I am a fan of the Moruya group The Somedays. As in ‘Somedays I'd rather stay in bed and listen to music’. Why? Because they are creative skilled musicians that love their music and give their joy to you.
Recently John and I indulged again. We stayed at Bermagui and drove to the bush community of Murrah. A young girl at the gate welcomed us with a leaf and we warmed up by a blazing fire talked to the locals and enjoyed home cooked chickpea and beef curry.
When the rhythmic, ‘Burn, Burn, Burn my heart is on fire’ played a guy in an orange shirt moved gracefully around the hall. This prompted grandmas, grandkids, everyone, to abandon their seats and join in. A guy in a wheelchair smiled with ecstasy and nodded to the rhythm as his carer pushed back and forth.
Catching the eye and leading the singing is sexy dimpled Kylie Emmett and charming charismatic Cindy Reed. They jangle bells, blow kazoos and talk to the audience during breaks. The fiddle and mandolin evokes gypsy or Latin moods as Alec Mitchell stomps his feet and jumps off the stage at times to join the crowd. Rob Hamilton the guitarist and Linda Ferrier on keys have composed 70 Somedays songs.
Bass player Mark Maranion and Mitch Cowley on drums, complete the septet.
I had a chat with this diverse group. Their song ‘Home’ is on the LJ Hooker advertisement and coincidentally three of the band work there. ‘That’s my teacher,’ a friend’s daughter said. One is an acupuncturist, another a pizza maker and there is an oyster farmer.
Rob said, ‘I started writing songs and poetry as a kid in Wollongong. And had a jam night at my place in Moruya for 10 years. You could bring a song that you wrote or we just made up stuff on the spot.’ This perhaps explains the poignant words, ‘You make me feel totally gorgeous’ and ‘I’m starting to think this whole thing overrated.’
Cindy said, ‘We’re all from Wollongong to Sydney and came to Moruya by chance. Rob basically got us together through music. Linda and Rob were overlaying a track that Kylie and I had sung and they said “listen how good they sound together.” That just happened naturally.’
Michael Doyle their manager said, ‘When people ask what music they play, I hate that, as it’s hard to describe. It’s a bit gypsy, folksy, country.’
Rob said, ‘Our audience is from 6 to 106. We did a 101st birthday for a lady and I hope we will do her 102nd next year.’
Cindy chips in, ‘Private parties, they’re the best. Last year we did forty seven gigs and seven festivals. At Tamworth we did ten exhausting, three hour gigs. They described our music as CRIB, Country, Rap, Indie and Ballads. CRIB is a new word. We can start a whole new genre.’
So far there are two CRIB CDs, ‘Somedays you just have to shut your eyes and turn up the music!’ And ‘the Somedays Raise the Curtain and LIVE’.
Upcoming gigs:
The Somedays are touring
Canberra - Tulip Tops Festival - Saturday 14th October 11am - 2pm
Wagga Wagga - The Bass Bar, Home Tavern - Saturday 14th October - 9pm
Wollongong - YoYo's @ the Mt Kembla Bowlo - Saturday 18th November - 8pm
and locally, On The Pier Restaurant, Batemans Bay - New Year’s Eve.
I would love to go to that one.
If anyone is interested in booking in a local gig contact Michael Doyle at thesomedaysbookings@hotmail.com or 0414628843
