The Toot Toot Toots are preparing to unleash their quirky “spaghetti western rock opera” Outlaws on the masses. I can’t recall an album described as such ever crossing my path, but when you listen to these tracks it all starts to make sense.
The record tells the story of the immigrant Eli Rayne and the bloodshed and vengeance that shadows his arrival in the gold rush town of Gomorrah Fields. It also offers a range of musical genres, from gospel to country to mariarchi band to classic doo-wop pop. It’s all very ambitious, especially for a debut album!
Outlaws hits stores today. To celebrate its release, the Toot Toot Toots will visit some of their favourite venues around Australia. If the album tracks I’ve heard are any indication, audiences are in for one hell of a ride!
19 April 2012 – The Junkyard, Maitland
20 April 2012 – The Vanguard, Sydney
21 April 2012 – The Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle
22 April 2012 – The Phoenix, Canberra
27 April 2012 – The Joynt, Brisbane
28 April 2012 – Queen St Mall, Brisbane
28 April 2012 – X&Y Bar, Brisbane
4 May 2012 – Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne
12 May 2012 – The Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
Image used with permission from Show Off Services
It’s been some time coming, but 
I fell in love at first note with Patrick James, a sweet young acoustic guitar-playing troubadour from Port Macquarie. He was a cutie, but his modest personality and superb lyrics really won me. Despite being a support act the crowd around me was so respectful that I could really take in the words he sang. Just when I thought his set couldn’t get any better he was joined by his banjo-playing pal. Together they created the perfect indie folk tunes to set the stage for the evening ahead.
I must admit, I was flagging after Patrick. Pub gigs always get so late for this middle-aged music lover! I whispered to my husband that I wished there wasn’t another support act; I wanted to hear Howie and head on home! But there was Brendan Maclean, a magnificent musician who turned my fatigue around. He made a big impression with his colourful jacket and Dwayne Wayne style sunglasses, but as his first impassioned piano driven song unfolded it was clear this guy wasn’t just about looks. His set flew by with quirky originals and cover versions of songs by Leonard Cohen and Lady Gaga. You’re not going to find that combination very often folks! Whether on piano or his beloved ukulele Murphy Brown, Brendan wowed me.
And then there was Howie Day. He’s still largely unknown in this country but I’ve been following his career for the past decade. In fact, my husband and I realised as we sat waiting for him to appear that we’d seen him first eight years ago in New York City. It was the first show we ever saw together, something I was thrilled to tell the man himself once his set wrapped up. But before I reverted to teenage fangirl it was time to soak up his brilliance. His set drew from his three albums and the brand new EP Ceasefire, something that pleased a long-time fan like me greatly. The simplicity of his lone acoustic guitar and plaintive vocals was matched perfectly by his tech wizardry. What that man does with looped recordings blows my mind each time I witness it. It’s such a neat trick that he uses like a pro, making the right songs feel bigger and more lush. However in the more intimate tunes like “She Says” and “No Longer What You Require” he does away with the trickery and lets his guitar and voice speak for themselves. It’s just magic.