Mick’s Music Club – ready to go!

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Mick’s Music Club – ready to go!

January 19, 2010 by Mick Thomas

As I get set to head off to Tamworth I feel a little distracted as all my efforts this week seem to have been focused on trying to get the Monthly Music Club up and running. It is a fair bit of work on our part but I have to say I am really really excited (I suppose if I was a few years younger I’d say ‘pumped’) at having somewhere to put so much of this stuff I have been working on over the years that seems to have had (unfairly) such a limited shelf-life.

Last night I was going through a soundtrack I did for a short film that was shown on SBS about ten years back and I discovered a song I wrote for it that was only played for about twenty seconds over the credits – and there it was in full with Jody Bell singing it beautifully as always and I had clean forgotten about it. (Keep an ear out “A Different Song” from the Albert’s Chook Tractor soundtrack which should comprise a large part of the Music Club offering for April by my reckoning).

Adding to my stress I have even invested in a new protools rig in order to start getting it all into shape and if any of you could speak to the people around me in the recording industry you would know just what a commitment that is on my part. They are even calling me “Digital Guy” down at the local pro music shop as some sort of sick joke. I’ll show them. I just have to learn how to use the damn thing first.

Anyway, it’s time for Digital Guy to pick out a couple of cowboy shirts, run through a few ballads, restring his guitar and head to Tamworth.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 29 Comments

29 Responses

on January 25, 2010 at 1:32 am | Reply Shayne

Hi Mick,

Always been a fan of your music and lyrics. I have enjoyed looking at the new Mick’s Monthly Music Club website and I will inevitably join. It is a terrific concept and I am sure it will be a success with old fans of WPA, The Sure Thing and new comers.

All the best for this year with all of your ventures.
on January 25, 2010 at 3:21 am | Reply Mark Courtney

Well, this looks like an absolute cracker of an idea and I’m excited to sign up right away.
Congrats on getting it up and running, and hope to see you in Sydney early in 2010.
Cheers, Courts.
on January 25, 2010 at 4:30 am | Reply Brad

Hi Mick, I love the idea of a music supcription. I hope
other artists realize what a good idea it is, and use
it as well. Although, for me there are only a few
bands/musicians that I would pay for something like
this for. So, take that as a compliment, please.
Any chance we’ll get some old WPA b-sides or any
thought of putting together a WPA b-sides and
rareties CD? I don’t have much opportunity to
get those old singles other then by ebay, and I
would rather pay you. Looking forward to whatever
gems you are sending, Cheers.
Brad.
on January 25, 2010 at 2:08 pm | Reply Greacheq

No comments? … well it is new. I think your monthly music idea is gold and look forward to some rare treats.

Keep up the innovating
on January 29, 2010 at 2:56 am | Reply Mat

Have joined the club and looking forward to the content throughout the year.
Any chance of offering pre-sale or VIP tickets to the club members in the future?
Cheers.
on January 31, 2010 at 11:36 am | Reply Jason

ahh the old aberdeen aka the loaded dog… brings back so many memories of the 80′s…. was a regular there as well as the central club for so many years….

great idea and I hope lots of people subscribe. Anyone reading this who hasn’t should definetly get on board as there’s plenty of little gems even in the first edition.

thx for the work and chonk on.
on February 1, 2010 at 8:42 am | Reply Tom

Great 1st MTMC offering !!!

Can’t tell you how on the edge of my chair I was checking my in-box daily for the log in …maybe I should get out more…. I dunno I reckon it’s just gonna be a treat every month to have a fav’ artist putting up a variety of stuff – what a concept ! A big hooray from me !!
Ditto to the early WPA stuff (though love the new stuff- esp Last Night’s Fun) wasn’t as fortunate as Jason to get in on the early WPA days.
Thanks MT- keep on chonking on

( Just so I know where to sit on my chair- can I expect that sept may be delayed due to other MT priorities for a double oct edition ????????? )
on February 1, 2010 at 10:10 am | Reply Jaycen

Great idea Mick. I’ve subscribed and enjoyed the first edition, as I have your music since 1988.
I like the different versions and if old Pete Lawler or Irish O’Prey songs find their way onto this eventually, that would be good also.
My 9 yo son learning guitar so any “easy” guitar chords might be good for him as Mick is his favourite musician – even met Mick in Warrnambool after New Years 2009 which he thought was pretty cool.
on February 3, 2010 at 10:26 am | Reply VB

Love your work mick. Magnificent concept. Joined and enjoyed this months recordings and stories.

Would absolutely love to hear a acoustic version of Walkerville if possibly. Nothing better than hearing songs stripped back and done acoustically. Also enjoying the chord charts.

cheers & chonk on !!!!
on February 5, 2010 at 10:09 am | Reply Jon

Brilliant idea, looking forward to getting the tunes and there’ll be a comfy bed in the spare room next time you’re in England
on February 12, 2010 at 1:29 am | Reply Mushtaq

As always, a pleasure to have MT bashing away at some new tune in your loungeroom. Gotta say this really brings the personal touch, Mick – Onya. Hats off to Jen too, the page looks great and there’s not a glitch to be found. One thing I’d be keen to hear is some recollections of WPA’s visit to Ardent Studios in Memphis for the Big Don’t Argue – particularly about Jim Dickinson who recently left the building. RIP. and also how it all came about in the first place. There were a number of tunes from those sessions that didn’t make the cut wasn’t there? I remember their being two cassettes worth of tunes floating around at one point. Any chance of those seeing the light of day?
on February 16, 2010 at 11:20 pm | Reply Johnny Ramone

MT, from the first night in the late eighties playing Dooley’s(Brisbane), smallest stage ever, lots of punks and such..and a massive version of ‘Heard It Through the Grape vine’ acapella, (I think???), I cant get enough…Thank you for constant output, and this collection of music and ‘memorabilia’ is fantastic….I was selfishly awaiting Songbook 3, but this is fantastic..and we get to own a part of it…thank you thank you thank you…(and to all involved, band and behind the scene)
on February 25, 2010 at 9:50 pm | Reply Venita Vormelker

Good work, I need to hear more from you.Are you working in a Group that you can make such a good Blog?
- on February 25, 2010 at 9:57 pm | Reply Mick Thomas
  
  Not really what you would call a group – just my wife Jenny and myself with a few people we call on for technical advice.
on April 28, 2010 at 9:07 am | Reply Matt Whittle

G’day Mick,

Thanks for the MMC, my wife and I wait with baited breath for each installment. You mention that you were considering requests for the content. Well… we were hoping that you may have some of your preambles to your songs recorded somewhere, I remember a few Christmases ago cuddled up with my wife at the gig and you told us all the story behind ‘For a Short Time’. That is the sort of thing that we would dearly love to hear. Thanks for all of the great versions and keep up the good work. The club is money so well spent.

Cheers mate & Chonk On.

Matt & Tash
on May 1, 2010 at 9:08 am | Reply Sophie Leveque

It feels like Christmas again today with Mick’s Monthly Music Club edition four! What a change for “Seeya Leigh”! It’s amazing to end up with two songs that sound so different. Very nice to hear the accoustic version of the songs and I love the videos. You’re definitely spoiling us. Hope to see you soon. Take care.
on May 2, 2010 at 12:21 pm | Reply Daniel

Last week I received a double CD/Book called The Great New Zealand Songbook. It contained The Muttonbirds, “Dominion Rd” and it reminded me of your version’s on Something to Fight For (which I now realised I have lost and will re-order) and your DVD. They were great covers and thought maybe you might have another lost version of this great song you could share on the MMMC.

Thanks for the music Mick, have really enjoyed it.
on May 21, 2010 at 2:19 pm | Reply Suellen

Cheers Mick, great videos and enjoy the songs both old and new. Sounds like Fin was trying for some time in front of the camera on Making a List!!
Look forward to each month and love the photos aswell.
Thanks.
on June 2, 2010 at 12:43 am | Reply William

re the story behind ‘short time’; you will need an edition to deal with all of the stories behind LOL. I for one really enjoyed the story behind the Maltby Bypass and the last highway men and Pa Thomas that is gold, makes the song so much more enjoyable to listen to when you know the background. However, my brother and I argue about hearing two different versions of the story behind Rain in my Heart – one involving some brothers in tasmania and one involving a grandmother….
on June 16, 2010 at 5:41 pm | Reply Jon

Loving the rework of Walkerville – if the next edition will be a live pick’n'mix, I’d love to hear some of the stories. I remember hearing the story of staying “in your room” in Amsterday and trying to find something to read, love to hear something like that again.

Cheers for making this thing happen.

Jon
on June 20, 2010 at 11:39 am | Reply PeteO

Hiya Mick,

The Grace Emily gig last week was lovely. Thank you very much for making the effort. (Michael too, of course!)

The Grace is a perfect venue on a cold, rainy winters night. I felt like I was relaxing in the lounge room.

Please don’t stop making the trip to visit Klanger!

Chonk On,

PeteO

PS. I’d love to know the joke behind changing ‘cars’ to ‘scars’ in ‘Lonely Goth’…..
on June 30, 2010 at 11:07 am | Reply vb

hey mick

thanks for the acoustic version of walkerville i requested. i recall a very late night conversation after many frothy ones with you after a gig at a pub in cobram a few years back about this song.

I saw you and jen do a acoustic version of walkerville years ago at a pub in melbourne and it blew me away.
thanks again.

2 thumbs up for the new songs especially ‘last nights fun ‘

chonk on

vb
on July 2, 2010 at 1:05 pm | Reply Tom

Live #1: Bloody brilliant….
“…how much do you want? …”
Well for a start the rest of that gig would BE @#!^*=#@ FANTASTIC !!!! Whoever said “always leave them wanting more” not bloody me matey …don’t worry about any sonic flaws- raw
is awesome. MOOOOOORRRREEEEEE MOOOOOOOORRRRRREEEEEE MOOOOORRRRRRREEEEE MOOOOOORRRRRRRREEEEEEEEE
Chonk on live !
on July 3, 2010 at 8:26 pm | Reply Sophie

I totally agree with Tom! “…how much do you want?” Well definitely more. What might not sound too perfect is just what’s makes a live track so special and valuable. Can’t wait for the live cd to be out.
Thanks!
on July 4, 2010 at 10:36 am | Reply VB

The best edition yet mick. keep the live versions coming
love it

chonk on

VB
on September 3, 2010 at 8:20 am | Reply Jon

Another fantastic outing, I can finally figure out the Fathers Day riff!

The Ramones did a cover of I Don’t Want To Grow Up as a thanks for Tom Waits covering their tune, “The Return of Jackie & Judy” on We’re a Happy Family the Ramones covers compilation. The Shackleton version is better.

Cheers,

Jon
on September 19, 2010 at 10:40 am | Reply vb

Hey mick,

really enjoying the new music. would love to hear a version of dominion road . first heard this song on your dvd .

chonk on

vb
on September 25, 2010 at 9:11 am | Reply PeteO

So….. Does this mean that the Weddo’s play another Grand Final Eve gig on Friday 1st October ?

CHONK ON SAINTERS !!
on December 14, 2010 at 2:19 pm | Reply Suellen

Hi Mick,

Cheers for the show in Freo on Fri, interesting crowd but enjoyed the set and both Jayco Brothers and Van Walker. We were a bit miffed with those in the crowd that continued to chat during some of your quieter moments both singing and story telling. Hope the Oxford went well. Due to the tight space in the basement I decided that a higher vantage point was warranted and had a great view up on one of the ledges – what you have to do when you are only 5 foot!

Thanks for the CD that came out in the post the other week with the extra MMMC CD with it. We really enjoy the club, particularly the clips and Finn’s input! and its interesting to understand where the songs have come from.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas

Suellen and Bevan Kelly

Geraldton WA