I’ve seen some fine female guitarists in my time (e.g. Bonnie Raitt, Ana Povovic, Samantha Fish, Sue Foley, Mia Dyson, Melissa Etheridge to name a few), but Australia’s Dallas Frasca, the girl from Wangaratta, is up there with them.
I have seen Dallas perform on several occasions over the years at various music festivals and she just keeps getting better and better. I remember the first time I saw her at the Narooma Blues Festival where she mesmerized me and I have been a fan ever since. Dallas was then performing with Jeff Curran as a duo called ‘Dallas Frasca and Her Gentleman’. A fabulous act with two duelling slide guitars and a thumping stomp box with no drums. Curran – a short chap with a huge top hat – is a mandolin and guitarist extraordinaire.
It was at this festival that I first thought that Janis Joplin would never be dead while Dallas was alive and performing. Not only does Dallas sound very much like Janis, she also has the hair and raw style of Janis – she is out there and very ballsy like I remember Renee Geyer in her early days! I have noted since that Dallas has been referred to as ‘The Modern Day Janis Joplin’. Hard to tell the difference between them when Dallas sings ‘Me and Bobby McGee’.
It’s difficult to describe Dallas Frasca’s musical genre simply, as she is able to play and sing across all of hard rock, blues and roots, rhythm and blues, heavy metal, slow ballads and various others. She writes a lot of her own songs. I have three of her albums and love all of them.
Billy Thorpe was the premier act at the the Narooma Festival and nearly rocked the audience out of the park! It was also where I first saw Melbourne-born blues singer/songwriter and guitarist, Fiona Boyes, earning her stripes – in a small tent with a small crowd. She is now, of course, well known internationally (in the good ole USA especially) and the winner of many Blues music awards.
Last Saturday (18/10) Lorelle and I attended the final leg of Dallas Frasca’s ‘Led Zeppelin: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Reckoning’ tour at the ‘Memo Music Hall’ in St Kilda. As described in some of the write-up on the tour, it certainly was ‘a one woman Led Zeppelin reckoning.’ She was fantastic.
Two solid hours on stage, working hard with guitar and mandolin to a packed hall, Dallas sang a broad selection of Led Zeppelin songs and did a great job. Her rendition of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Baby, I’m Gonna Leave You’ in particular, would have brought a smile to the face of the great Robert Plant. Dallas ended her two hours performance of Led Zeppelin classics with a medley of songs including everyone’s all-time favourite ‘Stairway to Heaven’. I was mesmerized again! A stunning performance and deserving of the standing and prolonged ovation at concert’s end.
Dallas mentioned that the details of her new and forthcoming concert tour will be out in about two weeks. To fellow music lovers of the genres I’ve described above, should she be appearing in your neck of the woods, then I thoroughly recommend a Dallas Frasca concert to you. You will have a great musical experience from one of our own. She rocks.
While our main objective was to see the Dallas Frasca concert, Lorelle and I decided to make a small weekend of it by staying in St Kilda and experiencing the delights of Acland Street, something we hadn’t done for many years. En route, we shared a very jam packed No.96 tram, with many youngsters dressed in their German dirndl and lederhosen garb on their way to Oktoberfest at the St Kilda beach foreshore.
A Saturday afternoon experiencing some interesting shops, including the still excellent cake shops, and purchases at the Readings book shop, was followed by pints of Guinness at the very Irish ‘Jimmy O’Neill’s Whisky and Alehouse’ and the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ bar. Many Irish customers and bar staff. Love it!
Returning to our accommodation after the Dallas concert, we noted that both establishments were well patronised and rocking, including with youngsters dressed in their Oktoberfest outfits, obviously still in partying mode. Whew, can’t do that anymore!
Can thoroughly recommend the kebabs at ‘Coco Kebabs’ in Carlisle Street – excellent food for a good price and with friendly service.
Acland Street still has its population of eclectic characters which is typified by the mannequins situated at the top of the ‘Priceline Pharmacy’ façade.
Before leaving Acland on Sunday morning to tram and train it back to Geelong, we enjoyed breakfast at ‘Abbey Road’ where again, the service, price and food was high standard. We noted that the Beatles were still in fine voice too.
Acland Street, St Kilda, has not had great press in recent years. So, is it still worth including it on a Melbourne visit itinerary alongside, say, Brunswick and Fitzroy? I believe so. An interesting and nice few hours can be spent there.
I received no commission from the St Kilda Council or local business establishments for this piece. I might have accepted however, a pint of the ‘Black Stuff’ had it been offered!
(Here’s a taste of Dallas Frasca from YouTube – Ed)
Photos courtesy of Allan Barden.
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Cracking read Allan, sounds like it was a show to experience and not forget. Must admit I haven’t really listened to DF but your piece has encouraged me to do so. Cheers.
Thanks Col. When posting it, I expected that you, as a fellow music lover, might have enjoyed the read. Dallas’s CDs are great but it is her live performances where she excels in my view. Certainly encourage you to see her if you can. The various YouTubes don’t do her justice.
Enjoyable read thanks Allan.
Hope Adelaide is part of the Dallas Frasca tour schedule.
We also enjoyed the delights of Acland Street when last in Melbourne, including an evening at the Dogs Bar with an enthusiastic rockabilly band, The Strays.