Surfers Paradise versus Surry Hills (Sydney)?

[Jon the Hat]

Whatever you do don't sell your place in Surry Hills!   you will never get back in again if you do.

[Paul1Perth]

14 hours ago, Dusty Plains said:

Cover bands are good of course but I have an earthy respect for traditional blues bands. Blues music is never a cover because nobody owns it.

At our local pub (as previously described) there was a band there consisting of what I would call "kids" and they were absolutely marvellous. They played Blues standards and the frontman was a whizz on that harmonica. Amazingly these kids were playing early Fleetwood Mac when Fleetwood Mac was a blues band, The Rolling Stones when they were a blues band, Howlin Wolf etc, and Aussie blues bands such as Chain and the Loved Ones.........all such bands being at their peak decades before these kids were even born.  The crowd loved them. 

Oh yes, and it was loud and that thump from the bass and the bass drum hit you right in the chest. And yes, I was pointing at my favourite beer tap all night .   

 

Strange how that early blues music never seems to go out of fashion. If you play guitar or harmonica mind you where else would you start?

I downloaded some early Rolling Stones and one of my favourite bands, The Groundhogs. Both did live at Leeds recordings that I didn't know about till I downloaded them. The internet is good for some things.

It's great to see young musicians still playing that stuff, must have been a good night.

[MARYROSE02]

9 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Strange how that early blues music never seems to go out of fashion. If you play guitar or harmonica mind you where else would you start?

I downloaded some early Rolling Stones and one of my favourite bands, The Groundhogs. Both did live at Leeds recordings that I didn't know about till I downloaded them. The internet is good for some things.

It's great to see young musicians still playing that stuff, must have been a good night.

Did I see The Groundhogs? Yes! Could have been my first gig. It's a toss up between Grand Funk Railroad (with Humble Pie and Head, Hands and Feet) at Hyde Park, or Groundhogs and Gentle Giant at Southampton Town Hall (or is it Guild Hall?) In 1971 circa June/July.

I'm sure my mate Nick who worked for the Post Office in London said he served Tony McPhee. 

Out of those 5 bands the only one I know songs by is Grand Funk plus Humble Pie's one UK hit, Natural Born Bugie. 

Funny really.  I'm not into blues but all the bands I like started off playing it or even jazz.

I wonder if the Byron Bay Blues Festival will still go ahead this week?

[MARYROSE02]

19 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Whatever you do don't sell your place in Surry Hills!   you will never get back in again if you do.

No I shan't do that though I suppose there's a case for doing so if I was 100 percent committed to a move elsewhere. 

The Sydney housing market is in overdrive now.

[MARYROSE02]

9 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Strange how that early blues music never seems to go out of fashion. If you play guitar or harmonica mind you where else would you start?

I downloaded some early Rolling Stones and one of my favourite bands, The Groundhogs. Both did live at Leeds recordings that I didn't know about till I downloaded them. The internet is good for some things.

It's great to see young musicians still playing that stuff, must have been a good night.

PS, my tastes are a mixture. I'm not ashamed to admit I enjoyed listening to some tracks from  Let It Bleed lay night in the pub but I equally enjoy "bubblegum" - The Archies,  Ohio Express,  1910 Fruitgum Co.

[Jon the Hat]

6 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

No I shan't do that though I suppose there's a case for doing so if I was 100 percent committed to a move elsewhere. 

The Sydney housing market is in overdrive now.

Unless you are going to blow it all on a boat and a snazzy car I'm not sure I see the point!

[Paul1Perth]

17 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

Did I see The Groundhogs? Yes! Could have been my first gig. It's a toss up between Grand Funk Railroad (with Humble Pie and Head, Hands and Feet) at Hyde Park, or Groundhogs and Gentle Giant at Southampton Town Hall (or is it Guild Hall?) In 1971 circa June/July.

I'm sure my mate Nick who worked for the Post Office in London said he served Tony McPhee. 

Out of those 5 bands the only one I know songs by is Grand Funk plus Humble Pie's one UK hit, Natural Born Bugie. 

Funny really.  I'm not into blues but all the bands I like started off playing it or even jazz.

I wonder if the Byron Bay Blues Festival will still go ahead this week?

That album "split" that the groundhogs did is still one of my favourites. Tony McPhee had scizophrenia and it's about his last breakdown. My Mum had mental issues and had a couple of "breakdowns" so It really resonated with me.

Humble Pie were great live too. Never understood how Pete Frampton made it and Steve Marriot never made it quite so big. When I saw them once they were both in the band and Steve Marriot was a better guitarist, stage presence and had one of the best voices I've ever heard. Pity he died so young.

[MARYROSE02]

20 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

That album "split" that the groundhogs did is still one of my favourites. Tony McPhee had scizophrenia and it's about his last breakdown. My Mum had mental issues and had a couple of "breakdowns" so It really resonated with me.

Humble Pie were great live too. Never understood how Pete Frampton made it and Steve Marriot never made it quite so big. When I saw them once they were both in the band and Steve Marriot was a better guitarist, stage presence and had one of the best voices I've ever heard. Pity he died so young.

I think Humble Pie did pretty well over the course of their career, album sales wise I mean?

I wish he'd stayed with the Small Faces but then again they enjoyed further success as the Faces / Rod Stewart and the Faces. 

I never paid much attention to the "progressive" bands but I did buy the various music papers avidly and got to know the names of bands and their members that way. 

The music papers have all gone apart from NME? 

PS God knows where the impulse came from but I suddenly thought "Cherry Red" Groundhogs! I Googled it to make sure but I've no idea why I thought of it. 

Edited March 31, 2021 by MARYROSE02

[Marisawright]

55 minutes ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I think Humble Pie did pretty well

The name Humble Pie made me think of the Humblebums.  Anyone remember them?  Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty.

[Paul1Perth]

3 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I think Humble Pie did pretty well over the course of their career, album sales wise I mean?

I wish he'd stayed with the Small Faces but then again they enjoyed further success as the Faces / Rod Stewart and the Faces. 

I never paid much attention to the "progressive" bands but I did buy the various music papers avidly and got to know the names of bands and their members that way. 

The music papers have all gone apart from NME? 

PS God knows where the impulse came from but I suddenly thought "Cherry Red" Groundhogs! I Googled it to make sure but I've no idea why I thought of it. 

The nearest thing they had to a "hit" record. When all we had to listen to was radio 1. The nights I spent trying to tune into radio luxembourg and caroline.

[Paul1Perth]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

The name Humble Pie made me think of the Humblebums.  Anyone remember them?  Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty.

I saw a special on Billy Connolly a couple of weeks ago. Really good, it showed a couple of vids of his early days with Gerry Raferty.

Both of them did really well. A very accomplished musician is Billy, as well as being hilarious on stage.

[Marisawright]

21 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

I saw a special on Billy Connolly a couple of weeks ago. Really good, it showed a couple of vids of his early days with Gerry Raferty.

Both of them did really well. A very accomplished musician is Billy, as well as being hilarious on stage.

I saw them in the early '70s. They were the warm-up act for somebody famous but I can't even remember who it was now!  But I never forgot the Humblebums.  A mix of great music and great comedy.   I never saw them again and was surprised and pleased when they both made successful solo careers

[Toots]

26 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

I saw a special on Billy Connolly a couple of weeks ago. Really good, it showed a couple of vids of his early days with Gerry Raferty.

Both of them did really well. A very accomplished musician is Billy, as well as being hilarious on stage.

Saw them both when they were in Humblebums.

[CaptainR]

The problem is that there are so many amazing places to live in Australia, it's hard to choose where to stay. We've just a few weeks in Queensland and loved it, but then felt at peace to come back home to Lake Macquarie.  That said, I've never felt the 'good vibe' in Surfers Paradise, it feels like the town mayor visited Blackpool and Miami in the same week and created a bizarre fusion... I actually would feel safer walking around Sydney CBD at night than Surfers, but thats subjective.

[Rallyman]

8 hours ago, CaptainR said:

The problem is that there are so many amazing places to live in Australia, it's hard to choose where to stay. We've just a few weeks in Queensland and loved it, but then felt at peace to come back home to Lake Macquarie.  That said, I've never felt the 'good vibe' in Surfers Paradise, it feels like the town mayor visited Blackpool and Miami in the same week and created a bizarre fusion... I actually would feel safer walking around Sydney CBD at night than Surfers, but thats subjective.

@Captain R I see Newcastle port is busy as , are you flying out in the choppers to pilot the ships in , currently fitting out the penthouse on the 2 new blocks getting built end of Honeysuckle, amazing views across the harbour and beyond 

[Paul1Perth]

8 hours ago, CaptainR said:

The problem is that there are so many amazing places to live in Australia, it's hard to choose where to stay. We've just a few weeks in Queensland and loved it, but then felt at peace to come back home to Lake Macquarie.  That said, I've never felt the 'good vibe' in Surfers Paradise, it feels like the town mayor visited Blackpool and Miami in the same week and created a bizarre fusion... I actually would feel safer walking around Sydney CBD at night than Surfers, but thats subjective.

I've never felt unsafe walking around either. 

Living in Chesterfield and Manchester for a few years and going to Uni in Birmingham that's not surprising.

[CaptainR]

2 hours ago, Rallyman said:

@Captain R I see Newcastle port is busy as , are you flying out in the choppers to pilot the ships in , currently fitting out the penthouse on the 2 new blocks getting built end of Honeysuckle, amazing views across the harbour and beyond 

Yes, that’s me. COVID hasn’t had much of an impact, or the Chinese refusing to take our coal. The new apartments around honeysuckle are amazing, although I believe the buyers all have to sign a clause that they won’t complain about the port noise (namely our heli and the ships whistles). 

Edited April 14, 2021 by CaptainR

[MARYROSE02]

11 hours ago, CaptainR said:

The problem is that there are so many amazing places to live in Australia, it's hard to choose where to stay. We've just a few weeks in Queensland and loved it, but then felt at peace to come back home to Lake Macquarie.  That said, I've never felt the 'good vibe' in Surfers Paradise, it feels like the town mayor visited Blackpool and Miami in the same week and created a bizarre fusion... I actually would feel safer walking around Sydney CBD at night than Surfers, but thats subjective.

I have never been to Miami and barely know Blackpool but I get the idea - Benidorm meets Waikiki.

I've been back in Surry Hills for a month now and it's as if I've never been away. Surfers Paradise for me is a bit like Surry Hills with a beach.

Sitting in the Strawberry Hills hotel after the trivia and I cab see trams pass the window down Devonshire St not unlike seeing them all day and night in Surfers Paradise. 

I never felt particularly unsafe in Surfers Paradise because there are always people about. The places which scare me are the quiet ones after the pubs close when there's nobody about. 

I'm not sure what I will do. I've got vague plan to return to Surfers for a month in May and see how I feel. O don't have a home there so I'll be interested to see how it "grabs" me.  8 months there was long enough to start feeling like a local.  I made friends. People know my name. Perhaps I'll become one the people who flee the cold for the Qld winters.

[Paul1Perth]

13 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I have never been to Miami and barely know Blackpool but I get the idea - Benidorm meets Waikiki.

I've been back in Surry Hills for a month now and it's as if I've never been away. Surfers Paradise for me is a bit like Surry Hills with a beach.

Sitting in the Strawberry Hills hotel after the trivia and I cab see trams pass the window down Devonshire St not unlike seeing them all day and night in Surfers Paradise. 

I never felt particularly unsafe in Surfers Paradise because there are always people about. The places which scare me are the quiet ones after the pubs close when there's nobody about. 

I'm not sure what I will do. I've got vague plan to return to Surfers for a month in May and see how I feel. O don't have a home there so I'll be interested to see how it "grabs" me.  8 months there was long enough to start feeling like a local.  I made friends. People know my name. Perhaps I'll become one the people who flee the cold for the Qld winters.

Not a bad dilema to have MR.