Almanac Music: Winter warmth at the Wheaty

 

Two great nights of music at the Wheatsheaf Hotel (The Wheaty).

Night 1: First session of the SA Deep South ‘Roots & Blues’ Festival 2025.
Special guest Fiona Boyes.

 

Early evening start. The front bar packed on our arrival. We purchase a chicken curry from the food truck outside (tonight the flavours of Sri Lanka), a bottle of Wheaty Shiraz Grenache from the bar and head into the warmth and welcome of the inner sanctum.

 

What a great venue!

 

First up, Nico (Nick Karipidis) and Snooks (Snooks). Nico on guitar, Snooks on harp and word mangling Dr John impressions. Some great guitar and harmonica from two passionate bluesmen. Robert Johnson’s classic ‘Come On in My Kitchen’ is followed by several lesser-known blues (it’s always an educational journey with Snooks) plus one or two originals. Highlight of the set (possibly the evening) is a stirring folk blues version of Neil Young’s ‘Mr Soul’ from his Buffalo Springfield days.

Plus an immortal line from one of Nico’s compositions,
‘Lonelier than a lighthouse on the edge of the Galaxy’.

 

I’m still processing that.

 

 

Nico and Snooks are followed by the seemingly ever on tour Australian blues journeywoman, Fiona Boyes. A flight from Brisbane to perform in Adelaide and then off to the Gympie Muster. Great traditional blues guitar with a down South feel. Original songs, all with a story. ‘Calling Me Now’ name-checks some of Fiona’s influences including Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins and Jessie Mae Hemphill. ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’ is a tribute to her mentor Dutch Tilders who could be ‘a crusty old curmudgeon’. Her ‘ex’ is mentioned with disdain while there is a somewhat ribald song built on a statement from her now husband, an Anglican priest, The Preacher. Their partnership, she says, brings the Church and Devil’s music together and helps to ‘keep the world in balance’. It is ‘less like cucumber sandwiches at the manse and more like a preacher in a Clint Eastwood movie’. Mario (drums), promoter Dennis (bass) and, eventually, Snooks (harp) join her on stage as she plays a song or two on a cigar box guitar built by The Preacher and lovingly painted in ‘Mississippi folk art meets Reg Mombassa style’ by Fiona.

 

There is a shoutout Happy Birthday to audience member, local blues buff Jeff Parham. Jeff and his wife Judy hosted a Fiona Boyes House Party in their home a few years back.

 

Her final song, ‘Joy Is Never Out Of Style’ was written by Fiona in reply to the somewhat depressing line ‘joy is out of style’ from a Leonard Cohen song.

 

Fiona Boyes’ performance certainly brought a lot of joy to the room.

 

 

Night 2: Launch of Watershed, the first album by local band StoneHutt.

 

 

StoneHutt. A band of musicians of a certain, let me say, vintage experience.

 

‘Retirement or semi-retirement does help the creative song writing process’, says keyboard player, saxophonist Verity Sanders, an original Redgum member.

 

Contemporary sounds – alt Australiana. The songs on the album are original compositions, many by Sanders with others making contributions. The lyrics are interesting and touch on a broad range of topics – the trials and tribulations as well as the joys of life. The band members are skilled, proficient musicians. Lead vocalist David Vaughan has a fine tenor voice and plays deft ukulele on the Verity Sanders composition ‘Wilto Wodli’, the home of the wedge tailed eagle, written after one was seen circling high in the sky down south on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Sanders explains the context of each song and takes lead vocal on several. She is also an accomplished saxophonist. Guitarists Brian Hales and Gary Baker complement each other well and there are a couple of terrific solo breaks on electric and acoustic from Hales. Along with solid bass guitar, Alan Richardson contributes background vocals as well as a somewhat droll stage patter and a train song. Drummer Mark Meyer provides great support, restrained but seemingly a few beats away from a colossal outbreak. All in all, an excellent night of entertainment and food for thought from a talented group of musicians. It is pleasing to hear that their song ‘Together Alone’ has been played on Saturday Night Country on ABC Radio and has entered the AMRAP charts while other tracks from Watershed have been aired on community radio.

 

 

To read more by Peter Crossing click Here.

 

 

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