Broderick Smith
Singer...Songwriter...Actor...National Treasure

One of Australia's most revered musical icons, harmonica master, Broderick Smith, is making his way towards Adelaide in early September. Plenty of people were disappointed when his proposed tour in June of this year had to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, but finally, it's going to happen, the tour is set to begin at The Gov, on Wednesday night, September 8.

Regarded as a 'National Treasure', Broderick Smith is one of a very select bunch of musicians who is instantly recognisable across Australia from the mention of just his first name. Through his career he has earned a deep respect from his peers, audiences, and from within the music industry, for the originality and strength of his songs and performance. With a gift for an almost theatrical range of expression he has delivered some of the most thoughtful and inspired music Australia has produced.

Broderick started playing blues and folk music in the 60's.His first recording was in 1972 with blues and boogie band 'Carson', then in 1973, he was a founding member of 'The Dingoes', the legendary band which remains a pivotal inspiration in Australian country rock. After a lengthy stint in the USA with 'The Dingoes', he returned to Australia and chart-topping success with his band 'Broderick Smith's Big Combo' before resting from the stresses of constant touring, investigating the advertising industry, and ultimately returning to further hone his song-writing skills. Half a dozen solo albums later, Broderick is still evolving as an artist, and many believe the peak of his career and artistry, is still to come.

Introducing a recent live ABC Radio performance of his classic 'Dingoes' hit 'Boy On The Run', Broderick quipped, "This is a song from 25 years ago, when I used to be a pop star. Now I'm an elder statesman". It may have been said jokingly, but it neatly summed up Broderick's current status in the music industry. Whereas some of the other artists who are instantly recognisable from the mention of a single name (Farnham, Barnsey) have made a huge success of pop stardom, Broderick has chosen a different course, investigating the art of reaching people's hearts and souls through writing songs and performing, preferably in small, more intimate venues where he can build a rapport with each person in the audience.

Broderick has worked with Cat Stevens, Jimmy Barnes, Steve Cropper, Buffy Saint Marie, The Memphis Horns, Phil Ochs, Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Sayer, Joe Cocker...the list goes on, and he frequently pulls together a six or eight piece band of great musicians from around Australia to create an absolutely world-class sound. Currently he is happiest presenting his music in an intimate duo format, featuring his mate Mick Ahearne on guitar. Broderick Smith is an affirmation of what good, and even better singers represent.

I'll let Broderick himself take it from here as he explains some of his thoughts about a variety of things within the Australian music industry;

On song-writing....."The song-writing is the private side of me. I'm two people. When I'm at home, I'm the quiet dark one, and occasionally I go up to the bush for a week or so to write. But every now and again I need to take my harmonica and go and jam with a full-on electric band. Many bands these days don't have songs on their albums, they might have a couple of different ideas or attitudes".

On the need for commercial air-play....."Some years ago I recorded an album with the specific aim of commercial air-play and it failed miserably, as it always does when I take that track. I'm much happier doing what I really want to do and I seem to win more that way. I think it's got to the point to not worry about commercial air-play. The important thing is to let people know you are out there, that you exist. Since I've been acting several roles in TV series recently, people are noticing me in the streets as someone familiar - they may not know who I am - but that, and constantly performing live and appearing in events, those are the ways to keep your profile up there these days. It's almost impossible to get commercial radio air-play anyway, the stations are so tightly formatted, and playing very little new music".

On the demise of Australian rock....."We reached a golden point in the early 80's with Midnight Oil, The Divinyls, but since then it's just been going backwards. I think the talent is there and with the training the kids now get, they can be much more technically proficient with their instruments than when I was a kid - but a lot of them have lost the ability to play songs for a song's sake. They've got all these books on how to do fantastic licks or whatever, to play great solos, but they mean nothing".

On growing old, and the future....."There's nothing kind of funnier than old people playing rock. It looks wrong, and after a while they start repeating themselves. There's nothing worse than seeing some cat in a corset, with make-up on, pretending to be 23 when he's 50. The kids aren't stupid - I mean the kids who are into us will get into us because we play well, and we play a rootsy type of music which we could probably play forever. But for me as a performer, I think it's going to be more of an acoustic thing, I guess I'd like eventually to be a solo performer who comes out with a harmonica and guitar and does that.....and writes for other people".

Broderick Smith will be appearing at The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel on Wednesday night, September 8. Tickets are well priced at $10:00 for non-S.A.B.S. members, and $7:00 for members, and will be available at the door. Local act, Sweet Baby James (James Meston) will be the support act, with the music beginning at 8:30pm. This is your chance to see this most respected of musicians, so be sure not to miss out.

Big Mike Hotz