Activism

Dawn Barrington > Activism

🥶 WHO SAID MELBOURNE WAS COLD? 🤣

May 4, 2023 0 Comments

They were absolutely right! Actually it’s bloody freezing today!! 🤣

Yep I have succumbed to making comments about the Melbourne weather. Whenever I say that I live in Melbourne the first response that I get is “it’s cold in Melbourne” 🤣 yeah I know it is but the people are so so friendly here that I am staying for now.

I am downing tools at the moment after an incredibly chaotic, busy 7 months since my arrival here. Melbourne is a hive of creativity with, I believe, more culture and diversity than Perth, and there is so much more to do and see here too. I got hit by a virus (no not the C one) just a bog standard one that stopped me in my tracks and reminded me to take a bit more care of myself and to remember that “nothing is something worth doing”.

Humph Hall

I want to share the amazing experience I had of playing with Susie Bishop at the infamous Humph Hall in Sydney in February. It was an amazing evening. Susie and I met through the refugee advocacy and activist network a few years ago now and found that we had so much in common that a friendship grew over time but we had never met in real life. I totally admired Susie’s incredible violin playing but I didn’t want to ask her to join me at Humph Hall because I knew she had just had a baby, and that she was already in high demand most of the time. Then a mutual friend suggested that I ask her and he promised me that she would love to play with me  so I took the plunge and asked. Susie was like “I would absolutely love to play”…..I was so excited at the prospect. Not only did she offer to play but also offered me a room during my time in Sydney.

It was so lovely to meet in real life and to meet Susies new born baby girl Julia and her family. The gig was 2 nights away and Susie had never played any of my songs before so we had a little rehearsal in her garden.  I had no idea how Susie liked to learn songs, some people need charts, some need to hear the music beforehand. Some like to have the sheet music before you actually meet to rehearse, but not Susie she just listened to the first few chords and off she went with beautiful melodies and rhythmic sounds which totally enhanced each song. I was immediately totally at ease knowing that she would be able to do whatever came her way. Not that I ever doubted it of course 😁 but there is always a level of apprehension when playing with another muso for the first time. Although I have to say Susie is not any muso she is a classically trained violin player who can ad lib or improv at any folk or jig gathering.

Off we went to Humph Hall the next night and amazingly we were playing with the same band that I played with the last time I was there in 2017, well not quite the exactly same band there were a couple of extra members. We discussed which songs we would play together at the end. A great night was had by all. I would have to say that Humph Hall on February 18th of this year which was also my birthday was one of the most perfect gigs I have ever done. Wayne and Giall do such a fabulous job at Humph Hall. They book events every week and always put on a light supper and generally make everyone very welcome. Wayne also films the event which means we get a professional video at the end of each event. I am going to post them at the end of this blog entry. 

Thornbury Local

In January I had a busy month with a couple of band gigs. I started playing with a band over the holiday period because they needed a vocalist for a couple of gigs so I was very happy to oblige but the condition was that I could also play guitar 😁 

It was a great experience and we even scored another couple of gigs from the 2 that we did in January which was awesome but it also kept me very busy, way to busy actually so I had to stop at the last gig and come back to my own music endeavours.

The Thornbury Local was a solo gig on a Sunday late arvo early evening in March. It was a 2 hr original gig which I hadn’t done in a while and I had also played at a 60th birthday with the band the night before so it was really testing my agility. I absolutely loved the Thornbury Local gig, the owners and bar staff were amazing. The audience were really attentive and it was an overall really positive experience. It was also lovely to see so many friends there too.

YouTube Videos

Here are the videos that Wayne took starting with the group song of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activism, Gigs, Photos, Refugees, Song writing, Sydney, Touring

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It’s February 2023!!!

February 9, 2023 0 Comments

I know it’s crazy but we are already into the 2nd month of the year and still the sun hides behind the clouds here in downtown Melbourne 😅 and the thermometer is stuck in the mid 20º section. I am sure that will change but I have been told “you’re in Melbourne now” 🥳 ….. yeah they almost have a smile of glee when of reminding me of that point.🤪 But guess what? I LOVE IT ❤️ all of it.

MOE

I have been so busy since arriving late September last year. Moe RSL was great fun. The lovely Alan Edwards from the Musicial Australiana show on  Gippsland FM was kind enough to organise a radio interview then a gig at the Moe RSL. It was the end of year Christmas gig so it went down a real treat. I even won the raffle which was a washing basket filled to the brim with Christmas goodies that I am still ploughing through. 😍

CERES

Sunday 14th January I had a lovely surprise at the CERES Organic Market and Bakery, what an amazing little hub of activity. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces too. I played 2 hours of original songs about all the things closest to my heart and what an amazing attentive audience. ❤️

Here’s a little clip of me singing one of my favourite songs Women of War.

BAR 303

Then last week I was invited by Peter Vadiveloo, Cate Taylor and Phil Hudson and the Grand Kompanions to play a few songs at their gig at Bar 303 in Northcote. It was such a great night of original music and so lovely to share it with other great musicians who are passionate about the same things as I am.

Hopefully I will be able to do more gigs like that in the future. There are so many more opportunities here in Melbourne to connect with like minded people who are seeking the same in their musical and artistic adventures.

 

 

 

Upcoming!

 

HUMPH HALL IS NEXT!

I am really excited about this one! The last time I was at Humph Hall was February 2017 which was before I even started writing songs that reflected my 6 years of involvement in refugee advocacy and activism. It was even before my first trip to Manus. I am incredibly excited also because Susie Bishop, who is an extremely talented violinist amongst other things, is going to join me. I connected with Susie through the advocacy network, she too was doing all she could to support the refugees who had been medivaced here and locked up in hotels and detention centres across Australia for years. From the first time we spoke on the phone I knew she was from my tribe and even better still she is a musician too. The Sunloungers will also be playing on that evening, I played with them the last time I was there and we had a lot of fun. We will probably play a few songs together at the end of the evening like last time which was a huge amount of fun.

March 5th I will be playing at the Thornbury local solo. It’s a venue that supports original music so looking forward to playing a heap of my own songs there. I also have a new side project. 🤪 I have joined a band and we are playing a bunch of fun covers and I am having such a blast! More of that to come next time folks. Enjoy what life has to offer and see you soon. ❤️

Spotify    Bandcamp   Youtube

Activism, Gigs, Melbourne, Photos, Refugees, Song writing, Sydney

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2022 Where did you go?

October 29, 2022 0 Comments

Recent Shenanigans in Melbourne

It’s coming up to that time of year again when we all start to get into a mad panic about the holiday season and the pending New Year and I haven’t event updated my blog on my month in Melbourne. Not through lack of trying though, I have just been busy as usual and feeling like I am not really getting much done. I had the best time in Melbourne back in August which started with a house concert at my very good friends home in Parkville. Cate Taylor joined me and we played solo sets to an incredibly appreciative audience. My friends Jo and Dave lavished us with the most delicious food and drinks too which was so generous. Just about one hour before the house concert Jon Von Goes from 3RRR fm Melbourne called me to talk about my Melbourne gigs and my latest release “Pledge my Soul” and he also wanted to know more about my involvement with the refugees that were sent to Manus and Nauru in 2013. We had a great chat and he also asked me about my amazing mentor Angie Hart. 

Me and Angie at Open Studio

A couple of days later I played at Open Studio in Northcote, it’s a beautiful intimate venue and some people who heard me on the radio came which was amazing. I played a solo gig for two full sets which was actually quite confronting, it’s been a while since I played for that long to an attentive audience. But I had the most beautiful surprise when Angie Hart and her sister Rebecca Hart showed up to watch me play. I actually even felt a bit nervous and found myself working hard to maintain my cool…..oh the life of overthinking and worrying about what others may think. I knew all along that Angie would never in anyway judge and would be sending nothing but good vibes my way. It was an amazing night and so nice to catch up with friends who came too. 

A few days later I went onto 3CR Community Radio to talk to Aine McAllister about about a few things music and issues that inspire my songwriting like, Ned Kelly who is an Iranian refugee still locked up in Perth Immigration Detention Centre and about other refugees still waiting for a permanent pathway. I also played a song live in the studio.

My last gig was at The Lomond Hotel where I played as part of the Writers Block evening. Three artists get up on stage and play a song each and so we go round again three times. It’s a very special evening organised by Barb Waters. Barb mentioned that there would be a Viola player there and that I should ask him to play with me. So I asked him if he was interested and he was. It was quite scary though because I had never met him before and I was playing original songs that he had never heard before. It takes an  extremely skilled musician to be able to accompany someone that they have never heard before. Anyway I took the plunge and wow he was amazing, he played beautifully and came in on each song and just played perfectly with me. I found out after that he was Jason Bunn who is an amazing viola player that plays for Orchestra Victoria which was a total OMG moment!!! On my arrival back from Melbourne the months of Sept and Oct have been quiet but a few weeks ago I was invited to play at the Garden Party for St Paul’s Beaconsfield which was a lovely last gig in WA for a while.

What’s Next?

I am at a turning point and since covid started I haven’t not gone back to my usual format of the previous 8 yrs. I  had quite a system going where I would write songs, record and release them and then tour those songs. It has been so much more difficult to plan in the past few years and much of the music industry has taken a hit for the worst. But there are signs of life again and I am seeking out new options. So I am going to Melbourne for an extended period, I am not sure for how long yet. I want to play music and I am hoping to make some music connections and maybe be inspired to write some new material, but who knows what is going to happen. I have not made any plans except that my flight is tomorrow and my car is already on a truck going across the Nullabor. So watch this space folks. I am going to leave you with a pic of me and my son that I took yesterday when I left.

 

Activism, Airplay, Gigs, House Concderts, Melbourne, Photos, Refugees, Touring

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NEW RELEASE “He’s My Brother”

December 13, 2021 4 Comments

It’s here my new release “He’s My Brother” recorded at Soundbaker studio by Rob Agostini. I am absolutely delighted with the results and you can download it from Bandcamp or stream it on spotify. Also please subscribe to my Youtube page.

It’s my first release since moving up to the big smoke last year. I have been a bit reticent about going through the recording process since moving to Perth because I wanted to find the right person for the job. I was spoilt in Denmark for 9 years where I had the privilege of working with Tony King and other amazing local musicians in my home studio. Al Smith from Bergerk studio would come down to Denmark WA for the weekend and we would spend the whole time recording, it was fluid, spontaneous and so much fun. When you step into the studio you need to be with people that you can trust with your creation. However, us creatives who fall into the category of musician and songwriters all have our own ideas about what we want to achieve and of course there is the ego to deal with too. I always found my time in the studio, supportive, inspiring and extremely productive so of course I wanted to find the same for my new work. I was fortunate to find Rob Agostini who is an incredible musician, technician and producer and all round nice guy who really does know how to listen.

We worked in the studio for  2 half days and here are the results:

“He’s My Brother” was written quite spontaneously, while spending time observing the daily suffering of one of the refugees who stayed with me for a short time. He was detained on Manus Island Papua New Guinea for 6 years and then medivaced here to Australia where he was locked up for a further 2 years in a hotel in Brisbane with 120 others. He came to stay with me to gain his feet and get some support to live in the world again. I was shocked at the suffering that he had personally experienced and at that he had witnessed, all in the hands of the Australian Government. The Government that I put faith in each day to live a “free” and “democratic life” and to do the right by us and others.  The grace and gratitude that he showed me was humbling and I felt compelled to document that experience hence the creation of “He’s My Brother” (Thank you Ahmad).

What’s Next?

What is next? Well I do have another single to release early next year and I am currently writing a grant to record an EP next year. Grants are a long process and it takes a huge amount of energy to find the right information to put forward. It’s kind of a creative process because you have to think outside the box and come up with creative ideas but it’s also very left brain, logical, sequential jumping through hoops kind of pull your hair out stuff to. It doesn’t seem fair that we have to go through such a process and I always think about those who maybe have an incredible amount of creativity and enthusiasm but just don’t have the grant writing acumen. Anyway I will do my best and let’s see what happens. I want to go back to Soundbaker studio and I have a couple of amazing musicians friends lined up to join me and some great ideas brewing so I will keep you posted on that.

Next Year!

Next year I am hoping to start touring again but I am not sure when but I will definitely keep you all posted. It might be later in the year but I might do a quick visit in the first quarter. It’s all dependent on whether or not I get the grant. If I don’t get it I will organise a tour earlier but if I do it will probably be later. I am so keen to get back over East to play music again but it’s all a bit difficult at the moment and almost impossible to plan anything so a little more patience is required.

I am keeping this update short and sweet this time so wishing you all an amazing seasonal break and lots of beautiful moments with family and friends and keep safe. See you in the NEW YEAR!

 

Activism, Airplay, Recording, Refugees, Song writing, Streaming, Videos

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Spring into September

September 7, 2021 0 Comments

My last update was at the beginning of July and I can’t believe two months have passed. It’s been a very busy few months but I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what I have actually done.

RECORDING

However, I did get some more recording booked in which was very exciting. The song I am recording is called “Pledge my soul” and I wrote it last year during lockdown. “Pledge my Soul” is a reflection of my experience with the refugees that I met on Manus Island and the ongoing fight for their freedom. David Hymans is an established singer songwriter in his own right and a dab-hand at recording too. He has a studio in his home very close to where I live and so far we have put down all the tracks except percussion which I still need to make a decision on. As soon as it is finished I will be keen to release it into the ether.

PERTH LIFE AS A MUSO

I have been living up in the big smoke for the past 12 months now and apart from doing my “Music Talks” events to raise awareness about  refugees and  few other gigs, I haven’t really established myself in the Perth music scene yet so that is my next mission. Although working with Jason and getting a duo started took up a significant chunk of my time last year and we were just starting to book gigs when Jason found work getting too demanding to continue.

I am keen to getting booking gigs now though and I am actively seeking other keen musos to work with. A duo or trio would be great so let’s see how that goes. I have to admit I have been having a few struggles with with taking the next step to out there again into the scene. It was relatively easy down in the Great Southern and touring over east made a big difference to. It’s always easier when you are on road travelling to different places with your music and going blindly. However, trying to establish yourself on your home ground is more of a challenge, or maybe it’s not and that’s just my experience. I do believe being a woman in a male dominated industry also has it’s holdbacks but I am not going to let that get the better of me and I have decided it’s time to pick myself up and get on with it.

JALAL AND “CROSS TO BEAR”

You may remember me talking about Jalal Mahamede in my last update. Jalal (refugee from Ahwaz, Iran) is still stuck in detention.  I have regular contact with him and we often discus different ways to raise awareness about the situation of the 71 men still detained by the Australian Government. A song that I played at every gig from 2016 and always dedicated to the refugees stuck on Manus and in Nauru is called “Cross to Bear”.  I spoke to Jalal and asked him permission to feature his artwork (story) in the video with that song. He agreed so below is the end result. Please check out the words in the middle during the solo, they are profound and written by Jalal.

WOMEN IN MUSIC 

I do have some other very exciting news but I have to wait a few weeks before I can reveal that. Once I get the OK from the industry body involved I will be able to share all the juicy info. However, I will give you a few clues. Australian Indepenent Recording Label (AIR) put out a call for applications of interest to women across the music industry sector to apply for an opportunity to be mentored. The mentor will be someone who is already established in their career in the music industry sector. I of course put an application and I have just found out who my mentor is going to be……so I promise I will do my next update very soon and let you all know who that is and what it means for me in my music career.

Activism, Gigs, Photos, Recording, Refugees, Song writing, Videos

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