CROXTON NEAPOLITAN TOUR... the story so far. You know when you can't get a song out of your head? It's a bittersweet form of torture and I am wholly prone to it at present, having just returned from the third (but not middle) leg of this grand folly we call the nationwide tour in Australia. Readers, you may be familiar with the concept; the brainchild of Croxton boss Mick Thomas, it involves the coalescence of 3 hitherto unfamiliar songwriting performers into a band, pooling our tunes and talents to create a whole new entity which is now, according to numerous of the folks we've played to so far, sounding like an acoustic country rock supergroup which has been together for years. This appraisal is enormously flattering, and at the risk of mozzing the tour, I have to say that the 3 of us exist, when together, in some kind of state of grace, not quite believing our luck. Not every gig has been chockers it's fair to say, and it's bloody tiring psychically and physically being away from home and all that's known, but blessings have rained down upon us like so many droplets of Schelvis Pekel, that mythical Dutch beverage whose name is invoked as a talisman in times of stress and strain. Why? Ask Dan Warner, tour manager and elder rock dog. I call Dan the Prince of Darkness, not least in appreciation of his saturnine good looks ( Handsome Dan is another favourite moniker) but also because on stage, he is like a thundercloud, sending bolts of cosmic power into the music in a manner predictable only to himself, then suddenly turning the rays of the sun to Marcel and I, warming and comforting us like a thimbleful of Schelvis Pekel on a cold day. Dan has been tremendously useful in the planning stage of this tour and his lengthy experience travelling the country is invaluable... but where would he be without Marcel's preternatural talent and my navigational skills? I ask yez. Marcel Borrack is Chunksy B, disco lord, merchandise handler and unfailingly sweet man. Dan named him after an item on the bar menu at the Continental in Sorrento, and now he has an alter ego whether he likes it or not. He and Dan share Collingwood love, which as a Carlton supporter I tolerate but in no way condone, and he is the yin to Dan's yang. Marce is wicked in a thousand tiny little ways, and mercurial without ever disappointing us. This tour is pushing Chunksy musically in a way he seems to find beneficial; in fact it's doing this to all of us, and even though we are having a huge amount of fun, we are very fair dinkum about making it good. And what is my role? Well, I'm the woman; I'm the centre of attention visually; I have the best hair, and I sing the most harmony parts. I am handling the cash (or not!) and I am flirting with the audiences!! And doing the talking on the radio, as I have always done, because I have the ability to spout at will, like a dolphin. I am also in charge of driving home from everywhere so the guys can hop into the Guinness and Schelvis Pekel after the gigs. Marriage made in heaven, really. To date, we have played pubs in Greendale, Ballarat, Warrnambool, Sorrento, Melbourne and Sydney; a gorgeous theatre in Drouin, ( where a very talented young slide guitarist by the name of Dan Musil sat in with us - gorgeous! ) a beautiful bar in Barwon Heads, and folk clubs in Canberra and Tempe. The best gigs to my mind have been the quiet, sit downy ones which give the 3 of us space to stretch out and try things alone or together. But there's something great about wrestling with a rowdy roomful too. I personally enjoy a bit of a heckle, and practise it myself at other people's shows, so understand the urge. Funny the way people in the different places behave! The one thing they've all had in common is the warmth they've shown us. In particular, Kate Gane ( singer assoluta ) in Warrnies, Shane and Robbie, Nick, Deb, Marianne and Murray and the Kruses in Sydney, and the darlings in Greendale and Drouin and Barwon Heads - not to mention our Melbourne musical family who turned out so whole heartedly at the Northcote Social Club. Many thanks to you all! Next weekend we jet to Tassie. This bit is bound to be auspicious because it is my birthday on Friday! I believe in protracted and joyous celebrations at birthday time, so any time on or after Friday will be fine for a visit from you or some of your friends-and-relations. We play the Boat Harbour on Friday night, and further gigs may be scoped out on the gig page, so please look and plan ahead. I will point out that for you Queenslanders, the Eumundi gig on July 30 is NOT HAPPENING, and I am trying to put a Byron Bay gig there instead. We so can't not play the North Coast!!! Wish us luck sweethearts. We are hardcore outlaw rock and roll warriors on the road, but we also play a nice ballad and hardly ever swear on stage. Do come and see the show when you can. We need your support and energy and love and Schelvis Pekel (which incidentally translates as "salted dried fish essence from the river Schelde" for you linguists and aficionados of strange liquor). Croxton Neapolitan - the show the whole family can enjoy!!! But mainly the uncles. Love and lashings of ginger beer from The Prince, me and Chunksy B. XOX THE SECOND THRILL-PACKED INSTALMENT OF THE CROXTON NEAPOLITAN TOUR DIARY OF SARAH 'STRAWBERRY' CARROLL...read on..... This episode will, post-modernly enough, take the form of a bullet point presentation as I have no time for elaborate prose at this juncture. Time has accelerated, contracted and evaporated as it will when one (or three, in our case) is having fun. I'm beginning to anticipate the end of this delightful artistic and social experiment with a chill dread, knowing as I do that my customary PTB (post-tour blues) are gonna be baaaad, so baad, I'm gonna feel like lyin' down. And taking some more cold tablets and rescue remedy and Chinese herbs and American ginseng and cucumbers with salt on. TEN THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT DAN WARNER AND MARCEL BORRACK THAT I DID NOT KNOW BEFORE: 1. Marcel is actually a red-head, and colours his hair so people don't pre-empt his fiery temper. 2. Dan has relatives who are fond of him in every city in the country. 3. Marcel does a great impersonation of Anthony the Wiggle. 4. Also, Henry the Octopus. 5. Dan cries at sad movies on aeroplanes. 6. Dan is tremendously well-read. 7. So is Marce. 8. Dan and Marcel are both addicted to The Tour de France and know a great deal about it. 9. Marcel eats a lot of sugar and cannot refuse ice-cream. 10. They are both adorable and I love them. OUR TOP FIVE TOUR DESTINATIONS SO FAR, AND WHY: ( not in order ) 1. Waterfront Cafe, Dunalley, Tasmania (to die for location, gracious hosts and audience, accom featured ladybirds in every conceivable form, including a vibrating plastic one and a small stuffed one which somehow made it into my bag and is now with us for the rest of the journey) 2. Grace Emily, Adelaide (Clanger, the owner is a prince of a man and this is a great pub...had to do it without Marce due to illness but still had a ball...also discovered Rubbel Sexy Lager! ) 3. The Harp, Sydney (lovely listening room, great sound and Murray the Wiggle in the audience!) 4. Mojo's, Fremantle, WA (fabulous room, lovely staff, top location) 5. The Oxford, Leederville, WA (Peter Hayes and all his peeps made this, our 'comeback' show, a beauty..post-illness, we were in great form and the crowd couldn't have been nicer) I must say thanks to all the public radio and ABC people, and newspaper types who have helped us out. It's no easy task to travel about in the dead of winter and get folks who don't know you out to shows, and you guys and dolls have made a big difference. Speaking of which, there'll be an article from The West Australian up on the Croxton site soon for your perusal where Dan puts it all beautifully. Now loves, we've only got a few shows left and we need to see you at the front, screaming and throwing your undies!! New dates have been added in Brisbane and Byron Bay on the last weekend of July, and we conclude the tour at The Prince of Wales in St Kilda on the 6th of August. The updated gigs are on all our websites so no bloody excuses orrright? We will see you on the road dear friends, or at least the soft shoulder.. love til then, from The Prince, me and Chunksy B xoxox THE LAST ROCK AT THE CROCK... Croxton tour diary part 3, August 2006 from the annals of Sarah Carroll... And that's it folk...unbelievably, the tour is over and the three of us are left to go on alone...bigger, braver and better than we were at the start. Through car breakdown, strange towns, bad pizza, heinous weather, illness and depravity, The Croxton Neapolitan National Showcase rocked on; playing a haunted ex migrant hostel, a velvety speakeasy, a raucous cafe and a bowling club up North, and finishing in a weekend o' splendour with a gig at the excellent Burrinja Cafe ( useta be Uncle Neil's ) in the Dandenongs (so pretty) at which the full potency of the trio was realised and a cone of power was raised over the stage. The final show was, however, the true jewel in the crown, tinged as it was with hometown nerves and a little sadness, but full of joyful and rockin' moments. And jokes!! Dan had the fab idea of getting a drummer and bass player on board to elevate the energy and send us over the top, and so the delightful Dan Hall and the magnificent Michael Barclay joined us that hot August night; what an immense pleasure it was to hear 5 part harmony and the punch and throb of a good rhythm section! OOOOOOO!!!! Thanks to those smart cookies who turned up to the Prince, and to all the shows we did. We have made about a hundred new friends each. Two of the dearest to me are Dan Warner and Marcel Borrack, whose faces, voices, songs and nocturnal sounds will reverberate within my heart forever. To Mick Thomas, progenitor of the whole shebang, I tip my hat ( were I sporting one ) and remark again upon your acuity and grandeur of vision. On behalf of the fellas and myself, thanks a million ( plus gst ). And to the good ladies of Croxton, Jen, Carmel and Sam, our undying gratitude; boxes of Roses on the way!! Dry your eyes, loves. We shall rise again, in November, in time for the Queenscliff Music Festival! Hurrah!!! Visit our websites often for updates on Dan's o/s trip, Marcel's upcomers and my own, not forgetting of course the CD LAUNCH OF THE DECADE at The East Brunswick Club, cnr Lygon and Albert Sts, East Brunsie, Sunday 27th August at 7pm!!!!!! YIPPEE! til then, fond admirers......xoxoxo |
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