On the road again…

Boy, have we got some juicy news for our faithful blog readers… yes all 3 of you.

If you haven’t already heard the exciting news – like those who made it to the  Paddo gig – Nathan has  just  been formally invited to play at South by Southwest 2010, in Austin Texas. For the uninitiated, SXSW is  one of the world’s biggest music festivals showcasing hundreds of acts from around the world over 80 stages in downtown Austin. It’s even more special considering that only roughly 20 per cent of the acts playing at the festival are from outside of the US.

Other already announced showcasing bands from WA include Karnivool and The Chevelles, and from the east coast Paul Dempsey, Dappled Cities and Darren Hanlon. More to be announced soon.

Those of us who were down at the Paddington Alehouse last Sunday got to witness for themselves what Austin is in for next March. Talk about a rockin set – and not an acoustic guitar in sight (apart from one song with the 12-string – a Dylan-esque move perhaps?)

Some photos from the night:

Arun on the chicken box!

…And courtesy of our good friend Frog

New Gaunt tracks

First of all, let me just say a little thanks to all our blog readers and those that have made comments on some of the posts. It’s nice to know there’s people out there in the blogosphere!

By now you all probably know that Nath is back in Perth after busting his hump in the states to re-fuel, re-load and ask his mum for some more money (New York is an expensive place!) But on top of all that, he has also already hit the studio to record demos for his next album.

Now for those playing at home, we’ve already previewed some of the new tracks he’s been working on in previous post on this very blog. These are from some of the NY live shows. If you missed it earlier, here’s a recap. Thoughts, feedback, snipes etc. are welcome. Maybe not the sniping.

(Click on youtube links)

Big City Woman

Tiny Little Diamonds

Nathan Gaunt at The Paddington Alehouse Nov 22

Okay, so i’ve been a bit of a bad blogger not updating for a little while. But i’m back baby!…and  armed with plenty of Gaunt news.

Some of you Perth-ites may already have seen it advertised, so consider yourself reminded not to  make any plans for Sunday 22 November because you’re all going to be down at The Paddington  Alehouse in Mt Hawthorn for Nathan’s Return to WA show!!!

Don’t forget it’s a Sunday, so it’s an early start – doors open at 6pm. But i’m sure you’ll all want to be  there to poke and prod him for all the American goss and general back-slaps of love and adoration.

So support the muso who supports you!

Blog love

Just wanted to take the time to give a big shout out to our new friends in the blogosphere who have some nice words to say about our boy (and some pretty interesting blogs too!)…

http://fayeruz.blogspot.com/

http://flyingflashlight.com/

Goodnight, New York…

Well Nath’s run of New York shows are drawing to a close, and what better way to sign off than with a set at The Living Room on Ludlow St on the Lower East Side, one of the city’s most famous music clubs. He fit in nicely, sandwiched between a all girl country band (the banjo-playin’, thigh-slappin’ kind) that looked like the New York Dolls and a 6-piece Brooklyn hipster rock band (I left half-way through the first song – why have 3 guitarists play exactly the same thing?)

Big ups to the Gaunt faithful who came down to support our boy, as well as some punters from the BB Kings and other NY shows.

(Click here to watch Blue Skies For Miles live at The Living Room)

Big love at BB King’s

Well, who would have thought a budding, bright-eyed guitar player from Aussie who dared to dream  of one day gracing the stage of his guitar idol would finally get his wish some 15 years later,  Yes, dreams really do come true kids. Even if afterwards you’re left feeling a little deflated. But it was all worth it because for those few short hours, you were somebody! You stood in front of a slightly cynical (yet responsive) New York crowd with a funny accent and just kept talking! You even had your own dressing room with your name and a star on the front door for crissakes! (Don’t get too comfy there, tiger!) It’s enough to make you shed a single tear.

So it was lucky that with all that build up and expectation, he nailed the 30-minute set (of course) and managed to chip away at even the most hardened of New York hearts. What a pity that the headline act, for all his bluster about ‘the blues, man’, at the end of the day failed to embrace any of the blues spirit that the great man himself (BB) championed and has engendered into his club. Someone feeling a little threatened perhaps? The old-bull, young-bull scenario might have reared its ugly head. Shame.

Obligatory bright stage, dark audience shot

Let me show you to your dressing room, Mr Gaunt

Your room has its own bathroom and you can smoke in there. How nice

I also took some great video of the show which i’ll post soon. But in the meantime, here are links to a couple of videos now up on You Tube taken by our friend Patti from the show.

Galactic North:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbvPnIwPoMg

Big City Woman *new*: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNnL0yfIEPc

Blues at the Birchmere (and a little alt-country)

Another trip down to Washington DC and another great opening slot, this time at The Birchmere (which is technically in Alexandria, Virginia) with the Robben Ford band. After some fan boy action in the greenroom before the show, Nath hit the stage for a -some would say too short- 30 minute set. Another blinder, evidenced by the flurry of merch sales after the show. Which wasn’t really a surprise considering this was his third trip to these parts in the past year (Ram’s Head Annapolis two weeks ago and The Barns at Wolf Trap late last year) and he’s started to build quite a following. They really love their music down this way, and you get the impression that they are very supportive of music and arts in general.

Nath has been very lucky to have played some iconic music venues in the US this tour – and the Birchmere is yet another one of those. The legendary music hall has played host to some of the biggest names in music over the past 50 odd years – from Stevie Wonder, to Little Richard, Emmylou Harris, kd Lang, to name just a few.

On stage at the Birchmere

A welcoming site in the ladies bathrooms @ The Birchmere

Nice wheels…

Anyone who has been to, or has lived in, New York knows how damn expensive this city is. So what’s a struggling artist to do to get by?

Apart from gig his butt off, one needs to find novel – and cheap – ways to get to and from said gigs. And without a car (who would willingly drive in this city anyway!?), Nath has taken to other forms of transportation to get around.

($14.99 skateboard from Kmart + silly Australian musician = accident waiting to happen)

Minted in LA

Some news for the west coast chapter of the Gaunt fan club/slave camp –  Nathan will be hitting The Mint in Los Angeles for a farewell gig of sorts on  Tuesday September 8th (@ 6010 W Pico Boulevard). The Mint is a famous  blues/jazz music club in LA where a number of artist got their break in the  city – the likes of Ben Harper, The Wallflowers, Jeff Buckley, Macy Gray and  Shelby Lynne.

This will, sadly, be Nathan’s last show in the US for a little while, as he  heads back to Australia to re-load. But there is talk of him heading back this  way early next year – around Februrary/March – so we’ll keep our ears to the  ground on that one.

If a tree falls in the East Village…

…onto a BMW and Jeep and there are no wealthy hipsters there, does it make a sound?*

*Answer – yes it does. You probably remember me mentioning the wild thunderstorms we’ve been getting here in NY over the past few weeks. But the one on the way to a gig the other day took the cake.

The Village idiot (I couldn’t resist!!)

Another day another dime at Gaunt central, as Nath again makes his way to Greenwich Village to do his usual Wednesday night slot at Irish bar Slane (this time without having to do it in the middle of a thunderstorm, for a change!).  Another great turnout on what is supposed to be his last night there – but I think they’ll get him back for another few weeks, judging from the positive response. But every week is different – you just never know what you’re going to get in this city.

(Apologies for the grainy pic – the stage has very little lighting and it was the best I could do!)

I also hear that Nath has been working on some new songs, inspired by his travels and of course this amazing city. I think he has around half a dozen songs he’s been playing around with, two of which he actually road-tested last night at Slane. And (in my ‘un’biased opinion, they are crackers – still with that alt-country bent, very earthy and raw, and lyrically very earnest. Has someone been working on their song-writing skills, hmm?)  Perhaps I might be able to convince him to put a couple of them down and post them on the blog for ya’ll to hear.

East versus West

By now you’re aware that Mr Gaunt has scored a great residency on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Why is that so “cool” you blink in bewilderment? Well, it’s something new to Mr Gaunt as well. Here’s the not-so scoop…….

After two weeks of playing, our intrepid troubadour has come to the realization  (I’m half resisting a “slow on the uptake joke” here) that Greenwich Village – once the hot-bed of art, culture, music and all things hip – is now filled with frat-boys, uni bars selling $3 margaritas and drunk college girls dancing on tables. It sure aint the 60s anymore, and the hey-day of this historic area is now well and truly behind it. It still has some great restaurants though…

Now the action – and the hipsters – have shifted east. And when I say now, I mean about 5 years ago (he obviously didn’t get the memo…) The East Village and the lower east side is where its at, musically speaking now.  And the National Underground is there, on E Houston.

And that’s where Nathan opened his residency to great success last week. A Monday night is a tough one at best for shows, but sure enough, the room filled up, along with the tip jar, and before you knew it, people were really listening. Remember that concept? Listening to music and giving a damn?

Bright lights big city

Well our fave muso hang-out bar in the Lower East Side – and Monday night Gaunt home – the National Underground is proving to be a little gem of a place. You might remember a few posts back we mentioned the bar was owned by one Joey DeGraw and  run by his cousin Travis DeGraw, who are big bro and cousin respectively to Gavin DeGraw (a refresher for our Aussie audience – GG had quite a bit of success with I Dont Wanna Be, Follow Through and In Love With A Girl). Joey DeGraw is also an accomplished muso in his own right and is getting ready to release his new CD, Say Something Strong, later this month. The record is being released by National Underground Records, a new label owned by Joey and Gavin, which has national and international distribution through Sony Red. Joey’s doing a bunch of shows around the country supporting the release, as well as a few media appearance and all the guff that goes with releasing a new CD.

Anyway, after Nath’s show at the National Underground on Monday, he and the DeGraw boys got together and talked shop over a few McSorley brewskis and Joey has invited Nathan to play guitar and backing vocals on his national radio appearance this Friday to promote his new album. Very exciting news!

I wish I could tell all of you the name of said radio station so you can tune in (or hook up to a webcast if you’re down under), but unfortunately Nath’s recollection of the exact details went something like “it’s W-something”. I’m sure he’ll figure it out by Friday.

Getting all bohemian and such...Yatra

Nath's name up in...chalk

Fiddlin’ around in Washington (state)

Attention all members of the west coast (USA) chapter of the Gaunt fan club/slave camp!

Nath will be heading back you way in early September for a bunch of shows. Just confirmed is the  opening slot for the wonderful Carrie Rodriguez at the Green Frog Cafe in Bellingham, Washington  (state that is), on Friday September 4th at 9.30pm. Ms Rodriguez is a multi-talented singer-  songwriter from New York who plays the fiddle and tenor guitar, and had played fiddle in Lucinda  Williams’ band.

Mr Gaunt goes to Washington

Leaving the city behind for a few days, Nath braved the four and half hour Greyhound bus ride to Washington DC (that’s dedication people!) to open for the one and only Shawn Colvin at the Ram’s Head in Annapolis MD. Shawn had that big hit in the 90s, Sunny Came Home, but now she’s a bit of a legend in the alt-country circuit (think Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin etc. etc.) So not only was Nath lucky enough to open for her, but this show was hit first sit-down theatre show in the states this tour. No pressure!

He hit the stage at about 8pm, at which time most of the 350-strong crown are in the venue. He plays a killer 40-minute set (of course, crowd fave Yatra gets a huge response) and of course slays ‘em in the aisles with typical Gaunt witty banter (I swear, he can fall back on a career in stand-up comedy if this whole music thing doesn’t pan out).

By the time he made his way down to the merch desk for the old meet and greet, there was a long queue of eager new fans (young and old!) waiting to get their newly purchased CDs signed. By the end of the night, he was almost completely cleaned out of merch and managed to draw some punters to his next show in the area, at the Birchmire in Alexandria, Virginia (supporting blues guitar legend Robben Ford on August 17).

Opener gets a guernsey on the poster - nice!

On stage @ The Ram's Head, Annapolis

More onstage

On a side note, Shawn Colvin was amazing. I saw Nath watching attentively from the sound desk, taking it in and perhaps getting a bit of an ‘alt-country song-writing 101′ lesson from one of the best in the business (or was he just lusftully eyeing off Shawn’s Martin?). She was a very laid-back, plug-in-and-play performer and an absolute joy to watch.