Clayton has been performing in live venues around Perth and regional W.A. since 1996. In addition to being an acoustic soloist, he also fronts
NEWS
A New Venue!
I'm now appearing at The Federal Hotel in Fremantle on Thursdays! Thanks to Slim Jim Enterprises, my Thursday nights will still be spent in Freo for the foreseeable future. I haven't been to The Federal since it was the old Rosie O'Grady's. Ahhh, those were some good times...
So, I'll be playing The Federal from 7-11pm most Thursday evenings. There will be a couple I'll miss, but most weeks I'll be there! In addition to those regular Thursday appearances, I have some Friday sundowner gigs there as well. You can catch me in the Federal's beer garden from 5-8pm on Fridays 16th Nov and 22nd Dec. Looking forward to seeing you down Freo way soon!
Head Full of Petty!
I'm very excited to be playing a solo evening of Tom Petty songs at Night Owl Studio! Thursday 20th July, I'll be performing his most memorable songs with a fair few of my personal faves. Tickets are available from TryBooking here, and you can see more details on this FB event page.
I had a great experience playing Petty tunes last year, when I was invited to do a solo set at the Charles Hotel in October. I performed in between Matt Milford doing Bryan Adams and The Midnight Gang covering Bruce Springsteen. It was a big night of music! So, I'm quite excited to revisit that set and expand it for a very special evening under candlelight.
I'll be doing tracks from his solo albums, hits with The Heartbreakers, a coupla Traveling Wilburys numbers and maybe even a Mudcrutch one! It's going to be a great night for Petty fans! See you there!
Suddenly March!
We are two months into 2023 already! Far out, the speed of life is relentless. I've got some fab gigs coming up this month at a fair few of my favourite venues! I return to Bar Orient in Freo this week, and I'll have three Thursday nights there this month. The alternate Thursdays will see me in the beer garden of The Sovereign Arms at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Joondalup.
I'm really looking forward to being back at The Boat up at Mindarie Marina, and I'll be there this Monday (6th March) from 2-5pm, for the Labour Day long weekend. I've also got a Saturday coming up there at the end of April as well. In addition to that, this Sunday (5th March) will see me back at the Indian Ocean Brewing Co. which is also located at the Mindarie Marina.
I've got two gigs coming up at The Kingsley Tavern, which I've not played for a few years now. One of those gigs is on St Patrick's Day, which lands on a Friday this year. I'll be there from 3-6pm, and there just might be few choice Irish tunes thrown out! I'll also be up there the following Friday night (24th March), at the later time of 6-9pm.
The Wesleys will be continuing to put in appearances at the Byford & Districts Country Club too! We'll be there this Friday (3rd March) and the Thursday night before Good Friday (6th April); from 7-10pm on both evenings. We have a few private functions to perform for as well. Nice to be gigging a little more regularly with WGJS!
For something different, I'm playing in the Swan Valley at Ugly Duckling Wines on Sunday 26th March. I've never played there bore, and I'm filling in for my good mate Shaun Street, who'll be getting his Dire Straits on. I'll be there from 1-4pm, which will be a nice way to spend a Sunday arvo.
Hope to see you at a gig soon! Check my website or my Facebook page or Giglist to see where I'm at.
...and We're Off!
A new year is upon us, and 2022 is well and truly over! I've jumped back into gigging with both feet and have a fair few on the horizon! I'm excited to be debuting at some new venues as well, including the Bailey Brewing Co. out in Henley Brook and the Indian Ocean Brewing Co. in Mindarie.
My Thursday nights will continue to rotate between Bar Orient in Fremantle and The Sovereign Arms in Joondalup, which is awesome. I enjoy playing at both of those places! I will also be making regular monthly appearances at the Port Kennedy Tavern and The Kingsley Tavern.
The Wesleys are going to keep playing at the Byford & Districts Country Club on the first Friday of every month (except February - prior booking), and will also be doing the odd Sunday session! Our first one will be on the 19th of February, kicking off at 1pm. Once we hit our groove, we'll have one Friday night and one Sunday afternoon gig down Byford way every month. We kicked off our account there on the Friday just gone (6th Jan) and had a ball!
WGJS will also be making more appearances at the Lake Monger Recreation Club throughout the year. Our inaugural gig there in October last year was a lot of fun! It's usually a ticketed event for a local dance group, but anyone can attend. Keep on an eye on the Wes socials for details.
I'm looking forward to a happy and busy 2023!
The Year's End
Freak me! It's December! It's all downhill from here. Well, maybe slightly sloped. Although my gig-load is a little lighter this month, I have some excellent ones to look forward to. Firstly, I'm teaming up with Nat Ripepi for a couple of Friday nights down at The Left Bank in Fremantle. Our first one is this weekend! We haven't sung together for a quite a while, so these gigs will be unpredictably fun, I'm sure!
Also happening this weekend is the long-awaited return of the Wesleys to Lakers Tavern in Thornlie! This Sunday (11th Dec) from 3pm we will back in the beer garden for our last gig of 2022! We will have the wonderful Mike Hagerty, Jr. filling in behind the drums, so we are sure to kick the beats into the pocket. We're not sure when we'll return, so if you have the chance, get yourself down there!
We will be back at the Byford & DIstricts Country Club next year though! Our regular first Friday of the month will continue and we may also be turning up on a Sunday as well. Exciting stuff!
I'm also returning to my regular Thursday night gigs this month, namely Bar Orient in Fremantle and The Sovereign Arms Tavern in Joondalup. Looking forward to playing at both of them! Appearances will be made at the Port Kennedy Tavern and Portofinos as well.
Have a safe end of the year, everybody!
Olivia Newton-John Tribute Night
This Wednesday night (30th Nov) at Lyric's Underground, I'm going to be a part of Cindy Dean & Friends Celebrate Olivia Newton-John!
(^^ Click on that link for tickets ^^)
I'm one of the many friends helping Cindy perform a night of ONJ classics with ALL proceeds going to MNDWA and the Cancer & Wellness Centre. The Wesleys are backing Cindy up on three tracks, and I'll be adding guitar to a few and singing a bit of lead on a couple of others.
We're very lucky to have regular Wes fill-in Mike Hagerty Jr. on the drums with us on the night, which will be sure to start things off with a bang! Cindy has woven a story of Olivia's rise to fame, and the people she met along the way. In addition to all of her best known songs, there will be a couple of surprise tunes from her peers.
It's going to be quite something!
Christmas is Coming! So is 2023!
Well, it's coming to that time of the year again! Down the hill we run towards Christmas and 2023! Far out this year has gone fast, and in some ways it hasn't. I'll be keeping pretty busy from here onward, which is a very good thing. Be sure to keep checking my FB page, or this website (or Giglist!) in fact to stay 'in the know'. See you there!
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Busy Times Ahead!
October has been a busy one, and I'm only halfway through! I've already got nine gigs under my belt, and another seven on the horizon. I'm hoping that my run to the end of the year will be a good one, and it's certainly looking that way at the moment (touch wood).
My most memorable gig over the last few weeks would have to be my Tom Petty set at the Charles Hotel, for A Night of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & Bryan Adams. I was stoked to be invited, and loved the challenge of doing a whole set of Petty classics! With forty minutes up my sleeve, I offered these tracks:
Wildflowers
I Won't Back Down
Listen to Her Heart
Breakdown
The Waiting
Into the Great Wide Open
Mary Jane's Last Dance
Refugee
Room at the Top
You Don't Know How It Feels
Free Fallin'
You Wreck Me
I had a gig on just beforehand, and getting from packing down in Bentley to onstage in North Perth was quite a buzz! Thankfully, I was able to settle down a bit and really enjoy the set. I'm hoping to get the chance to do it again, or better still, with a full band. One for the books, for sure.
Over the next coupla months I'll be turning up at The Sovereign Arms in Joondalup every other Thursday night (else, I'll be at Bar Orient), and I even have a coupla Sunday sessions up there too. I'll also be making appearances at the Port Kennedy Tavern, The Last Local in Canning Vale, The Riverton Bar & Grill, Portofinos Restaurant in Mindarie and the King Road Brewing Co. in Oldbury.
The Wesleys only have two more Fridays at the Byford & Districts Country Club confirmed (first Friday of each month), but we will be returing to Lakers Tavern in Thornlie on Sunday 1tth December. We're very excited to be playing out in public again, and we have a couple of private functions coming up as well.
I've also been asked by the wonderful Nat Ripepi to join her at a coupla gigs at The Left Bank in Fremantle during December. We'll be performing as a duo act, with harmonies a-plenty and setlists a-mergin'! Looking forward to those as well. I'll be keeping this here page updated, as well as my Facebook one. See you at a gig soon!
Feeling Petty
Exciting news, people! I've been asked to participate in a special tribute evening! On Saturday 8th October, the Charles Hotel will be host to A Night of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & Bryan Adams, and I will be providing the Petty component.
I'm going to perform a solo acoustic set of my favourite Petty tunes, which will hopefully be yours as well! Matt Milford will be deftly handling Bryan Adams, and The Midnight Gang will barnstorm through their Springsteen show. It's going to be a very entertaining evening! Tickets are available online from Oztix right now, if you'd like to click here.
I'm pretty excited about this one! I LOVE themed nights like this. I did a gig recently for a 50th birthday party wherein all the songs I played were released in 1972 (geddit?). That was a very fun challenge, as I did know quite a bit from that era (yeah, born in the seventies much?), but I had to learn a few too. There was a special gig I did a couple of years back for a farewell party which required 30min of John Denver songs. I didn't know any John Denver songs! But, I managed to learn enough to do the gig, and I still play a couple of them now.
In the future I'm hoping to do more of the tribute sort of thing. I absolutely loved the shows WGJS did for the Newport Record Club/Record Club Roadshow; and the Bowie nights, of course. Last year's Zevon show at Lyric's Underground with The Excitable Boys was heaps of fun too! Anyway, we'll keep walking the path, huh?
A Bit of a Stumble
Well, after ending August with eight solo gigs, I've had to kick off September from the couch! My left foot isn't healing up as nicely is it should be after my surgery. As a result, I've had to be hooked up to something called a PICO dressing, and keep off my foot as much as possible. This resulted in me having to pull out of my solo and WGJS gigs last week. However, I've now had a change of dressing and I'm able to gig again!
I am now sporting a lovely ViraVac wound draining dressing, and I've been encouraged to move around 'as normal' and put my foot up when I can. So, I'll be at The Boat this Sunday (11th Sep) from 2-5pm, which will be my only gig this weekend.
As ever, I remain deeply grateful to Rhona and my family for looking after me during this time. Without their love and support, I don't know what I'd do. I'm hoping to be able to close the chapter on my left foot very soon!
I only have two solo gigs the following week, which will be Bar Orient on Thursday and the Fremantle Sailing Club Friday night. I'm hoping to have more gigs come in as September wears on, but I'll keep this website and my FB page up to date!
Back in the Game
Guess who's returning to the live music scene? It's me, isn't it? Yes. Yes, it is. After spending the first half of August in bed, or on the couch, with my stitched-up foot up, I'm ready to ditch the crutches and get back to gigging! First stop: Bar Orient on a Thursday night, which is one of my favourite gigs. Bully!
Unfortunately though, as if next month, I will no longer be there every Thursday. I have been demoted to a fortnightly basis, and come October I will be sharing my Thursdays with The Sovereign Arms in Joondalup every other week. I'm disappointed to not be at Bar Orient every week, but that's the way it goes in this game. Happy that I'll still be there semi-regularly though!
So, while I'm off the crutches now, and can walk on two legs again, I'm a little ginger in getting around. I may resort to sitting on a stool at my gigs over the weekend. Going from two weeks of no-giggity to four solo gis in a row! Bound to take a bit of a toll. Looking forward to playing live again though. I took advantage of my hiatus to get my guitar restrung, rebridged, serviced and sorted...plays like a dream now!
See you out and about!
Away for a Spell
I'm going to be away from the live music scene for the start of this month, as I'm having some minor surgery. I'll be recovering for a couple of weeks, and I'm hoping to return mid-August. If all goes to plan, my first gig post-op will be at Bar Orient on Thursday 18th August. This is only tentative though, and will depend on how I bounce back.
So, there will be no gigs for me for a little while. I'm extremely thankful to have the support of my amazing wife Rhona and our wonderful family during this period. How would I get through these things on my own? Thanks to those who have sent me lovely messages and best wishes for the surgery. I'm hoping to be back amongst it very soon!
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Suddenly COVID!
After successfully dodging the dreaded coronavirus for over two years, my body finally succumbed this week. Thankfully, the rest of my family don't have it, and hopefully things stay that way. As with these things, I have had to isolate for a week, and with that, pull out of my gigs for the weekend. I've managed to spend the whole of June in bed, so far, except for trips to the toilet and shower. I'm very lucky to have such a supportive family and an amazing wife to look after me. Currently, I'm on Day 4. Hopefully, I'll back on the live scene by June 9th.
I had two solo gigs and two with The Wesleys lined up, and sadly, they could not go ahead. One of the WGJS gigs was this Sunday at Lakers Tavern (day before WA Day), which would have been a brilliant one. We were booked to play there for the Labor Day long weekend in March too, but the govt restrictions put the kibosh on that. It's been such a battle to return to our Sundays there, but what can you do? When you've got people asking when you're returning and limited chances to do so, it gets a little frustrating. We had so many great gigs there on a Sunday. From April 2013 to January 2018 we reigned, and we always looked forward to ending our gigging weekend at Lakers. They say that you can never go home again, but let's hope we get a few gigs there again in the future.
I also missed playing at Bar Orient this Thursday, which is the first solo gig I've missed there this year! I had Good Friday Eve off, as they'd booked a band, but that was it. Felt very strange not to play there. I really look forward to being there every Thursday. Such a great venue. Such great regulars and staff. Been a constant light for me through these COVID times. I started playing there on a fortnightly basis in May 2018, and it became a weekly gig by July. I've been lucky enough to be there ever since, except for illness, finger severing and COVID restrictions. Bar Orient was the first venue I played at after the 2020 lockdown ended, and the first place I played a full gig after cutting my finger in 2021. I remain truly grateful to still be gigging there on a Thursday.
Anyway, hopefully, I will get through this quickly and be back gigging, quick smart!
Wesleys Back at Lakers!
You can catch The Wesleys at Lakers Tavern this long weekend! It's just a one-off gig unfortunately, but we'll take it! We had a wonderful Sunday session there in June for the WA Day long weekend, and we're hoping for the same again! We're playing from 4:30-7:30pm and we'd love to see you there. The Saturday night beforehand we return to Bar Orient in Fremantle as well. It's going to be a great weekend for your favourite acoustic rock trio!
Back on Deck
I'm back on the Perth live music scene! After spending ten days with my family in the wheatbelt, great southern and southern parts of WA, I'm somewhat refreshed and recharged! My first weekend saw me play two solo gigs and a private do with the Wesleys. All very enjoyable!
In a bizarre stroke of luck, the time we spent away was when Perth went into lockdown. Thankfully we'd left the city before that happened, so we were able to continue with our trip. It was quite weird having to wear masks among those who didn't. We do what we have to, for the good of the community though, don't we? Here's hoping that Perth can continue to stay in a restriction-free state for a long time.
Anyway, I'm very happy to say that my Thursday nights at Bar Orient in Fremantle will be continuing through until September. WGJS also have some Friday and Saturday gigs coming up there as well, the first being this Friday 16th July! I've also got some future solo shows at The Boat & Portofinos Restaurant in Mindarie, Fremantle Sailing Club and the Port Kennedy Tavern. I'll keep my gig guide here updated, and there's usually events on my FB page. Take care out there!
A Little Break
For the first time this year I am taking a planned break from gigging! Yes, planned! I haven't cut a part of my body or suffered some sort of injury. My family are taking off on a jaunt down south, and we shall be gone for about 10 days; COVID-19 restrictions permitting. When we do get back to Perth I will have a four gigs waiting for me. The second weekend in July will look like this:
Thursday 8th July - Bar Orient, Fremantle (7:30-11pm)
Friday 9th July - Wanneroo Sports & Social Club (7-10pm)
Saturday 10th July - private birthday gig with The Wesleys
Sunday 11th July - The Boat, Mindarie (1-4pm)
I hope that July treats you all well. Thank you to those who have come to see me at a solo gig or a Wesley show. Or The Excitable Boys' night of Zevon at Lyric's Underground! Hoping for more Zevon shows in the future.
All the best!
Zevon! And Moving On!
The 'big gig' on my horizon right now is happening this Thursday night! Far out, that's gone quick. At Lyric's Underground (Maylands) June 17th, The Excitable Boys will perform The Best of Warren Zevon. Who are The Excitable Boys, you ask? That would be myself, Kieran Murphy on drums, Brendan Tompsett on bass and Michael de Grussa on keys and guitar. We've had a ball rehearsing up the songs and it's going to be brilliant! Tickets are available online from Oztix, or you can click here.
Regrettably, I never really appreciated Zevon's music while he was still alive. It was only after his passing that I went down the rabbit hole, because a bouncer at a pub I regularly played at gave me a copy of A Quiet Normal Life (a Zevon compilation). It's nearly twenty years since we lost him, and for most people he's best known as the Werewolves of London guy. Some of his songs have become massive favourites of mine, and I can't wait to perform them live with some top sorts.
2021 has been a bit challenging for me, as some of you might know. Just as I was getting back into a regular gigging routine, I hurt my back quite badly. I had just done three full gigs in a row (two solo, one WGJS) for the first time since I cut my fingers, and I was bed-bound for over a week on painkillers and muscle relaxants. When I was able to start gigging again, I needed help from my family to get to the venue (as I couldn't drive) and setup (as I couldn't lift items or bend over). Thankfully, playing guitar and singing wasn't too hard for me.
That was almost a month ago, and I am very nearly back to full gigging strength...again! He he he...looking forward to some more solo gigs and work with WGJS. We were lucky enough to land a Sunday session at Lakers Tavern on the WA Day long weekend, and it was a blast! Hoping to be back there again soon. In the meantime, we have gigs lined up at Johnny Fox's in Northbridge (the old Rosie O'Grady's), The Chase Bar in Baldivis and Bar Orient in Fremantle.
Speaking of the Orient, I'll be there most Thursday nights in the future as well. I won't this week due to the Zevon gig, but hopefully you'll be able to find me there on a Thursday. Looking forward to the good things this year will bring!
Settling Back In
I've spent a little time reflecting on two big events that happened in the week just gone. Sunday 28th March saw the first live appearance of Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts since December 2020. I joined the Wesleys for a 45min set at the Decade of Hope bushfire appeal gig at the Grand Central Hotel in Midland. This was the first time I'd been able to play guitar in front of a live audience since my NYE finger injury, and I absolutely loved every second of it.
Not only was there the thrill of playing music to a crowd again, but was great to see Shaun and Hagzy again. It was a good and bad thing that the time we played was so short. We were just starting to get into it and we had to stop, he he he. Probably best that my finger didn't have to put up with much more as well. I had been playing for around 30-40min a day in the lead up to the event, but it might have been disastrous to push it any further. Particularly as I had my first gig back at Bar Orient coming up on the next Thursday (April 1st)!
Yes, my first, full-length solo gig of 2021! Looking back, it really couldn't have gone any better. There was a very responsive crowd in attendance, bringing with them a fun Thursday night vibe. Amongst the crowd was my huggie bear who was nervously excited about the evening! He he he...she got up and sang a couple of songs with me as well! There were a few familiar faces in the audience, and behind the bar, plus a few new ones. Stepping on to that stage and grabbing my guitar felt like coming home. I've got a bit of a wait until my next gig at the Orient (Thurs 15th April), but that's probably a good thing.
For those who haven't been to see me there, I play from 7:30-11pm (with breaks), so that was the longest I'd played my guitar all year. My finger certainly felt used when I finished, and a little sore, but it wasn't unbearable. I think I could have managed to play longer if I'd needed to. So, here's hoping I'm back for a while! I'm currently booked at Bar Orient for every Thursday after the 15th until the end of June. No WGJS gigs confirmed yet (other than a private party), so fingers crossed they start lining up too!
Slight Return
While my injured middle finger is healing nicely, I'm still a good few weeks away from resuming regular gigging duties. However, I am hoping to make an appearance with the Wesleys at the Decade of Hope fundraiser appeal! The event is being held at the Grand Central Hotel in Midland on Sunday 28th March, and there's a slew of local acts in the lineup. Tickets are available online from TAZ Tix (click here).
Further information can be found on the Facebook event page as well. The music is firing up at midday across two stages, and WGJS will be performing a 45min set in the beer garden. All proceeds are going to help those affected by the bushfires at the start of the year.
I'm quite excited about playing guitar in front of an audience for the first time in 2021. The fact that this will be benefitting a good cause makes it doubly special! I've missed performing with the Wesleys, and there hasn't been a WGJS gig since 19th December at Bar Orient last year. Hopefully it will be the start of a return to the gigging scene! Time will tell.
On the Bench
Well, the big news in my camp at the moment, is that I'm currently unable to play the guitar! I had an altercation with a kitchen knife that ended badly. You can read more about what happened here, if you like. Anyway, long story short, the middle finger on my left hand nearly lost its tip. It is healing up now, but it will be a while before I can press down on a guitar string with it.
So, I'm not gigging for the rest of January. I'm giving my body the best chance at regenerating and minimising the risk for further injury. I did brave the elements to sing at this year's Mind Warp Pavilion at The Rechabite on Saturday night, but that will be my only gig for the month. Check out this lovely review by Sean Bennett for The Rock Pit. I also did a little blog post on it here.
Depending on my progress, I could be back playing in pubs by February, but nothing is certain at the moment. It is still a waiting game.
Ahhhhh, the waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!
The Best of Bowie
I'm very excited to be a part of this Bowie gig! WGJS have joined forces with two awesome musicians that we played with at this year's Mind Warp Pavilion 4 show in January. We have put together a most excellent selection of songs for The Best of Bowie, which will be happening at Clancy's Fish Pub in Fremantle this Sunday 29th November! Tickets are available online from Oztix.
Kieran, Shaun and myself will be taking to the stage with keyboardist Mark Ralph (Oats Supply) and guitarist Selina Janye Paul (Ballbreaker). The five of us formed the nucleus of the house band at MPW4 at The Court earlier this year and thought we'd do a Bowie show on our own when we got the chance. That chance is this weekend! We'll be playing a lot of classic Bowie tunes, as well as some of our favourite album tracks. This will be one to remember!
Moving Forward
I don't think I've ever been as grateful to live in WA as I am now. I've been very lucky to be able to play in pubs again since July, and I've even had some weekends of four gigs! I hope that WA keeps moving forward and more venues start using live musicians again. My Thursday nights at Bar Orient in Fremantle are still happening, which I'm very thankful for. You can catch me on stage every week from 7:30pm! The Wesleys have been fortunate enough to enjoy some Saturday gigs there recently as well, which have been a lot of fun. You might have also seen us at Ric O'Shea's in the Beaconsfield Hotel on a Friday night.
In addition to gigs at Bar Orient, I have some solo work coming up at the RAC Local Lounge, inside RAC Arena. I've done a couple of support slots there on a Friday afternoon from 4:15-5:30pm in the outside area before the main act began at 6pm inside. On Oct 30th, I will be doing both! I'm going to use the second section to play a lot of my original material, which I'm looking forward to.
WGJS have some gigs coming up at The Chase Bar & Bistro in Baldivis and The Kardinya Tavern, as well as sets for the Beef and Beer Festival at Burswood Park. We will also be performing a special 'Best of Bowie' show with some of our friends at Clancy's in Fremantle on Sunday 29th November! That's going to be a really special night. Keep an eye on our Facebook page to stay informed on our gigs!
Wesleys hit Bar Orient!
As things slowly start to ease in WA, there are a few more gigs about! The Wesleys have been quite lucky to score some Saturday nights at Bar Orient in Fremantle in August and September. After a one-off in July, we've been invited back for more! We'll be there this Saturday 8th (and the 22nd) August from 8:30pm, and twice more in September!
In addition to our Bar Orient-eering, WGJS have had a couple of gigs at Ric O'Shea's Irish bar in The Beaconsfield Hotel and a few regular fortnightly Saturday nights at Rosie O'Grady's in the city. I will also be continuing to play Thursday nights down at Bar Orient as well. Regular punters will also be pleased to learn that the $5 chicken parmi is back on the menu! So, I'll be spending a fair bit of time down Freo way over the next coupla months.
Back in the Freo Groove
Due to the state government easing some of the COVID-19 restrictions, I've been able to gig again! I'm very thankful to be back at Bar Orient in Fremantle every Thursday night, and I did my returning gig there on 11th June. It was the first time I played in a live venue since the middle of March this year! I was also lucky enough to play with the Wesleys at the Beaconsfield Hotel last Friday Night (19th June). We hadn't gigged since March either, so it felt great to bust some tunes out together again...to a live audience, no less! Thanks to the Beacy for having us, and hopefully we'll get another chance to fire up down there.
If you've not been out to a pub in a while, consider coming down to see me play at Bar Orient on a Thursday night. A fun time is always had, the food is delicious and the staff are awesome! I kick off from 7:30pm and am more than happy to take a request or three. It is such a privilege to be playing live again and I heartily suggest myself to breaking your live music drought. He he he...
Facebook Live
As pubs and other live venues are shut down at the moment, I'm sharing a few performances on Facebook. I've put up a few covers, and a livestreamed set from the Myaree Mega Music store, but I did a full hour set from our backyard last Thursday evening via Facebook Live. It's still on my Facebook music page if you want to check it out. I got some wonderful responses from other FB users, so I'm planning another one for Easter Monday.
I'll be kicking off in our backyard from 3pm (WA time), and will go until about 4:30pm, I reckon. Rhona will once again be behind the iDevice and taking requests as they come through. Last time was a lot of fun, and the antics our dog Zappa added an extra degree of entertainment to the event! He he he...
I've been asked if there is a way to contribute or donate some money for the livesteams I'm doing. There's a couple of options, if you're keen. Firstly, Mega Music's WA Muso's Lost Gigs GoFundMe page is fundraising to help local musicians who have now lost their chief source of income. Another choice is you can buy one of my original songs from Bandcamp. During the livestream show I'll also be sharing my PayPal details as a virtual 'tip jar', if you're so inclined.
Thank you all in advance for your wonderful support. I'm looking forward to doing more online performances over the next few weeks. Possibly months, I guess... Stay safe and healthy out there, d'you hear?
Shut Down
Things have changed pretty quickly around here, haven't they? The last time I did a news update I was announcing how my gigs were going, and which residencies were continuing. With the new government regulations effectively shutting down pubs to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, I've been left pretty much gigless. I played at Bar Orient in Freo last Thursday, and it looks like that was the last gig in a live venue I'll have for a while.
As scary as it is to be losing one of our main sources of income, we'd rather be alive and healthy, so I'm very happy to take an unexpected break from gigging. I look forward to returning to the scene once the situation improves. When that will be is really anyone's guess, isn't it?
I do have one little bit of good news to share though. Mega Music launched an initiative to give Perth musos a place to play and livestream their set! Every Saturday afternoon they are featuring musicians performing in-store at their Wangara and Myaree stores. I was lucky enough to play at their Myaree location and you can watch my set via my Facebook page. In addition to this, Kaj and the Mega team have set up a Go Fund Me page for Perth musos who have lost their gigs. All money raised via this effort will go straight to those affected and their families. If you're able to donate, please click the link here.
I'm hoping to do some more livestreaming over the coming weeks (and months), and I'm also setting up a Bandcamp profile where you'll be able to buy and download my original material. Thanks to everybody who has made contact with me over the last few days and checked how my family and I are coping. We'll get through this! We all will! Stay safe and stay home if you can.
Marchin' On
I'm happy to say that two of my regular gigs are continuing forward for the rest of the month. So, I'm still spending Thursday nights at Bar Orient in Fremantle on my own, and Sunday afternoons at Market City Tavern with the Wesleys.
Speaking of the Wesleys, we've landed a semi-regular fortnightly Friday gig at the newly re-opened Beaconsfield Hotel. You can catch us there in the front Irish bar (Ric O'Shea's) from 8-11pm on the 13th and 27th of March. We played at their soft opening last month and had a ball of a night! We're also appearing at Rosie O'Grady's in Northbridge every weekend, thanks to Slim Jim Enterprises. We alternate between Fridays and Saturdays; so this week we're there on Saturday night, and Friday the following week, and so on...
WGJS will also be playing at Rosie O'Grady's on St Patrick's Day, continuing our annual tradition. Times are yet to be confirmed, but keep an eye on our Facebook page as details come to hand!
The Mind Warp Pavilion 4
I am going to be involved in the annual Bowie event, The Mind Warp Pavilion, which is being held at The Court Hotel on the 11th of January this year. To say I'm excited is an understatement, as I'll be part of the house band for the main part of the evening! I'm joining fellow WGJS bandmates Shaun Street (bass) and Kieran Murphy (drums), Mark Ralph on keys, Selina Paul on guitar, Greg Dear on guitar, Tom Beech on saxophone and Chris Murphy will be singing and playing on a couple of tunes too! There are guest singers apearing throughout our set and I'm getting to sing a few tunes too! I'm also wielding my awesome Bowie Dual Tone Supro electric guitar!
Tickets are available from Moshtix (click here) and part proceeds will go to the Cancer Council. As well as our fab Bowie set, there will be live Bowie art, a support slot from the amazing Thin White Ukes, plus more!
For anyone who caught a WGJS Bowie night, you know that we all love Bowie with a passion! To get the opportunity to play some of these songs again, but with a full band, is a huge privilege. See you there!
Keep on Keeping On in Freo
I'm delighted to share the news that my Thursday night residency at Bar Orient in Fremantle has been extended until March 2020! If you've not come down to see me yet, I play there from 7:30-11pm every week, and I love having a regular Thursday gig in Freo again. What's been particularly great about being down there has been seeing some of the old regulars from Rosie O'Grady's. I'm very grateful to Tony and all the staff at Bar Orient for looking after me since I started playing there in May this year.
Speaking of regular weekly gigs, the WGJS Sunday session at Market City Tavern, Canning Vale seems set to continue through the summer as well. The Wesleys will keep showing up at Rosie O'Grady's in Northbridge most weekends as well, thanks to Slim Jim Enterprises. You can usually find us there on a Friday or Saturday night, as we alternate each week.
I've got some new solo gigs coming up too, which I'm fairly excited about. I'll be back at the Como Hotel near the end of the month for a Saturday night and I may be appearing at the Peel Ale House in the very near future as well. I'm also involved in a Bowie tribute evening that's happening in early January, but more on that later!
A Logo to Call My Own
After over twenty years in the biz, I finally have myself an awesome logo! This amazingly cool motif was designed by my fab friend, and fellow WGJS bandmate, Kieran Murphy. To say I'm hugely happy with it is an understatement!
Now, as far as my gig situation goes, I'm very pleased to say that you can still find me at Bar Orient in Fremantle every Thursday night and with WGJS at Market City Tavern every Sunday afternoon. The Wesleys also loiter around Rosie O'Grady's in the city every weekend. We're usually there on a Friday one week, a Saturday the next, and son on. I've also had some solo work at new venues including The Sporting Globe in Belmont, Coventry Seafood Bar & Grill and Dolphin Quay in Mandurah. Amongst these gigs, I've also enjoyed duo stints at the Kalamunda Hotel and Friday sundowners at the Victoria Park Hotel or Rendezvous Hotel Perth Central. I have a Saturday night coming at The Berrigan Bar & Bistro in South Lake that I'm quite looking forward to as well.
My wife Rhona and I have also been endeavouring to get some more duo work as Silver & Gold. We had a fun time at the Hyde Park Hotel last week as part of Perth Open Mic's Wednesday night session. The only problem was that our half hour set went too quick! He he he...we've had some opportunities we weren't able to take advantage of, but we're hoping to have a public gig on offer for all very soon!
Thursdays at Bar Orient
I'm excited to share the news that as of this month, I will be performing at Bar Orient in Fremantle every Thursday night. You can now catch me there from 7:30pm every week! It's Chicken Parmy night and there's always great drink specials to be had. Why not make a request too? I've got my request book onstage for anyone to scrawl in a pick or three. It's always nice to challenged, he he he...
Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts are continuing their Sunday sessions at Market City Tavern in Canning Vale every weekend, and we're stoked to still be playing there. We're there every Sunday from 4-7pm, conveniently housing the 5-6pm happy hour! We also appear at Rosie O'Grady's in the city every weekend, either on a Saturday or Friday night. We alternate, see?
On the solo front, I'll be playing at Coventry Seafood Bar & Grill in Morley for the first time this Friday night, and I've landed another duo gig at the Kalamunda Hotel. I'll be performing up there with Darren Versaico on Saturday 13th July. Other gigs will pepper the month, but one way or the other, I'll be kept pretty busy. Bully!
Gigs Gigs Gigs!!!
May is going to be a busy month for me! Firstly, Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts will be continuing to play Sundays at Market City Tavern, which we're very happy about. We were given the month of January as a trial, and we're still there! I have also managed to land a semi-regular Thursday night gig at Bar Orient down in Fremantle. From 16th May I'll be playing there every fortnight from 7:30-11pm!
I picked up a one-off duo gig at the Kalamunda Hotel this Saturday May the 4th (be with you) too. I'll be joined by Mr Mike Hagerty, Jr. on the drums from 6:30-9:30pm; should be fun! I've also got the occasional Friday sundowner at the Victoria Park Hotel and Rendezvous Perth Central Hotel as well. Plus, you can still catch WGJS at Rosie's in Northbridge every Friday or Saturday night as well (check your local gig guides, like say, Giglist).
Good times, good times. See you at a gig soon!
A Quick Trip Over East
Next Monday my family and I are heading to Melbourne for week or so! We're all pretty excited, but that means this weekend will be your last chance to catch me with the Wesleys for a fortnight. I'll be at Rosie O'Grady's this Friday night and our Sunday sessions at Market City Tavern will continue throughout April; except for the Sunday I'm in Melbourne!
The first gig I have when we get back will be at Fenian's Pub in the city on Thursday 18th April. It's a WGJS gig, and we'll playing from 8:30pm, stopping sharply at midnight, as it will be Good Friday.
A Sudden Support Slot!
I've just been invited to play at the Ravenswood Hotel this Saturday night. Turns out there's a bit of a do on, and I'm needed for a support set before it all kicks off. Who's playing after me? Thirsty Merc, KIllling Heidi, and, uh, Daryl Braithwaite!! Very excited to be part of the Days of Summer event! You can buy your tickets here! Gates open at 5pm and I'll be starting at 5:30pm. See you there!
A Quick Update!
Well, Wesleys Goodlet Jamboree Scouts will be playing at the Market City Tavern every Sunday through February! After performing in the main bar near the restaurant in January, last Sunday we ventured out into the beer garden, and it was great! Hoping to really build up the crowd down there. It's just fab having a regular Sunday session again to work up some fresh tracks and enjoy the company of the people coming to see us every week.
Rosie O'Grady's in Northbridge will be keeping WGJS busy over the next month or two as well. We're playing there every week, either on a Friday or Saturday night. You can check my gig guide on Home page to find out which week it is! We will possibly be making an appearance at Rosie's on St Patrick's Day too.
Things are a little quiet for me on the solo front, but I have been at Rendezvous Hotels in Perth and Scarborough on occasion. In fact I'll be at the former on Friday 1st March and the latter this Saturday night! I no longer have my fortnightly Thursdays at The Sovereign Arms either. I'm looking forward to being at Mindarie's A Toast to the Coast Festival on Saturday 23rd March! I'll be in The Boat beer garden from 11:30am-2:30pm, before The Mod Squad fire up at 3pm.
See you out and about!
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A New Wesley Sunday Session
As of this weekend, Wesleys Goodlet Jamboree Scouts have a new Sunday session! For the month of January, we'll be playing at the Market City Tavern from 4-7pm every Sunday afternoon. We're hoping to see a lot of our old regulars who used to come to Lakers Tavern and make it such a great gig! We've tried to get back to Lakers on a Sunday, but we're only able to land the odd Saturday night.
Since losing the Grand Central Hotel last October, we've been gagging for a regular Sunday gig! We're very excited of what the Market City Tavern sessions could become.
As for myself, 2019 is starting off a little slowly. I'm still sorting out the month of January, and I'm hoping to be able to share my gig schedule soon! Stay safe and have a very happy (and safe) New Year!
Wesleys Are Back in Midland!
Since the end of September this year, Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts have been back at the Grand Central Hotel in Midland on Sundays. We're very excited to be back, and we're looking forward to growing the gig into an awesome Sunday session as summer approaches. We play from 5-8pm in the beer garden.
In solo gig news, I will be at The Sovereign Arms in Joondalup every second Thursday night from this week until the end of the year. You'll find me up there from 7:30-10:30pm.
Wesley Goodlet Ziggy Bowie Scouts!
On Friday 27th July, Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts will be returning to The Newport Hotel in Fremantle for another performance of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album! Yes, that's right! We're very excited to be getting the chance to play these songs again. You can grab tickets from Moshtix here for just $20.
We first played The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars in its entirety in June, 2014. It was the second show of the first season of what is now known as Record Club Roadshow. Back then, it was The Newport Record Club, and we performed Ziggy again for their Rewind series in 2015 before playing Bowie's Hunky Dory in 2016.
In addition to the Ziggy album, we will present a tasty selection of Bowie classics. Anyone who has seen us perform Ziggy before will know what a great night you're in. If you haven't seen us do it before, now's your chance! See you there!
Wes Returns to Lakers! Kinda...
Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts are very excited to be heading back to one of our favourite Perth live venues! On Saturday 14th July, we're performing at Lakers Tavern down in Thornlie. While it's not our regular Sunday session, it's a start - and we've got a Saturday night gig in August and September as well. Hopefully, we'll get lots of our old regulars down for a funky good time!
We'll be playing from 8:45-11:45pm, and it will be our first Saturday night gig at Lakers that's not a holiday eve of some sort. We'll return on 25th August and 22nd September. Here's hoping for more! And Sundays!
A Brief Hiatus
I don't have any gigs this weekend, either solo or WGJS. That's because I'm taking a bit of break with my family. Our daughter has just turned thirteen (far out!) and we're going away for a coupla days. I'm looking forward to returning to the pub scene next week, starting with a WGJS gig at Rosie's on Friday 15th June. The Wesleys will also be taking the stage at The Carine on Saturday 16th June. My next solo gig will be at the Victoria Park Hotel on the Sunday of that same weekend.
Last Tuesday night (5th June), I performed at The Classroom in North Perth as part of their new Live And Unplugged series. Although a fairly modest crowd came down, they were very supportive, and an absolute delight to play for! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and peppered a fair few originals through my sets. I presented songs that meant a lot to me, as well as ones I just enjoy playing. I delved into the back stories of some of my originals too. To make the night a little special, I brought down my old Ibanez 12 string, and my old Maton, which was tuned to an open G chord. It was cool having three guitars on display!
Anyway, here's how the night played out (songs without brackets are mine):
1
You Can Close Your Eyes (James Taylor)
Old Man (Neil Young)
Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
Goodbye
Watching the Wheels (John Lennon)
Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan)
Smile
Don't Start Me Talking (Paul Kelly)
Your Sons and Daughters
Space Oddity (David Bowie)
Wonderful
Comes a Time (Neil Young) - with Rhona
Fields of Athenry (Pete St John) - with Rhona
2
Blackbird (The Beatles)
Little Smiley Man
Gorgeous Girl
Moonshadow (Cat Stevens)
Into My Arms (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds)
Waitin' for a Superman (The Flaming Lips)
We're All Different
All I Want Is You (Barry Louis Polisar)
Jim's Son Rises
Veronica (Elvis Costello)
If Not For You (Bob Dylan)
---------------------------------------
Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie)
A Special Evening at The Classroom
I'm very excited about an upcoming solo gig this Tuesday night! As part of The Classroom's new Live & Unplugged series, I will be appearing in their intimate library room on Tuesday 5th June. Tickets are only $10 and they're available online or at the door on the night, depending on how sales go. It's a small and cozy room filled with couches, stools and cushions, so there's only capacity for around 50 people. Get your tickets quick, because it's sold out, um, that's it. He he he...
I've titled my show "A Natural Progession" and I'll be performing the songs that have had the biggest impact on me over the years. I'll also share stories behind some of my original material, which will make the night a little more intimate than usual. I'm not one for talking a lot at my gigs, so I'll have to change tact for Tuesday!
It's a wonderful venue, so if you're going to head down, get there early and grab a drink or maybe some arancini balls. Reeeeeaaalllllly looking forward to this one! If you only go to one of my gigs this year, you probably should get out more!
One More Time at the Broken Hill Hotel
**GIG UPDATE: Friday 25th May at the Broken Hill Hotel has been cancelled due to poor weather **
Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts have nearly come to the end of our two month Friday night residency at The Broken Hill Hotel! This week's session (25th May) is our final show, for now. We have absolutely loved our time at this iconic Vic Park venue and we hope to return in the very near future. We have relished the opportunity to have a regular Friday night, but all things move toward their end, and we were only confirmed for April and May.
WGJS will still be at Rosie O'Grady's on a fairly regular basis, with four gigs booked in June on either a Firday or Saturday night. We are also returning to The Carine Glades Tavern for a couple of Saturdays too. We are currently without a regular Sunday session, but we're hoping to remedy that very soon.
I have a couple of Sundays at the Victoria Park Hotel in June as well as a very special and intimate affair at The Classroom in North Perth on Tuesday 5th June. More on that later, but the night will feature a small capacity crowd of around 40-50 people lounging on cushions and sofas while I play a few influential tunes and some of my original musics. Tickets will be $10 each and more details are coming!
Wesleys, Solo Gigs and a Wedding Expo!
Well, there's been some changes to my gigging schedule of late. Firstly, I'm going to be an exhibitor at the Annual Perth Wedding Expo at the Ascot Racecourse on Sunday 6th May. The event runs from 10am till 3pm, and I'll performing for 15min every hour in addition to chatting to the newly betrothed planning their special day! If you'd like to attend, or know someone who might, more information is available here.
Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts have lost the Sunday session at Grand Central Hotel in Midland. While we managed to build up a bit of a crowd over our two month residency, we were unfortunately let go for budgetary reasons. We're hoping to get another regular Sunday gig in the very near future. I've had some solo gigs in the interim at The Sovereign Arms and the Victoria Park Hotel. I was lucky enough to play up at The Boat in Mindarie for the annual A Toast To The Coast festival, as well as a stint on ANZAC Day. Since losing Paddy Maguires, I've yet to land a regular solo gig.
On the good news front, the Wesleys will continue to appear at the Broken Hill Hotel in Vic Park on Friday nights until the end of May. We'll also play at Rosie O'Grady's in Northbridge on alternating Saturdays. We've recently designed a new logo which is now available in patch form! Get to a gig to get yours!
A Friday Wesley Residency
The Wesleys have managed to procure themselves a regular Friday night! Yes, that elusive residency that we have been chasing since, well, a long time ago. I can't remember the last regular Friday I've ever had, WGJS or solo. Probably the Foundry back in the early noughties, playing for the after-work crowd. Fun times!
Anyway, for April and May, you can catch Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts at the Broken Hill Hotel in Vic Park every Friday night! It's such a great venue and the beer garden has such an awesome vibe. We've been performing there fortnightly, so we're very excited to be there every week! Because of this shift, we will be playing at Rosie O'Grady's on selected Saturday nights over the next few months. This is also good news, as Saturdays at Rosie's are much busier than Fridays.
Our Sundays at the Grand Central Hotel in Midland will be continuing through April and May as well. We've been loving our gigs in beer garden out there! It's so great to be building up a Sunday session again. Every week we're seeing more people turn up, and some faces keep coming back! We're hoping to keep it growing into a super vibey and fun gig.
It's going to be a great couple of months for WGJS
Gig Update!
I'm saddened to report that my Wednesday nights at Paddy Maguires in Subiaco have come to an abrupt end. I enjoyed my time there over the last couple of months, and I hope to return sometime in the future.
My occasional appearances at the Currambine Bar & Bistro will hopefully keep going. I've had the pleasure of playing there on every night, except a Monday or Tuesday, over the last six months! My last few stints there were Thursdays. Might be popping up that way on a Wednesday sometime soon!
The Wesleys are continuing their run at the Grand Central Hotel in Midland on Sundays. Looks like we'll be there until the end of March, at least. Keep an eye out for us at the Broken Hill Hotel on selected Fridays and even cheeky spots at The Brooklands Tavern!
St Patrick's Day will see the Wesleys return to Rosie O'Grady's as well, playing there 4-8pm on the big day. We'll also have a few Friday and Saturday nights there over the next two months.
All aboard the Grand Central
Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts have a new Sunday session for the rest of February and March! You can catch us at Midland's newest live venue, the Grand Central Hotel, every Sunday evening from 5-8pm. We're hoping to build up a great following, just like we did at The Carine and Lakers Tavern. The Grand Central has a lovely beer garden and we're stoked to start playing there.
I was lucky enough to play in the beer garden at the venue's official opening on Tuesday 23rd January. Michelle Roberts, the WA Minister for Police & Road Safety, cut a red ribbon hung between my PA speakers to declare the pub open. I played there a few weeks earlier one Friday afternoon during their soft opening. I really hope it's going to take off as an exciting venue for live music!
The Wesleys have also landed a few gigs at The Broken Hill Hotel in Vic Park. We played there last Friday night and we all really enjoyed it! It's nice to have a new Friday venue! We'll be appearing there on Feb 16th, March 2nd and March 16th from 7-10pm.
Last Call for Lakers Tavern!
You may or may not already be aware that the Wesleys' time at Lakers Tavern has come to an end. We've had some wonderful Sundays since we first started playing there way back in April 2013. The venue are going to try something different for Sundays now, so we will be moving on. Our last gig at Lakers is this Sunday, January 28th, so come down from 4-8pm to catch our final appearance. We will miss all of our regulars greatly, after all, what's a gig without an audience?
As of the 11th of February, we will be spending Sundays at the newly reopened Grand Central Hotel in Midland (formerly The Junction Hotel). We're quite excited about a change of venue, so hopefully we can create another fab Sunday session north of the river.
We may be appearing at The Broken Hill Hotel in Vic Park on some Friday nights in the next couple of months too, so keep an eye out for that. This could be an exciting year for Wes!
Wednesdays at Paddy's
I'm quite pleased to report that as of this Wednesday (January 10th), I shall be playing at Paddy Maguires in Subiaco every week! So, you can catch me there from 6-9pm on Wednesday nights right through until the end of March. I've enjoyed my sporadic gigs at the end of 2017, so I'm stoked to have a solid residency there to kick off the new year! I'll also be continuing my midweek appearances up at the Currambine Bar & Bistro. Like, this Thurday (11/1) night, for instance!
The Wesleys will be back in the Lakers Tavern beer garden every Sunday for the month of January. We had a pretty disjointed December due to Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve being Sunday last year, so we're looking forward to enjoying some super sessions there again. We're hoping to return to Rosie O'Grady's really soon as well.
Here's hoping that 2018 is a super year for live music in Perth!
Back to Giggin'
After spending two and half weeks touring the north west of WA with my family, I'm now back on the Perth gigging scene! Our charity, Alyssa's Autism Acceptance Project visited schools in Geraldton, Karratha, Kununurra, Broome and Port Hedland. We are very thankful to all of our supporters for allowing us to go to these regional areas. We met some wonderful people and enjoyed the experience of spreading the importance of autism acceptance.
So, that means that the Wesleys are back at Lakers Tavern every Sunday afternoon, and also will be seen at Rosie O'Grady's in Northbridge every other weekend. We got some Friday and Saturday nights coming up at Rosie's in October, so keep checking my gig guide.
Wesleys have a special show at the Brooklands Tavern on AFL Grand Final Day (Sat 30th Sep) as well. We're playing as soon as the big match finishes! I've also landed a few Wednesday nights at Paddy Maguire's in Subiaco. I'm only there five times between now and the end of the year, so check before you go down to see me!
I'm looking forward to a very fun last quarter! Of 2017, that is.
Wesley One Hit Wonders Again!
Last Saturday night (July 8th), Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts revisited our Wesley One Hit Wonders show at the Irish Club in Subiaco for Alyssa's Autism Acceptance Project. I'm very pleased to say that it was a hugely successful night, with a good time had by all who attended. The evening raised enough money for my family to travel up to the north west of WA in September. We will be visiting schools in Geraldton, Karratha, Port Hedland and Kununurra to talk about autism to students and educators.
We were lucky enough to sell out the venue and we had the pleasure of playing to a roomful of great people. My son Lachlan kicked off the night with his debut DJ set, under the moniker of DJ Lochodile! I was quite amazed to see such confidence in my little man, as he took the stage with his iPad to lay down some choice tunes by such acts as Daft Punk and Stardust. He gestured to the crowd to get up and dance, and he through his arms in the air on got on the mic to hype everyone up. I was an incredibly proud dad, and Rhona and I believe that he got a real taste for DJ-ing.
To give the WOHW show a bit of a different spin from the one we did in February, the setlist was changed slightly. I ran the songs in chronological order, from 1961-2006, and we threw in a few songs we didn't play at the VPH too. It went something like this:
SET 1:
Runaway DEL SHANNON (1961)
Wipeout THE SAFARIS (1963)
I Fought the Law BOBBY FULLER FOUR (1966)
The Letter THE BOX TOPS (1967)
Slipping Away MAX MERRITT & THE METEORS (1975)
Werewolves of London WARREN ZEVON (1978)
Romeo's Tune STEVE FORBERT (1980)
Don't You Want Me HUMAN LEAGUE (1981)
Eye of the Tiger in the Sky SURVIVOR/ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (1982)
Senses Working Overtime XTC (1982)
SET 2:
Take On Me A-HA (1985)
Never Gonna Give You Up RICK ASTLEY (1987)
King of Wishful Thinking GO WEST (1990)
To Be With You MR BIG (1991)
Happy Birthday Helen THINGS OF STONE & WOOD (1993)
How Bizarre OMC (1995)
Breakfast at Tiffany's DEEP BLUE SOMETHING (1995)
One Week BARENAKED LADIES (1998)
The Way FASTBALL (1998)
Teenage Dirtbag WHEATUS (2000)
One Crowded Hour AUGIE MARCH (2006)
ENCORE:
MEDLEY-Slice of Heaven DAVE DOBBYN/Semi-Charmed Life THIRD EYE BLIND/You Don't Treat Me No Good SONIA DADA/Don't Worry Be Happy BOBBY McFERRIN/Pass the Dutchie MUSICAL YOUTH/I'll Be Gone SPECTRUM/Come On Eileen DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS/Achy Breaky Heart BILLY RAY CYRUS/Pop Muzik M/What I Like About You THE ROMANTICS/Tubthumping CHUMBAWAMBA/Shaddup Your Face JOE DOLCE
MEDLEY-Super Freak RICK JAMES/U Can't Touch This MC HAMMER
500 Miles THE PROCLAIMERS
Build Me Up Buttercup THE FOUNDATIONS
Tainted Love SOFT CELL
Wesleys back at Lakers every Sunday
As of July, Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts are back at Lakers Tavern every Sunday afternoon. That's right, you read correctly, EVERY SUNDAY! We're super stoked with this news, and we have to thank all the regulars and patrons whose support helped us return to our weekly schedule. At the moment, we're playing from 4-8pm every Sunday and we shouldn't miss a weekend until September, when we're having a two-week break.
Over the last few months, we've had Mike Hagerty, Jr. behind the drums down at Lakers, and we're very happy with how he's slotted into the group and endeared himself to the regulars. His knowledge of our songs has grown, as is our band repertoire! Now that we're back to weekly Sunday sessions, we will be injecting more new songs into the mix, and opening ourselves to learn more crowd requests. We celebrated our fourth year anniversary in April this year, but it felt bittersweet as we had been demoted to fortnightly appearances. We are dedicated to taking this gig from strength to strength because we absolutely love it! The best Sunday session in Perth? Darn tootin'!
Wesleys to make you One Hit Wonder...again!
If you missed out on catching the Wesleys perform their Wesley One Hit Wonders show at Fringe World in February this year, I've got some good news for you...we're doing it again! This time around we're playing it as part of a fundraising event for my family's charity Alyssa's Autism Acceptance Project (The AAA Project). It will be held on Saturday 8th of July at the Irish Club of WA in Subiaco. Tickets are available for $20 (+B.F.) online or they'll be $25 on the door.
All money raised from the evening will help fund The AAA Project's trip to the north west of WA in September this year. We will be visiting schools in Geraldton, Karratha, Kununurra, Broome and Port Hedland! There will be a silent auction on the night and the chance to win some great prizes as well! If you saw us at the Victoria Park Hotel in February you won't be seeing the same show either. We are re-tooling and re-shaping. He he he... Tell your mother, tell your friends, and get down for more Wesley One Hit Wonders!
Wesleys are going to Fringe World!
For the first time, Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts will be a part of the Fringe World festival! On Friday 17th February, we'll premiere our Wesley One Hit Wonders show at the Victoria Park Hotel! We're pretty excited about this and we're working hard to make it a fun and entertaining night. Tickets are available here for $17.50 from the Fringe World website.
We are going to be devoting the evening to one hit wonders; those huge hits by artists who were never able to replicate the same success. With a huge collection of songs to draw from, we will be performing some of our favourites to get you singing and/or dancing! We're hoping to take you back to some of your distant musical memories with those melodies that you'd forgotten, or wish that you had! It'd be great to see you there.
A Somewhat Scout-less Start for 2017
As 2017 kicks off, I will be doing more solo gigs until the end of January. You can catch me at Rosie O'Grady's in Northbridge, sans Scout, Friday nights from 9:30pm-1am.
The Wesleys are continuing their Sunday sessions at Lakers Tavern however, and for this month at least, we're playing 4:30-8:30pm. As we approach the four year anniversary of our Lakersss residency we all feel very lucky to be a part of such a great afternoon. It's always a fun way to end our weekend of gigs.
All the best to you all for 2017! I hope to see you out in the crowd soon!
The Triumph of Slightly Suspicious Androids
The debut of Slightly Suspicious Androids at The Newport Hotel on Thursday night (Oct 27th) was met with much joy and enthusiasm! As part of Record Club at the Newport's seventh season, we performed Radiohead's second album The Bends in its entirety before an audience of around 250 punters. This was a high-pressure gig, but we seemed to delight the crowd with our earnest playing.
For me, it was such a thrill to perform my favourite album of all time, and to bring Leigh and Shayne into their first Record Club experience. They weren't very familiar with The Bends, but they both rose to the occasion in spectacular style! It felt great to present the album as a five piece to room full of Radiohead fans. Here's how it went down:
SET 1 (Side A):
Planet Telex
The Bends
High and Dry
Fake Plastic Trees
Bones
(Nice Dream)
SET 2 (Side B):
Just
My Iron Lung
Bullet Proof..I Wish I Was
Black Star
Sulk
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
SET 3 (Encore):
Killer Cars (Clay solo)
Karma Police
Talk Show Host
Creep
Final Encore:
There There (with Mal Clark on extra drumming)
Such a great night! As nervous as I was, I think I managed to enjoy it sufficiently! He he he...I really hope we get to do it again!
Wes (and friends) to Get Bent!
I'm very excited to share the news that I will be participating in season seven of The Newport Record Club! In a group that has been dubbed Slightly Suspicious Androids, I'll be performing Radiohead's amazing album The Bends in full! Mark down Thursday October 27th in your calenders/diaries/iDevices! The band line-up consists of myself and Shaun & Kieran from WGJS together with Decoy's Shayne Savic and Leigh Siragusa from Everlong.
Tickets are available for $17 each online from OzTi, or they'll be $20 at the door. This will be my fourth show for the NRC, and my first non-Bowie one...hahahaaaa!! The Bends is my favourite album of all time, and super stoked to have the opportunity of playing it live with some top musos.
A Guernsey at the Gozzy
For the month of August, I shall be playing at the Gosnells Hotel every Thursday night. You can catch me live and in person every week from 6:30-9:30pm while enjoy a drink or a bite to eat. I'm looking forward to having a regular solo gig for a spell, and I'll be bringing some fresh tunes along with me. I also have a couple of Friday nights at the Wanneroo Tavern on my own too. I'll be up there from 7:30-10:30pm on Fridays August 5th and 12th, for those up that way.
The Wesleys will continue to have every other Friday at Rosie O'Grady's Northbridge, and you can catch us there on August 19th. The Wesgoodness will keep flowing at Lakers Tavern every Sunday as well. At the moment, we're still playing 3-7pm, and the weather decides if we're inside or out. It's been such a chilly winter, hasn't it?!
Up, Up and Away
Well, I'm off to Broome for a few days! My family got given a holiday from the lovely people at Hawaiian and Telethon thanks to our efforts supporting Alyssa as last year's Little Telethon Star. We fly out Saturday, and as I only have a private gig on Friday, the next gig you can catch me at will be with the Wesleys at Rosie O'Grady's Northbridge on June 24th. We are there every other Friday from 9:30pm-1am.
WGJS are continuing with our Sunday sessions down at Lakers Tavern in Thornlie, at the new winter-friendly times of 3-7pm. We still feel incredibly lucky to have such a fabulous regular gig with an amazing local following. Over three years of Sundays under our belt and still growing strong!
We've played a couple of Saturday nights up at the Wanneroo Villa Tavern recently, in the Sneakers front bar. It's the first time they've put a band in there, and we're hoping to draw a decent crowd! We're back there on Saturday June 25th from 8-11pm. If you're up that way, please drop in for a drink and a listen. We'd love to see you!
Things are a little quieter on the solo front. My last gig on my own was for a 50th birthday party, which was a lot of fun. I'm hoping for something semi-regular in the near future...I'll keep you posted!
I'm looking forward to enjoying a wonderful midwinter's break with my family, and I'll be back with a tan and sun-bleached hair! Well, maybe that's not so likely. See you out there from the 24th!
Wes Got Hunky!
If you weren't there, then you probably don't know! On Thursday April 28th, the Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts performed Hunky Dory by David Bowie in full at the Newport Hotel. If expectations were high after our Ziggy show, I think that we more than met them. I hope that our 300+ audience members would agree with me.
We enlisted the help of Kim Siragusa, an extremely talented keyboard player. As the album featured a lot of piano work (performed by Rick Wakeman, no less), we figured that we'd better have a muso with the chops to take it on! Kim more than delivered the goods, playing with us on every track; he even joined us for a couple of encores too!
As it was Steve Parkin's birthday eve, we got him up for a couple of songs to mark the occasion. Seeing that he booked us in especially for his birthday, it seemed like the right thing to do. Here's how it went down:
SET 1 (Side A):
Changes
Oh! You Pretty Things (with Steve Parkin on lead vocals)
Eight Line Poem
Life On Mars?
Kooks
Quicksand
SET 2 (Side B):
Fill Your Heart
Andy Warhol (with Streety on acoustic guitar)
Song For Bob Dylan
Queen Bitch
The Bewlay Brothers (with Kieran on mini-Nord)
SET 3 (Encore):
Five Years
Sorrow
Ziggy Stardust
Suffragette City
Under Pressure
Ashes to Ashes (with Steve on lead vocals and Mal Clark on keys)
"Heroes" (with Steve on lead vocals)
Final Encore:
Space Oddity
After we finished Space Oddity, we announced that the Bowie show was officially over but we had another special tribute in store. As we'd lost Prince a week beforehand, we figured that a lot of Bowie fans would also be Prince fans; so we played Purple Rain.
It was such an incredible evening, and I am so proud of myself and the other guys in the band for making it so special. Hunky Dory is one of my favourite albums of all time, and it's also my favourite Bowie one. I can't believe that I had the opportunity to perform it, with some very awesome musicians. Thanks to The Newport Record Club for another wonderful experience!
Wes Gets Hunky
Guess what? Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts will be performing David Bowie's album Hunky Dory in its entirety as part of the fifth season of The Newport Record Club! We'll be onstage at The Newport Hotel on Thursday April 28th, the third show of Season 5. Tickets will be $12 online or $15 at the door.
Shortly after playing the Ziggy album for TNRC's inaugural run, a few people asked us when we were going to do Hunky Dory. It's actually my favourite Bowie album, and I've been dying to play it live! So stoked that the Wesleys get to do another Record Club gig too. TNRC hosts Steve Parkin and Malcolm Clark will be helping us out a bit, and there may even be an extra muso or two sharing the stage. After doing the Ziggy show again at the Rocket Room in January this year, we have a few more new Bowie tunes to share. We'll have so much Bowie to choose from for the encore set, it'll be an awesome night! It'd be great to see a heap of peeps there!
Wes to help South West
The Perth Unites for the South West Bushfire Relief concert is on this Sunday (February 6th) at Gloucester Park from 2pm-10pm. Please come and show your support for those rebuilding their lives by buying a ticket and checking out some great music. I will be playing there with the Wesleys from 8:45pm, after our usual Sunday sesh at Lakers Tavern.
Tickets are available online at Oztix; $20 for adults, $10 for children and $50 for families (2 adults and 3 children), with all proceeds going to the Lord Mayors Disaster Relief Fund. In addition to our humble set, you can enjoy great performances from artists such as Eskimo Joe, Mental As Anything, Dave Warner's From The Suburbs, Angry Anderson, Dave Gleeson, The Chevelles, The Frames and a huge selection of Perth bands. Check out the web site for more information.
Cruising with Wes
On Wednesday January 27th, I will be shipping out with the Wesleys for a six day 'rock and roll cruise'! Because of this, there will be no Wes gigs (or solo gigs) in Perth until after we return on February 2nd. Our first live reappearance will be at Rosie O'Grady's Northbridge on February 5th.
I'm quite excited about this, as I'm able to bring my family with me on the road, er, I mean sea. The Wesleys have never really had the opportunity for something like these, so I thing we're all pretty enthused and hoping to have an excellent time. This will take the concept of an open air gig to the next level! We might even get asked back, who knows?
Goodbye Rosie's Freo!
I got the news yesterday afternoon that as of Wednesday January 20th, Rosie O'Grady's Fremantle will close for good. Because of this, last Thursday night (Jan 14th) has now become my last ever solo gig there. I feel very lucky to have had a regular residency down there for the better part of the last thirteen years. I've already looked back on my time there in my last blog entry, but the same sort of feelings are swirling around my head.
End of an era. Thanks for all the good times. Thursday nights won't be the same again.
A change is as good as a holiday though, and I'm happy to now be moving onto a different venue. Maybe once the refurb on Rosie's is done and it reopens in a few months time, I'll be back there again. Who knows what the future will bring? But for now, I will bid a fond farewell to Rosie's Freo, the people who worked there, and the punters who shared a song and a drink with me.
WA loves David Bowie
Perth muso Steve Parkin has issued a challenge to Bowie fans that will also help the Waroona bushfire appeal. Anyone wishing to contribute a Bowie cover needs to adhere to a three hour recording time limit. He's collected the songs recorded so far on to a Soundcloud page, which you can visit here.
I've offered up a very lo-fi recording of Where Are We Now?, the first single from his 2013 comeback album The Next Day. As I don't have the most sophisticated set-up, you can hear our dog Zappa barking during the song. There are some other great covers up already, notable Steve's version of "Heroes" and Justin Burford's fabulous take on Quicksand from Hunky Dory.
The songs are free to download from Soundcloud, but Steve has asked that anyone doing so donates at least $5 to the Waroona and District Fires Appeal. All the details for donating can be found on the Soundcloud page. Here is a link to an article covering the endeavour.
Long live Bowie.
Once More for David
The incredibly sad passing of David Bowie has left a large hole in many people this week. The Wesleys will endeavour to help the healing process by playing the ZIggy Stardust album again in full this Friday night, January 15th at Rocket Room in Northbridge. The evening will kick off at 8:30pm and we are but one facet of the night's celebration which will feature concert footage of Bowie blaring at maximum volume. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in their best Bowie attire as well! Tickets will be $20 on the door online. You can check out the Facebook event here.
We will throw in a good selection of Bowie's best loved songs, as well as The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Satrdust and The Spiders From Mars in its entirety. Ever since I heard the news I haven't been able to listen to any other music. The fact that he died two days after releasing his final album knocked me for six. I find it amazing that it was all planned this way. After living with cancer for eighteen months, he decided to leave a farewell gift for all his fans. I recently wrote a pretty long blog about Bowie, which you can read here if you wish.
I have been a huge fan and admirer of David Bowie for many years. My love for him and his music had increased steadily over the last few years. This was partly due to his new material after a decade of silence, and partly from learning the Ziggy album. We first perfomed it in June 2014 for The Newport Hotel Record Club, and again in May the following year for their Rewind series. I can't wait to play it again with the best lads in the business.
Happy 2016!
A brand new year has begun! What's in store? Well, I can tell you all a few things happening to me, gig-wise. Firstly, my Thursday nights at Rosie O'Grady's in Fremantle are coming to an end...again. But, this time, the actual pub itself is closing its doors. In the next few weeks Rosie's Freo will shut for good. It's pretty sad, I guess. I've been playing there on and off, solo and in bands, since the late 1990's. I've met some great people both behind and in front of the bar. I don't know what's going to happen to pub, but I smell a rebrand...
I have a coupla gigs coming up at the Gosnells Hotel this month too! I'll be there on Saturday Jan 9th solo and on Saturday Jan 23rd with the Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts. Speaking of the Wesleys, we shall continue to be at Lakers Tavern every Sunday afternoon, but we won't be at the Victoria Park Hotel anymore on fortnightly Fridays. We will be at Rosie O'Grady's in Northbridge on Friday January 8th, and we have a one-off Saturday night on the 2nd too.
On January 27th, the Wesleys will be on a Rock & Roll Cruise aboard the Astor for six nights. We will be performing on three of those nights too, so obviously there will be no Wes or solo gigs in Perth from Jan 27th to Feb 2nd.
I'm sure some more news will come to hand as the month rolls on and February draws nearer. Stay safe and happy this year!
Classic Album Orchestra gig
Last Thursday (Nov 5th), I had the great pleasure of doing a gig with Perth's very own Classic Album Orchestra, helmed by the very talented Kieran Hurley. It was a private function for a corporate gala dinner, so it wasn't for the public eye. My inclusion was pretty last minute as well, as I'd received a phone call about it on the Friday beforehand. A friend of mine had inadvertently double booked himself and asked if I could get someone to do my Rosie's Freo gig and bail him out.
I love the idea of performing albums in their entirety, and the WGJS Bowie shows were so much fun. I was pretty keen to be involved and asked which album had been picked. It was actually two; Billy Joel's The Stranger and Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits. I only needed to sing, but I still had the daunting task of learning two albums in less than a week.
I was fairly familiar with The Stranger, and I regularly play four songs off that album at my solo gigs. The singles from Brothers In Arms were pretty well known to me as well. However, both records had about two or three songs that I actually had to knuckle down and learn. Once I got in touch with Kieran, he told that they were having a rehearsal on Monday night, so I did a little cramming.
Aside from me not quite having a couple of songs down, the rehearsal went really well, and the twenty piece orchestra sounded fantastic! The group included, among others, musicians from WASO and members of fusion band Manteca. It was quite experience singing with such amazing players.
The gig itself on the Thursday night went even better than the rehearsal did, performance wise. I was more confident with the songs, and having all the instruments mic'd up added a sense of granduer to the evening. While the band might not have been the best fit for the occasion, it was so much fun. I really hope I get the chance to sing with them again.
Back to Reality
We had an amazing experience at Telethon last weekend. Thanks to everybody out there who donated to such a great cause. Now that the dust has settled, it's time for me get the guitar out again and hit the pubs!
I'll be back at Rosie's Freo every Thursday night as per usual. I shouldn't miss a night there until Christmas Eve, touch wood. The first WGJS gig this weekend will be The Greenwood Hotel on Sat 24th. We'll also be settling back into our Sunday session at Lakers Tavern. Looking forward to getting out there again!
Going Off the Grid for Telethon 2015
As many of you know by now, our daughter Alyssa is one of this year's Little Telethon Stars. This comes with a great deal of commitment from our family, and so I have taken this week off. Telethon airs on Channel 7 this weekend, October 17th-18th and we're very excited to be involved. This is the first time that a child with autism has been selected as a Telethon kid in the history of the event.
Please make sure you donate to this wonderful cause that helps children not only in WA, but the world over. The amazing work done by the Telethon Kids Institute is just one of beneficiaries of Telethon, and they help kids with autism, cystic fibrosis, asthma, diabetes, leukemia and many more. It is because of research done at the TKI that many Australian women take folate when they are pregnant. This has dramatically reduced cases of spina bifida in infants. Donations can be made online here or by ringing the call centre during the Telethon weekend. Watch the telecast for the phone number!
After the hustle and bustle of this very exciting time, I shall return to my usual gigs again. My first gig after Telethon will be Rosie O'Grady's Fremantle on October 22nd. The Wesleys will return to the Greenwood Hotel on October 24th as well. See you out there soon!
REWIND: Wes Does Ziggy...Again!
Nearly one year after performing Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album, we are back at the Newport Hotel on Thursday May 7th, as part of their REWIND series! We've been rehearsing and re-learning all the material to make sure an excellent night will be had by everyone in attendence...
You can order your tickets online from Oztix.com.au or buy that at the door for $15 on the night. We're looking forward to getting our Bowie on, and you'll be in for the same show as June last year! Gigs like these don't come along very often, and we're very excited to be able to perform these songs again in front of a live crowd.
It'll be a total blam-blam!
"Ziggy played guiiiiiiitaaaaaarrrr!"
Wes. Let all the children boogie.
A Sort of Homecoming...
After an absence of four months, I am happy to announce that I shall be returning to my regular Thursday night at Rosie O'Grady's Fremantle from January 15th! I'm sure it will be just like falling off a bike...I mean, riding a bike! With the balmy summer weather you can expect me to be out in the beer garden over the next couple of months too.
When I played what I thought was my final Rosie's gig on September 11th last year, I was a little saddened that my eleven year reign had come to an end. It was a fantastic gig though, which harkened back to the rowdy old days of Thursday nights past. My family had a very busy fourth term of school, so it was actually a blessing in disguise. The novelty of being home on a Thursday night was very cool as well.
Who knows what each Thursday night will bring? It all starts again next week! Tell all of your friends and all of their friends and all of their friends; it'd be ace to kick off the next phase with a bang! See you Thursday from 8pm!
Wes-xtended Sundays!
Our regular Sunday session at Lakers Tavern in Thornlie just got a little bigger. Due to summer bringing warmth and light, we will be playing in the beer garden from 4-8pm...that's right, a four hour set of Wes! As such, we now have plenty of time to squeeze in all of your requests.
Last Sunday we experienced more requests that ever before, we think. We had about four or five locked in while we were still setting up! We like the fact that we're the kind of band that will try and play what is asked of us. We're not hugely precious about our setlist, and it keeps things a bit fresher for our regular audience. There are a few red flags that come up (don't ask for Chisel, Summer of '69, Blister in the Sun or any other typical pub band fodder), but we do our best. As we've mentioned before, some songs in our repertoire grew out of punter requests. Some go over quite well and we learn them up proper-like. Some don't go so well, and are never played again, but that's the fun of it! Anyway, we're looking forward to a great summer of Sunday sessions with salacious servings of songs and sustenance.
Wes. Born this way.
Back at The Boat Again...
I'm excited to say that I will performing a solo gig at The Boat on Sunday 23rd as part of the Mindarie Festival. You can catch me out in the beer garden from 12-3pm, before Daren Reid & The Soul City Groove take over at 3:30pm. As always, this year there will plenty of entertainment for the whole family. In addition to the music performances, you can check out all the arts 'n' crafts market stalls and take in the wandering entertainers. For the kids there's a bouncy castle, face painting, a craft area and a stall from the Cuddly Animal Farm. Take the children to Kidz Zone!
Since leaving Rosie's in September, I haven't been playing many solo gigs. I'm really looking forward to standing up on my own again, sans band. I won't be actively pursuing any solo work until the new year, with the WGJS workload keeping me pretty busy and my family life becoming hectic as Christmas looms. It's actually been quite nice to have Thursday nights at home after over eleven years. I'm not sure what the future will bring, but I'll keep this page updated as information comes to hand.
With any luck, there might even be some opportunities for Silver & Gold to get some duo work too. We will be performing at a fund-raising gala in March next year, so hopefully there will be a chance for us to sing again very soon!
Wes rides again!
After a little bit of time away with my family, I'm back in Perth and ready to gig! I no longer have my regular Thursday nights at Rosie O'Grady's in Fremantle, and no other solo gigs. However, the Wesleys are being kept pretty busy at the moment. This week in particular has been quite eventful. We're playing at wedding in Kulin Sunday night and then off to the Sunshine Dam mine site for a FIFO gig Tuesday evening.
As for our regular pub shows, most Saturday nights you'll see us at the Hyde Park Hotel from 9:30pm-12:30am and then we usually spend Sunday afternoons at Lakers Tavern in Thornlie. Our next gig there will be on October 5th for their Oktoberfest celebrations; we're on from 6-9pm. Fridays see us bouncing from Rosie O'Grady's Northbridge and The Vic Park Hotel. Our first gig at the latter will be October 3rd! We're on from 8:30pm, so come start your weekend with us.
Wes. Taking it one gig at a time.
Final Thursday at Rosie's Freo
My tenure at Rosie O'Grady's in Fremantle has come to an end. This Thursday night, September 11th 2014, will be my final solo gig at Rosie's Freo. After nearly eleven years of playing there, I will be sad to leave, but happy for the memories and friends that I have made. I think I have been very lucky to enjoy such a long residency at one venue, but when one door closes another one usually opens in this biz!
So, get yourself down to Rosie's Freo this Thursday night for your last chance to see me on the little stage. My request book will be waiting and there will be $6.80 selected pint specials as usual. It all kicks off from 8pm, so help me make my final gig there a special one.
Hitting The Boat
I've managed to land a one-off solo gig at The Boat Ale House this Saturday night, August 2nd. I'll be inside on the little stage entertaining the good people of the Mindarie area and surrounds from 7-10pm. A fab night shall be had by all!
If you've not been there before, it's up in Mindarie Keys off Ocean Falls Boulevard. It's right on the marina, so it makes for quite a nice place to enjoy a meal while the sun goes down.
Dr Wesley and Mr Hyde
The Wesley train shows no signs of slowing down this year, as our caboose pulls into a new stop: The Hyde Park Hotel! We're going to play our first gig there this Saturday night, July 12th, from 9:30pm to 12:30am. We're quite excited about introducing a new venue to our unique brand of 'Wesgoodness'. We also have July 26th confirmed as well. Tell your mother, tell her friends, and get them to come to North Perth this Saturday night (or in two weeks' time) for some hot Wesbo action!
This weekend will be another triple shooter for us Scouty folk! Rosie O'Grady's in Northbridge Friday night, Saturday night at the Hydey and then Sunday afternoon at Lakers Tavern. There's never been a better time to enjoy our special blend of acoustic power.
Wes. Ain't no stopping us now.
Wes did Ziggy!
Our show at the Newport on Thursday, June 12th went smashingly! As part of the Newport Record Club classic album series we played Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album in its entirety to a room full of happy punters. If you weren't there, check out our encore performance of Ashes to Ashes on the home page, that was put together by YoYo Studio's Malcolm Clark...
We were lucky to have a hugely enthusuastic crowd in attendance, which seemed to be a good mix of family & friends along with big Bowie fans who had never seen us perform before. Our excitement was sky high as we played the opening track and once we heard the roar of the audience at its conclusion, we just knew that it was going be a fantastic gig.
Personally speaking, I don't think I've ever enjoyed a Wesley gig as much as that one. I've always wanted to play an album track by track live, so that was one big tick off the music bucket list. We had an awesome production on stage, with images and footage of Bowie projected behind us throughout the show. Big sound, fab lighting and an attentive crowd are such a rareity in this game, and it made an already enjoyable experience even better. Here's how the songs went:
SET 1 (Side A):
Five Years
Soul Love
Moonage Daydream
Starman
It Ain't Easy (with Mal Clark on keys)
SET 2 (Side B):
Lady Stardust (with Mal)
Star (with Mal)
Hang On To Yourself
Ziggy Stardust
Suffragette City
Rock and Roll Suicide
SET 3 (Encore):
Ashes to Ashes (with Steve Parkin on lead vocals and Mal on keys)
The Jean Genie (with Steve)
The Man Who Sold The World
Rebel Rebel
White Light/White Heat
Modern Love
Space Oddity
Final Encore:
All The Young Dudes (with Mal on keys and Steve on backing vocals)
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who came down to see us; you really made it an excellent night for us. Big thanks to Mal Clark and Steve Parkin for hosting the night, and playing with us on a few numbers. Big thanks also to Kenny and his crew and all of the staff at the Newport Hotel.
If the Newport Record Club comes back next year, there are several albums that I'm already thinking about doing, he he he. Ideally, I'll do it with Shaun and Kieran again; I can't think of two other guys I'd rather attempt this with.
Rehearsing for Ziggy
The Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts' performance of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust is this Thursday might! We've been working hard on the songs, and we're making the necessary preparations for a truly memorable experience. Don't go expecting red mullet wigs or glittery jumpsuits though. You can grab tickets online at Oztix or from The Newport bottle shop for just $10 each. If you wait until the night, they'll be $15 at the door. It's worth checking out the list of other albums being played by some great Perth musos too!
As well as playing The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars in its entirety, we will have a few other Bowie surprises in store, and a special guest or two! If you're a big Bowie fan, or have been meaning to catch the Wesleys in action for a while, this just might be your night. It's exciting to be putting this type of show together and we can't wait to play for you all! See you Thursday night!
A new beginning
The following is a press release, prepared on my behalf by Shaun Street of Street Artist Management:
Due to the increasing success of his solo career and band Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts, Clayton Bolger has decided to conclude his performance commitments with Murphy's Lore.
Clayton has been an integral member of Murphy's Lore since 1994 and with such longevity comes great trepidation and excitement for this new direction.
The acoustic power trio Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts or 'The Wesleys' started as a side project for Clayton in 2000. However the trio has gone from strength to strength in the last few years with Friday and Sunday residencies and a healthy smattering of Saturday night shows, weddings and remote sites.
Clayton's solo work is the very definition of solid. He has held the Thursday night residency at Rosie O'Grady's Fremantle since October 2003. That is an incredible relationship for the venue, performer and multitude of happy punters over the years.
Clayton is also looking forward to more performance opportunities with his wife Rhona in their duo Silver and Gold.
This is an exciting time for Clayton Bolger and you can see him:
- Solo every Thursday at Rosie O'Grady's Fremantle,
- Leading Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts on Fridays at Rosie O'Grady's Northbridge or Kalamunda Hotel and
- Lakers Tavern Thornlie on Sundays.
Clayton has an incredible repertoire and the reputation to match.
Thanks,
Shaun Street BEd(MusJazz)
Wes hits Kalamunda!
In addition to our fortnightly Friday nights at Rosie O'Grady's Northbridge, we will be spending every other Friday evening at the Kalamunda Hotel trhough June and July. We haven't been in Kalamunda since December last year, so we're super stoked to be returning! Our first gig back will be Friday June 6th, from 5:30-8:30pm. Oh, yeah, it's early! We could almost head to Rosie's aftewards, but that would just be silly.
Wes. We may be daft, but we're not silly.
Wes does Ziggy!
We're over the moon about this one; the Wesleys are participating in the Newport Hotel Record Club Classic Album Series! Every Thursday from June to August, a Perth band will perform a classic album in its entirety and we're going to get our Bowie on! On June12th, we will play the 1972 opus The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars from start to finish. The evening will be hosted by Steve Parkin (Autopilot, Basement Birds) and Malcolm Clark (The Sleepy Jackson), with giveaways from Mills Records too! Tickets are $10, but will be available on the night for $15. Book your tickets at oztix.com.au or check out www.thenewport.com for details. We'd love to see you there!
Wes. Jamming good with Weird and Gilly.
Wes takes the Balmoral!
Exciting news! The Wesleys have scored some Saturday nights at the Balmoral Hotel in Vic Park during May! Our first gig there will be on the 3rd of May, or Star Wars Day Eve to you lovely nerdy folk. Come down for some hot Wesbo action!
Wes. You give a little, you get a little.
Silver & Gold update
We have another private gig this weekend for Spina Bifida WA. We're hoping we'll have another public show for you all to come and see very soon!