Saturday, September 25, 2010

Footy Fever Relief – Mick Thomas & Michael Barclay at Basement Discs

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At lunchtime yesterday, Melbourne’s city streets were teeming with thousands of footy fans decked out in the colours, black and white and black, white and red, of the two teams who are fighting out the Grand Final as I write this piece. The traditional pre final parade was about to happen.

I managed to avoid most of the crowds by weaving down lane ways and streets off the main thoroughfares to Basement Discs, my objective being to see Mick Thomas and Michael Barclay performing an in store, and not watch the parade.

It was a wise choice. Mick Thomas is a consummate performer, witty, wry and musically delightful. He of course needs no introduction to Australian readers, but for those who read this blog beyond the Antipodeans’ shores, Mick Thomas was the front man of popular rock band Weddings Parties Anything in the 1980s and 90s and later with The Sure Thing.

He was touting his new CD entitled A Head Full of Road Kill recorded inadvertently in Germany. Inadvertently, as Mick explained, because they had no intention of recording a live album, until they ended up in a studio (they thought they’d been booked for a gig) and it all happened.

Ripper stuff! The duo performed several songs from the new album to the large enthusiastic audience.
Mick Thomas is one the great Australian song writers. His songs are pithy, witty and name check familiar suburbs of Melbourne and sites around Australia.

Michael Barclay is a long time associate of Mick Thomas and vocalist /drummer in Weddings Parties Anything. Yesterday he played the box he was sitting on, and provided very tasteful backing vocals.

Yet again another very enjoyable musical interlude in the working day.

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