There aren't too many things that I've done in my life that I'm truly proud of , but the thing I'm PROUDEST of is having the honour of playing drums in one of Australia's finest rock bands , MONDO ROCK .
Mondo Rock was a Melbourne based band , and over the years really featured a "who's who" of the Australian music industry , check out Aussie Rock History It's a cool site for finding Aussie rock bands and their members. Mondo Rock had many hits , and if you're an Aussie you'll probably remember
"State of the Heart " and "Cool World" , along with others like "Come said the boy" and "Summer of '81". My personal favourite though is , (click to hear a snippet) Mondo Sexo A provocative yet sensual little number ( that sounds like a wine tasting judge......OOPS)...really sums up the mood of the late seventies , early eighties , ..(hope ya liked it cos I LOVED playing it)
The lineup when I was in the band , (that boasted many lineups over many years) , included Myself (DUH) , Paul Christie , James Black , Eric McCusker , and of course the legendary man himself Ross Wilson
Oh and yeah , we had this "Manager" guy....his name was John Blanchfield. I remember him being particularly upset when , while delivering us a lecture on
Motel decorum , I casually ashed my cigarette in the pocket of his designer sportscoat.
I reckon God had a real chuckle when he threw us all together , I can hear him now........."Hey angels , check this lot out for a laugh......I think I'll make 'em live in motel rooms for a year or so".
ERIC McCUSKER , or "Ecca" as I fondly called him , (much to his disgust) and I , over a period of time managed to kill the boredom of being in small country towns , or even large cities , waiting for "gig" time by becoming the first true masters of the frisbee. We frisbeed in 5 star hotels........we frisbeed in 1 star motels........we frisbeed on the beach , we frisbeed on land ,
we frisbeed by sea......(Still remember the hotel manager at the "A1" motel at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane being a tad upset when Eric and I were playing "Dollar a drop" frisbee in the hallway at 3 am...(no sense of humour).
PAUL CHRISTIE .....aka P.C.
invented smooth!!!!To call PC smooth would be a massive understatement. P.C oozes confidence , and rightly so.....this is the finest exponent of the bass guitar Australia has ever seen. Being half of the rythmn section in Mondo's with PC was not only a satisfying experience , but a learning curve as well.
Anyone who loves bass , will undoubtedly remember the fretless offering on "The Chemistry". Thanks "FLASH"!!........oh and by the way , PC has a really great website at look
JAMES BLACK , the eternal diplomat.
I remember being picked up by JAMES , (usually around 15 minutes late) to go to local gigs in Melbourne . But who could EVER forget a trip in the "Borgward".....(pronounced Borgvaaard). The Borgward was a german built car that I never knew existed , probably built around the time Hitler was thinking "hey!......lets have a little war!!!!"
and I'm sure James purchased it from Peter Faulk himself at a fire sale on the set of "Columbo". In all fairness though........the "borward" NEVER failed to deliver us to the appropriate destination (religiously 20 minutes late) and it's battered , grey , dull exterior , only made us appreciate the battered grey , not quite so dull interior.
This remarkable vehicle however , was NOT a reflection on the raw talent of one James Black. ...Once again , I urge you to check the Australian Rock History page.
James' background is quite phenomenal , and I will always regard him as a master of his field , James exudes not just a technical knowledge of the keyboard , but creativity that could turn an average song idea into a masterpiece. Alot of people probably don't realise that "writing" a song usually involvles suggesting an idea at a rehearsal , and getting some input from the guys in the band.
James has the talent of taking a "raw" idea , tickling it , feeding it , and making it a work of art!
Mondo Rock was a Melbourne based band , and over the years really featured a "who's who" of the Australian music industry , check out Aussie Rock History It's a cool site for finding Aussie rock bands and their members. Mondo Rock had many hits , and if you're an Aussie you'll probably remember
"State of the Heart " and "Cool World" , along with others like "Come said the boy" and "Summer of '81". My personal favourite though is , (click to hear a snippet) Mondo Sexo A provocative yet sensual little number ( that sounds like a wine tasting judge......OOPS)...really sums up the mood of the late seventies , early eighties , ..(hope ya liked it cos I LOVED playing it)
The lineup when I was in the band , (that boasted many lineups over many years) , included Myself (DUH) , Paul Christie , James Black , Eric McCusker , and of course the legendary man himself Ross Wilson
Oh and yeah , we had this "Manager" guy....his name was John Blanchfield. I remember him being particularly upset when , while delivering us a lecture on
Motel decorum , I casually ashed my cigarette in the pocket of his designer sportscoat.
We frisbeed in 5 star hotels........we frisbeed in 1 star motels........we frisbeed on the beach , we frisbeed on land ,
we frisbeed by sea......(Still remember the hotel manager at the "A1" motel at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane being a tad upset when Eric and I were playing "Dollar a drop" frisbee in the hallway at 3 am...(no sense of humour).
JAMES BLACK , the eternal diplomat.
