Mark’s welcome message to his e-mail list, Garage Slam.

Author:  Mark Seymour.

Date: 1 August 2020.

Original URL: N/A

Article Text

Greetings,

Mark Seymour here. In the garage, where I keep all the bits I need. Ready for travel.

You may have heard me singing somewhere. In rooms, bars, footy ovals, old theatres, even prisons. Right across the country I’m proud to say. In Hunters and Collectors, on my own and more recently in the lightning combo, The Undertow.

I’ve been in this game for a long time so very little surprises me.

Still, Covid 19 has driven home how fragile and precious live music really is to all Australians. For me, you and the crew. In their thousands.

The music game is an industry like any other. There are plenty of men and women back here behind the stack who are hurting. It was always a 360 degree operation. So one thing’s become very clear.

When you can’t play it’s the absence of people you feel the most.

The gathering of hearts. The chance to connect. The anticipation of feeling, shared amongst thousands, with songs that have the power to deliver something emotional and true. We all believe in that.

I’ll make no bones about it. My relationship with you the punter, whoever you are, is personal. I’ve built my life around the idea of communicating directly with you..

Through song.

But at the same time I believe I speak for many others, which is why I’m writing this down.

We don’t know what’s coming. And of course we never did. But the sudden absence of live music in this country has really driven home the question.

Why is live music so important to us?

Rock n’ roll has been here for generations. Loud, proud and long enough to become everybody’s music.

Rock n’ roll is the music of the road.

And travel is the one thing we do well in this country. It’s a big beautiful land and it’s given us all so many songs.

Our songs.

And Australians have travelled a long way to hear them.

Music is our bond, so I’m inviting you to join me in this newsletter so I can share with you my understanding of what that music really means..

I’m calling it … THE ‘GARAGE SLAM’..

The ongoing story of what we do. To share with you the very latest in the lives of touring musicians. Me, the lads and other fellow travellers, touring, rehearsal, writing, recording. The yarns, the backstage chat.
The strange, the ironic, sometimes sad and often funny, Deals made and broken.. the wins and the losses.

All the stuff that keeps the songs coming.

As real as it can be.

To endure is the greatest challenge..

Please feel free to reply. And I’ll see you back here with more news soon.

Mark Seymour

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