"2005 ... on reflection!"
SA Roots and Blues caught up with Phil Manning, Detonator "Doghouse Dave", "Streamliner" Nick Kipridis, Josh Bennett, Sweet Baby James and our very own "Bob The Punter" and asked them to reflect on 2005. We asked them the following:
  1. The "music event" that gave you the biggest buzz in 2005?
  2. Conversely, was there a much anticipated music event that ended up being a real fizzer!
  3. What CDs/Artists have impressed and inspired you the most in 2005?
  4. Your favourite CD? What CD do you reckon you have listened to the most over the year?
  5. Reading! Any stand-out book or magazine (doesn't necessarily have to do with music) that you would care to tell us about?
  6. Movies! A couple of movies from 2005 that impressed you the most?
  7. A ridiculous question to finish with. Each year you have the opportunity to have an evening's conversation with any musician you like! It could be someone from the past or present (I told you it was a ridiculous question). For 2005 who would you choose? What would you talk about?

Bob the Punter

1. The "music event" of 2005?
I managed to see 64 concerts this year. The best? Hmmm. Difficult! Guy Davis at The Gov' was exceptional. Keiran Kane and Kevin Welch with Fats Kaplin was also very good. Oh! KD Lang with the SASO at The Entertainment Centre ...now that was a superb performance.
2. Music event fizzer!
Jimmy Webb. All that self congratulatory name dropping! The crowd seemed to love it but not me. I now know the best thing about his songs are... the cover versions
3. CDs/Artists that impressed you in 2005?
Martha Wainright without a doubt!
4. Favourite, most listened to CD of 2005?
Would have to be "Mercy Now" by Mary Gauthier. Also John Prine's "Fair and Square". Oh and Guy Davis' "Legacy".
5. Reading?
No Depression ...it's the roots bible. Rhythms also. Jim Brown's "Angel in dIsguise" about Emmylou Harris ...she is a remarkable person and musician!
6. Movies?
After seeing "Meet The F#@*ing Fockers" I vowed that I would never see a mainstream film again! Then you drag me offf to see "King Kong". I much preferred the 1933 original! Anyway "A very long engagement" was the best film of this year followed by "The Proposition" and "Little Fish".
7. An evening's conversation with ...?
I managed to chat with Guy Davis after his show. Nice bloke. Wouldn't mind catching up with him again.
...That's it! Hang on! What about DVDs? You should have a question in there about DVDs. Licinda Williams "Live at Austin Texas' and "You see me laughing" The story of Fat Possum Records were my favourites. Can't wait to get a copy of "Lost Highway"..
What about Radio Shows? What sort of interview is this? Yodel Action
with Ali and Lone Tony Joe on Three D and 5RPHs Roots and All with James Kensholl are essential listening.


Phil Manning
Oz Blues Institution.

1. The "music event" of 2005?
My appearances at the Warrenpoint Blues Festival in Northern Ireland (and all the rest of the tour in Ireland!) It was a great event and I seemed to go up a notch at each show.
2. Music event fizzer!
The embarrasing end to my last set at the Broadbeach Blues Festival due to a severe under-estimation of the power of red wine. Still, it gave me the determination to never repeat it, so there was one positive in it.
3. CDs/Artists that impressed you in 2005?
I liked Jeff Lang's 'Whatever makes you happy' , and lots of other local artists I heard a track or two of, but generally I'm too busy writing and recording to listen much, and I don't even have a CD player in my car.
4. Favourite, most listened to CD of 2005?
Probably re-visited Robert Johnson, Skip James and early Muddy Waters more than anything, but also Seamus Ennis, an Irish legend on the Uellian pipes ...try listening to about 32 tracks in a row! Another one is the most legendary piper, Johnny Doran, but I've only got that on cassette (and I can play it in my car!!).
5. Reading?
I read newspapers constantly, favourites being the Age, and the Weekend Australian.
6. Movies?
The Chinese movie 'Hero' was ineresting in the moods and colours of the different versions of the one story. And of course the Blues series on the ABC. On a totally silly note, the latest Steven Seagal re-hash of the same story (again and again) in 'Submerged'...I have made it a quest to see every one of these deep and meaningful movies.
7. An evening's conversation with ...?
My grandfather was a brass band leader and he died when I was in my early twenties. I really loved both my grandads and would dig to talk to them with another 35 years under my belt and, not surprisingly, talk about their youth in a time which seems like the other side of the universe now.

Phil Manning

Nick Kipridis
from The Streamliners

1. The "music event" of 2005?
I didn't go to many music "events" this year but the "Bollywood" show at the Festival Theatre was truly inspiring! Nothing else really came close! Womad may have been a good deal, though I wasn't there and don't know anyone who was ( this could easily turn into a list of "I wish I went to ...")!
2. Music event fizzer!
No. Most of the gigs I saw and/or participated in, were OK!
3. CDs/Artists that impressed you in 2005?
The North Mississippi Allstars have impressed me quite a bit this year. Not having known of them before the first Bonnaroo festival DVD, I'm hearing more and more of them lately.
4. Favourite, most listened to CD of 2005?
CD most listened to this year would have to be a toss up between Nick Cave's "Abattoir blues/Lyre of Orpheus" and Lucinda Williams' "World without tears". Also on high rotation at home are George Harrison's reissue of "All things must pass" and Patti Smith's "Trampin'". I also love to watch the "American folk blues Vol.1 & 2" DVD series, as well as Joni Mitchell's "Shadows & light" and the Stones' "Rock n roll circus" DVDs.
5. Reading?
I've just finished Truman Capote's "In cold blood" - what great writing style! I also read Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" for the first time and it's spectacular. Charles Bukowski's "Tales of ordinary madness" was a good laugh with dark undertones and you've absolutely gotta read Bob Dylan's "Chronicles" if you haven't already!
6. Movies?
My favourite films were "The Aviator", "Ray", "Touching the void (2005?)", "Metallica" and a host of others I can't seem to recall right now!
7. An evening's conversation with ...?
Bob Dylan! I especially love his stuff with producer Daniel Lanois and would like to find out more about their collaboration. I'd love to ask Bob these same seven questions I've just answered!

Nick Kipridis
"Doghouse Dave"
Bass player for The Detonators

1. The "music event" of 2005?
I've got to say that our tour to Europe was it for us. We played a festival at the gates of a medieval castle in Luxembourg it was huge there was lots of people all crammed in on this road from both directions trying to see us. We also did a blues festival in Belgium which had 20,000 people at it. The stage was the biggest I have seen, there was racks of Fender amps, drum kits and bass amps, they just said take your pick use what you want. There were camera crews and the lot there. We also played a prison in Antwerp Belgium, which was great fun they just sat, stared and clapped. We even had dinner with the warden after the show and got a free tour. The hospitality over there towards musicians is fantastic they really appreciate how hard it is on the road, not like over here. I reckon a few festival organisers and venue owners should go and see how other people do it. It certainly opened our eyes up. Having said that though we still do some great venues and festivals here.
2. Music event fizzer!
Conversely, was there a much anticipated music event that ended up being a real fizzer! We do Tamworth (or as we like to call it Shamwoth) festival now and again, it’s the only festival where the musos get no accom food etc and only get paid a pittance compared to the work they do. Some stupid bands even play there for free which wrecks it for everyone. I don’t know what they are on or trying to prove by doing that. We all stayed in a one bedroom flat it was sort of like living in a small submarine I suppose. You basically do a set of pub gigs that you have to organise yourself, as there is no organisational committee or anything like that. The pubs are packed from opening to close; you are lucky to get a glass of water for free let alone a beer! That somehow doesn’t seem right to me. Its always 40 degrees + too a bloody hard slog and you have to do heaps of gigs to make it worthwhile financially when you drive there from Melbourne. We blew two tyres on the way there in 2005 and Rockbottom got fined $250.00 for throwing a cigarette butt out the window, the cops acted like he was about to start the great fire of Tamworth! But the punters are always keen there and have great time that’s why we do it.
3. CDs/Artists that impressed you in 2005?
The Chris Mawre band have a great CD out they are from Sydney and have done a few supports for us. Our old drummer “Gspot” George plays with them. I saw Tex Don and Charlie the other night they are great. Bluesy and mellow but still able to rock it. We did a support for Lynwood Slim when he came out earlier in the year from the U.S. He is great and the band was fantastic, Alex Schultz X-Rod Piazza on guitar and Richard Inns X-James Harman, Hollwood Fats etc on Drums both great bluesmen with fantastic tones and styles and nice blokes too. We met James Harman who we are big fans of by accident in Belgium he was staying in the same Hotel as us. He loves a chat and has been on the road since 1962 that’s as long as I have been on the Earth..... that’s impressive. I’ve got to admit I’m a big fan of Rose Tattoo, always have been I always go and see them play when they come to town, the production on the early Albert recordings is excellent. I’m also a big fan of Steve Earle, he’s a great songwriter, and man of the people with a great band, Ive never seen him do a dud show. His recordings are always top notch. When I;m not touring I always go and check out the local bands here in Melbourne we have every style you can think of and there’s a great band playing somewhere 7 nights a week, you cant beat that.
4. Favourite, most listened to CD of 2005?
My favourite CD? I’ve got heaps of them! Girls go wild by The Fabulous Thunderbirds is one no doubt it at all. It started to wear out and jump a bit so I cleaned it with Windex and wrecked it. Now it is blue tacked to my wall as an example of what not to do. It’s hard to get now. I keep looking for a new one but cant find it, any clues? I have a five-stack player and I have had a Rod Piazza cd in it for 18 months it never comes out. I’ve also been listening to a Rose Tattoo compilation best of, they know how to rock and, the rhythm section is as tight as. I listen to Hank Williams, Muddy Waters and quite a bit of obscure Rockabilly too.
5. Reading?
I read Stupid White Men by Michael Moore, Hell’s Angel by Sonny Barger, Weapons of Choice World War 2.1 by John Birmingham plus a couple of Hunter S Thompson Books that I’d been trying to read for years. Plus we always have the standard music mags, bike,chopper, and hot rod mags in our tour van; they need changing though some have been there for years!
6. Movies?
I saw the DVD of Saw, pretty scary stuff that one. I don’t get much time to see latest movies because I spend a lot of time on the road.
7. An evening's conversation with ...?
It would have to be Bill Black he was Elvis’s first bass player and played on all the early Sun Recording stuff; he made the slap bass sound famous. He played with Elvis for years and was even on the legendary Jailhouse Rock film clip, he quit because Colonel Tom Parker wouldn’t pay him or Scotty Moore the guitar player more than $100 a gig. I reckon he would have some great tales to tell about the early days of rock n roll. He was also a session player at Sun Studios so he played with a lot of Sun Blues men too. There would have to be some interesting stories there too.

Thanks a lot
Doghouse Dave
Bass player The Detonators


Sweet Baby James

1. The "music event" of 2005?
I caught Brian Cadd’s show at ‘The Cavern’. A fantastic night.. there aren’t many performers that can hold a crowd in the palm of their hand like him.
2. Music event fizzer!
Hmmmm.. not that I can remember. Which is great!
3. CDs/Artists that impressed you in 2005?
This year I’ve been hooked on a few albums that I can’t stop playing: “First Recordings” by RL Burnside, “New Favourite” by Alison Krauss & Union Station and “Top of the World Live” by The Dixie Chicks.
4. Favourite, most listened to CD of 2005?
The “First Recordings” RL Burnside album has been my standout favourite. It’s one of the most incredible albums I’ve ever heard.
5. Reading?
I’m a massive fan of early Sci-Fi and I got a copy of Robert Sheckley’s 1955 collection of short stories entitled “Citizen in Space”. Just brilliant.
6. Movies?
“I Heart Huckabees”, “Confidences Trop Intimes (Intimate Strangers)”, “Tais Toi (Ruby & Quentin)”, “Shaun of the Dead” & “Team America”.
7. An evening's conversation with ...?
I’d love the opportunity to chat with Kim Wilson for a night about songwriting.

Sweet Baby James

Josh Bennett

1. The "music event" of 2005?
As is often the case, Womadelaide was a highlight for me this year (both from an audience member and performer perspective). Jeff Lang at the Gov was another fantastic show.
2. Music event fizzer!
Not one that I attended, no.
3. CDs/Artists that impressed you in 2005?
As always, Chris Finnen has been a great source of inspiration for me this year. I also got a Jeff Beck CD "You Had It Coming" recently and was completely blown away by it, in particular his version of Rolling and Tumbling. Some new friends in '05 that have impressed and inspired me are the members of the Dya Singh band, whom I toured with for six weeks. Their musicianship and passion are extraordinary.
4. Favourite, most listened to CD of 2005?
A difficult question, as I have most of my CDs on my computer and most of the time have it on permanent shuffle-play. When I choose a particular song or album to listen to, it depends very much on my mood at the time, which changes from minute to minute let-alone over the whole of 2005. I've been listening to tunes from Jeff Lang's latest CD "You Have To Dig Deep to Bury Daddy" a lot recently however.
5. Reading?
Went back and re-read the first three books of A Song of Ice and Fire in preparation for the fourth book being released "A Feast for Crows". Can't wait.
6. Movies?
House of Flying Daggers was brilliant, as was Team America.
7. An evening's conversation with ...?
I think if I was to spend an evening with a musician of my choice, there wouldn't be much in the way of conversation spoken! The language of choice would be music itself. So, who would I want to jam with if I had the choice? Miles Davis. If you want to hear what a musical conversation with Miles might be like, have a listen to Bitches Brew. I'd also get Jaco Pastorius on bass, Trilok Gurtu on percussion, and Thelonius Monk on keyboards. Now THAT would be an interesting conversation!

Josh Bennett