June 2020
It’s Saturday night here in Wangaratta. Covid 19 has kept us indoors. Truth be told, I probably wouldn’t be going out anyway, such is my state of mind now at 56 and with a few health issues thrown in, partying is a long gone pursuit. Not that I have become a wowser in late middle age. It’s rather, I like being at home.
My partner Cass will often pick the film or doco we may watch. As a matter of fact it is always her choice. It’s not that I don’t get to pick, it’s probably a bloke thing, like I can’t be bothered. She more often than not has good taste, I’ll get to see things that I wouldn’t look at in a million years. If I don’t get engaged, and my timeframe for that is admittedly short, to bed I’ll trot, usually a good audio book awaits my ears.
Tonight’s DVD is a movie called Blinded By The Light, It’s a cracker. It is a 2019 British film directed by Gurinder Chadha of Bend it Like Beckham fame. It was inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor and his love of Bruce Springsteen. A comedy-drama that captures themes that are still relevant today. The music is mostly Springsteen and the lead role is well played by the actor Viveik Kalra. The plot revolves around Sarfraz Manzoor’s teenage experience of discovering the Boss and how his words and music impacted him.
I, too, had a moment of discovery, as many of Springsteen’s songs are featured throughout the film. It was a bit of an eye and ear opener. Not that I haven’t heard some of those songs before but I wasn’t really listening at the time.
In the late 1970s and throughout the ‘80s the blues and some selected country was what I listened to. Anything that was a hit with my peers never grabbed me. I remember my older brother had a Bruce Springsteen album in his collection, probably Born To Run. He seemed to have a lot of records back then, being a member of the long gone Australian Record Club. He also had some David Bromberg records; I would warm to those.
Bruce Springsteen was popular, perhaps that’s why I never took time to listen. He has covered a lot of ground in the 50 odd years of performing and writing songs. He has always been authentic, I just never tuned in until tonight.
Thank you Cass.
Stereo Story #534
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lrdavies2
Luke R Davies and the Recycled String Band won the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Folk Recording Award 2013 for their album Not A Note Wasted. A Wangaratta musician, Luke joined The Stereo Stories Band after seeing them at the Newport Folk Festival in Melbourne in 2014..
Hi Luke, however you get there, getting to Springsteen will open up an incredible array of thought provoking and arse shaking tunes. Across his first 8 albums he has at least 6 different soundscapes representing the themes and ideas, characters and their stories. Not sure too many other bands can claim that diverse an understanding of their ideals and what rock can be.
Thank Cass indeed!
Great story Luke. I love Spingsteen’s endurance and I think I’ve come to his music more now than in my youth. And I didn’t know the movie so will go watch that too – thanks for sharing and for making me remember what I didn’t know I’d forgotten.
Springsteen is one of the great story songwriters. And jump at the chance to see him live if you can, Luke. Some of the best gigs I’ve ever been to.
Simple fact Luke, you are an inspiration. When we first met over 30 odd years ago when you first came along and auditioned for our band, STEPPIN’ OUT I knew straight away that here was a special person. Your progress from that day to now is nothing more than inspirational.
We had some great times together in the band but one thing that always stands out to me is one of our road trips and weekend away playing 3 gigs, first at the Kiama Inn, then the Blue Boar at Boral on the way home and finishing off Sunday gig at the Waggon Wheels Hotel.
I remember after leaving Kiama to travel to Bowral you said I know a short cut and took us through the Kangaroo Valley getting us lost on the way, I remember the van at the time all loaded up with the band gear and sometimes thinking we may have to get out and push it up the hills we travelled on. The poor old van just made it.. Also the security guard bursting into the lounge room at the Kiama Inn where we were having after show drinks and a good laugh.. He kept saying, I’ve got a gun and we just kept laughing at him. Some great times mate. Good luck with all you do in the future mate.
Thanks Dave you have a good memory