Popular regular St Andrews Hotel performers Fats Wah Wah launched their new CD on 15th September. With assistance from local sound engineer, Rob Harwood they came up with a product that does total justice to their exciting live performances.
They offer thirteen tracks of blues and funk with biting wah wah guitar sounds and occasional overtones of reggae. Three Howling Wolf, two Tony Joe White and one John Lee Hooker songs sit comfortably with eight by group leader, Luke Spekes whose work truly holds its own.
Luke Spekes provides guitar and vocals with back up from Jacki Whittaker and Denise Smith. Cam Walter, electric guitar; Steve Oates, bass; Josh Licht, drums and Andy Burns on keyboards do the rest. As though the urgent Howling Wolf influenced vocals of Spekes and the combination of outstanding solo and ensemble work by the band wasn’t enough; The ‘Rev’ Mick O’Connor joins them on keys to finish of with bonus tracks by Howling Wolf and John Lee Hooker. Hooker’s ‘Crawlin’ king snake’ closes the set with as much power and drama as Spekes. ‘J Man’ opened it. ‘Fats Wah Wah Live’ is available in the pub and in music shops.

by Peter Dougherty.

Armed with an enviable understanding of what makes music work and a voice that can blow light globes or charm angels, Kangaroo Ground blues diva, Lil’ Fi blew up a storm at St Andrews Hotel on the July 1. Backed by Robbie Robertson on drums, Dodgy Rogers on bass and Rory McKibbin on guitar, she put her snare drum aside and took up the rhythm guitar.

With plenty of support she was able to rip into some good old blues numbers including Ida Cox’s ‘Wild about my meatballs’ and ‘Pigfoot and a bottle of beer’. McKibbin produced plenty of great, classic blues riffs, but he didn’t stop there. When Lil’ Fi took up the rhythm guitar and broke into ‘Hard headed woman’ and ‘It’s all right’, he produced the link between blues and rock, evoking memories of Bill Haley and other good time musicians. The other side of Lil’ Fi’s musical persona was displayed in her own songs that delve into her dreams, phobias and domestic entanglements. ‘Sleep deprivation’, ‘Tell the truth’ and ‘Karma Sutra man’ contribute to a stream of humorous, poignant and hard hitting songs.
Lil' Fi will perform at Artstreams Gallery, 8.00pm, July 27

by Peter Dougherty.

It seems like a long time since I’ve been able to get to St Andrews Hotel to hear ‘Fats Wah Wah’. On the last occasion they had a moderately sized but enthusiastic audience. Last Sunday week, the pub was packed with dancing, cheering fans.

Fats Wah Wah is the funky blues/reggae style band that claims Dire Straits, The Steve Miller Band and Tom Waits among its inspirations.

Singer/songwriter, Luke Spekes immediately becomes the center of attention with his nervy action and constant foot stomping. What is more important is his compelling, husky voice that delivers its eclectic material perfectly. With his foot stomping, wildly gesticulating hands and raucous voice, Spekes comes over as rather demonic, in a friendly sort of way. When he speaks to the audience he’s as sweet as pie. The highly credentialed support musicians don’t do much solo work. They are content instead to offer a good, tight, rhythmic backing for Spekes.

by Peter Dougherty.

We often hear stories of young boys who know from a very early age that they are destined to be guitarists. Nillumbik musician Stephen Bowtell is just such a young man. Taking up guitar at the age of seven, he took the opportunity to join his hero Wolf Mail at a performance last year. On Friday July 28 he opened Mail’s show at St Andrews Hotel.

When Mail came on he used ‘Love breaking shuffle’ to show how he earns so many accolades. Using only his 1957 Telecaster guitar and one amp he maintains a beautiful tone and exudes a power that does not rely on speed. It comes from the intensity, clarity and lyricism of his guitar and the urgency of his Cocker like vocals. As he warms to his performance he is driven by a nervous energy that runs through him and has him crouching, sinking to his knees and springing back up to the dictates of the music.
On ‘You talk too much’, he pulled out a sophisticated series of riffs during his vocals but then really opened up and challenged Bas Khoury on bass and Rudy Miranda on drums to stay with him. They concentrated on keeping a tight beat and remaining ready for Mail to come back to it between forays into the unknown. On ‘Hello’, he could have been singing to his Telcaster as he caressed its neck, creeping all the way from top to bottom and back. ‘Walking Cane’ was a tribute to Johnny Winter and served as a reminder that while echoes of all the greats from Howling Wolf and Bo Diddly to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan can be heard, ultimately it’s all Wolf Mail.

As Bowtell was invited to share the closing number, a broken string forced Mail to open the piece then keep the vocal beat going while he handed the guitar over. The 16 year old then displayed a musical surety and sophistication that needed to be heard to be believed.

by Peter Dougherty.

Born in Christchurch, Max Merritt formed his first band as a teenager and had his first a top ten hit in 1959. After conquering Auckland he ‘jumped the ditch’ and as Max Merritt and the Meteors remained Australia’s top band from 1968 to 1971. Merritt demonstrated at St Andrews Hotel on June 3 that after 45 years of touring and recording he has lost little of his fire.

Appropriately, he was supported by the Teskey brothers: Sam and Josh  and Joel Williams, a trio of teenagers who could teach many a seasoned musician what the blues are all about. Their rendition of Mark Knopfler’s  ‘Sultans of Swing’rung the changes before The Meteors let rip with ‘Fanny Mae’ and ‘The house will rock’. Back then, unlike many other bands, the Meteors were'nt into dress ups and jumping around. It was the music that counted. Nothing's changed. Max Merritt, vocals and rhythm guitar; John Dallimore, lead and Glen Suckling, bass provided the front line rock element. Jimmy Sloggett, tenor sax; Chris Barton, drums and David Beanland on keyboards provided the other parts in a programme that has picked up souvenirs from throughout Merritt’s musical journey. Jazz vibes still linger from the Stuey Spears and Bob Bertles days in ‘Try a little tenderness’. ‘How sweet it is to be loved by you’ went down well but Merritt’s own ‘Medicine man’, ‘I’m a fool to do your dirty work’ and ‘If my ship came in tomorrow would you sail away with me’ with their touches of motown, blues jazz and plenty of rock was what the fans had come for. ‘Slippin’ away’, one of the truly great Australasian songs was, as always the show highlight and had the whole pub singing "Baby I've been watching you/every little thing you do" in enthusiastic response to Merrit's calls.

by Peter Dougherty.

Ray Vanderby Combo on 21-05-06

The Sunday afternoon gig on May 21 saw the welcome return of Ray Vanderby to St Andrews Hotel as the leader of the Ray Vanderby Trio. Beginning his professional career as a Hammond organist aged 12 in 1965 he has seen it all and if anyone can say they’ve ‘paid their dues’ its him. With a real Hammond organ and two Leslie speakers they served up a feast of blues music culled from its roots to its most modern forms.
Vanderby’s pay back for a difficult life is a well-worn voice that can really growl out a blues sentiment. Balancing the sound with some feminine aesthetic was the Raynettes backing chorus. 
The programme ranged from ‘Everyday I have the blues’, ‘Stormy Monday’ and ‘I believe I’ll dust my broom’ to ‘Bright lights, big city’, ‘It’s my life’ and ‘I just want to make love to you’. Guitarist, Damon Goulan provided some scintillating breaks and participated in some sweet ‘call and response’ with Vanderby’s Hammond as they closed out with Lighting Hopkins ‘Even dogs get the blues’ and  ‘Let the good times roll’.

by Peter Dougherty.

Adrian Belew on 29-04-06

When I arrived at St Andrews Hotel on Saturday evening the joint was packed. Every square inch of floor, bench and table space was occupied and the place was buzzing with expectation. The Josh Owen Band had already played so the atmosphere was set. Everybody was waiting for Adrian Belew, a guitarist who was plucked from obscurity by Frank Zappa; became the driving force in King Crimson and was chosen as guitarist of choice by David Bowie.
When the moment came, the air of expectation was shattered with a full on blast of sound from Belew, Guitar; Al Slavic, bass and John Prior, drums. The pattern was set for 90 minutes of full on starts followed by uncompromising blues, funk and fusion improvisations and tyre screeching stops. Adrian Belew has made it clear in his various trios that he expects a bass player to provide more than rhythm. Slavic who also plays bass for Slava Gregorian complied with his exciting rippling bass runs on a 10 string "Chapman Stick" bass. Prior looked like he was enjoying every moment as he provided the rhythm for the two guitarists. Sarah Cowan who joined me on the ‘press table’ assures me that Belew had 2 lines, 6 amps with a huge bank of built in effects and a Fender amp as well. Her “Greedy boy” comment was probably just jealousy. All the equipment and a great communication between the musicians added up to a night of unrelentingly driving music that was followed by Belew wandering around chatting to his fans.

by Peter Dougherty.