Musical Musings

Their upcoming visit will feature a screening of the award-winning movie A Boy Called Sailboat with the soundtrack performed live by the brothers.

“It is quite an unusual show for Lenny and myself,” Slava said to me this week.

“We’re normally just performing music within a more traditional context, but in this case, we’re actually playing a live soundtrack while a movie is being screened.

“We wrote and recorded this film score quite a few years ago and when the movie was due for release the director, Cameron Nugent, asked if we were interested in being involved with a ‘live’ version.

“The soundtrack is able to be removed from the audio for this film while keeping all of the other important sounds and dialogue.

“We’ve been doing this now for quite a few years and always love the experience.”

Shepparton holds a special place in the brothers’ hearts, having performed in our region on numerous occasions in the past.

“We’ve played in Shepparton on quite a few different tours in the past,” Slava said.

“We’ve always had a wonderful experience in a variety of venues and are really looking forward to reconnecting with the audience who we haven’t been able to visit for a long time now by our standards; the last time being at least a few years before the beginning of the pandemic.”

Having performed on stages across the globe, the brothers have found that audiences in regional centres such as our own seem to appreciate the value of musicians and music artists more than those in the big cities, where musicians the calibre of the Grigoryan brothers are often taken for granted.

“Lenny and I have been touring regional Australia for well over 20 years now,” Slava said.

“We get to play in busy cities all over the world, and we consider ourselves lucky to be able to do this and enjoy it a great deal.

“However, it's regional touring that gives us the most pleasure.

“There’s something so special about a more intimate venue, and a connection with an audience that can actually be revisited on each occasion.

“Feeling the appreciation from a crowd that doesn’t have the same access to live gigs, compared to folks in a city, is a deeply touching experience.

“I can see us winding back on the international travel when we’re much older, but I can’t imagine not touring regionally. We love country audiences!”

Aussie music central

Murchison East Hotel is fast becoming the local place to catch some of the biggest names in Australian rock, pop and country music. In recent times the pub has seen the likes of The Chantoozies, Reece Mastin, Ross Wilson, Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows, country star Travis Collins and others pass through its doors to perform to live music fans. And for 2023 the pub is already locking in more fantastic Aussie artists for shows. Just announced for Friday, March 31, are The Screaming Jets, one of Australia's premier rock bands. The guys be playing some of the finest OZ rock, live and loud!

Afternoon Delight rescheduled

In the aftermath of the recent floods, a lot of cancellations and rescheduling have ensued for many upcoming events. Karen Knowles, who was planning to make her way to Shepparton on Tuesday, November 8, to perform an afternoon show at Riverlinks Eastbank, has informed me that her show has had to be cancelled and will be rescheduled to February, 2024.

Those of us of a certain age will be familiar with Karen’s name from her time on the popular Australian music variety TV show Young Talent Time. The show, which aired during the 1970s and 1980s, was the launch pad for the careers of not only Knowles but Tina Arena and Dannii Minogue. After she left the show, Knowles went on to have a successful recording career, earning gold and platinum awards and at one point, was the highest selling Australian female recording artist for two consecutive years. She even joined The Seekers for a brief stint in the early 1990s.

Fun Fact

Forty-six years ago today in 1976 two of Australia’s top glam rock acts of the day, Hush and Supernaut, performed a co-headlining show at the Shepparton Civic Centre. The bands were touring in support of their then current albums. For Supernaut it was their self-titled debut, which featured their hit I Like It Both Ways and for Hush it was Rough Tough 'n' Ready, which featured their hit singles Bony Moronie and Glad All Over.

Send feedback, suggestions and news tips to: MusicalMusings@mmg.com.au

Until next time, stay safe and keep on rockin’.

Joe Matera is a local singer/songwriter, recording artist, guitarist and music journalist, providing readers with all the latest music news.