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G’day from Downunder
Hi,
I’m a 50-something artist and jack-of-all-trades. I live in suburban Sydney with my adopted cat Missy.
I only discovered the MLT a couple of weeks ago. Like many of you I suppose, even their generous offerings on YouTube weren’t enough, so here I am.
I play a bit of acoustic guitar, and can do a pretty good Howlin Wolf impression before my first cup of coffee. Hardly a musician, more a music lover. The first artists I really got into from about age 15 were The Animals, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Ray Charles, The Kinks and David Bowie. Cassette Tapes and Vinyl back then.
After finishing High School, I lived overseas for a year with my dad in Saudi Arabia. There was no tax on goods, so I bought hundreds of pirated tapes for 50c (or a dollar for better quality!) Also got the chance to briefly see London, Paris, Amsterdam and Bavaria. Had a week in Northern India (Taj Mahal and Jaipur etc) so that was another eye-opener. Drivers took us hundreds of miles in black Morris Oxfords for just a few bucks. My old man had given me a some cash to improve my wardrobe in Europe. I remember selling about $100 worth of jeans and tops to them for $5.
It wasn’t until my 20’s I heard the White Album in full. That was an experience like the first time I heard Hendrix, Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, Robert Johnson, a Ray Charles’ screaming holler – or even Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto.
Spine-tingling.
Mind-changing.
My taste in music is pretty diverse. I like the best of everything from Flamenco to Blues to Soul (Temptations) to Hard Rock, Classical – even some hip-hop. But I promise not to bore or alienate people by talking about music outside this genre unless asked first 😉
My favourite Beatles song is Strawberry Fields Forever. I agree with John on that one.
Followed by: Hey Jude, I’m So Tired, Happiness Is a Warm Gun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Long Long Long, Helter Skelter and I Feel Fine. And the riff on Paperback Writer.
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11 Replies
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Well, let me say a Canadian version of Gidday Eh !???? back atcha, nice to meet you, love your intro, I like various genres of music too…you and few other MLTBuzzLuvGroovies from Down Under are slowly taking over MLT Club membership population on here…lol
Enjoy what’s offered here, meet new MLTBuzzLuvGroovies, looking forward to your postings…☮
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G’day Matt from a Crow Eater 🙂
There’s a few Aussie’s on the forum. I’m down here in Adelaide. Hope you enjoy your stay here.
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Thanks for the welcome, Jacki and Darryl. I like it here already 🙂
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Hey Matt, I love your diverse taste in music, and what an interesting background and travels you’ve done. A big warm welcome to the Club, so glad you joined! 🙂
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Welcome to the best club on the planet Matt. I also live Downunder in BrisVegas in the deep north!
You have a very wide and interesting taste in music. Of those first artists you really got into at the age of 15, I believe the only two the MLT haven’t covered are Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix, although I think the time is ripe for Lisa to take on the challenge of some Hendrix guitar work. She has already nailed Clapton, Dave Davies, Don Felder and Joe Walsh. You can find an excellent version of a 13 year old Lisa singing ”The House of the Rising Sun” on their brilliant album, ”MonaLisa & Band Live in Concert (2007)”. Check it out if you haven’t already.
Members here seem to have a diverse range of musical tastes and favourite groups, with a preference for the Beatles and other similar sixties Beat groups. As a teenager in the sixties, I grew up with the Rolling Stones, buying all their albums, although I was also heavily into the Kinks, the Who, the Animals, Manfred Mann, the Hollies, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and later Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
My favourite Beatles song also happens to be ”Strawberry Fields Forever”.
I guess you’re aware Mona and Lisa spent six months downunder in Adelaide as exchange students in 2009. There is a club topic with information about their time here. I’ll post it when I find it.
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Hey Matt, welcome. Have you been through the Duo Sessions? They are an excellent substitute for live shows. There are a lot of precious little gems here. Check out the latest What’s On The Table video. The girls are so charming and…oh ya, check out the Sky diving video in the ‘Out and About’ section. They are Fearless
JP
It’s almost Friday
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Thank you Jung, Howard and JP for the warm welcome. What a nice bunch of people!
Yes Howard, I believe Lisa could play anything she chose to do, though the aspect of her playing I like the most, is how it is always geared to the strength of the song (like George or Keith), rather than in showing off in the virtuosity of the lead break 🙂 Even so, the next thing I will check out is White Room! (then that version of House of the Rising Sun you mentioned).
I should also say I love Mona’s harp playing. Really captures both Dylan’s and The Beatle’s styles. And a nice substitute for saxophone on Starman.
Yes JP, I listened to the Duo Sessions this morning on the Jukebox and am looking forward to playing many of the videos. Repeatedly. There’s some classic versions there, and it always adds something to see Mona and Lisa interact visually, rather than listening to the audio alone.
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Hi Matt!
We loved reading that introduction, thanks for saying hi and giving us a glimpse into your past. Unfortunately we’ve never been to Sydney, but as Howard already mentioned, we lived 6 months in Adelaide back in 2009 during which we took some shorter trips to the Outback and Cairns (to see the Great Barrier Reef). Needless to say your country holds a soft spot in our hearts 😉
It sounds like you got around quite a bit in your youth which is fantastic! We’re extremely grateful and lucky to have had that fortune to some extent, too. It can really change your perspective on reality, even more so if you get to see those parts and cultures of the world that are very different from our western standards.
We hope you’re having a groovy day, say a big “Thank You” for you being here and send all the best down-under!
Mona & Lisa -
*Air kiss* Thank you Mona, what a lovely welcome, and a great start to my week 😀
I watched your videos from Uluru ‘All Those Years Ago’. That must have been a formative year for you both, all that way from home and staying with separate families. Great that you had a positive experience here, and got to see some of this Wide Brown Land. While I’m sure you’re not as innocent-looking as you were then, I think it’s wonderful that you have retained your enthusiasm and openness to new experiences. For example, the videos of your mini-tour of Hamburg before the Covid lockdown were both informative and entertaining. Those guys certainly paid their dues …
Anyway, you’ve got a new fan. Recently, I have had Baby’s In Black, Pretty Flamingo, and Daydream Believer on rotation in the jukebox in my head ;p
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Welcome Matt! I found MLT and this site about a year and a half ago and Mona and Lisa’s music and those here have brought a lot of joy to my life. I hope you have a great time here. I plan to see Australia some day from all I can tell it is a beautiful country and people down under. Glad you found your way to the forum here. Kind, wonderful people from all around the world – especially from Liverpool.
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Thanks for the warm welcome John 🙂
Yes, there’s a lot of kind and knowledgeable people here. The Wagners are all right too ;p
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