It's been a busy year, and it is looking like staying that way. But good things are happening, and momentum is gathering!
1. NEW TABS
Requests keep coming. I'm getting to them, folks. Just as important, over the last few months or even more, I've had suggestions, corrections, improvements, arguments, disagreements and whatnot mailed to me. They have all been filed away, and for the most part, not acted upon. Yet, that is. I HAVE them all, and, along with a bucketload of good intentions, they will be attended to. As will the tabs of un-tabbed songs you all keep asking for.
2. MELBOURNE GUITAR GATHERING!!!
This is firming up to happen, at long last.
Here's the deal. As reported before, Andrew Brand has organised an afternoon at Minton-Connell's pub, in Rathdowne St. (NOT Drummond St. as reported here last time) Carlton on Sunday November 22nd, from 1pm or so. The pub is also known as the Rathdowne Tavern and is a block or two south of the Princes Street traffic lights (east side of the street, down from the swimming pool). It has a bar, a pool table and a fair amount of space in the room we will be using. Further enquiries or RSVPs can be sent to Andrew at: andbr@studentmail.dis.unimelb.edu.au
I really don't have a clear idea in my head of how the day will work,
but I am thinking it through. My thoughts so far are:
- please don't come with high expectations that you will learn every
song Jeff ever played. Won't happen.
- please come with the idea that it will be fun and a reasonably social
event.
- please bring acoustic guitars if at all
possible! The idea of half a dozen people with 60 watt amps around
the room, and volume knobs creeping slowly upwards ...*shudder* (If you
do want to bring an electric guitar, you can probably plug into my amp
at some stage. I will have one there.)
- we'll have to see how it goes on the day, but I am conscious of wanting
people to be able to relax and chill out, and other people to have some
room and quietness to sit and play or listen. So, if you plan to get drunk
and sing sea shanties at some point, maybe contemplate using another room
at the pub for that part. (If you get REALLY bored, I think the Sexpo98
thing will be on at the Convention Centre.)
I know some under-18s have been penalised by the idea of us using a pub. That's a pity. A pub was a practical idea from our point of view -- a room with facilities, power, and recreation possibilities. But we've ended up excluding people without meaning to. Sorry. If you're underage and can think of some way of doing an under-18s version of this event, write to Andrew or myself.
3. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE.....
I don't have more news about the songbook proposal I mentioned in my last update. I can tell you the proposal is floating about, I am being consulted about it, and I hope very much that we can pull off something pretty spectacular with this book. But right now, everything is up in the air and we're waiting to hear more from the publisher. As news develops, I will try to keep everyone posted hereabouts.
4. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE (Part 2).....
I get quite a bit of mail asking me about (i) rare tapes and unreleased material and (ii) videos of Jeff. Fact is, I don't have copying facilities for either, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to fulfil all the requests of people writing in to ask me for copies of "Woke Up", or "I Know It's Over", or live footage of something or other....
I usually send people to somewhere like the JBEL list to ask there. But now, I am approaching one or two people to see if they are willing to help out by being "contact persons" for video enquiries and such. Keep in mind that this is unofficial stuff, and I am neither condoning distribution of unofficial material, nor am I taking any commercial role in anything. I will not be buying or selling or recommending that anyone else buy or sell anything. All I will be doing is giving a contact person if you are seeking hard-to-find videos, or perhaps tapes, or something. That's my plan anyway. I will post such contact details as I am able to arrange them!
Meanwhile, there are on-line CD shopping services on my links page which I heartily encourage you to use if looking for official Jeff material or anything else! I do have a tiny financial stake in these -- if you buy from my site, I get a small "commission" -- and I am happy to accept that as the limit to my financial reward for maintaining this site.