Day 5 – Darwin to Nashville
Wednesday 26th. June 2013
Met up with Michael Davis and Gretta on Broadway. Mikey is over here with an Australian band (Born ‘n Bred) doing some gigs. They’re signed to a Nashville label and my band The Two Few did a guest spot for them in January back in Australia at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. He’s an ‘ole mate and played on two of my albums when I was living in Melbourne. Pretty much when it comes to the New Orleans funky style of playing – he’s the shit. Apart from that, the guy doesn’t have a stop button. He’s the quintessential Mexican Jumping Bean.
I turned up a bit early, caught a band at the bar next door then lobbed at Robert’s Western World which had come recommended by Dave the bemused upright bass player. First band had an 18 year old guitar player on a pale blue Tele that knocked the socks off everyone with his rocket fuelled country & rock pickin’. Frankly, he was incredible in the actual sense of the word – as opposed to the current trend of using superlatives to describe something of minor interest, as in “that’s awesome that you feel ok today”.
Next up was a Wayne Hancock sounding band that had the whole sound and look nailed.
The Mexican Beans were starting to jump so we hit the street and did a bit of the tourist thing taking snaps and gawking at the hats and boots. Round the corner to Painter’s Lane and we ducked in to the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar (yes – we are still in Nashville). Stacy Mitchart was on and his band did a fine line in both types of music – Rhythm AND Blues. Smokin’ guitar playing and gravely smooth Dr. John style vocals from Stacy, who lent his guitar to an easy on the eye guest vocalist. She not only sang well but managed to raise a few eyebrows in the male fraternity due to her legs starting somewhere way up in Canada.
Michael got up and was asked to start playing anything he liked, so he pulled out the funkiest dirtiest groove he could and the band raised both eyebrows, looked almost stunned momentarily and after a brief onstage conference involving lots of yes nodding and no head shaking, eventually kicked in to a song that matched the Mexican Jumping Bean Outta My Way Groovemeister in full swing. The next song had a more sedate mid-tempo rock groove that Mikey executed with restraint and aplomb. Lots of hand shakin’ back slappin’ and generally a great way to end a night of excellent music.
