While most of my friends were watching the Brady Bunch or out riding their horses, I had a secret world. Central Victoria in the late 1970’s was not exactly the mecca of rock and roll. It was a strange and beautiful country, sheep, cows and rampant binge drinking on Friday and Saturday nights.
It’s funny how circumstances shape you. The high school that I went to, serviced a wide hinterland, of the mainly anglosaxon farming community. My best friends inevitably lived in country towns, that were maybe 20km+ away from me. My parents were flat out running the local general store (and later a small grocery/veg shop) and had no time, to run me around for socializing.
I never begrudged this, it was country life, no problem…I will amuse myself elsewhere. Enter Singing and Guitar!!! I set my stubborn sights on a career in music very early on.
An old dude used to come into the shop. He was a sax player and after getting to know him, my brother and I were invited over to his house for a jam. What’s a jam?? To play some music he said.
I was about 14 at the time. Next Wednesday night. No worries, we’d be there.
More in the next installment.
