Andrew Pupillo and Rob Lastdrager.
Bring on 2022 after a surreal 262 days in lockdown here in Melbourne. We all did a lot of daydreaming and walking the hood waiting for cocktail hour. Here are a few highlights that got me through in no particular order.
1. T Bones Greatest Hits 1991
Our 30th Year anniversary. Recorded at Sing Sing in Melbourne by Mark Smith in a couple of days. I was worried at the time after having four wisdom teeth removed days before the recording, I needn’t have been. Still has great R&R energy. Would’ve been cool to do a 30th reunion show in 2021. C’est la vie.
2. Buying an old Australian Diason amplifier on Gumtree in lockdown for our budding 14-year-old guitarist and having it delivered by a guy called Mitch who plays in a band called Foggy Notion (My fave Velvets track!).
Great omen, small world.
3. Playing brushes again and making smoke signals with all that new tremolo and warm reverb mojo.
4. George Orwell – “The Road to Wigan Pier”
He was a hundred years ahead of the pack.
5. Firebug
Chopping wood and feeding our large open fireplace. I’ve loved every winters day and evening.
6. Queenie
My 12-year-old Staffy is still going strong after killing a tiger snake in the backyard and getting bitten in the process. On the ropes for over a week, but finally saved by two whole barbecued IGA chickens(Hold the stuffing!) Dogs are the best people.
7. Paulie
Had a galah (the native bird variety) show up on our balcony. A week later he started talking out of the blue. Now he shows up every day with his girlfriend for a free feed saying “Hello Paulie”. I’m powerless.
8. Radio 3PBS, 3RRR, 3CR
Melbourne community radio has been such a positive force during such a bleak time. So good to tune in and drop out of COVID.
Robert Lastdrager's moist recent piece for the I-94 Bar was about Peter Hood and The Atlantics and and is here.
