Last night we went to the Harp Hotel in Sydney, Australia to see Peter Rowan perform. This was a big thrill for us as we (my wife & I) only discovered Peter's music and other Bluegrass and similar stuff over the last few years and we never thought that we would get to see someone like Peter live. Let me tell you we weren't disappointed! It was just him and his guitar on stage, he played 2 sets for a total of about 2.5 hours. I'm amazed at how beautiful a voice he has for a man of his age (60+?) and quite a story teller too. For those that are interested, he had his Borges 000-28 and it sounded, well, incredible. He played Free Mexican Air-force, precluded by a hilarious story which led into the song. He also played other notable songs from his career - Panama Red, Midnight Moonlight, Angel Island etc. All in all, it was a hoot. Thanks Pete!

Wow, good for you Steve! I'm lucky, seen him a number of times with Tony Rice. Of course hes a tad more accessible here in the states. His voice is great. I have some good digital quality live recordings of him with Tony from some shows I've attended..shoot me a pm with your contact info and I'll burn you some cds.

Hows the C-18 treating you?

Hey GrierRiceFan,

I envy you guys over there being able to see the like of Rowan, Rice, Grier and others. It's a real treat when someone like that comes over here - and thats from someone who saw Pink Floyd in 1970, Zeppelin, Free, Deep Purple, Zappa, John McLaughlin and many more "big" stars.
My C-18 is splendiferous!!!

PM sent.

Wow, I'd love to see McLaughlin. I did see Larry Coryell last fall, and got to talk to him for quite awhile during the set break. He told me about Jimi Hendrix being present during his oldest sons baptism, I almost kneeled at his feet!!!

I saw Floyd during the 80's and 90's, does that count?

Youre lucky man, what great concert experiences! PM replied to.

I actually saw John McLaughlan a couple of times out here - first time when he came out with Santana (they opened the set with a meditation) back in ??? - the next time was in the 90's when he came out in that trio (don't remember the other 2 names) and they played at the Sydney Opera House (an incredible place to see a concert). They were outstanding, each one of the trio at the top of their field musically.

But right up there with all of those amazing concerts of those years past, are a couple of recent gigs which have a more personal significance. My wife and I have only been married for 3 years and we first met only 6 years ago. At that time, we were both independently discovering Bluegrass and the more traditional country music stuff. In-fact, the night I proposed to her, we were watching the a Chiftens concert DVD, which features Alison Krauss singing a beautiful version of Molly Baum. We have shared this wonderful journey into the world of Bluegrass and traditional country music. So, when we got the opportunity to see the Chieftens here in Sydney, we jumped on it. Then we got to see John McEwin (Nitty Gritty Dirt band) who showed up for the monthly jam night at our local Bluegrass & Traditional Country Music Society. We saw him for the princely fee of $5.00, boy can he play. And just last night we saw Pete Rowan. These are true jewels in my life's musical journey - and I can go home afterwards and play it in my loungeroom, no Marshall stack required!

Greetings Steve,

Glad to hear that you enjoyed seeing Peter. I take it from looking at your previous concerts that you also enjoy electric guitar. If so a good friend of mine just left for a 2 week tour of Australia.

His name is Greg Koch and he's putting on a series of clinics in conjunction with Fender & Hal Leonard. Not sure if he's going to be in your area but it might be worth looking him up. He has a lot of Youtube video's so check it out to see if his playing might be of interest to you.

Best,
Papple

George Davies