Gigging week started on Friday, April 4, 2025 or so I thought. The wind was howling as I arrived with an hour to spare before showtime at The Vault Kalamunda, only to find another artist by the name of Shane Turner at the venue. The owner had double-booked. Shane had already started setting up inside. I chatted with him, as it was the first time I’d met him. We decided that he’d do the gig since he had already lugged his equipment up the stairs. I’d heard of Shane through social media. I stayed for the first half of his set to support him and check out his show. I was impressed with Shane’s solo performance and his setup. He used a Beat Buddy, a drum effect pedal you can play along to. I’ve considered buying one in the past but haven’t taken the step to do so. I hit the road around 6:45 p.m. and headed home. It was an early night for me, as I had an early morning markets gig the next day.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
I woke up to find the wind from the previous day still hadn’t subsided—Kingsway Morning Markets, my first time playing here. I arrived with plenty of time to set up and found the market location sheltered from the elements. With no chance of rain, I was confident I’d get through the gig unscathed. Stephanie from the markets was there, and with quick instructions, I ordered a coffee and commenced setting up under the gazebo provided. The park area was amazing, with water features and native trees offering shelter from the wind. I used the power box they provided, and I was able to use my Bose L1 speaker. My trusty new Maton 6-string guitar never faltered throughout the gig, and I had a good haul in the tip jar. I packed up right at 12 p.m. and headed for my sister’s house in Bentley. It was a good halfway point to kill some time and spend valuable moments with family before my second gig of the day. Sonia and Maeve were there when I arrived but soon had to head off, so I stayed while I waited for Dillon and Stephen to return from an outing. They got home around 2 p.m., and it was great to see them. All smiles and a handshake later, we chatted, and I let Dillon play my guitar since he hadn’t seen it yet. Dillon gave me a mixtape CD he’d burned for me to listen to, which was a thoughtful gift. Before long, it was time to get moving, so I set off with the CD blasting through the speakers, driving toward the day’s second gig.
Limestone Coast Brewing Company
I arrived with more than an hour to spare and got set up. The wind had completely died down, and I trolleyed my equipment into the venue, setting up just inside the front doors. It was my first time here, and I was impressed by the location and building design. With windows that fold open up to the roof, it’s a well-ventilated venue. The staff were friendly and I met some cool people including one fellow by the name of Peter. He shouted me a pint of beer, and we chatted during my breaks. I witnessed the refilling of beer into flagon-sized bottles that customers brought in. People waited for their orders and meals whilst they sat and listened to me play my set of acoustic songs. It was an intimate crowd that enjoyed my music and clapped after each song. The people at the venue experienced a personalized performance, and I was happy to take requests and play them the best I could. One audience member requested Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.” I played it in its entirety as my final song, including the harmonica part in the key of G. It’s a beautiful song that I really enjoy playing. With that, I purchased a four-pack of the locally crafted beer to enjoy another day, packed my gear, and hit the road for home.
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Madora Bay Morning Markets. I arrived with just under an hour to set up. The day was fine and shaping up to be mildly warm. Megan was there, setting up a gazebo for me to play under. I helped her and then began to unload my things. I used my iTech World battery bank, which I’d recently purchased second-hand off Gumtree. It worked well and kept the charge to my Bose S1, iPad, Roland Cube speaker, and pedal board. It was a tough crowd, with zero tips after an hour and a half of playing. I kicked my empty tip jar and sent it flying through the air as a demonstration of my frustration. Soon after recovering it from where it landed, two people gave me some tips, and I had broken the drought. Even then, I only managed to earn a total of five dollars for the whole four hours of playing. Megan gave me a little extra for my efforts and a bag of groceries, which included a litre of raw milk. I thanked her, packed up my things, and headed for home. On the way, I called into my brother Lindsay’s place and watched the AFL game on television. It was good catching up with him and his family, reminiscing about old times while enjoying a couple of beers. I soon headed home and fell asleep in the recliner, enjoying the absolute silence.
That concludes my blog entry. Have a great day, and I’ll be back next time.