I still remember the Driving Instructor, it is a classic.
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Kevin Gosper
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cue Ray (Dracula) Reardon RIP
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Now confirmed that British blues legend John Mayall has left the stage at the age of 90.
I saw John playing a gig at a venue in St Kilda in the early 80s with a well known former member of his band the Bluesbreakers and later The Rolling Stones, guitarist Mick Taylor.
Other notable musicians who played with John included a young Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Peter Green.
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First saw him playing at Storey Hall at RMIT in 1972. Great performer.
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I saw John Mayall on two tours, both times at Festival Hall. The first time he had Putter Smith playing an upright bass. A couple of years later l was touring India and in Dehli l went to see a James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever. One of the failed assassins l recognized was none other than Putter Smith.
The second tour Mayall featured a jazz guitarist named Freddy Robinson. Freddy was tall and dressed immaculately in a dark 3 piece suit, standing out in stark contrast to Mayallās denim (blues). The support act was ego maniac Billy Thorpe who cranked up his 2000 watt PA to full volume. Mayall came out after the break with a 30 watt amp, raised one eyebrow and said it was probably a bit too loud and turned it down. The sound was clear and the show was great. I used to listen to Blues from Laurel Canyon and Bare Wires when l was in high school.
The Bluesbreakers had the second best line up of guitarists to scroll through their membership, Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor is more than formidable.
RIP to the grandfather of British blues.
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You know after 1980, John Mayall didnāt play in Australia again for about 35 years. What do you do at that concert ?
Just looked it up. It was Thursday, 11th February 1982 at Club Chevron in St Kilda.
I distinctly remember struggling to get through work the next day (Friday).
The venue was not the Chevron Nightclub in St Kilda Road but a big joint on the Upper Esplanade. I thought it was called Bananas or (something) Ballroom but my memory is cloudy. This may have something to do with the big joint.
JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS
1982
January
28 - Selinaās, Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee, Sydney, New South Wales
29 - The Family Inn, Rydalmere, Sydney, New South Wales
February
01 - Club Chevron, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria
02 - Pier Hotel, Frankston, Melbourne, Victoria
03 - Thirroul RSL Club, Thirroul, Wollongong, New South Wales
05 - Brisbane, Queensland
06 - Brisbane, Queensland
07 - Newcastle, New South Wales
10 - Hobart, Tasmania
11 - Club Chevron, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria
12 - Caringbah Inn, Caringbah, Sydney, New South Wales
13 - Manly Vale Hotel, Manly Vale, Sydney, New South Wales
14 - Maroubra Seals Club, Maroubra, Sydney, New South Wales
15 - Sundowner Hotel, Punchbowl, Sydney, New South Wales
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Earlās Court Ballroom (also known as The Venue) was on the Upper Esplanade. Closed in the late-80ās, possibly v.early 90ās. Saw a couple of couple of gigs there when Iād just turned 18.
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They also had music shows at St Moritz Ice Skating rink.
John Mayall played all over the place.
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To be fair, it would be very difficult to play guitar while standing on ice.
Surprised OH&S allowed it, frankly.
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The upside was that, being on ice, they could play for hours without a break.
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LOL
You are not old enough to remember probably. They used to cover the covering over and put chairs on it. It was a horrible venue.
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For a fella who didnt excell on guitar, he sure as hell helped shape what the entire Hard Rock Heavy Psych Blues movement of the mid 60s to early 70s. He pretty much introduced the Les Paul/Marshall combo to the world via Clapton with the Beano record. And once Clapton bailed, bought in Peter Green. I mean ā ā ā ā . His contribution couldāve stopped thereā¦but it didnt.
A true Pioneer.
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Iām pretty sure that Bananas was a small upstairs venue above Earlās Court Ballroom, at the front of the building.
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Bananas is a great name for a venue.
Professor Robin Warren.
2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology (along with Barry Marshall) for discovering Helicobactor pylori and establishing it as the causal agent of stomach ulcers. Further, H pylori is an established bacterial carcinogen - this work established that H. pylori can be treated, and treatment can prevent associated gastric cancers.
A true game-changing discovery, paired with an incredible story of researchers inoculating themselves to demonstrate the finding.
Maybe not a celebrity (although definitely to those who have worked in medical research), but worthy of a mention.
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One of fifteen Australian Nobel Prize winners should count as a celebrity.
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Yeahā¦but heās not a (Insert Sporting Hero, Pop Star, Movie Star) so who would know of him?
We live in a strange world.