In an already busy November The Usual Suspects will play the Leonay Golf Club November 14 and 22. It’s a great room and we would love to see loads of you along.

Dave

Just a reminder that The Usual Suspects will play the Royal Hotel, Springwood this Saturday…kick off at 8.30pm…see ya there!!!

The Usual Suspects will help out this year at the Glenbrook Fair. It is this Saturday kicking off at around 10.30. We will provide some entertainment and throw in a set or two.

Why not come along and see some excellent entertainment not just from us, but from Glenbrook school bands, dance troupes etc etc…

Dave

Friday 31/10/08 Shanahans Family Hotel Bathurst

A massive weekend was had by The Usual Suspects as we trundled all over the countryside doin’ our thang!!!

First stop Friday night was Bathurst on a very balmy evening. The crowd were in and the set up was reasonably easy. It was our last scheduled gig at Bathurst for this year so we wanted to have a good night. The great thing about the band is that we sit around talking crap before a gig and because the set up was so quick we had a fair bit of time to do just that.

We kicked the night off with a first set that mixed the songs up a little. Because we have a fair few songs now we are starting to mix it up a little bit by rotating songs in and out of the sets. The lads were in fine fettle all of us relaxed and ready to roll. Whilst we had it in mind to keep a little in the tank for the gig the following night we chilled a little. Every Breathe You Take was the highlight of the first set for me. This song is really easing into the band nicely.

The second set was lifted by the arrival in the audience of band friends Matt and Sue. They are a great laugh and we love seeing them. We kicked it up a little in the second set. The last time we were here Rods amp died at the end of the second set. Now as I have said before, one is a fluke, two is a pattern. On cue, end of the second set, I looked across to see Rod wrestling with the amp, clearly a touch annoyed.It had died…again.

Now it’s not like it’s Rods fault, and the amp is a beauty…but there is something about Bathurst that just does not agree with it.

The great thing about Paul “Stoili” Barker is that he is so dang handy. Before you could say “Sell the Laney and buy a Fender” Paul had opened it up at the back of the truck, torch, screwdriver and soldering iron in hand, performing some pretty crafty open heart surgery. But half way through the third set even the might of Paul could not hold back the flodd of the Bathurst Laney Curse. So in an eery de ja vu experience Dave selflessly took one for the team and surrendered his gorgeous amp to the God of Lead Guitar. I can not begin to tell you just how girly playing La Grange on an acoustic guitar sounds (not that there is anything wrong with girls).

So we finished our Bathurst year like The Seekers turning their hands death metal…but that’s cool. We had fun, as did the swelling audience. A couple of birthday party’s, some people who come and see us each time we are there, Matt and Sue and the band witnessed the flexibility and professionalism of The Usual Suspects in the face of sheer adversity.

Saturday night saw us playing a yearly corporate gig. The highlight of this gig was that Michelle did a set with us which  was, of course, a hoot. Doing the same songs as we went through a couple of weeks ago at The Royal, Michelle tore it up wooing the crowd and having them panting for more.

It was a great night for the band too. A massive stage, a hugely receptive audience and the fact that the night was being recorded made the tiredness and angst about the voice dissipate somewhat. Bruce Williams, sound man extraordinaire was on hand to capture the gig and Barnesy was on hand for the front of house mix (thanks lads).

I was a tad nervous about the voice. Singing for four hours, twice in 24 hours is often a daunting task and completely relies on excellent on stage sound which is exactly what Bruce and Barnesy gave us.

Now to say the crowd “went off” would be an understatement.The band too went off. It is one of the best feelings in the world to turn to your left and see Steve “Geneva” Lacey head back laughing at something one of the crowd signalled to him…to turn to my left and see Rod making his guitar howl (through my Fender amp as it happens), deep in the music…to turn behind me and see Paul, giving me one of those looks that one cannot help but laugh at…to turn in front and see a large group of people really digging what you are doing. Now at the end of the day The Usual Suspects are just a good little covers band…but to see people really enjoy what you do and share in the music is EXACTLY why you do it.

Anyway, i digress.

The night was great…

So next stop The Royal next Saturday night with a short stint at the Glenbrook Fair in the morning on Saturday.

Adios

Oh and Rod…sell the Laney and buy a Fender…

10-4 Rubber Ducky

Dave

It was a smaller crowd than usual that greeted The Usual Suspects as they launched into Handle With Care (Travelling Wilbury’s) to kick the gig off…but loud, and appreciative. The band was primed and all of them seemed happy and relaxed. The band has slipped in a largish number of new songs in the last 6 weeks and tonight it was those songs that shone. Flame Tree’s, Every Breathe You Take, Eagle Rock, Foxy Lady…all of them hit the mark as the audience moved, swayed, danced and applauded the band.

As the tempo grew, so did the crowd and by half way through the second set the place was a buzzin’.

The band are really starting to build a following, particularly out of The Royal…the audience love what these guys do and they show it.

Rod improves and relaxes into the band at every outing and even has (already) started gathering his own guitar lovin’, music lovin’ fans…

Thanks to Barnesy for the PA adjustment…

Next Stop Friday 31 October - Bathurst for the last gig there for the year…and then Sat 1 November the guys play a corporate gig…so a massive weekend…

See ya

Chucky

Last night was huge. The four of us were in great moods, relaxed, and ready to roll. With another fairly drastic set list change (to make way for a special guest) the start was slightly delayed while Paul waited and half consumed his hot chips (Paul: “half an hour to cook chips - now really”_) one needs his carbs if one is to drum for four hours.

Band friend Maree was celebrating a birthday, some unexpected visitors in the shape of Rod’s friends and lovely wife (they were actually friends and wife, not just strangers with the same shape) arrived just to put pressure on Rod a little more - which was good, because in our band we put no pressure on him. A couple of honorary’s were in the audience again - Barnesy, and Michelle - ex, now honorary Suspect- with a slew of people included her betrothed Kev, who happens to be a cracker of a guy. Steve Stockton, from The Reluctant Friends Of Steve also turned out which was great to see (work on the new Rels album going strong). So we kicked off with Slide. We felt the last couple of gigs the first set running order, was, well, crap. So we changed it and it felt much uncrappier. it was a bit of rocking set with all of the acoustic section of the first set axed.A new song emerged in The Police’s Every Breathe You Take. Quite lovely really - in my opinion one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It went down a treat. We are getting to the stage where songs will start to be rotated - (except for Chasing Cars)

The second set kicked off with some acoustic numbers and was highlighted by a very sharp April Sun In Cuba…with Paul back from chestinfectionland to sing it spectacularly. By this stage the crowd had swelled and were becoming very appreciative of the band and the songs. They started dancing too, which we love.

Michelle was called to the microphone for an eight song set that harkened back to the crazy days when The Usual Suspects were five. Shelley and I have been singing together for many many years and will sing with us at a corporate gig in a couple of weeks so we took the opportunity and let her blow the dust off some of the most classic chick rock songs around. The Pretenders, Melissa Etheridge, Benatar, Joan Jett…they were all there as Michelle, as usual, put 110% in. After a slight technical hitch we were away. We have missed playing the girly toons and all of us really enjoyed playing with Michelle again. The audience went orf too. The set was topped off by Steve pulling out a crowd raising, singalong barn burning version of Eagle Rock.

The crowd hung around…it’s getting warmer now and the people didn’t wanna go home so we kept playing. The fourth set was one of the tightest we have played. Keep Your Hands To Yourself got everyone going from the get go and they didn’t stop. A pumping Sufragette City, a furious No Secrets, a Khe San that saw the crowd sing the entire introduction piece and a closing Burning Love left a very happy, pumped and appreciative audience to go nigh nighs.

However for the second gig running, Paul ended up with a perfect circle stain on his shirt, coloured black, right where his navel is. Really weird, bit like a crop circle, but different.

It was one of those nights where almost everything we did came together.Paul was on song, Steve was going crazy loco, Rod was almost pulling some shapes, and me, well I had loads of fun.

Same place again next Friday night so the posters won’t even get a rest.

See y’all there

Dave

The Usual Suspects will play the Royal Hotel this Friday night the 17th.

We will rock….new songs, old songs, special suprises….

Be there

Dave

In a flashback to the RSL days of the early 90’s I have never seen such an impressive meat raffle. Leonay Golf Club (AKA Emu Plains Sports Club) really knows how to turn on a raffle. Spanning two tables and at least three bovine, the raffle was already going when I got there at 7.30…and didn’t finish until just on 8.30. The host even had a wireless microphone.Had it been described as a Monster Meat Raffle, I couldn’t have argued.

And so it was this Hurculean display of meat giving had to be followed by something…turns out it was The Usual Suspects.

We picked this gig up at short notice as a friend of ours had his band booked there but they couldn’t do it. So to a small crowd that for half of the night comprised of energetic young kiddies making us smile (they were particularly fond of Rod) as they ran laps of the dance floor to songs their parents would struggle to remember, we played on.

It’s a really nice room at the Leonay and even though the crowd were small we had fun entertaining them. Bands have just started back up there and so it may come to pass that we play there again. Some regulars travelled down the hill to see us (thank you ladies) and Honorary Suspect Pete Davis came out of months of hiding to say hello, share an ale and have a sing. it was awesome to see him again.

As for the band we did alright. Steve filled the floor again with Eagle Rock. He has really taken to singing in a much bigger way since the Kevoptomy and is doing a beautiful job harmonising with Paul. He is loads of fun to have around and we can look forward to him singing more and more.

There was a bit more space on “stage” than we usually have so I was able to interact with Paul for much of the night which is always fraught with danger. He has the ability to make me laugh with a look and Friday night was no exception. Of course it makes it difficult to sing whilst trying to restrain laughter. He also sang extremely well hopefully signalling an end to the pesky chest infection that has been plaguing him of late.

Rod is settling in. There were even the beginnings of some shapes starting to form for a while there. With the full set as well as learning the new songs he has done an amazing amount in a short period of time and we are proud of him. Every gig he seems to loosen up a little more. By Christmas we expect him to be double backward somersaulting without dropping a note.

I had a great time. Even though it was a small crowd I had a blast getting them up to dance and then abandoning the set list in order to keep them there. It was great to sing a duetted Khe San with Pete Davis who we just don’t to see enough of. Harry Curry our old friend from Soul Foundation was there, Fred Astaire style, tearing a rug and unable to take a size 11 smile off his face.

So next stop will be The Royal for the next two weeks (Fridays) followed by a monsterous weekend in Bathurst and then a yearly corporate gig that we do. Things are good…really good with the band…

See you out there

Dave

We have picked up another gig at the Royal on the 24th October, which gives us two Friday nights in a row there.

See you soon

Dave

The Usual Suspects will play the Leonay Golf Club this Friday night. Kick off is at 8.30 until 12.00 midnight.

Hope to see you there

Dave