PAINFULLY PEDIGREED INTERNATIONAL GAD-ABOUT AND N’ER-DO- WELL GUITAR THINGY. 1. THE OPPOSITION WAS BRUTAL BUT I DONE IT ANYWAY! After 37-odd years of dumb-ass stubbornness…blowing amps, impressionable minds, and the remnants of my misspent youth in oZ, I took it on the arches, ignored that innate function that stops you from doing suspect and impulsive things, said a heartfelt, sentimental, and somewhat painful goodbye to my loved ones and idyllic home out on The North 40, and hauled ass and anchor for a new life on the shores of Galicia. 2. WHAT’S MORE… I done got married! 3. MORE IS BETTERER! Well… At the beginning of this year my friends (and my enemies…the Federal police are onto a couple of you scumbags) unexpectedly made me feel loved (or hated) in a way that I could have NEVER imagined! I was blessed with much music, companionship, surprises, laughter, and tears in a long and wonderful goodbye. February, it was off to Europe with The Outside for madness and mayhem, after which I was thoughtfully deposited in Spain to finally be with me chica. After years of arcana I can’t describe how that felt! April, through Europe again, this time with the amazing Simon Chainsaw and his band of crazy as bugshit Frenchmen. European summer with my kids in Spain and France…their second home! Festivals with The Outside. Then, Holy Moly! Back in oZ withThe Screaming Tribesmen after 23 years. A blazing burst of Hitmania! A scintillating blast of Klondike’s North 40! Then, once more back through France and Germany with the ubiquitous, generous, and ever irrepressible Outside! Now, it’s Spanish primary language books and the disconcerting feeling that I have indeed gone mad and it was all my imagination. 3. THIS YEARS HEROES. Greg Clarke: The silly bugger died just before he was gonna hand over the final mixes to my latest album. He always did things his way! He was an engaging and amazing resource, a joy to work with, a good and honest friend. We talked shit more than we recorded, and we recorded more than with anyone else I’ve ever worked with! Vaya con Dios, compadre! Gerard Presland: A drummer’s drummer. Crazy as catshit. A good man and dedicated father! His is a wonderful heart! Red Porter: The less you know about him the better. He likes it that way. But, I couldn’t do what I do without him. He’s secretly a very nice fellow! Uncle Dave Alexander: Could you record an entire album of drum tracks in one afternoon and pass The Greg Clarke Quality Control Test? I thought not! A rare gentleman! Andy Newman: A truly wonderful, generous, and talented man! A master-basser! A rather good chef! Kooky, quirky, and a joy to play with! The Barman: Nutty band shit, dramas from the uber-dumb world, complications that require a PhD in astrospace physics to unravel…The Barman shrugs it off and Gets Thing Done with grace and good humour! You’d never know the effort it takes from looking at him but for the almost imperceptible shaking of his hands. Or maybe that’s beer withdrawal. I’m working on his retirement package! All The Rest: Those of you that have not been lauded…here’s to you!! 4. MOST REMARKABLE EVENT OF THE YEAR. Without a doubt, the “reunion” of the classic lineup of The Screaming Tribesmen! Music as joy!! Precipitated by the organisers of The Gathering in Brisbane and carried along by Zombie Dog, it came as an unexpected surprise and ultimately a labour of love for everyone involved. 5. “BITTERSWEET” EVENT OF THE YEAR. The release of “Workhorse”. A recording that I am very proud of, characterised by epic effort, dumb luck, tenaciousness, misfortune, and tragedy. It comes out in its “pre-tweaked” format…the engineer never did send me the final mixes before he passed away and his “estate” decided that it “may have” been unpaid for so the whereabouts of the masters are “unknown”. I don’t usually listen to my own stuff but I love this one! Red and Uncle Dave are brilliant! 6. DROPKICKS OF THE YEAR. Every useless, bitter, selfish, narcissistic, and thoughtless middle aged melt down that deliberately went out of their way to sully, upset, and otherwise screw up The Screaming Tribesmen “reunion”. It wasn’t about YOU, assholes!! 7. MUSICAL LET DOWN OF THE YEAR. Radio Birdman’s “Live in Texas”. Thin, shrill, frantic and irritating. “Twin guitar attack”? Bullshit! Listen to The Hitmen and Niagara for a lesson on how to mix guitars, motherfuckers! 8. HIGH ROTATION. KN40, Jeff Beck, The Screaming Tribesmen remasters, Johnny Casino, The Black Shadows, The Lazys, Spirit, Johnny Winter, Niagara, Lester Young, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman. Other stuff. 9. REALISATION (ALMOST) TOO LATE IN LIFE. People have their own agendas. If they feel strongly enough about it, they’ll dig in and genuinely try to fuck you over, destroy you, hurt you…whatever it takes to make THEM “right”. You can’t control what people think or do. So, be true to yourself and be prepared to mourn the passing of friendship. Trust in Allah. 10. MY PROUDEST ACHEIVEMENTS. My children, my wife, my “new” daughter, Pea. My music, and the friendship and joy it brings to life. Everything else is cream.
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