Virtual Unreality

Tonight, Virtual Unreality on 2RRR 88.5 FM we have a long chat with Catherine Britt.

We also have the second part of our chat Darren Stedman of Kiwi band The Verlaines.

And we slip in a few early ZZ Top tracks.

All this and more on Virtual Unreality from 19:00 tonight on 2RRR 88.5 FM or streaming from 2rrr.org.au.

Listen!

Playlist!

• ZZ Top – Waiting for the bus
• ZZ Top – Jesus just left Chicago
• Ron S Peno and the Superstitions – The Strangest Feeling
• The Datsuns – Suspicion
• Four Lions – Black and White
• Catherine Britt – Home Truths
• VU – Catherine Britt interview part 1
• Catherine Britt – Gonna be mumma
• VU – Catherine Britt interview part 2
• Catherine Britt – Hard to love
• Melody Moko – Last cigarette
• Charlie Silky-Oak and The Maple Roses – Two girls
• Steve Earle – Loretta
• Slim Dusty – The biggest disappointment
• The Verlaines – None of these chords
• VU – Darren Stedman (Verlaines) interview part 1
• The Verlaines – Church and state
• VU – Darren Stedman (Verlaines) interview part 2
• The Verlaines – Dunedin Spleen
• ZZ Top – Backdoor love affair
• ZZ Top – Asleep in the desert

Tonight on Virtual Unreality we have more than lots! True!

We talk to Darren Stedman, drummer in Kiwi band The Verlaines about their latest album Dunedin Spleen. We also talk to new Sydney artist Trash Springfield about her EP.

And… we have lots of new music, including The Datsuns, Jim Lauderdale, Nick Lowe, The Heartless Bastards and Piper Butcher and whatever else we can shoehorn in.

Listen!

Playlist

• The Doors – The Changeling
• Bo Diddley – I’m sorry
• The I Don’t Cares – Sorry for tomorrow night
• The Datsuns – Suspicion
• Pozi – Detainer man
• The Verlaines – Snappy Dressers
• Interview part 1 – Darren Stedman (Verlaines)
• The Verlaines – Petroleum Woman
• Interview part 2 – Darren Stedman (Verlaines)
• The Verlaines – A.W.C.W.D
• Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover
• Tre Burt – By The Jasmine
• Hanna Enlöf – Follow You Down
• Heartless Bastards – Photograph
• Piper Butcher – Before The Thunder
• Trash Springfield – Control
• Interview part 1 – Trash Springfield
• Confused by early signs – Trash Springfield
• Interview part 2 – Trash Springfield
• Do it good – Trash Springfield
• Jim Lauderdale – The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through It
• Nick Lowe – Different kind of blue

We have a chat New York band Hard Nips about their new album Master Cat.

We also talk to Sydney author Clinton Walker about his forthcoming book Suburban Songbook.

We have new music from Jen Cloher and Hachiku, Natalie D-Napoleon, Hannah Acfield, Lucie Tiger and Jim Lauderdale.

All this and more (HTF could there possibly be more?)!

Playlist

• Jen Cloher Hachiku – Fairytale in the Supermarket
• Natalie D-Napolean – Mother Of Exiles
• Hanna Acfield – Like Lovers Do
• Lucie Tiger – Midnight Goodbye
• Jim Lauderdale – Mushrooms Are Growing After the Rain
• Nick Lowe – A quiet place
• Hard Nips – Master Cat
• Interview part 1 – Hard Nips
• Hard Nips – Workaholic
• Interview part 2 – Hard Nips
• Hard Nips – Blender X
• Interview part 3 – Hard Nips
• Hard Nips – Cupid Devil
• The 5678’s – Charumera Sobaya
• Shonen Knife – Sweet Candy Power
• Mustang Jerx – Choo choo train of tears
• Axiom – A little ray of sunshine
• Interview part 1 – Clinton Walker
• The Loved Ones – Ever lovin’ man
• Interview part 2 – Clinton Walker
• PP Arnold – The Turning Tide
• Russell Morris – The Real Thing

and mostly rock!

Listen!

Playlist

• Eddie Noack – Psycho
• Datura4 – Get out
• Rinehearts – One Thing One Time
• Piper Butcher – Haunting Your Thoughts
• Interview – Piper Butcher
• Marvelline – Fly by instruments
• Moonlight 5 – Listening To Gospel Music On The Radio
• The Wallflowers – I’ll Let You Down (But Will Not Give You Up)
• Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
• Leadfinger – Nobody Knows
• Lovelorn – Hole in Yr Soul
• Snapped Ankles – Shifting Basslines of the Cornucopians
• Masok – Part of the game
• Hard Nips – Blender X
• Shonen Knife – Giant Kitty
• 5678’s – Hanky panky
• Ten Years After – I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ Sometimes
• Sun Seeker – Just me
• Eyelids – Holiday Innn
• Gully Boys – Russian Doll
• Leah Belle Faser – These Boots Are Made for Walkin
• Mae Powell – Scratch n Sniff
• Smile Machine – Pretty Today

Tonight we talk to up and coming Hunter Valley-based singer Piper Butcher.

We celebrate the 50th anniversary of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue”.

We also have new music from Datura4, Moonlight Five, Leadfinger, Verlaines and more!

Listen!

Playlist!

• Datura4 – West Coast Highway Cosmic
• Moonlight 5 – Listening To Gospel Music On The Radio
• Leadfinger – Nobody knows
• Piper Butcher – Haunting your thoughts
• VU – Piper Butcher interview
• Melody Moko – Coming up roses
• Imogen Clark – Found me
• The Verlaines – None of these chords
• The Mutton Birds – The Heater
• The Exponents – Like she said
• Masok – New reality
• Throwing Muses – Dark Blue
• Francobollo – Are you content?
• Joni Mitchell – All I want
• Joni Mitchell – Blue
• Joni Mitchell – A case of you
• Jim Lauderdale – Memory
• Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes – Quit While We’re Ahead
• Bonnie Kay and the Bonafides – A good man
• The Western Distributors – Old black dog
• Pink Floyd – Money

We talk to Vashti Hughes about her one-woman show examining the life and times of legendary Sydney character Bee Miles.

We also have new music from Leadfinger, Even, the Meanies, Raising Ravens and more.

Listen!

Playlist

• Keith Richards – Talk is Cheap
• Leadfinger – Nobody Knows
• Leadfinger – Champagne & Diamonds
• Thin Lizzy – Dancing In The Moonlight
• The Minus 5 – Blue Rickenbacker
• XL Capris – My City of Sydney
• VU -Vashti Hughes interview
• Perry Keyes – Dale Buggins Dream
• Even – Six Monkeys
• Meanies – Sousa
• Alejandro Escovedo – Algo Azul
• Los Straitjackets – Hombre
• The Vandals – Ooh Poo Pah Doo
• The Vandals – Norwegian Wood
• The Whatever – The Valley of Death
• Helen Townsend – Devil’s Curse
• Martha Wainwright – Falaise de Malaise
• Live Johnny Winter And – Jumpin’ Jack Flash
• Dickey Betts – Jessica (Live)
• Raising Ravens – It’s A Trap

Listen!

Playlist

• Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes – Portrait of the artist as a middle-aged man
• Even – Six monkeys
• The Meanies – Sousa
• Leadfinger – Nobody Knows
• You am I – The Waterboy
• Jaguar Jonze – Astronaut
• Michael Waugh – Flying
• Jeb Cardwell – Blood Moon
• Ruby Gilbert – No vacancy
• Siobhan Cotchin – Highway Song
• Imogen Clark – Foprget about London
• Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener
• Jen Cloher – Shoegazers
• Nocturnal Animals – Articuno Makes Waves
• ShitKid – song bout gold
• Glen & Glenda – Max Dupain
• The Light Brigade – I’m sticking with you
• jupiter 5 – H-bomb

Listen!

Playlist

• Ian Hunter – Once Bitten twice shy
• The Exponents – La la Lulu
• Ronnie Wood – Buried Alive
• The Charlie Watts Orchestra – Stomping At The Savoy
• Glad and Dave’s Dirt Band – Shine a light
• The Rolling Stones – Shine a light
• The New Christs – Headin’ south
• Don Drummond And His Group – Roll On Sweet Don
• Don Drummond And The City Slickers – Don Cosmic
• Mass Experience – Sitting With Demons
• Cigarettes after sex – K
• No Zu – Talking to a stranger
• Hunters and Collectors – the Slab
• Charlie Silky-Oak and the Maple Roses – Right in time
• Lucinda Williams – Changed the locks
• Emma Swift – One of us must know
• Natalie D-Napolean – Gasoline and Liquor
• Carla Bozulich – The time of the preacher
• Willie Nelson – Do right woman
• Patsy Cline – Crazy
• Imogen Clark – Found me
• Daddy Cool – Daddy Cool
• Mott the Hoople – Lay down

Until December 22, 2020, Leslie West was my favourite living guitarist with his impeccable tone and larger than life persona.

I was always surprised that he’d make it this far, whenever that was, what with the excesses of being in an early 70s hard rock band with the booze and drugs and a massive weight problem. But, he cleaned up his act in the 80s and remained a potent force doing some killer albums right through to the end. He lost a leg to diabetes and smoking, but still rocked.

There’s no way I could play all I wanted to in two hours, but WTF, I gave it a shot.

Vale Leslie West, you were a genuine original and I always had a soft spot for you.

Listen!

Track list

• Leslie West – This wheel’s on fire
• Leslie West – Dreams of Milk and Honey
• Leslie West – Long Red
  From the first solo album Mountain produced by Felix Pappalardi, released in 1969.

• Mountain – Mississippi Queen
• Mountain – Theme for an imaginary western
  From Climbing! the first Mountain LP (1970)

• Mountain – Don’t look around
• Mountain – Taunta (Sammy’s Tune)
• Mountain – Nantucket Sleighride (to Owen Coffin)
  From what many consider to be their masterwork – Nantucket Sleighride (1971)

• Mountain – Flowers of evil
• Mountain – King’s Chorale
• Mountain – One last cold kiss
  From Flowers of Evil (1971). It started off as a concept albums about drugs and Vietnam vets, but I suspect the band was starting to fall apart and side two is live. Pity, because side one is brilliant.

• West, Bruce and Laing – Why dontcha
  After Mountain broke up, Leslie and Corky Laing (Mountain’s drummer) teamed up with Jack Bruce when he wanted to play rock star again. Released in 1972, this is title track of Why dontcha, the first of two studio albums. The second one isn’t as good.
• West, Bruce and Laing – The Doctor
  From the ironically titled Live ‘n’ Kickin’ (1974) because the band hand broken up by the time it was released. 

• Mountain – Never In My Life
  From the monster double live album Twin Peaks (1973). No Corky, no keys.

• Mountain – Whole lotta shakin’
• Mountain – Alisan
  From the last “proper” Mountain album with Felix – Avalanche (1974). Corky back on drums. Felix was murdered by his wife in 1983 and got away with it. HTF did that happen?

• Leslie West – Don’t burn me
• Leslie West – High Roller
• Leslie West – Honky tonk women
  From the second solo album The Great Fatsby (1975). Mick Jagger plays rhythm guitar (true) and High Roller is co written with Corky, Mick and Keef, and (I think she was his wife at the time) Sandra Palmer.

Leslie West – Dyin’ Since the Day I Was Born
Leslie West – Busted, Disgusted or Dead
From the second to final solo album Still Climbing (2013). Busted, Disgusted or Dead has Johnny Winter playing on it.

The Leslie West Band – We gotta get out of this place
From The Leslie West Band (1976). Mick Jones (no – not that one, the one who went on to form Foreigner) also plays guitar. Corky on drums.

Playlist

• TEKETEKE – Chidori
• The Guess Who – Heart broken bopper
• Partner – Rock Is My Rock
• The Feminine Complex – Hide And Seek
• Carrie Phillis & The Downtown 3 – Spend it with You
• Johnny Casino – Dropping Like Flies
• The New Christs – Pedestal
• Peter Black – BC Rich Shredder
• Peter Black – Incident at Rozelle
• The Fleshtones – Alex Trebek
• The Fleshtones – Child Of The Moon
• Nada Surf – Come Get Me
• Neutrals – Personal Computing
• Matthew Sweet – Come to California
• Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Yarian Mitji
• Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys – Rosie
• Melody Moko – Coming Up Roses
• Chuck Prophet – Get Off the Stage
• Interview – Valerie Vande Panne
• The Allman Brothers Band – Statesbro Blues
• On the stoop – Hard Town
• Suburban Bukowskis – Up Shit Creek
• Stevens – Memory
• Los Straitjackets – Space Junket