New
cd out now
Previous cd
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First
EP
"Flaunt your sweetness"
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on cover to see
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TANK NEWS
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July
’07.
It’s
Launch Time. ‘Alright Already’ will be launched
in Melbourne at the Lomond Hotel, 225 Nicholson St. East Brunswick,
on Friday 20th July (free), and the following night at the
Limelight Lounge, Geelong.
The
Melbourne launch will feature the stylings of guest guitarist
Al Mclean, who Tankard played alongside – and met- at
Kutcha Edward’s trip to Warrnambool. The current drummer
is Naringal young-gun Brenton Smith, who is carving a solid
reputation , in between expanding his home studio.
Tankard
will also appear on Derek Guille’s 774 Evening program
on Wednesday July 18 for an interview and live play, and on
Kutcha Edward’s show on 3CR on Thursday 19th July between
2pm and 4pm.
The
album is receiving good press and airplay. It can be purchased
through the Soundvault website, or this site’s homepage,
along with other recordings.
JAN 07 – NEW ALBUM. – ALRIGHT ALREADY –
Recording and launches.
Semi regular trips to Brunswick’s
Thirty Mill Studios since October 06 has resulted in Tank
Dilemma’s new album ‘Alright Already’. Written
and produced by Tankard, the sessions are sounding wonderful
albeit eclectic. Between the frenetic horned jazz and hard
funk lies acoustic and telecaster radio friendly jangle. The
release for this is SUNDAY 4th MARCH at the Warrnambool Hotel
at 3pm and will feature the members that recorded the album
– Richard Tankard, Jon Emry, Ruben Shannon, Matt Hewson,
Matt Trenery.
NOV 06 – PLAY US SOME BARNSEY!
After
a slightly odd set of circumstances, Richard Tankard found
himself playing with Jimmy Barnes at the MCG on the 30th of
November. After gladly accepting a request form keyboardist
Clayton Doley to do his 6.30am soundcheck as he flew in for
the 10am gig, the nature of the job took a slight turn. With
less than 2 days to go, Doley’s shock removal from the
act left Jimmy’s management with a dilemma. Their instruction
was clear. Do the Soundcheck, and if you’re no good,
you’re out.
Working Class Man, Stand Up and You
Got Nothin’ I Want were largely learnt on the 2.30am
drive to the ‘G. The band definitely had a ‘who
the **’% are you’ look about them, but a quick
soundcheck for Stand Up on the provided B3 and Leslie calmed
everyone’s nerves. The gig, to 40,000, was also live
on Pay TV. Gigs ensued with daughter Mahalia in Melbourne
the following week. Further Barnes gigs aren’t out of
the equation.
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After
a few years of stable line up, the truism that is TANK DILEMMA is
finally being realized. The act is undergoing changes to the line-up,
throwing up a myriad of possibilities, and uncertainties. Arguably,
this is more in line with Tankard’s initial 2001 expectation
when creating the Dilemma.
The initial line-up- the one that launched Inner Soul at the 2005
Port Fairy Folk Festival- featured Richard Tankard (keys, vocals),
Ruben Shannon (bass), Jon Emry (drums), Brad Harrison (tenor sax)
and Matt Hewson (tenor sax). The first gig ever in July 2001 featured
alto player Karl Laskowski in place of Harrison. Laskowski was briefly
home from Sydney Conservitorium, Harrison was at Warrnambool Cheese
and Butter Factory. (2 songs from this very first gig can be found
on Richard Tankard’s Flaunt Your Sweetness e.p.)
This line up of the 5, sometimes 4, occasionally 3, is, for various
reasons, under renovation in 2005. Harrison moved to W.A. in February
to work between surfing, and to show his eldest daughter the Red
Bluff Desert in which she was conceived. He and wife Brenda, of
Set the Agenda Brenda fame, are expecting number 3. Ex-Blue Heat
colleague Mat Trenery returned from Queensland in last year and
has filled the breech left by “Hurricane” Harrison.
Powerhouse creative timekeeper Jon Emry left the band in may. Ruben
Shannon has received an offer to tour nationally-and perhaps overseas-
with Lake Bolac’s Neil Murray, formerly of The Warumpi Band.
Matt Hewson is now heavily involved-as bass player, no less- with
local bands The Front, and The Extreme Sprinklers…..All this
in the first half of this year!
What this has meant is a logical but exciting extension of the band,
where keen, fresh faces are relishing the opportunity to play the
shows (before they become jaded and stale). These have included
Port Fairy’s Chris Hedges, Warrnambool’s Harry Fahey
and Blue Heat’s Barry Gabraith on drums, who sometimes appear
at Tankard’s duo gigs. This role is usually taken by Rob Bevan
(Skyrockats, Rockin’ Daddies, Dr. Rhythm), who, incidentally,
is the compiler of this website! Geoff Cain, ex The State and Southern
Sons, has recently relocated from Spain and will play some bass.
Sometimes that role will be played by Tim Conlan (Hog Stompin’
Zydegators, Skyrockats). One of the characteristics of the band-
the one that has no guitar- is under reconsideration.
What is common in this is that the members remain local players,
an important factor in the 2 recordings released thus far. This
is not to say Melbourne musicians won’t be involved at some
point.
Tankard is writing vigorously for a new release. Tunes are coming
thick and fast, although, as usual, most of them are two thirds
finished. He continues teaching piano, gigging with himself, Andy
Alberts and the Walkabouts, and on occasion The Borderers, Warde
Elliot and ThinMan, Shane Howard, Things of Stone and Wood (planning
gigs in October) and any other bastard that will have him.
MARY
BLACK
Richard Tankard, Ruben Shannon and Jon Emry have joined guitarist/
producers Phil Butson and Shane Howard to record 2 songs for Mary
Black’s next album. The songs, recorded at Shane Howard’s
Killarney studio, have met with delight from Black upon hearing
them in Ireland. They will hopefully see the light of day in coming
months.
Why
don’t you visit some of our friends?
www.thingsofstoneandwood.com.au
www.thinman.info
www.shanehoward.com.au
www.skyrockats.com
South
West Music Archive
Motherlode Studios
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