Thank you Missy and Tim

Music is powerful. Has the ability to take you somewhere or stab you right in the feels. Music can be a very influential tool for story telling and can help get a message across that needs to be heard. Musicians for many years, have used music to show the wider community about social and political issues, from the 'Blues' speaking about life under slavery to 'Folk' standing up to injustices and violence. No one can escape a great song with a powerful message. Whilst most pop songs played on the radio these days are about sex, partying and getting rich. I feel in this last week we have been graced with two songs that broke the mould and spoke truth, giving the artist a chance to speak directly to their fan base about an issue that is so important to them.

I think it's a great change to see protest songs and songs with real issues being discussed being made in this day and age, especially with how easy it is to get a lot of backlash on social media. It's a risk and I think if you have the right message, it's a risk willing to take. Many of us sometimes avoid the News, as it can be very distressing with all the hate and death, but when your favourite artist speaks to you through song, it's harder to avoid.

I want you to listen to the two tracks below and focus on their message. Both speak about different issues but both very important.  

Beloved singer/songwriter Missy Higgins just released a power and sad track named 'Oh Canada' . The track tells the story of Alan Kurdi, his brother, mother and father escaping their dangerous war torn county by boat for a better life in Canada. The overcrowded boat capsized, killing many on board including Alan, his brother and mother. The touching and horrible photograph of three year old Alan washed up on the Greek beach, touched many when it was shown on the News. Higgins tells the story from the view of Adbullah, Alan's father who survived the cold waters. This song humanises the global Asylum Seeker crisis.  

Comedian and musician Tim Minchin also released a charity single called 'Come Home ( Cardinal Pell) asking Cardinal George Pell to come back to Australia to give evidence to the ongoing Royal Commission's investigation on Institutionalresponses to child sexual abuse. Minchin has a strong opinion that the truth needs to come out and that Pell has the responsibility to be present for the investigation. Pell has lodged that he is too sick to travel from Europe to Australia. The song has been making a huge impact in our media, as Minchin doesn't hold back with his words. The song has even made it to number one on the Aussie iTune's chart.  

I just want to say, we need artists like this in our music scene. Thank you Missy and Tim for being brave and standing up for what you believe in. Hopefully this blog post will expose your message to just a few more people.         

Blind Folded Night In Melbourne's Music Scene

Last Saturday night I went out with a few friends to a pretty hip bar/music venue called The Workers Club in Fitzroy, Melbourne. We were there for dinner, to see a band that most of us have seen before and of course for a good time. We certainly achieved all this, but for me there was a little cherry on top. Something that I knew existed but haven't seen for a while. Something that made me proud. Something that made me feel lucky.

Recently I have spent my $$$ on medium/larger musical acts, where they have a firm fan base and supports have been catered for them. Nothing wrong with this, just you already know what you are in store for and if you have no clue on the supports then there is a huge chance they will be within your music bracket. It's comforting especially with ticket prices these days. But it's nice to go out and experience the unknown. You never know, you may be blown away.

So we went to the Workers Club to see The Twoks, a band my sister first saw a few years back at our local music hub, Sookies Lounge and raved about them. Saturday night was the second time I've seen them and I was keen for another dose of their antics. The band consists of two, a vocalist/violinist and a drummer. Gee the violin amazes me, I can't even comprehend how it all works. Played right it sounds amazing, but played wrong it's a screeching mess, certainly a fine line. But in this case the two instruments bring a whole lot of power and I could listen for hours. The Twoks' energy, spirit and talent just oozes over the crowd and is always lapped up. I especially liked watching the intenseness of the drummer's stare for his brightly dressed band mate. Something going on there, not sure? You have to go out and see The Twoks live, it's an experience that you just need.

The Twoks were the middle act of the night, with two other acts that I hadn't heard of before on the line up. This is where I got my cherry on top. The night was a roller coaster and I was riding it blind folded. The three acts were so different, but it worked so well. When we first walked into the venue, Georgia Spain was trancing the crowd with her oddly sweet sounding voice, finger picking and lyrics of self doubt. There wasn't another sound in the small room, people were just sitting down and enjoying Georgia pour her heart out. It felt nice to just watch, without all the pushing and shoving you can get at larger venues with bigger acts.

Then the Twoks jumped on stage and turned it up. Playing their pop dance music, which creates the happy. During a giant instrumental, one guy runs up to the stage and breaks into a rapid dance spasm. This encourages others who wanted to dance but were too scared to be first, to jump up and boogie. Soon the room is full of movement.

Sadly The Twoks ended, and ScrimshawFour ( The Scrims) took the stage. I noticed the band was full of strings with a double bass, violin, banjo and an electric guitar. Not really sure what to expect, I got another beer and was ready for whatever might happen. A totally different sound, like something that would be played in a Tarantino movie. I guess a Blue grass/Gypsy vibe. The lead singer's voice was deep and gravely, and with a party of springs it was an overwhelming sounds that encouraged foot stomping. It was so much fun and at this stage everyone was committed.  

I walked out thinking wow, a prime time Summer Saturday night in a trendy part of Melbourne and you can be granted with three different acts that don't play on any commercial radio stations, nor trying to market to a certain genre. They are creating something unique and in the process people jump on board and have some fun. A night full of adventure and it made me feel damn proud and lucky to live where I live.