BROTHER journal

Bagpipes at the golden hour

2011-09-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

three weeks old

2011-06-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

my daughter is three weeks old today.

yes, i have a daughter.

a peaceful, tiny, perfect girl.

she has an adoring, proud big brother.

feeling very blessed and happy to be home.

i am amazed again at the way being a parent

makes me become more.

just had my first long weekend away since the birth.

llewella thrived. i survived.

what a wonderful response tho, in costa mesa.

we were back at the first ever celtic festival we played.

16 years down the road. and quite the road it has been.

i look forward to a busy summer.

being in the garden with my family.

and playing shows all over the country.

a time of change it is. and more change coming.

i suspect things will look quite different come the fall.

i suspect i will look quite different come the fall.

angus

any day now

2011-05-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

any day now

i become a dad again.

and asa a big brother.

the little bloke has me smiling and laughing,

and changing my point of view. a lot.

and that's the medicine i want.

so glad to be home in this time.

just being with the family.

tending the garden.

we have a deer proof fence this year,

so we're planning on having a lot more veggies.

keeping the business rolling along too. thanks leels.

amazing things are happening in this time.

20 years since i came here from oz,

with my 2 brothers,

and BROTHER began.

yes, it is quite the time...

we have a busy summer coming.

our busiest since we became 3.

i will enjoy it all very much.

but for now, there's a new human coming ...

angus

2011-03-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

today, 2 years ago,
my son came into the world.
changed everything. got my heart to expanding exponentially ...

meanwhile, outside, there's a world on fire.

can't imagine what people in japan are going thru.

can't imagine what people in the middle east are going thru.

earthquake, tsunami, rebellion, more war,

another crazy celebrity, a royal wedding. what now?

divide and conquer. yes, it's all a distraction, n'est-ce pas?

and yet, more every day are waking up. seeing thru the illusions.

the sun sets. the sun rises. and i'm talking to myself again.

oh, my god. oh, my god. oh, your god. let them talk, shall we?

drew's here. time to be making music again.

anticipating my little boy becoming a big brother soon.

truth and sanity there.
and today? happy birthday little matey ...

angus

egypt revisited

2011-02-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

as the uprising continues in egypt i think back on our time there
and try to reconcile what is happening with my memories.
warm and friendly people everywhere we went.
an incredible mix of the modern and the truly ancient,
which seemed to highlight the humility of the people.
crazy taxi rides in cairo, straight out of an indiana jones movie.
rich, bustling markets filling the alleys and squares of beautiful buildings
many centuries old.
finding the bargains with my sister and brother in law, ahmed.

the pyramids. words don't begin.
riding horses around them with our dad, big dave.
the big fella perched up on his steed, looking mighty uncomfortable,
stirrups way too short for his long legs.
a far cry from the farm - my last time on a horse, at seventeen.
the ubiquitous hustlers, selling everything from camel rides to souvenirs,
priceless antiquities all.
visiting a place of abject poverty in alexandria,
playing music on the street there.
being welcomed with open hearts and beaming smiles.
table and chairs brought out onto the streets,
and a big pot of tea to share with us.
communicating without words.
the happiest children in the direst circumstances,
following us like we were pied pipers,
smiling and dancing til the end of their neighborhood,
where they shouted and waved goodbye.

and of course, the military presence.
most obvious when we went to do an interview
at the government run radio in cairo.
the only radio in cairo. with heavier security than the airport.
but in spite of all the oppressions, the people were inspiring.
may their will and their good hearts triumph in the days ahead.

angus

egypt - rising like lions

2011-02-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

thinking of the people of egypt,

with a million or more people on the streets as i write.

our time there a few years ago was truly magical.

an incredible place. wonderful people.

the memories make what's happening all the more real.

my brother in law's family is there in cairo, a part of it all.

the stories we hear are astounding.

of the multitudes shunning violence,

but remaining resolute in their stand.

protecting each other against the government's agents.

doing their best to thwart false flag outrages.

a human shield around the cairo museum.

christians and muslims worshipping together en masse,

protecting each other.

my sister's brother in law, shot in the head with a rubber bullet.

miraculously okay. others not so fortunate.

the words of percy brysshe shelley come to mind.

written in 1819 after the peterloo massacre,

the poem they are from is said to be the first modern statement

on the principle of nonviolent resistance ...

rise like lions after slumber

in unquenchable number.

shake your chains to earth like dew

which in sleep had fallen on you -

ye are many, they are few.

angus

BROTHER is watching you

2010-12-31T13:37:00.000-08:00

and another year runs it's course.
more shows than last year
and more again coming in 2011.
i still marvel that BROTHER is now a 3 piece.
i never would have imagined.
but here we are and it feels damn good.
we captured the new sound on a live album.
happy with that but ready to be in the studio again.
a good few shows with the 2 piece in 2010 too.
tribal trance experimentation.
and with drew on his way west soon,
many more angdrew shows to come ...

interesting times we're in.
i was thinking of reading 1984 again.
but it seems i don't need to.
it seems we're living it.
being a dad, this is on my mind.
where are we heading?
was it ben franklin that said
he who forsakes freedom for safety deserves neither?
but fear not. BROTHER is watching you too ...

getting on the floor and laughing with my son.
walking in the snow with him
as he watches it fall for the first time.
imagining him being a big brother.
these things are real,
in a world that feels quite unreal sometimes ...
but i feel a powerful year coming.
it will be what we want it to be.
and we want it to be happy, do we not?

angus

chimney smoke

2010-11-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

despite the challenges of these times i give thanks for an amazing year.
lots of good people along the way.
some we've known a long time, some we've just met,
and many we knew long ago who have somehow found us again.
the feedback has been wonderfully uplifting,
one of the things that keeps me on this path.
being a part of the ever evolving animal that is BROTHER is a trip in itself.
i've enjoyed the continuing focusing of the sound and show with the fellas.
we are 3 different and quirky individuals but we like each others' company.
and the vision is shared.
here's to our last show for this year!
back at the coach house for the 'out from under' release party.
and back on stage with brother jack. another quirky individual.
i give thanks for being able to make some music with him again too.
and i give thanks too for my amazing little family, soon to be a little larger.
the best paradigm shift ever.
and thanks to you all for a great year.
long may your chimney smoke ...

angus

blown again

2010-11-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

misty cold weather here in southern oregon.

warms the cockles of my celtic heart.

good to be home again, tho only for a couple more days.

far flung florida next. sun to spare there.

we played dunedin with brother hamish years ago.

the memories are good. of the people and the place ...

every time i return home asa is more a person.

bigger stronger faster. cheekier and funnier.

and i am always more enthralled.

by him. by the process.

and now he is to be a big brother.

he doesn't really get it yet

but we certainly do.

i know it will be similar

and yet different in so many ways too.

and so the world will turn.

and our minds will be quietly(or not so quietly) blown again ...

anxious to have that rascal drewski living here.

somehow we've managed to keep the BROTHER beast breathing,

across the years, across continents, across seas.

but it is always easier to move quickly when we're closer.

seems he will drive across the country early in the new year.

here's to a safe journey mate.

angus

in a church

2010-10-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

our first neighborhood concert this past weekend.

BROTHER in a church. a near capacity audience.

my son in the front row imitating dalbo,

or dancing with the other small ones,

or watching me, hand to his head in the sign for 'dada'.

people there from the days of yore.

one bloke who was at our LA show with colin hay 14 years ago.

and the flyer to prove it.

kids, teachers and parents from the school shows we did last week.

a community gathering.

felt good to be so welcomed our first time out ...

we had to move a couple of months back.

a pain the in proverbial but the first place we looked at suited us perfectly.

a mountain view that takes me back to the farm.

and lichen grew up here, so it feels like home for us both.

big back yard, deer proof veggie garden,

fruit trees and an old chicken coop.

maybe next year we'll have chooks. that'll really take me back.

nothing quite like collecting your own eggs.

a goat perhaps? no, just kidding.

one day ...

sonora this weekend with andrew and david.

gold country. they found it there, and the grasses are.

gold that is.

for now, time to soak in the view. and a brew.

angus

flying

2010-09-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

at the airport last night.

arrived to find i hadn't checked in online, so i was on standby.

and somehow my id had important pieces of info missing,

or kind of flashing in and out, so it wasn't usable at all.

and of course, i had somewhere to be,

a show to play, bread to win ...

then i realized i was dreaming,

and i was indeed already on the way to somewhere,

telling dalbo about the dream.

the stress of flying nowadays,

now that we're all terrorists not tourists,

not like the good old days,

when i loved to fly ...

then i really woke up, at home,

to the sound of asa talking to himself in his crib.

the cheeky, tough little dynamo that is my son,

engages me in this life more and more every day.

he loves tractors, drumming, blackberries straight off the vine,

jumping, dressing up in hats and the moon.

he brings me close to the ground,

(where any good taurus should be, eating the flowers)

when flying these days, even in my dreams, is so often a drag.

pleasanton last weekend. 6 shows in 2 days.

like so many of those celtic festivals,

lots of hard playing, lots of sweating.

and lots of good people, old and new,

reminding me why i still go out and do this.

jamming with the lass and lads of albannach on our final tune.

a mighty way to end the day.

and we will do it again next week in new hampshire.

in the meantime, the boy sleeps again after a long and busy day.

sweet dreams little matey.

and lang mae yer lum reek.

angus

that's a bummer man

2010-08-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

mmm, that's a bummer man.

a week later ...

2 weeks later ...

hamish for the senate

2010-08-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

may you live in interesting times.

my brother hamish,

man of the earth,

has announced he is running for the oz senate.

a sustainable future is his goal.

indpendent, naturally.

i wrote, played and performed music with him for a long time.

shared many a hotel room and compared notes on our passing lives,

and on the state of the world.

he lives his truths.

since taking leave of BROTHER

he has become a protector of his home community.

and an advocate of music and arts.

his is a voice that people want to hear.

he is a man of his word.

and his words, tho often few, are well chosen and ring true.

if i could choose a voice to represent me in my homeland,

it would be his.

it's time for a paradigm shift in politics and those of you who know hamish

know he is a very different kind of human,

with the ability to inspire.

if you can, vote.

he will deliver.

may you live in interesting times indeed,

angus

visit hamish here ... http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hamish-Richardson-for-the-Senate/143971698955042

lucky man

2010-08-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

last weekend we played Faerieworlds.

and we were transported to another world indeed.

to play music to a pleasure seeking audience in such a setting?

sublime.

next day, a jamming set on the neverworlds stage, in under the trees.
afterwards, dalbo had asa up on his drum kit.

he played there, engrossed, for a good half hour.

and did protest much at having to leave.

boy has rhythm.

first time jamming with my son.

i am a lucky man ...

home then, for a backyard barbie.
i enjoy hanging with the fellas as much i do playing with them.
a very good thing ...

angus

july 4th

2010-07-07T10:44:00.001-07:00

after many years in this country
i just had my most memeorable independence day.
felt like what it was meant to be.
a parade with a history of well over a century.
a community that celebrates together,
packing the streets to cheer along.
at the end of the parade, in the park,
countless booths selling whatever you can think of.
a park that is park is quite a wonderland.
music in the bandshell.
a bandshell in a natural grassed amphitheatre.
lots of good local music.
including angus and didgeridrew.
it was our first airing of the new tribal trance sound.
and the people seemed to like what they heard.
we shall definitely be airing again.
a sunset barbie and fireworks to round off a cloudless day.
it's good to be independent.
tomorrow, in the dark of the dawn,
drewski and i drive to the airport,
fly to north carolina to meet dalbo,
then we all head to grandfather mountain.
a place we haven't visited in 14 years.
a truly spankable absence.
grandfather is a unique place, a unique experience.
looking forward to the return.
and now, laundry, packing and an early night.

angus

turning gold

2010-07-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

idyllic weather here in southern oregon.

big blue skies, light breeze.

countryside turning gold,

like summer on the farm in oz.

some early morning gardening, ably assisted by asa.

best time of day to have our hands in the dirt.

a magnificent brekky from lovely lichey.

playing music just now with brother drew.

good to have him here, creating something new.

tribal trance.

bringing the green room alive.

we play the bandshell in the park tomorrow, july 4th.

independence day.

indie day.

sounds like us.

making it up as we go along.

the only rules are the ones we follow.

enjoy your independence

day.

angus

how does your garden grow?

2010-06-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

we had a long wet spring here in southern oregon.

but after so many years in LA i always enjoy the rain.

it feels like summer is just now about to spring. so to speak ...

our boy is not really a baby anymore.

it's only brief moments tho we miss the tiny one he was.

most of the time the vital, industrious, tough, smiling,

surprisingly gentle little lad he is now has us captivated.

every day he becomes more. everyday he fascinates us more.

every day he inspires us more. every day he is more fun to be with.

he is fascinated with every instrument i play.

didges, guitar, whistles, even the bagpipes.

and insists on playing them himself in his own unique way.

often he'll drag the big yucca didg over to me to play,

holding the other end to him to feel the vibration

or lifting it high over his head,

stamping his leg maori style.

then he'll hoot into the didg himself,

eyes serious and determined,

his library of sounds growing daily.

he is a great helper in the garden,

carting the watering can from pot to pot,

moving handfuls of earth from one planter box to another.

and always taking time to smell, and sometimes eat, the flowers.

i smile and i laugh all the more because of him.

and i take time eat the flowers myself now and then ...

i have been in the green room a lot more.

making music. getting the callouses hard again.

remembering old songs. learning new ones.

looking ahead to a busy week.

a lot of flying. a lot of playing.

wisconsin and pennsylvania have welcomed us many times

but wyoming is new to us, and BROTHER new to wyoming.

i love being at home and part of me could stay here happily,

playing with asa, growing vegetables, making music.

but another part of me looks forward to being on a big stage,

in front of a big, smiling, pulsating crowd,

making music with my mates.

let the summer begin.

angus

under the weather, over the moon

2010-05-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

i'm home.

under the weather

but over the moon to be here.

my boy's beaming smile at the airport,

the best medicine i could ask for.

a ditty from the plane ...

first thing i'm gonna do when i get home

throw away a lot things i don't wanna own

make a lot of room for the things to come

but not before i savour my wife and son

'tis spring and there's much to let go of.

much i've carried around for too many years.

and across the country. twice.

not surprisingly, i enjoyed making music with the fellas.

cape may again. this time underground

while the rain fell above. nice crowd.

we did the colonial games with dalbo this year.

several jamming 'busking' type sets

and a big stage show.

then our first ever 'house party',

felt right to be in an idyllic garden setting.

the reid's backyard no less.

beautiful weather and birthday boy bill on sound.

a good readying for next months shows.

this cheeky cough had me piping and singing

with considerably less lung capacity than usual.

but, we make it thru, don't we?

in the meantime, the new cd.

we're told it's ready and on its way to us.

next stop, you.

'aveagoodweekend.

angus

feet in the ground

2010-04-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

as i listen to the mastered songs

i watch my one year old son dance and air drum.

when he recognizes and responds to my music,

my heart is truly warmed.

today we make the final album decisions -

song sequence, mastering tweaks,

artwork, proofing.

after conferring with the fellas this morning,

one in los angeles, one in philly,

it seems we have the sequence.

a good mix of songs old and new.

of sounds ancient and modern.

BROTHER now ...

asa and dad check the artwork

it rains here after a few sun drenched days.

days spent outside weeding, planting flowers, erecting fences,
and digging garden beds for veggies.

reminds me of brother hamish, green man.

he with his feet in the ground.

and i think of the huge veggie garden we had growing up.

and the little orchard.
naive for sure, but we were lucky farm kids.

thank you dawnie and dave.

we're looking forward to growing much of our own,

especially with a small and ever hungry human to feed ...

maybe we'll get a goat.

angus

making it up as we go

2010-04-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

yes, it's coming soon. but where are we at right now?

after the night of the concert i initially wanted to mix,

master and get this collection of songs out there as quickly as possible.

but often with music, as with haircuts,

a bit of distance helps in being objective.

also, circumstances dictated otherwise ...

so, after having driven family and home across country

for the second time in 2 years,

we took some time to settle in. a trip to oz was next,

for asa to meet my family and have his first birthday.

and his first surfing lesson.

after getting back to states, the fellas,

guy and i spent a week tweaking and mixing

and are now living for a wee while with the "mastered" tracks,

making sure we're happy with the sonics.

in 'the green house', mixing with guy

we're going for a new sound here, making it up as we go

and how you master a record is part of that process.

at the same time, leels and i work on the artwork and promo plan.

so, that's where we're at for now.

this beast shall be known as 'out from under'.

stay with me in the coming days and weeks

and i shall point my view toward you as we ready this beast for release ...

angus

"Hey, what's happening with the new BROTHER album?" Funny you should ask ...

2010-04-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

it's almost ready. but let me back up a little first ...
3 years ago,
when my brother hamish decided to stay in oz after the last tour there,
i came back to LA wondering what to do next.
i'd never considered the thought of BROTHER without him there.
every gig i'd played since high school had been with him.
9 years before, the 2 of us had made the decision to continue
without our other brother fergus (now jack avalon)
and that was challenge enough.
this time decision was all mine and i can't say it was easy or quick.
but the more i thought about how i could make music with just dalbo and drew
- 2 very different musicians and 2 rascals i really enjoy being around -
the more it excited me.
it necessarily meant the sound once again would change.
and more drastically than ever.
somehow that is what seems to happen with this band.
it has kept it very exciting for us along the way musically
and yet challenging for leels from a marketing stand point.
we'd been many things, many bands,
but for the first time ever BROTHER would be a 3 piece.
a powerhouse celtic tribal trio as it were, and as it is.

right away i deliberately gave us the task of interpreting a good number
of the older repertoire we hadn't done live in many years.
at the same time i had a growing list of new songs i wanted us to play.
and that set the stage, so to speak.
now, 3 years down the line we are still a 3 piece
but each of us fills many a pair of boots.
more than ever, big dalbo commands the back of the stage
with his pounding tribal rhythms and presence,
triggering sounds and sampling my guitar when i switch to the pipes.
up front with me, didgeridrew has truly evolved from a a great didg player,
into somewhat of a sonic master.
several didges, keyboards, whistles, melodica and throat singing
are all a part of this tribal dj's arsenal.
suffice to say i am proud of the leap the 3 of us took
3 years ago as a new band, and proud of where we've taken the sound.
i walk onto any stage with these 2 blokes and feel ready for anything.
this new album represents our sound right now. BROTHER today.
we all wanted to get to this stage before realeasing a new album.
have no fear, the sound will continue to evolve.
as we often remark to each other, it feels like we've only just begun.
but for now, it is almost time for the latest from BROTHER.

angus

more images from oz

2010-04-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

A bigger slice

2010-03-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

australia treats us well.

it's still dark as i write,

the first of the songbirds greeting each other.

sounds i haven't heard in years.

asa blossoms here around his cousins,

watching them in fascination,

imitating everything they do.

quite a different little lad

will fly back to the states with us next week ...
most of our time has been by the sea,

these clearest and cleanest of waters.

i body surf with brother hamish and sister em.

and with big dave, who taught us all how

as soon as we could walk.

we paid a visit to patricia's farm over the blue mountains,

where 'one day' was recorded.

it remains a place of peace and inspiration.
chickens to feed, fresh eggs to collect.

delightfully quirky wildlife to watch.

places of bush that remain as they were before european settlement,

some truly ancient and dr seuss like plants that thrilled us all.

stars from a different part of the galaxy than in the north,

a bigger slice of the way milky.

and they do indeed seem to fill the sky.

the fascination of a small human

seeing it all for the first time.

for me, this is the best way to reconnect,

thru his piercing blue eyes ...

our time here comes to an end soon.

but the opportunity to pause a while,

to be around these places and these people again,

has been quite the trip.

angus

didg lesson from uncle hamish

out of hibernation

2010-02-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

with my impending departure i break radio silence.

tomorrow, weather permitting, i fly to the east coast.

there, i meet the fellas and we play what is this year truly

the mid winter festival.

apparently there are feet of snow on the ground.

2003 anyone?

takes me back to this time last year in the catskill mountains.

shovelling snow, splitting wood,

keeping the wood stove stoked, often in the very wee hours of the morning.

a great experience but i am happy to be here now.

we have some bracing weather for sure,

but it doesn't take my time and energy.

in this time of hibernation and preparation

i have been blessed to be with my family.

asa does just about everything as soon as he can.

and with incredible passion.

what he can't do, he practices over and over.

he is my inspiration.

his early inclination to laugh has blossomed

into a wonderful bubbling chuckle.

my favourite sound in the world.

of course he grows incredibly.

his understanding of himself, us and his world does too.

and so we communicate better every day.

an increasingly rewarding experience

as he happens to be the most fascinating human on the planet to me ...

and so, as i contemplate the road again,

i do so committed to making this life of music

complement life with my family.

as we look to fill the rest of the calendar,

it will be with a view to having my greatest inspiration along for the ride,

wherever possible.

this weekend however, i'll be braving the snow alone.

some good hard playing with dalbo and drew. and a beer or 3.

then valentines, a day late, with the love of my life ...

the next day we drive to LA, meet up with the fellas again,

and see how our new live album sounds.

it's been a couple of months now.

fresh ears always helps.

stay warm out there ...

angus

i wonder

2009-12-22T10:14:00.000-08:00

winter solstice has just passed.

as far as the earth is concerned it is a new year.

i spent the last few hours of the shortest day

playing in my new music room - the green room.

it is coming together nicely.

it is a good space to work on and to work in.

the the aim is to have it bizarre and inspiring

for all who enter ...

i've been thinking about our coming new year show.

and it feels like a good way to celebrate

our recent time living in the mountains.

and so, i have been looking again at some of the songs i wrote there.

i chop wood

i make fire

i feel good

a little higher

she makes bread

with special flour

we drink wine

any hour

gluten free for me.

appropriately it will be t on drums.

t, our neighbour in the catskills,

introduced me to many of the mountains secrets

on our regular cross country walks as the seasons passed there.

it already feels like so long ago.

an amazing chapter in our lives.

one that gave us a baby.

and so, new years eve will be an evening to reflect on

and say good bye to my time as a mountain man.

i wonder, will i shave?

angus

the future is now

2009-12-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

we don't get snowed in here
as we did in the catskills.
but the morning frosts are thick and white
and the fogs fill the valley.
then by midday, the days are usually crisp and clear.
the feel of these days take me back to winters on the farm.
to the olden days, as my niece gracie would say.
back to the mid nineteen hundreds.
long before cel phones and laptops.
back when much of what we take for granted now
was science fiction. i read 1984 before 1984.
now suddenly it is the end of 2009
and i am a father ...

we make our new home here.
a most enjoyable work in progress.
we watch our son grow and change and explore.
he is the most incredible mirror ever.
so this is what it was like.
and this is what it's meant to be like still.
this endless energy and curiosity.
this ongoing joy in discovery.
and he continues to make us laugh. hard, and often.
the funniest little creature i know.
and the most amazing inspiration i could have imagined.
and so, with asa as our example,
we imagine, and prepare for, the coming year.
what do we want it to look like?
how do we want it to feel?
family and making a living. one must balance and inspire the other ...
i feel a potential wholly different from times past.
and, when the hour is upon me,
i shall resolve to have a damn good time next year.

angus

now, we have done it

2009-11-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

home at last.

2 weeks is

too long to

not have you around ...

i am

sublimely happy to be with my family again

after an intense, very full, very memorable time.

there was much planning and work to get to the coach house.

then suddenly we were there.

with brian back on live sound

and guy(pax romana producer)

recording the evening with yossi and shai.

we even had a few cameras rolling.

and leels and james were there from arizona

making sure everything ran smoothly behind the scenes ...

we had a wonderful audience.

very touched that so many people came from so far.

some across the country ...

i hadn't heard my brother play live in many years.

he sounded great.

keeping it in the family,

jack had dalbo on drums and guy playing bass.

dare i say an arse kicking band?

dare

dare ...

we'd decided to be more rehearsed than usual.

more than we've ever been?

after listening to some of the recorded music of the night

with the fellas the next day,

i am very glad we did.

it is certainly the peak of a steady evolution

over the last 2 and a half years.

the plan is still to have a live recording available sometime ...

so, how did it feel,

playing onstage again with my brother?

heart warming. surreal.
and the reaction of everyone there

made it all the more poignant.

jack joined us for the end of the set

for a few of the old favourites.

making music is a blessed thing,

especially with a brother.

jack had suggested the idea earlier in the year

when he and family met my son.

now, we have done it.

and we shall do it again ...

(photos by lisa callamaro)

a happy giving of thanks to you all.

angus

a horse called rob roy

2009-11-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

back in LA with dalbo and drewski,

and coach house rehearsals are underway.

we haven't rehearsed this much in years.

i am enjoying the tweaking ...

after tuscon celtic last weekend

- and a bloody wonderful reception it was -

we got together with brother jack.

it had been so many years since we sang together.

but i suppose it's kind of like riding a bike.

or a horse.

mine was called rob roy, but that's another tale ...

today we're back in the alley, our rehearsal room since '94.

it's good to feel at home when making music.

i miss my lady and my bold little lad ...

angus

i can see the mountains

2009-11-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

from our new home we can see the mountains.

covered in golden grasses, just like where i grew up in oz.

we left the catskills a blaze of autumn colour,

arrived to find our new home town equally as stunning in the peak of fall.

nice one luther burbank.

we were 6 days in the truck, keeping one day ahead of the weather.

asa, now a seasoned road warrior, did us proud.

and his share of the driving.

asa was a small lion for his first halloween.

i, a lion tamer ...

this morning i find myself on the road again.

in arizona with the fellas.

rehearsal today for the weekend.

our first festival in these here parts in many a long year.

we'll be catching up with brother jack here too

to plan the coach house further.

a busy couple of weeks ahead.

put on the kettle and let's get the day rolling ...

angus

half a world away

2009-10-18T04:57:00.000-07:00

today we leave the mountains.

we arrived at the tail end of winter a year and a half ago.

and as i loaded the truck yesterday a light snow fell,

heralding another that we won't see here.

i will remember incredible tasting water.

the smell of fresh cut wood.

lighting fires in the big old wood stove.

gardening. chopping wood. snow shovelling.

being very physical. feeling it in so many muscles.

like being back on the farm.

like being camping.

i feel muscles again now, from lifting and loading.

thanks to t and big john for helping move the backbreakers.

thanks to lichey's mom for helping pack up the house,
for looking after asa, and being friend to steve the magical blind cat ...

satisfaction in getting the pack as good as possible.

years of loading a van on the road have made me a pack master.

i astound myself at how our whole lives can fit into such a small space ...

it has been a time of extremes.

a grey world. a green world. a red gold world. a white world.

bears in the backyard.

fresh native herbs from the forest in lichen's incredible cooking.

sun warmed berries straight out of the garden.

lichen's home made cobbler.

local maple syrup.

playing music with brother t again ...

thanks to bess, t, sar and their families for being our community.

for giving us a place to have a baby ...

our beautiful son is 6 and a half months old and always ready for the new.

he has been mobile a while now.

always pulling himself up to stand on ever steadier little legs.

always looking for a better view. coasting. crawling.

he is robust and precocious. (2 delightful words)

2 teeth have emerged. and an increasingly voracious appetite.

the little fella eats a good 3 meals a day.

and always ready to be happy, to be one of us.

the obvious recognition the last time i came home from a few days away

brought tears to my eyes. he is a simple profound blessing.

i thank my wife for all she gives him ...

and now, the last of the packing,

a fond farewell, then we hit the road to begin a new life.

half a world away.

see you on the other side.

angus

my brother

2009-09-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

you may remember him as fergus.

or as bur, the name we called him growing up.

he is jack avalon.

he is my brother.

it has been 11 years

since we shared a stage,

my brother jack and i.

i am excited to finish the year

with a double bill at the coach house with him.

to hear his music live.

to play together again.

makes me feel good ...

and now i head out the door for the airport

and northern california.

see you there?

angus

i'm listening

2009-09-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

i haven't felt compelled to write in a while.

so i haven't written in a while.

off the road for a few days.

and, among other things, getting ready for another cross country trek.

it seems we came to this marvellous mountain hideout

to have ourselves a baby. and that we have done.

the circumstances were ideal. and now,

it is time to raise a baby with family and community nearby.

and so, soon, we say our goodbyes.

to good people, good times, good places.

and the best water i've ever tasted.

in the vision we find ourselves refining together

it is the north west that calls ...

in the meantime, a few more shows with dalbo and drew.

on both coasts.

i find myself enjoying what we do more and more.

i am still sometimes astounded

at how this thing called BROTHER

has once again been re invented.

i never imagined it would evolve this way.

we knew we could make it work.

we just weren't quite sure how.

and so we began. we see now. nice one fellas.

i make asa smile and laugh.

he does the same for me.

there is no better feeling.

simple.

so many firsts with him, sometimes every day.

he changes so quickly. and so must we.

keeping up keeps me young.

thank you little matey ...

hey little matey

i know you

charm all the ladies

that's what you do

baby i'm blown away

whatever it is you're trying to say

whatever you're thinking

i'm listening

angus

a worthy ponder

2009-08-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

this path i'm on seems to involve a constant stripping away
of those things that aren't really me anymore,
or never really were.
often the question is, how much to reveal?
in a song
in an interview
in conversation
in a journal entry
in a photo, a video ...
a worthy ponder.
i think so long as the revelation, however large or small,
doesn't adversely affect another's life.
and most importantly when that other is family.
what and where are the boundaries?
always on ongoing evaluation.
more so than ever now
with one who will one day be big but is still tiny today and in my care ...

angus

halifax revisited

2009-08-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

so, i'm back in halifax for the buskers fest.

we play on the waterfront surrounded by wonderful old stone buildings.

it is a whole different world, playing on the street,

the audience right there with us, ready to be entertained.

BROTHER first played here in 94. the last time was 2001.

many good memories.

this is the first time here with no brothers

and it is kind of weird to have no one to share those earliest memories with.

gives me a glimpse of the solo performer experience ...

but soul brothers drew and t are with me and the playing feels good.

and best of all, i'm on the road with the family again.

asa proves himself to be a natural for the gypsy lifestyle.

holding the little fella, now so much bigger, so much more aware,

never fails to make everything okay.

all those other tiresome things just fall away.

a beautiful day out there.

time to go make some more music ...

angus

bethlehem

2009-07-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

as i ponder our impending return to bethlehem, pennsylvania,

the words of yeats again come to mind ...

And what rough beast, it's hour come round at last,

Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?

and it occurred to me that maybe we are indeed some kind of beast.

often, over the years, this beast BROTHER has changed its form.

and more often than not bethlehem has witnessed the new.

i look forward to unveiling the latest incarnation of the beast this week.

angus

today

2009-07-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

we are two years married today.

i just want to find the words

i don't want to say what she's already heard

i look for another way to tell her

i am the luckiest bastard i know ...

home again

2009-07-19T05:56:00.000-07:00

8:30am

home after 9 days on the road.

it was too hectic a schedule to bring the little family.

but that's the longest we'll be apart this year.

just as well. i believe he can manage but i begin to fall apart.

as yeats aptly put it ...

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity ...

you know. kind of like that.

well, any longer and i suspect that's what could happen ...

11am

but it was a good trip for the angusdrewdalbo celtribal trio.

i continue to be very pleasantly astounded

at how the sound, and the concept, evolve.

as excited as i've ever been.

maybe because i'm more aware of what's going on now.

i'm, how you say? not quite as clueless as i once was.

first time at colorado irish.

a marvellous 1 set a day long weekend.

a grassed amphitheatre.

a typhoon that held off til we'd finished our set.

as gaelic storm stormed the stage after us, so began the deluge.

3 songs into their set the weather was blasting sideways onto the stage,

blowing everyone away to seek shelter.

took me back to BROTHER at cherry creek arts festival.

also colorado. 2001?

luckily we were able to catch a full set of the storm(gaelic)

the next day. it had been a couple of years.

the capacity audience was in their palm.

and the first time seeing the elders for me that weekend.

i was entranced by their a capella 'men of erin'. beautiful.

ian apparently wrote it just after his dad died.

before we had to high tail it to the airport

we also caught 2 songs from the lovely eileen eivers and her band.

kick arse as always.

a couple of days later. river rhythms, milwaukee.

what can i say?

beautiful setting by the river. perfect sunset weather.

and it seems we broke the attendance record again.

with the band on a roll after a few shows in a row.

it pleases me that milwaukee remains a stronghold after all these years ...

pre show, milwaukee. from dalbo's drum station.

drew and i boarded a plane at 6am thursday

for our first ever new hampshire show.

this time t was providing the band heartbeat.

he drove over from the catskills and took me home the next day.

thanks mate. it was a good dress rehearsal for halifax buskers fest,

which will be drew, t and me.

the barley house was the venue. i recommend the food and the folks.

a small but enthusiastic introduction to the neighbourhood

before we play the new hampshire games next year(2010). just confirmed.

already looking forward to that weekend.

we've long been sung its praises by other bands that've played there.

but for now, home.

i walk in the garden, holding our little magical creature close.

lichey takes photos, picks flowers and blackberries.

the sun is high, blue the sky.

life is good.

angus

costa mesa, celtic fling footage

2009-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

we returned to 3 very different celtic festivals these last few weeks.

costa mesa scottish, arlington scottish, manheim celtic fling.
many years between visits.

long hot sweaty tiring weekends on funny little stages.
just as i remember.

wonderfully welcoming big crowds.
just as i remember.

here's some celtic fling footage from jen,
costa mesa footage from dick and cecilia ...

BROTHER At Costa Mesa 2009 from BROTHER on Vimeo.

2009-06-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

it is a humbling and uplifting feeling

to soothe my son with song.

asa is my favourite audience ...

he is calmed too and entranced

by the sound of my didg,

falling asleep to the vibration.

for so long a didg dabbler,

leaving the serious didging to hamish and drew,

asa now has me buzzing regularly.

thank you little matey ...

angus

visualizing

2009-06-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

back home for a while now.

i am loving being a dad.

it is something i hadn't truly envisioned

until relatively recently.

but now the visions come all the time.

i am in the moment with him. and i am visualizing ahead.

it is a captivating, mind blowing state to be in.

as a new parent different things catch my attention now.

this link was sent to me by a good friend. thank you elizabeth.

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/66h

this bloke had me laughing, reeled me in with his humour,

and thereby made his points all the more memorable.

good food for thought

as one anticipates having a child to educate.

the idea that we can have an education system

that nurtures, rather than kills, creativity ...

the grass is longer still.

another thunderstorm's on the way.

a sleeping baby lies in my arms,

and a new tune plays in my mind.

i am enjoying the spring ...

angus

and the winner is ...

2009-06-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

you sent us your choice of BROTHER looks from down the years.
many brought us a smile but in the end there was an obvious winner.
first of all, the best of the rest ...

hamish, drew and dalbo. sterling hotel 2004

roel, pittsburgh irish fest 2002

hamish, knowlton riverfest 2004

hamish, croc rock 2001

hamish and angus, celtic classic 2001

angus, halifax busker fest 1994

angus, brett, fergus, hamish. buskers fest 1994

and now, if you're ready, the one that grabbed the number one position.
appropriately it's the first BROTHER line up that came to america from oz.
hamish, angus, fergus and brett. (i can't verify if that's the correct order)
with a photo from halifax 1994, our congratulations to joanne noakes.
this one brings back many memories from our street performing days,
busking wherever we could to pay the rent.
it's not the best quality image, but maybe that's a good thing.
may i present to you the classic BROTHER bow...

thank you and good night,
angus

changing my mind

2009-06-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

thinking of mowing
changing my mind
wanting the wildflowers

to keep growing a while ...

angus

family on the road

2009-05-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

home again after 9 days on the road.

i only had to be apart from asa and lichey 2 days at most,

for costa mesa last weekend and for our show in oshkosh wisconsin.

otherwise we were together in old LA,

catching up with friends and family and chilling in the warm weather.

but 2 days is long enough for me. he changes perceptibly even in that time.

he expands like his own little universe.

his new squirming body. and his awareness.

i have realized my main mission in life is to keep him smiling.

nothing takes me higher than to see joy emanating from his little face.

so you see, it is quite a selfish mission. i want to feel good.

and his happiness makes me feel really good. thank you, littlest of maties ...

costa mesa revisited was a pleasure.

a funny little stage in place of the grand old gazebo.

but great sound for us, which makes the playing easy.

and dalbo got to use his own kit, big woody, which doesn't happen often.
drewski continues to expand his world and his sound,
and so the celtic tribal 3 piece comes more and more into its own.

i was touched by all the feedback from new and old fans.

this thing called BROTHER has evolved so much over the years.

- out of necessity with departing brothers and changing circumstances,

and because all things change with time.

but people seemed to like what they were hearing.

many hadn't seen us in a decade or more.

i picture the strapping young kilted man,

now in a pipe band and playing several instruments, including didge,

because he heard us at costa mesa a generation ago.

stories like this make me glad i've found a way to keep doing what i do.

take me outside my own perspective of it all ...

revisiting waterfest in oshkosh,
one of those midwest festivals by a river on a perfect summer evening.
dare i say idyllic? and a wonderful welcome after 3 years away.
thinking about a followup show there sometime soon if we can swing it ...

aunt, grandmother, great grandmother, and grandfather
on lichey's side were introduced to asa in his first few weeks,
visiting us here in the mountains for some truly special time.
almost all my family is on the other side of the world.

not the easiest commute.
i'm happy to say asa has now also met the first of his family on my side.
a delightful afternoon with my brother jack and family whilst in LA.
makes me realize i want more family time,

especially for him, as time rolls on.
after years of growing up in each others' pockets,
on the farm, in the city, on the road,
gradually the distances between
- sometimes literal, sometimes figurative - grew.
often it seems that's the way with family.
and of course there's always reasons for being apart.
then of course there's always reasons to come together too.
seems like a we have good reason ...

we now have a good number of 'BROTHER looks' photos
from down the years. can you believe there's been 19 of them? years, that is.

soon i will show the best of the rest we've received and the winner.

yes, i believe we may have the one. prepare thyselves ...

angus

costa mesa 1997, this weekend

2009-05-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

3 rather clean cut brothers, 1997. our last year sharing a stage.

in california with the family.

asa was a champion flying for the first time .

very proud of him. to have him on the road is a dream.

don't wake me up ...

back to costa mesa this weekend with the fellas.

so many memories there.

it will inevitably be very different after 11 years away.

well, we are different too. aren't we always?

all these photos are from '97,

the last year all 3 brothers appeared in BROTHER.

we're all looking rather clean cut,

following some particularly shaggy years.

dalbo's back there too, somewhere off screen,

no doubt looking his usual dashing self.

thanks to imaar and marisa for these ones.

my, what cool pants i had.

i'm told the gazebo we played in no longer exists.

what other surprises await us?

however things look i anticipate a joyous sweaty couple of days.

angus

what an honour

2009-05-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

asa teaches me the art of relaxing

what does it mean to help bring another life into this world?

the total reliance this new person has on my wife and i.

the wonder that he will be a grown man like me, or not like me? one day.

the privilege of us being able to watch him grow and change,

discover himself and his expanding world,

make decisions about who he is and what he wants to do.

how can thoughts like this not overwhelm?

it is a feeling i consciously surrender to.

what an honour ...

angus

archive photos, sentimental fool, costa mesa

2009-05-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

i stepped out with the bleach look sometime in the year before the accident that took us off the road for 9 months. so this must be late '98, early '99? thanks to leila for this shot. i particularly like my joe cocker interpretation.

this was at the vegas renaissance celtic festival. it was so hot the war paint was running into my eyes. i could hardly see. my old bagpipes too, before they fell apart. i'd like to get back to this festival. anyone? also from leila. what year here leels?

hamish's dreads, not long off the starting block. thanks for this one jude. 2002?

i have had it pointed out

that most archive band photos are most likely not digital,

requiring tiresome format changes, scanning or some such wizardry.

they may also be hidden away somewhere in boxes, in closets, in storage.

not to worry.

we shall make this search for classic BROTHER 'looks' an ongoing enterprise.

when you stumble upon the one that gets you smiling tho,

do send that puppy our way ... info@brothermusic.com

here in the mountains. man, woman, child.

i am very grateful to be around in these early days.

he's still so tiny but growing and changing every day.

it is a privilege to be an eye witness to the evolution of a whole new human.

inspiration for another song today.

'sentimental fool'. a hint of zeppelin in this one.

which of the new ones to do with drew at the colonial games next week?

a warm up for our return to costa mesa the following weekend with dalbo ...

costa mesa was the first celtic festival we played.

and we ended up having a dream run there from 1994 to 1998.

the only non traditional entertainment. we had quite the monopoly.

costa mesa witnessed our early evolution as a band.

they were incredible days. incredible crowds.

and we? we were pretty clueless. well, i know i was.

there's gotta be some classic archival photos

floating around from those days, n'est pas?

onstage or behind the scenes.

ladies and gentlemen you have 2 weeks to find your favourites.

spring is truly here.

new colour - gold, purple, red, white, and a very virgin green -

has pushed thru everywhere.

kind of like the insistent thrusting limbs of a new little human i know.

what a time to be in the moment.

angus

favourite BROTHER coiffs competition

2009-04-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

there it is. my brother's new head,

7 years of dread locks recently lopped for a cancer research fund raiser.

to all who have donated to the cause, our heartfelt thanks.

many of you have been with us since the early days.

it means a lot that you stay in touch actively ...

i remember the day hamish began the dreads,

at a college campus we were playing somewhere in the midwest,

after getting in depth advice from some local dreaded ladies.

much as he has loved the dreads,

i know he had thought about a shaved head for a long while,

waiting for the right reason to come. good reason.

and i'd say it's a good look for him.

he always did have more the soccer ball head.

i believe when i shave mine, some distant day hence,

it will be rather more bizarre looking ...

so the photo had me reflecting that over the years

there have been many interesting heads of hair in the BROTHER camp.

i would like to see the quirkiest of them together.

to that end i initiate a competition -

what is your favourite BROTHER coiff?

was it bleach blond? spiked? long and wild? mohawk? touch of mullet?

you name it. let me know. better yet, send us a photo and a memory.

to info@BROTHERmusic.com .

the best we will post, the very best we will reward mightily.

prize yet to be determined.

i begin with one of mine. a relic from our days with paul mitchell.

this was at a hair show at caesar's palace in vegas.

those heady days saw us finally stepping up in the fashion stakes,

in ensembles by alona hamoy, designer extraordinaire.

from plaid to leather and beyond ...

in other notable news my son turned one month on monday.

and turned himself over to commemorate the occasion.

he also gave us his first big smile.

suffice to say he continues to make us very high and very happy.

angus

a show with kirk and the boys

2009-04-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Drew, Struby from 7 Nations and Angus enjoy the spring sunshine pre show

monday morning at drew's folks place in PA.

getting ready for the show with 7 nations tonight.

i am excited for the new songs we'll be airing.

a song for lichen, a song for asa.

excited too for the new sound drew and i are creating with just the 2 of us.

also for the first ever double bill with the nations boys.

i hear tell kirk is playing his pipes again. we may have to jam.

asa is on the road for the first time.

the little fellow powers on,

getting to know his new body and life on the outside

more and more each day.

and he shows me a new world, constantly ...

for now he sleeps.

i change my strings for the show tonight and watch the rain fall outside.

angus

some things i'm noticing ...

2009-04-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

it's snowing. admittedly not a lot, but there they are,
cheeky white flakes engaging in a flurry outside my window.
feels strange after the warm tease mother nature has given us recently.
you never know what that foxy lady will be up to next in these here parts ...

my eleven day old son is out on his first trip to town with mum and auntie.
i know he's a very brave little fella but that doesn't make it any easier for dad.
i finished a song for asa last night. feels good to sing it.
i may have to quicktime it soon and send to drew in PA
so we can play it at brittinghams. and that's the other thing ...

drew and i just confirmed a double bill show with 7 nations.
the first time we'll be sharing a stage not at a festival with the lads.
having first crossed paths in 1995 at a nashville college showcase,
we've found ourselves playing many of the same festivals.
long we've talked with kirk of doing a show together
but it has never worked out. until now it seems.
brittinghams is an irish watering hole both bands have played often
and i am particularly excited for this meeting,
having not heard kirk and the fellas play in a long while.
drew and i will be unveiling a whole new sound following on the heels of drew and dalbo's groundbreaking shows at the sonora celtic festival last month. BROTHER re imagined. with a hint of nations perhaps.
and this will be my first time performing as a father,
already the source of much inspiration.
it will definitely be a large celebration of a night for me ...

so there they are. the things on my mind.
or those things i can actually interpret.
and now i will continue to smell the gluten free bread baking,
strum my guitar
and await the return of my son.
my sun.

angus

world of asa

2009-04-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

10 days i have been a father ...

words don't begin
to cover what i'm feeling.
when i look at him
i'm gone.
one little thing
born early in the morning.
bigger than anything i know.

... lichen and i are wonderfully weary, learning as we go.
it is asa's world. we are here to make sure he feels good.
it is indeed the best job in the world.
and to share this job with the one i love.
nothing better ...

it will be a while,
but i look forward to having the little family on the road,
sometime down the road.
for now, i hold my sleeping son and listen to john lennon's 'beautiful boy'.

angus

how can something so tiny be so huge?

2009-03-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

march 30

today we begin our first full day at home with asa,
our beautiful son.
we brought him home yesterday,
a year to the day that we arrived here ourselves.
the elements combined to welcome him.
gentle rain then a mighty evening thunderstorm.

after being told to be ready for more than 2 weeks,
and with a drawn out and exhausting false start behind us,
the labour was blessedly quick.
we arrived at the birth center at 4am friday morning.
he was in this world by 5.

last thursday evening - actually the official due date -
i was thinking about shaving when i had the urge to write.
a song for our unborn child followed.
labour began soon after.
glad i left the razor for another day ...

... you're due today
your mum's been long in the family way
- we know you're worth the wait

so here we are
as everything falls apart
feels like a good place to start

we don't know your name
we'll know when we see you just the same
and our paradigm will shift again

everything will change because of you everything will change
we cannot wait i'm telling you
for everything to change

you're due today
but you will come in your own way
we'll be here
we will stay ...

lichey catches up on some sleep.
i type one handed with asa nestled in the other arm.
he sqeaks in his sleep.
that one thing so small can bring so many smiles
and be the cause for so much wonder
is indeed miraculous.
i give thanks.

angus