Well folks sorry to hit you with a giant sheep here, but it's a testament to the longevity of the thing that I've now had 4 different old Toyotas, and each one of them has driven past this magnificent eyesore on countless occasions over the past few decades. That's not counting the road trips with Mum and Dad when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Did you know you can look out the eyes of the Big Merino? Yes yes - true - there are stairs that take you to the top! The only problem being, when you get to the top, the best you can hope for is a panoramic vista of the freeway to canberra. Which, as exciting as it may sound, is not exaclty inspirational viewing. Then again, spare a thought for the poor people filling up their cars at the petrol station - they've got a massive Merino brown-eye staring them straight in the face. If that's not a reason to get back on the road quick smart, I don't know what is!
Speaking of Brown Eyes...
Having played in my fair share of big old rural pubs in recent years, you can pretty much guarantee that at around 11.30pm on a Friday or Saturday night you are going to be confronted with the following two options:
(i) play Brown Eyed Girl and make yourself a local hero for 5mins
(ii) maintain artistic integrity, and pretend you've never heard the song
For years, despite the best efforts of the local farming community to convince me otherwise, I always went with option 2. This gave me great satisfaction via some flawed logic that said if I could hold off playing Brown-Eyed girl, I was still doing ok (this despite having no apparent problem with Run to Paradise or The Horses by Daryl Braithwaite). Needless to say, the requests never seem to end, and after a while you start to wonder why exactly you're denying people their god-given right to get drunk and sing along to Van Morrison on a Friday night. So finally, I've relented. Sad but true. Which means if you happen to catch me out bush at some point, chances are you're going to be able to join me in singing what I'm sure you'll agree is one of the world's finest song lyrics....
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te doe
La te doe
Hero status 1
Artistic Integrity 0
Ah heck - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Rock and roll.
(And it's kind of fun being a hero for 5mins every once in a while... even if your microphone stand gets knocked over in the process).
By for now, see you soon,
Renny
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TOUR DATES 2011:
SAT 2ND APRIL
Golden Slipper, Rosehill
Private Function
MON 18TH APRIL
Opera Bar, Sydney
Free Entry, from 8pm
Duo with Kent Eastwood
FRI 22ND APRIL
Tarana Hotel, NSW
Solo show. Free Entry. 6pm.
SAT 23RD APRIL
Kings Hotel, Bathurst, NSW
Solo show. Free Entry. 8pm.
WED 4TH MAY
Lizottes, Dee Why
Solo show. $15. From 8pm.
www.lizottes.com.au
WED 11TH MAY
Lizottes, Kincumber
Solo show. $15. From 8pm.
With Amy Vee
www.lizottes.com.au
More to be announced...
Europe dates Tbc...
www.rennyfield.com/gigs.html
