live music
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Living the Dream
I cannot imagine how Alejandro Larrandaburu felt to be up there on stage, fronting our Roaring Lion band, three weeks into making a life in Australia — from Uruguay — second time around. He spoke to the crowd at the Koala Tavern in Redlands, and said: I would like to thank each and everyone of… Continue reading
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The new face of Roaring Lion
Roaring Lion has been evolving in the first half of 2023, and we actually have four new faces to present to you. Over the past few months, several good people shared the stage with us, and we’ve finally decided how best to go forward as we strive to deliver Bob Marley’s beautiful message to you… Continue reading
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Sunday arvo in Caloundra! Roaring Lion at Kings Beach Tavern, Sunshine Coast
Credits for photos and videos in this post go to Derrin Hill, Gwyn Naera and Aleisha Rangi. ROARING LION played to a packed house of Bob Marley fans at Kings Beach Tavern (KBT) in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, yesterday. My head is still in the clouds… KBT had a nice poster up! Our boys… Continue reading
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Playing for Datuk CL Chan’s book launch – audio
I was so pleased to be able to play background piano for the book launch for Datuk CL Chan’s book ‘Family Ties’, which is a history of five generations of his family, from their journey from China to Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu. Datuk Chan is the founder of Natural History Publications (Borneo) and he published… Continue reading
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Roaring Lion ‘Legend’ album rehearsal
Roaring Lion will be performing most of the songs from the Bob Marley ‘Legend’ album for a gig September 17 2022, at an event launching a new EP by Bradamon. With a 40-minute slot, it means shaping those songs and learning smooth, non-stop transitions between each song. I won’t be with them this time because… Continue reading
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Scenestr interviews – Stanley Jordan and Jazz On The Beach (Perth)
Here are some recent pieces written for entertainment website Scenestr. First is an interview with Stanley Jordan, and the second is an interview with “Jazz On The Beach” founder and festival organiser, jazz singer Catherine Summers. Continue reading
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Stanley Jordan Zoom interview July 19 2022
I got the chance to interview American jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan for Scenestr ahead of his first Australian tour. I also got permission from his agent to do an interview for myself, which I recorded on Zoom. I cannot believe how kind and generous Mr Jordan was! He talked about all the things I wanted… Continue reading
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Roaring Lion’s Vince Rangi — a life of creativity
Vince Rangi walked into a Roaring Lion rehearsal in the second week I had been there and was easily the widest person I had ever met. He has muscles! But then he got on a mic and sang a superb falsetto above me. In rehearsal, he’ll casually pull out his camera and take footage. Then… Continue reading
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MICK HUGHES – VIDEO PODCAST
My point of view is that every gig I play, I play it like it’s my last one. You just give one hundred and ten percent, every time. Mick Hughes Mick Hughes is a musician based on the Sunshine Coast, who hails from London and Ireland. He has a massively musical life performing in and… Continue reading
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Roaring Lion rehearsal for Thirsty Chiefs, BBQ Bazaar and Banana Bender Pub!
Roaring Lion rehearsals are in studios and warehouses from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. We are always looking for places where we can be loud, with enough space for nine musos plus all their gear, at a time when we can all make it! This weekend we were at lead vocalist Glen’s church, where he… Continue reading
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Happiness — playing melodica with Bojan
Roaring Lion had a three-hour practice in Yatala, at lead vocalist Glen’s church. (He’s the pastor! No wonder he has such stage presence, hey?) After we finished, I was packing up and could hear a melodica — what? Was I imagining it? I’m the only one that plays melodica in these parts! My good friend… Continue reading
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Duo Retro – Tony’s back in town
Good to see my former boss Tony Decaria gigging again. His band is DUO RETRO. Here he is with duo partner Jeanette. Tony is the founder of music retail shop Music Express, which used to be on the Logan Road in Mount Gravatt. I taught at the Music Express School of Music when I first… Continue reading
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Adriatic: Brisbane’s Balkan Djent/Hardcore/Metal Band
Loud and brutal at Vinnies Dive Originally published in The Riff We turned the corner into Nerang Street in Southport on the Gold Coast when Adriatic lead guitarist Bojan Sambolec messaged me: I hope you brought earplugs. It’s insanely loud. We hadn’t. But no matter, Vinnies Dive had free ones at the door. The band… Continue reading
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Meet Roaring Lion — My Reggae Family
“Jo, have a listen to Ambush In The Night and Top Rankin’. They’re the next on our list of new songs. Plenty of horns in the intros.” That’s Maui, our lead guitarist, giving me a heads-up on what to prepare for our next rehearsal. In Roaring Lion, you got to practise BEFORE you come to practice There are nine of us and… Continue reading
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Roaring Lion at Burleigh Heads BBQ Bazaar Sept 3 2021
I’m in the car with Mike and we’re on our way to the 5.00pm Roaring Lion sound check at BBQ Bazaar in Burleigh Heads. Google Maps says Kooralbyn to Burleigh Heads is an hour and forty. So say two hours with local road works and the school run later… iPad. IPad stand. Keyboard. Keyboard stand.… Continue reading
About Joanna
Joanna is British Australian. Her early career was in financial news in London. That ended in 2008. Joanna moved to Sabah, her parents’ birthplace, where she wrote a blog about musicians, which became a book. Joanna came to Australia in 2012 and started this blog — her second. These days, she writes mostly about music, her garden, and trips to Sabah. Oh, and Wookie the Havanese.
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