Live Music in Canberra in Times of COVID (Part 2)

December 2020 to February 2021, Canberra, ACT

Continuing from the previous post…. Canberra has largely escaped COVID (so far at least). It has never been mandatory to wear masks here and lockdown is a long tome ago. There are few restrictions on live music now, though you have to be seated and not use a dance floor. Other States have gone in and out of lockdown though, especially Victoria so interstate musicians were quite often unable to visit. This post is mainly of a couple of large events with many bands. I have avoided including more than one image of each musician (over both posts) except where they appear as part of a band.

On 20th December 2020, the Canberra Blues Society held its Christmas party, featuring Bonnie Kay and the Bonafides from Sydney. It also included the monthly jam and there were six jamming bands. This is Catherine Golden with Bonnie Kay and the Bonafides, who played both at the beginning and the end.

Wayne Rigby (Bonnie Kay and the Bonafides).

This is Ross Buchanan, with Jamming Band 1.

Steve Hartnett (Jamming Band 1).

John van Buuren (Jamming Band 2).

Dave Jensen (Jamming Band 3).

Leo Joseph (Jamming Band 3).

Jeffro Martin (Jamming Band 4).

Mimo (Jamming Band 4).

Berno (Jamming Band 4).

Johnny Huckle (Jamming Band 5).

Juanita Cucinotta (Jamming Band 5).

Calvin Welch (with Bonnie Kay and the Bonafides but playing here with Jamming Band 5).

Bonnie Kay and the Bonafides is back up again at the end. This is Bonnie Kay.

Illya Szwec.

The next big event was on 9th January, Bucky’s Birthday Bash. This is Bucky (David Buckmaster) in an image from 2007. The event has been held for many years and he played in last year’s event but he died of cancer last year, so the event continues in his honour. There were six bands this year and P.J. O’Brien Band was supposed to be the climax but they were unable to attend due to a lockdown in New South Wales, so it was all local bands.

Johnny Reynolds (Johnny Reynolds Band).

Dave O’Neill (Rodeo Clowns).

Chris Van Der Wielen and Dene Burton (Urban Drover).

Mitch Preston (Chris Harland Blues Band).

Chris Harland.

Cam Hall (Sunbears, but playing here with Moondog).

Dylan Harding ()Sunbears).

Sunbears.

Wiesse Wade (Sunbears).

On 19th January there was a celebration of Mitch Preston’s Birthday at Smith’s Alternative (now a venue; originally a bookshop).

30th January. Fiona Boyes, who lived in Canberra for some years, came up from Victoria. This is Ali Penney accompanying for a track or two on the piano.

Fiona Boyes.

4th February. Blues Roulette visited from Melbourne. Organised by Ben Wicks, this is an array of eminent musicians that changes with each visit. This is Jimi Hocking.

James Southwell (Blues Roulette).

Davo Fester (on drums; Blues Roulette).

Jimi Hocking, James Southwell and Ben Wicks.

5 February. Pachamama at Gang Gang Cafe, Downer.

Live Music in Canberra in Times of COVID (Part 1)

Feb14

February to November 2020, Canberra, ACT

I covered Thredbo Blues Festival in January 2020 and took some photographs at Goulburn Blues Festival in February. Then COVID hit and we went into lockdown.

Usually I cover Blues Festivals but not so much local bands because my processing methods are very time-intensive and three hours photographing may lead to three to five days on the computer, processing. During the last year I had more time on my hands and no festivals for me for 2021, so I covered more local bands. There will be two posts, this one and the next.

Altogether, since lockdown started last March, I have photographed eighteen events, 36 groups (including solo performers) and 153 people, though seven groups and 48 people are duplicated in different performances. All performances are in Canberra but some of the musicians are from Sydney or Melbourne.

My selection may be somewhat arbitrary and I’m not trying to cover everyone but I have avoided putting anyone in twice.

This is the Sisters and Brothers Community Choir playing upstairs at Beyond Q on the 29th February, just before we went into lockdown. Beyond Q was a wonderful second hand bookshop and a great music venue. They had had to change addresses due to a lease issue and just got organised at the new location. Sadly, they closed down due to COVID 19. From left to right there is Juanita Cucinotta, Juliet Reeve, Chris Cavanagh, Michelle Mannion, Julie Manley (my partner), Simon Daly, Don Dennes and Mary Bryden.

It is now 7 June. We have been in lockdown for three months. This is the first gig I saw a notification for and must have been close to the first after lockdown. We are outside a small group of shops at Belconnen markets and in the open air because lockdown is just being slowly relaxed. Some of the shops appear to have been abandoned including the one in the background. This is DJ Gosper and Jeff Prime.

It’s now a month later, 5th July, and indoor gigs are now allowed, albeit with limitations on seating and distancing. We are at the Artists’ Shed in Fyshwick. It may look as though we are way out in the country but that is just a backdrop. Dan Fernandes is playing solo as support.

A couple of hours later, this is Bernie Keenan playing drums for Johnnie Reynolds Band.

10th July and further liberalisation has allowed Shane Pacey to come down from Sydney and play solo at the Keller Bar in the Harmonie German Club. Shane usually plays with the Bondi Cigars or the Shane Pacey Trio.

31st July and this is Frank Sultana (based in Kiama) playing in the Keller Bar at the Harmonie German Club. He has Grant DW Barnes (not shown) supporting him on harmonica on some tracks.

8 August and this is Ana Key and the Underdogs playing at the Artists’ Shed in Fyshwick. You can see the background in context here.

Ole Nielsen.

Ana Key.

5th September and this is Milena Cifali launching her book Mallacoota Time at East Hotel, Kingston. The event included book recitals, poetry recitals and musical performances. While Milena and Jim were away in Queensland they were burnt out of their Mallacoota house in the huge fires of January 2020 and lost all their possessions and most of their birds. Here, I am also in the photo, using a cable release to trigger the camera and fisheye lens.

This is at a second book launch the next day at the Artists’ Shed in Fyshwick. This is Peter Swain.

Jim Horvath, Milena’s husband.

2nd October and this is 19 Twenty at the Abbey. John Gwilliam is on double bass.

Syd Green.

Kane Dennelly.

19 Twenty.

9th October and this is Paul Callan with Johnny Reynolds Band at the Austrian Club.

Johnny Reynolds Band.

15th October at the Basement, Belconnen. Chris Harland Blues Band (setting up). Restrictions were in place including that you need to stick to your seat, not visit other tables and no dancing on the dance floor. Most of those restrictions are still in place but now you can mingle.

Paul Leeder.

Rick Milliband.

Moondog was up next, playing solo.

Owen Campbell was the final act for the night.

It was a three-piece band, including Matt Nightingale on bass.

27th November, this is Llara Weaver, part of Stella’s Way, at the Basement Belconnen.

Stella’s Way.

Next up was Ana Key and the Underdogs, This is Stephen Deakin.

Keith Joliffe.

Last band for the night was Carnival Road.

Not set up, this was just at the side of the stage.

3rd December. Julian James, Keller Bar, Harmonie German Club.

Thredbo Blues Festival 2020

Mar1

Thredbo Blues Festival 2020 took place over three days and nights on a weekend at the end of January. Here is a selection of images, and links at the bottom to more….

(Next I will resume with the Cuba & the Caribbean trip, with still a post or two to go on Santo Domingo.)

Psycho Zydeco.

Michelle Van Der Meer’s Midnight Ramblers.

Tony Boyd (Michelle Van Der Meer’s Midnight Ramblers).\

Shane Pacey (Shane Pacey Trio).

Paul Blasi (Shane Pacey Trio).

George Washingmachine (Blue Rinse).

Ron King (Foreday Riders).

Jeff King (Foreday Riders).

Grace Hickey (Grace and Hugh).

Greg Ohlback (Liza Ohlback Trio).

Lloyd Gyi and C J Raggatt (CJ Raggatt).

19 Twenty.

Syd Green (19 Twenty).

Kane Dennelly (19 Twenty).

19 Twenty.

Ray Beadle (Ray Beadle Band).

Jack Purdon (Ray Beadle Band).

Mike Raper (Ray Beadle Band).

Corey Legge (Swamp Stompers).

Steve Edmonds (Steve Edmonds Band).

Sam Boyd (Dancing in the Shadows of Motown Review).

Greg Carger and Jason Bruer (Dancing in the Shadows of Motown Review).

Evelyn Duprai (and Franchesca Appolis) (Dancing in the Shadows of Motown Review).

Franchesca Appolis and Kimi Tupaea (Dancing in the Shadows of Motown Review).

Paula Baxter (Aretha Franklin Tribute).

Aretha Franklin Tribute.

8 Ball Aitken.

Dillion James (8 Ball Aitken).

Nik Downing (8 Ball Aitken).

Dillion James and 8 Ball Aitken (8 Ball Aitken).

Darren Jack (Tyrone Vaughan with Darren Jack Band).

Rick Melick (Tyrone Vaughan with Darren Jack Band).

Tyrone Vaughan with Darren Jack Band.

A few technical notes for those who may be interested. I was using some new equipment, a Nikon D850 (70% of shots) and a Sigma 135mm f1.8 (40% of images). This combination allowed me to replace a 180mm f2.8 and a 105mm f2 with improved resolution and bokeh and greater capacity to crop. I also have a Fuji system which is more portable but the Nikon system has advantages for resolution, autofocus and low light sensitivity. I also processed all the images under stage light in Capture One for the first time, for greater control of colour and greater ease with masking and layers.

There are many more images. On the Thredbo Blues Festival Page you will find links to images from the 2020 Festival, as well as thirteen previous festivals . Links for 2020 include top 100 images, top 30 images, selected monochromes and the 23 performers or bands. Others not mentioned above include Phil & Trudy Edgeley, Charlie Bedford Trio, Claude Hay, Harry Ashton Band, Jordan Thomas Band, Mike Elrington and Richard Perso.

Alternatively, there is also a direct overall link to all Thredbo 2020 images in JAlbum (with overview images and images by band organised by folder). There are 367 images in all (excluding monochrome conversions).

For other images of a particular band I may have taken since 2006, see the Musicians and Bands Page.

Red White Amber and Blues Festival 2019

Nov24

This is the first Blues Festival in Canberra for over twenty years, taking place over three days and nights on a weekend at the end of October. Here is a selection of images, and links at the bottom to more.

Under the performers, I’ve added YouTube links to their music.

On Friday there were five performers, playing acoustic.

Then it rained heavily, while Lloyd Spiegel was still playing.

Phil Manning.

There was eight bands on Saturday.

Marji Curran, Marji Curran Band.

John Gwilliam with 19-Twenty.

Kane Denelly with 19-Twenty.

Milena Barrett.

Ali Penney, Ali Penney and the Moneymakers.

James Southwell with James Southwell Band.

Marshall and the Fro.

Steve Edmonds, Steve Edmonds Band.

Kevin Borich, Ken Borich Express.

On Sunday, there was another seven bands.

Rebecca Davey with Dreamboogie.

Darren Jack.

Sammy Owen, Sammy Owen Blues Band.

Lachy Doley, Lachy Doley Group.

Shane Pacey with Bondi Cigars.

Bondi Cigars.

Matt Taylor with Chain.

Phil Manning, Chain.

Dirk du Bois, Chain.

John Creech with Russell Morris.

Russell Morris.

Russell Morris Band.

There are many more images. On the Other Blues Festivals Page . you will find links to images from this Festival. Links include top 100 images, selected monochromes and one for each of the 20 bands.

Alternatively, there is also a direct overall link to all Red White Amber and Blues Festival 2019 images in JAlbum (with overview images and images by band organised by folder). There are 362 images in all.

For other images of a particular band I may have taken since 2006, see the Musicians and Bands Page .

Cuba Monochromes 4 of 4 Last Days in Havana

Nov17

1-12 September 2016, Havana, Cuba

Links go to posts with the colour versions of the images (where there may also be more information and context). If an image does not have a link, the preceding one applies. (Click on any image to see it larger).

Great music in a late night jazz bar.

Havana – An afternoon and evening.

1953 Oldsmobile – our taxi ride back to the hotel.

Passing train.

Havana – Botanic Gardens.

1949 Plymouth, just about to leave I think.

Havana – Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis.

(From the taxi).

1950 Plymouth.

Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis.

View from Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis.

At night after rain.

At a small outdoor art area.

Last Day in Havana.

Castell de la Real Fuerza.

Palacio de los Capitanes Generales.

Street performer.

Art market at the waterfront.

The old loco was just outside the art market.

Street scene with El Capitolio under repair in the background.

Street at night after rain.

So that’s the last post from Cuba. Santo Domingo from the Dominican Republic should be next but first there will be some more recent posts, one from a Blues Festival and a few from Montague Island off the South coast of New South Wales.

Havana – An afternoon and evening

Sep22

Havana, Cuba, 10 September 2016
.

1950? De Soto convertible.

We had come from Fusterlandia (last post) but that visit was actually in the middle of the previous post, so this post follows on from that.

1958 Chevrolet?

We are back in Revolution Square.

1958 Cadillac convertible.

The blue taxi may be a 1950 DeSoto; the car on the right is a 1952 Chevrolet.

We visited Edificio Bacardi, built to be headquarters of the Bacardi Rum company. It is an art deco landmark, built in 1930 after an international architectural competition, and was nationalised by Castro in the early 1960s. (Also next three images)

On the street in Old Havana.

Horse and carriage in front of the Castillo de la Real Fuerza.

Elegant street view.

Streetside offerings.

Rebuilding a street in the traditional fashion.

Maybe not much in the way of pollution controls.

Residences.

We discovered some great music in a late night jazz bar.

1953 oldsmobile – our taxi ride back to the hotel.

Havana – Artifacts and Cars

Aug25

Havana, Cuba, 9 September 2016

Having finished posting on the Sabah trip, I am now back to posting on Cuba and the Caribbean. I have already made thirteen posts on Cuba with 260 images. If you want to see them, you will find links in the Cuba & the Caribbean Itinerary, which I update as I post. In this expedition, there are also thirteen posts on the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, eight on Mexico and eight on Guatemala. Still to come are Dominican Republic, St Martin, Antigua, Montserrat, Jamaica and California. As with all posts, you can click on an image for a larger view.

We walked down to the harbour at dawn.

… then back to the large square beside the Cathedral.

This is a corner of the Cathedral. The person seemingly coming round the corner is a statue.

… and this is one of the side streets near there.

Early 50s Oldsmobile, I think.

In the morning, somewhat after breakfast, we went for another walk.

1947 or 48 Chevrolet on the left.

This image and next four: Buick V8, 1953 or 54.

After some time we visited the Musee de Arte Colonial (or the Colonial Art Museum).

Probably from the 17th or 18th centuries, and from a convent or church.

The building, or an earlier one on the same site, was built in 1622.

In the 1720s it was the residence of Lieutenant Colonel Don Luis Chacón, who had earlier been civil and military governor and, unusually for the time, was a creole. The building became a museum in 1969.

Usually I photograph the labels with the items but not this time, so I will make no comment on these items beyond that they come from the 17th to 19th centuries.

A view of the Cathedral from the museum. It is the opposite side of the Cathedral from the images at dawn.

In the later afternoon, we walked down to near the harbour and took a ride around town in a horse and carriage. The images from that will be in the next post. Here we resume after returning from that ride.

1958 Chevrolet.

The car on the left is a 1950 DeSoto. The next three are Chevrolets (1951-54).

1953 Plymouth.

Waiting for assistance. Not sure what the car is, maybe a Plymouth or a Ford, from about 1957 or 1958.

Musicians playing in the park outside our hotel.

Evening view, probably from where we went to eat.

International Blues Day 2019

Aug21

Canberra, Australia, 3 August 2019

This is this year’s incarnation of the International Blues Day celebrations put on by the Canberra Blues Society. I also had two albums of A3+ prints for sale, so I was not able to photograph some of the earlier bands. I have included a selection of monochrome conversions of performers and not included overall band shots.

Leo Joseph (Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys).

Matt Nightingale (Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys).

Dave Blanken (Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys).

Mitch Preston (Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys).

Juanita Cucinotta (Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys).

Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys (in colour: 17 images)

Matt Roberts (Kate Lush Band).

Tony Boyd (Kate Lush Band).

Christian Young (Kate Lush Band).

Wes Harder (Kate Lush Band).

Kate Lush (Kate Lush Band).

Kate Lush Band (in colour: 18 images)

Steve Hartnett (Blue Tone Specials).

Dave McRae (Blue Tone Specials).

Doug Curry (Blue Tone Specials).

Matthew Fitzgerald (Blue Tone Specials).

Blue Tone Specials (in colour: 16 images)

Anne Blunn, Peter Demain, Russ Lawrence and others.

Nardia Brancatisano and Justin Yap (Rambal).

Jordan Pereira (Rambal).

Ollie Rolfe (Rambal).

Ben Wicks (Rambal).

Rambal (in colour: 12 images).

John Russell (The Bellhops).

Steve Lovarini (The Bellhops).

Mark Roulston (The Bellhops).

Ian Dittman (The Bellhops).

Joe (The Bellhops).

Ben (The Bellhops).

Ven Licciardello and Deborah Frederick (The Bellhops).

Lois Padgham and Bernard (The Bellhops).

Dancers (The Bellhops).

The Bellhops (in colour: 22 images).

Return to Havana

May18

Cienfuegos to Havana, Cuba, 8 September 2016

I am back from Sabah. Mostly there was no internet and no time so there will be no temporary posts. I will start with posts on Sabah soon but first here is the final post on the tour in Cuba. Jools and I stayed on for some extra days in Havana and we will return to that after the Sabah posts.

Early in the morning in Cienfuegos, here are two people fishing with a freighter behind them.

A little later, trimming the verges with machetes.

This is the hotel where we were staying.

“It is the ideas that make us a fighting people.”

I think this is a Zetor tractor from Czechoslovakia.

Quite a few horses and carts on the roads..

Roadside house.

IOM3 tractor from Belarus and military truck.

Same military truck and horse & cart.

Horse and cart, truck and turkey vulture.

Probably a Chev.

More horses and carts …

We meet again …

On the road again.

(though neither Canned Heat nor Floyd Jones in evidence).

This image and the previous six were all taken within about ten minutes, mainly from the bus.

Roadside shop for onions and garlic.

Band at our hotel in Havana (Hotel Santa Isabel).

On the streets in Havana.

View including Castillo de la Fuerza Real.

Looking down from the hotel room.

People are sitting round on the street to use the hotel’s wifi.

Castillo de la Fuerza Real.

Taxi.

Street corner with sunset approaching.

On the street, after dark.

The wifi zone again, this time at night in the rain.

Cienfuegos

Apr27

Cienfuegos, Cuba, 7 September 2016

We headed off from Trinidad de Cuba to Cienfuegos.

The passenger in the cart with his bicycle is lucky the truck isn’t heading into the wind.

Roadside billboard quoting Ché: “May the hardness of these times not make us lose the tenderness of our hearts. Ever onward to victory”.

We are now in the outskirts of Cienfuegos.

Some of the cars are smaller than others.

Views from our hotel room…

We are now in Palacio Ferrer, at the edge of Parque José Marti.

It was built between 1917 and 1918, initially as a family residence.

Looking down past Parque José Marti from the top of Palacio Ferrer.

The area around Cienfuegos was a Taino (Indian) settlement in the early period of Spanish occupation. They were decimated mainly by disease but communities survive in the mountains. Cienfuegos was founded by French immigrants in 1819 and thus has a French influence unusual for Cuba. The centre of Cienfuegos is a World Heritage Area, representing “the best extant example of early 19th century Spanish Enlightenment implementation in urban planning”.

Catedral de la Purisma Conception.

Palacio de Gobierno.

We walked down to the harbour.

On the harbour-front promenade.

There was a group of people doing curious exercises on a road beside the harbour.

Sunlight through the clouds as evening approaches.

There are more posts on Cuba and on the Caribbean to come, but this will be the last for a little while as I am off on a short trip in a few days. More on that tomorrow.

Murray Foote

Tag Archives: Live Music

Live Music in Canberra in Times of COVID (Part 2)

Live Music in Canberra in Times of COVID (Part 1)

Thredbo Blues Festival 2020

Red White Amber and Blues Festival 2019

Cuba Monochromes 4 of 4 Last Days in Havana

Havana – An afternoon and evening

Havana – Artifacts and Cars

International Blues Day 2019

Return to Havana

Cienfuegos