Every era throughout history, and every culture on Earth is in some way defined by its art. This is no more obvious at any period of our existence than in the 20th century.
With our ability to record events on film, and to record and store music as it was made, came the ability to have a way of not only documenting facts and information, but also to record the emotions and mood of the people, as it was reflected through the culture of the time.
One of the most turbulent eras in modern history was the time surrounding the Vietnam war, and the aftermath of that conflict. Music, and most of all, Rock n Roll, became the voice of the disenfranchised and the disillusioned youth of the western world, the vehicle through which their protests and disillusionment could be expressed , and became the rallying cry that carried a wave of political upheaval and change on a scale never experienced before.
One of the voices that emerged from this chaos was Neil Young, and what many consider was his greatest work was the album simply entitled “Harvest”.
Paying homage to this work at their upcoming show at The Tanks Arts Centre is Brisbane outfit “The Honey Sliders”
I Spoke with vocalist Danny Widdicombe recently to find out a little more about them, and what makes this show stand out.
“The band started in 2013. I had just been through my third round of Chemotherapy for Leukaemia, and I was just getting healthy again when a bar called “Lefty’s” in Brisbane had just opened, and they asked if I could put together a house band for the venue. That was eleven years ago, and we are still going.” “The name originates from a term that Neil Young actually coined for cooking Marijuana.”
“We all have a background in original music. I have had 3 ARIA nominations with my band ‘The Wilson Pickers’, Bos Borley, our bass player was in a band called ‘The Resin Dogs’, Dan Mansfield on Keys was in ‘The Gin Club’, Ben Carstins, our drummer, was in a band called ‘Mexico City, but for this project we all wanted to pay our respects to artists and albums we all enjoy listening to and playing. Every year since 2012, we all decide on an album we love and we learn the entire album.”
“None of us are the absolute best in the world at what we do, but we have reached a point where the band sounds better than any of us do on our own. The sum is greater than the parts”
“We are coming up as a 7 piece band for this show. We have Michele Rose joining us. He has played with Elvis Presley in theT.C.B. band, toured with Slim Dusty, and he’s a legend. We have Luke Mollar, who has played with Dolly Parton and a heap of other artists. He came from Nashville for this. We have my partner, Dana Gehrman, who does vocals , banjo and a heap of other stuff.”
“We started out playing bars, but then, because my lungs are only at about 25 percent, from side effects of the Chemo, we decided to start playing theatre style venues after Covid, to reduce the risk of me catching something that could be serious. That’s when we started coming to Cairns. We did a ‘Beatles’ show last year, and it went so well, we thought we would bring our new show up again this year.”
“We all love Neil Young. He’s such a great songwriter, and ‘Harvest is such a great album. We started learning it, and it just fell into place. “
Danny’s health issues had a huge impact on his life, and gave him the urge to dedicate more of his time and energy to music.
“I was first diagnosed when I was 19, and with all of the side effects and difficulties I faced, music was a huge part of how I coped with it all. It was so important to me, and I decided that there was no way I was ever going to make music I didn’t want to make. A good example of this, is that I find ambient music very therapeutic to make at home, and it puts me in a really good headspace. I play Pedal Steel (Guitar) , and my last release is just pedal steel, with ambient sounds I put together in ‘Pro Tools’. It’s just what I want to do. I’m not trying to make hit music to please the masses. We aren’t doing the Neil Young show for commercial reasons. I just want to hang out with my friends and make music. We make the music we want to make. “
In the current landscape of popular music, much of which is formulaic and derivative, it is refreshing to hear someone who genuinely plays music purely for the joy of the process. Having been faced with one’s mortality in such a way, the desire to break free of the bondage of expectation, and to approach their art with a sincere desire to connect with an audience earnestly is a natural reaction. The capacity to overcome hardship and adversity and prevail connects with any audience.
“The whole act of making music that comes out of you genuinely is very important to me . I feel lucky to be able to do it.”
“There are a lot of tribute shows out there , but I think that playing from the heart, truly loving what we are playing, while still being us, rather than trying to emulate or copy the image or appearance of the artists we are covering is the way we connect with our audience”
“When we last came to Cairns, I was so sick, I really had to bust my arse to get through the gig, and it was that connection with the audience that got me through it. There was just so much energy there, and it lifted me up and pushed me forward .They knew we meant it, and that means a lot to people”.
Bos, the bassist, and self taught visual editor creates a visual aspect to the show that also adds to the flavour. He creates video clips that accompany the music, and they are projected onto a screen behind the band, which serves as a backdrop to each song, and another way for the audience to be immersed in the show.
“We have a duty as performers to give the people who come to see us the best we can, and not be complacent. Anything less is disrespectful to the audience. The vision adds to the experience. ”
If you want to hear a classic album from the golden era of rock, performed by skilled and dedicated musicians who give their all , then The Tanks Art Centre is the place to be on Saturday August 17th..
Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 8.
Tickets available at the door or at Ticket Link.
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