Sat 29 Oct 2005
Listening To: Public Domain Vs Ultrasonic : Various Artists
Current Horn Factor :
Hi Gang, I know it’s been a while between updates – same old story- too busy at work, and just spending quality time with the quality girl. I guess you’re officially entitled call me a neglectful blogger ! 
Anyhoo, just thought I’d update y’all on a great gig I went to see with my fiancé on Friday night @ the Yallah Roadhouse in Wollongong. Paul Greene is an old friend of Lisa’s from her Glebe days via Jervis Bay, who moved back to the latter with his family a year or so ago I believe – hence I guess the focus on more country gigs on his website of late. Paul’s also a very accomplished singer/songwriter/guitarist, about to put his next album – so this gig was also about giving his fans a taste of what to expect from the new record.
I’d never been to the Yallah before, and being a city boy I have to admit I was expecting to be underwhelmed by the venue. I was very pleasantly surprised then to find the Yallah wasn’t the run-down tin-roofed shed full of surly country-folk that I was expecting it to be. Tin-roofed – yes. Run down – no. Think warm-hued, freshly varnished timber and high ceilings. The food was pretty good too. Granted, by the time we’d arrived from Sydney after our 3 hour drive the kitchen had run out of the ‘home-made pies’ and the tandoori chicken, but if the Buffalo Wings we both ended up settling for were anything to go by, their chef definitely knows what he’s doing. The bar staff and other patrons seemed pretty friendly too, nary a true ‘bogan’ in sight, at least not that night.
You’d expect the acoustics of a shed to be pretty poor, but I guess the Yallah’s sound-tech knows what he’s doing because the sound levels were fairly spot-on for the majority of the gig. On to the gig itself then. First up we had the support act, a little trio called Note To Self, consisting of two female vocalists and a guy on guitar who looked like someone out of Radiohead but had the unfortunate (at least to my mind) name of “Dusty”. I’m thinking to myself “oh great … a guy called Dusty and a few chicks from Wollongong … this is going to be country-and-western cheese for sure”. Not so I’m happy to report, friends – not so at all. I’m not usually a fan of acoustic music, and the majority of these guys’ set consisted of deceptively simple arrangements utilising only the two vocalists and one or more acoustic guitars (the girls occasionally sharing playing duties with Dusty).
Nonetheless I have to say they blew me away, managing to sound in turns like Bjork, Alanis Morrisette, Hole (Unplugged) and … well I’m not sure really … at least to me, their sound was pretty unique (as I’ve said already, I’m not usually much of an acoustic fan). Expect big things from Note to Self, that’s all I can say.
Next up of course came the stars of the show themselves, namely Paul Greene & his band. I’d heard them play once before @ the Vanguard in Newtown so I knew what to expect, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Paul’s voice and playing were both in fine form, as he and the band treated the audience to a mixture of old songs from Happy Here With You, This Way and one or two from The Miles. As already mentioned, we also got to hear some of the new material which is going on the latest album. They didn’t strike me as much of a departure from Paul’s previous material, but I don’t see that as much of an issue given that when you’re onto a good thing you should definitely stick to it !
The trio from Note to Self also got up to help Paul & the guys out on a few numbers, and by the end of the night they had the whole pub (including the girl trying her best to look like Shania Twain, complete with cowboy hat, figure hugging midriff top and pointy boots) dancing away to the ‘big sell’ tunes (if they were with a major label, which they aren’t – just another reason you gotta respect Paul) like Work Love Dance Trust. All in all, a fantastic gig !!! Well worth the $15 cover charge and 3 hour drive 
