2005 Hell, West and Crooked Tour!
What does HW&C mean? An Aussie bush term meaning "all over the place" eg the cattle were scattered hell, west and crooked"! Reference to B&B’s touring schedule (dartboard/pin the tail on the donkey - tours)!!
22/8/05 B&B have finally finished recording their debut 3 Track (all originals) EP titled "STUNG". The EP was recorded at Niki Nali Studios Wharf #4 The Rocks Sydney with producer Peter "Huggy " Blyton (Michael Hutchence, Jimmy Barnes, Choirboys, Radiators, Boss, Barbara Streisand … have we name-dropped enough!!) and Steve Francis – Engineering, many thanks to them both for their hard work. The EP is now in the process of being manufactured (1/9/05). The band eagerly awaits its completion, minor Airplay has already been promised on one Sydney’s radio station. The band has been road-testing the songs live for about 6 weeks, the punters do not stop dancing when they hear the songs so I guess the EP will be favourably received.
Qs. When can you purchase STUNG ..available as of 1/9/05
Qs. Where can you purchase STUNG?
A#2 At one of our live gigs, just ask any of the band members!
Qs. Why is the album called STUNG?
Stories from the Road: On Tour – 2005 Norwest Big Floods (New South Wales - Australia)
Early July 2005 saw the band cram into a 14 seater bus [6 of us including our trusty Audio Op – Sir Rob Baker (Esq’) plus our P.A.] do a mini-tour up to Lightning Ridge and then Narrabri. The bus was chokkers with bodies and P.A. and equipment but we managed a steady 120k/ph in one of Emporer Hirahito’s finest (Toyota Commuter). L.R. was an absolute hoot. We went down a storm! Great place, great people, free drinks rider (thanks Josh – LR Hotel Motel) and we cannot wait to get back there. A couple of the boys had not been to LR so we crammed in the touristy thang (got ripped off on some Opals… they saw us coming a mile out!!! hahaha), fell down a mine shaft (only joking – you know what they say, don’t walk BACKWARDS), swum in the natural steam baths or was that last night’s beer coming to the surface J . Onto Narrabri where believe it or not after such a long bloody drought the bus tyres were some way under water. The radio kept warning of floods and closed roads to Wee Waa etc etc aaaaannnnnnnd Wazza kept getting us lost even with a map sitting in his lap (nearly ended up in god’s country [Queensland])! He nearly killed the driver with a perforated ear-drum (he talks too much)! Narrabri or bust, we made it. Played The Tourist Hotel. A shit gig, why, we were stuck playing in the beer garden and it was fucking freezing that night, most have well been in Tassie! The poor ol’ punters tried to dance but couldn’t hack the cold (even with all the turps they had drunken), they sensibly went inside after turning blue/purple from the cold (we do actually play a Deep Purple [U.K.] song "Black Knight"…fairly apt…just drop the "K" outta knight)!!.
Merchandise - Keep an eye out for a new range of Merch’ currently under design with our Art Department
31/8/05 Surf Rock Hotel Gig will see us playing with USA#1 Band "Olivia" … apparently they are a huge Christian Band in the U.S.of A. The boys hail from Hawaii (half their luck) and are mad keen surfers!
Oct 05 Played inaugural Medowie Bike Festival (B&B headlined), about 1,500 punters attended with 7 different Biker groups represented. Also headlined Myall River Festival with about 2,000 punters. Scorching hot day with the stage backing onto the river. Best crowd "somersault on the bitumen" (complete with no shirt) went to one well sauced local, he claims he didn’t spill a drop of his beer which went with him!! I think his missus will be picking bitumen out of his back for some time to come!!!! That’s how good a band B&B is, we take punters past the threshold of pain and into pleasure (who writes this crap – Ed) or is that the beer taking hold!! Great fun gig though, we were pretty tired for wagons ho when we pulled out of Myall River, 3 shows with only 3.5hrs sleep between them – ROCK ‘n’ ROLL!! Unfortunately we lost our Audio Engineer Oscar Salinas to a large Sydney P.A. company, Oscar (a top bloke) looks very similar in Guy (the ‘Fro) Sebastion …. no points to guessing Oscar’s token nickname (lol)!!
Nov – 05 Gypsy Jokers Clubhouse gig (Sydney chapter) …. congrats to Pappa … I think he’s racked up 20yrs with G.J.
Dec – 05 Off to Lithgow (Sydney’s – Blue Mountains) 17/12/05 where we played last time doing a Blues Bros tribute night including silly hats & black sunnies at night. Gig went off, by christ they can drink in that town. Last gig there had punters bowling in at 4am expecting us to go back onstage!!
2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006
B&B are going onto an Aussie Blues compilation CD which is distributed to Blues Radio Station Programs in some 200 countries overseas Spain, U.S.A. N.Z. & more…
Mar – 06 Confirmed… B&B to headline (open & close) Outdoor concert on Manly Beach-Sydney 19/3/05
APR – 06 B&B are furiously working on new original music and hope to go back in to the studio if ready in April 2006
NOV – 06 B&B has been asked to play the 2006 BRIDGETOWN BLUES FESTIVAL, Western Australia – negotiations are underway
B&B’s EP is being well received in Australia and Overseas, airplay was reported from :
AUSTRALIAN RADIO STATIONS PLAYING "STUNG"
2BAR / 93.7 EDGE FM (Bluezone)
2BRW /Braidwood FM (Night Owl Blues)
2EAR / Eurobadalla Radio 107.5 (played specialist show)
2GLF / 89.3 FM - Community Action (played general programming)
2LRR / Opal FM (Young Rock)
2MCR / 2MCR 100.3 FM
2NCR /2NCR FM - 92.9 (played general music programs)
2RDJ / 2RDJ (played on Andrew Beale's show)
2SEA / Eden Community Radio (played general programming)
2WAR / WAR FM (played general programming)
2WOW / Way Out West Fine Music (general music programs - "awesome")
3HHH / Triple H 96.5 FM (played general music programs)
3MGB / 3MGB (Amrap Hour, plus Indie BR&R shows)
3NOW / 98.9 North West FM (played general music programs)
3PBS / PBS (Rhythm Roundup, and Now Dig This shows)
3SCB / 88.3 Southern FM (played general music programs)
4BAY / 100.3 Bay FM (Blues by the Bay)
4BSR / Beau FM (The Train)
4CRM / 4CRM (played across general music shows, plus Blues Shows)
4NSA / Noosa Community Radio (Spoonful –Gooday Sunshine)
5GFM / Peninsula Community Broadcasters Inc (Monday Blules show with Ray Arnold)
6HFM / Heritage FM Inc (Cruizin For A Bluezin ; and Music Without Frontiers shows)
6KCR / KCR FM (Hilltop Blues)
7BOD / STAR FM (Dave's Blues Mix)
7TAS / Tasman FM (Freshly Plucked, Friday 8-9pm)
8CCC / 8CCC FM - Upfront, Outback Radio (Drive shows, 4-6pm).
The following Australian Radio Stations reported that the CD had been passed on to the appropriate programs :
2CCR The Sound Of Style - Sydney
2HHH-FM Sydney
2NIM-FM Sydney
3UGE / UG FM Melbourne
3 WAY FM 103.7 Great Ocean Radio (Victoria)
5CST / Coast FM Adelaide
5YYY -Whyalla FM
2MMM-FM Sydney
FBI Radio Sydney
JJJ-FM – National across Australia
CONFIRMED OVERSEAS AIRPLAY
Paris – France (on France’s largest blues Show)
California – U.S.A.
Jan ’06 Thanks from Ty & Kylie’s Wedding – The Hilton Hotel, Sydney Australia
"Thanks Jacko, you guys were the best. People are raging about your cool music still. And your mixer helped out with moving the lectern. The music was rocking, your bass player was grooving, and we really appreciate your time and energy with the early brief, setting up and playing the gig. I will recommend you to everyone I know. You rock mate" - TF and Kylie
Screamed out at the top of his lungs (a tad tired & emotional) "I want that band (Black & Blues) back here again next year" – U.S. Army Colonel – Holsworthy Army Base (Sydney – Australia) Joint US/OZ Army Exchange Program (G’day to all the troops at Holsworthy – Rule .303 The Breaker!!)
"Black & Bluest…that’s the band I want" – Kathryn Remati, Organiser of 2004 Surf /Dive/Ski Expo (Sydney Entertainment Centre) …and that was the band she DID get!!
"Why are you guys called Black & Blues … are you guys black or something" – Female Punter from Newcastle Australia enquiring via telephone and interested in the band but having not yet seen them live. (hmm, never one to let the truth get in the way of a good story, I replied via telephone that the band were in fact black & very well hung!!)
B&B use Australian Booking Agency www.goannaentertainment.com for all their shows.
www.amprap.org [check this out – helping unsigned Aussie bands]