STEPHEN LOMAS: News

RUM Radio is Radio Upper Murray - a Community Broadcaster seerving my small corner of the world in south eastern New South Wales / north eastern Victoria in Australia. It is operated by volunteers & is most definitely a 'not for profit' service.

I present a weekly program - Mudd Club, palying music in the "folk+plus" style. That means more than 'Lemon Tree' but less than 'Metallica!. If you would like airplay for your original music get in touch with me. I'm interested in anything in a folk - blues - country(ish) - funk style, Sorry, electro / techno / won't work... neither will anything ethereal.

Music needs to be your own, well recorded & produced... quality demo's are okay. I prefer cd's but mp3s are acceptable if they are recorded at at least 128bps & accompanied by liner notes.

Email me for addresses etc.

Today it's January 27th. Yesterday was Australia Day & I almost made it downtown in time for the speeches & sausage sizzle, but not quite. Right now I'm having a few thoughts about how we use the flag in Australia these days. I know there was some debate a few years back about changing it - that was during my 'absentis Australis' period so I missed out on the drama then. I got back here just in time to see the Cronulla thing going down. Yeah that made you feel proud huh!
Anyway, back to the flag. I understand that many people are quite forward in their patriotism & that's fine. Maybe I'm a closet conservative (shudder) but I get the shivers seeing folks taking on the flag as apparel, draped over the shoulders like a Superman cape as if the national symbol embodies a personal empowerment. In those cases, the empowerment appears to stem from a lethal combination of alcohol & testosterone. Be as proud as you want, I don't think donning the flag is necessary to promote your Australianism. During my US residency I'd visit Disneyland frequently & 'spot the Aussie' was always a very easy game to play. We are a very identifiable bunch.

I had my 'flag moment' when it caught my eye during a visit home several years back. Never mind the location, what got to me was the color of the sky behind it. There’s no other blue like that anywhere. Both sky & flag went together very well & spoke volumes to me that day. You want to celebrate being Australian? Just take a deep breath to clear your head of jingoism, have a good look around & be sure to look up as well. If that doesn't make you feel good about being Australian, then nothing will.

As for changing our flag, I'm open to it within reason as long as we maintain the 'blue'. Maybe shift the Union Jack to the back...

I had a brief fling with oil painting back in the late '80's. Recently got into it again & enjoying myself immensely. Principally I do maritime subjects & landscapes. We'll see what else coems along.

Check out my 'Artworks' section in the Photo Gallery. For those interested in seeing or perhaps purchasing the real thing, check out the 'Artists on Parade' gallery in Tumbarumba, NSW Australia. No website yet but it's coming...

Myles, Wally & me snuck under the wire & got through our heat at the Performer of the Year competition - run by the Bidgee Blues Club in Wagga.
The heat was real fun. Some great acts. Real good motivation. Maybe you can make it to the big final on Sunday 29th. Check the calendar section.

There was a movement in the smoke laced gloom at the end of the bar. The voice, low & murmuring, seemed to come from the brim of the hat pulled low over the stranger's face. I shut out the rattle & din around me as his words settled on my brain.

"Sunday, July 22nd... three o'clock in the afternoon." He paused. His face was obscured but I imagined dark eyes, narrowed as they scanned quickly about. "Upstairs at the Bass Bar at the Home Hotel in Wagga. It's the second heat of the Bidgee Blues Club's Performer of the Year competition."

A clatter of glasses & a rush of voices distracted my new companion. A gaggle of office girls, the zenith of their Friday night rapidly approaching, rose as one & made their way noisily from the room.
The brim of the stranger's hat turned to me again. He continued, "Stephen Lomas will be playing a set. And this time he's not playing alone. He's got Wally Condon on drums & some kid, Miles... on bass. Ought to be a great show."

The stranger raised his head in profile & drained his glass. Pulling the brim of his hat back down over his face he strode purposely toward the door. Before it swung shut I again heard the giggles & squeals of the office girls echo from the stairwell. Steve Lomas in a blues music competition I thought... I wouldn't miss it.

Just like working for Rolling Stone magazine. PayplayFM makes it easy for you to write reviews of Stephen Lomas music, or anybody else's in their catalog.
Click these links to see how...

When April rolls around... If you're Aussie, Kiwi or Turk you know what I mean. If you're not one of the above then the Australian War Memorial will explain a few things:

Anyway, I invite you to check out my song ANZAC Day - listen to it on my "Music" pages (Mermaids cd). I wrote it at a song writing workshop hosted by Bob Franke & it surprised me how fast it came.

The story within the song is factual in a fanciful way - ie it didn't really happen. My uncle, a veteran of the New Guinea campaign (NGAWWC) invited me to march with him in Sydney when I was about 9 or 10. I was initially very excited & was counting the days. However, as April 25th got closer, I remember feeling nervous about participating in such a "grown-up" event. That nervousness, together with some other concerns had me miss out on marching - something I always quietly regretted.

I wrote the song as an expression of the anticipation I felt way back then. Hope you enjoy it. You can find the song on my cd Mermaids or download through iTunes.

Check out City Lights & The New Plantation in the Music Section. They're only "demo's" but I hope you enjoy them anyway.

The reasons for going to war in Iraq have flipped & flopped ever since it began. Was it because Saddam was evil, because of WMD's or a rabid desire to establish democracy? Who can remember.
I invite you to check out an article written by a former US soldier. Kevin Tillman speaks from a valid perspective; he & his brother Pat enlisted freely. Kevin served in Iraq, Pat was killed in Afghanistan. Kevin's article speaks simply & bluntly, pulling the Bush/Rumsfeld folly into clear, cold focus.
Read it here on Myspace or go to MichaelMoore.com where it was originally published.

A thought or two about guitars.
There are a couple of new shots in the Photo Gallery including some of my guitars.

I must say my Taylor 812C is very nice & when I bought it I figured this was the "one for life!" I recorded almost all of the acoustic parts on my cd "Mermaids" with it. Very easy to play, great intonation, lots of middle & top end - makes your picking stand out.

Then 6 months later they came out with the 814 - a little deeper in the body & a corresponding increase in bottom end. I didn't trade up but can we ever be satisfied?

Well yes, we can! I have since got to share my life with a Stefan Sobell Model One. This instrument is beyond belief - construction & finish are absolutely superb. Some unique features contribute to its presence, both aural & visual - the varying depth of the body bouts as well as a gentle arch in the top which pre-stresses it allowing lighter bracing.
This is a guitar which demands a listeners attention right from the first note or chord.
Visit www.sobellinstruments.com

I use the Sobell strictly for open tunings & slide work. TheTaylor used to do it all but now performs only in Standard tuning with an occasional trip to "Drop D."

You can hear my Taylor on my "Mermaids" cd while the Sobell does most of the picking on "Sinbad Ranch" - well the Taylor features on the title track & "Cool Water (both in drop D) as well as all the "strummer" songs.

I've set myself up on Myspace.com. Seems that half the people I know are on there already.


Check me out!
While you're there, link over to Billy Beck's' site - he has some great songs playing.

I notice that the tune Moreton Bay gets a lot of attention on this site. I play it strictly as an instrumental but be advised, it has some wonderful lyrics backing up a true story from Australia's convict past.
So, I have posted the lyrics with the song on its' Music page. As I was typing them up, I couldn't help but think of the Australian terror suspect Terry Hicks, & his fellow sufferers at Guantanamo Bay. It's a horrible way to find relevance in folk music.

So... you prefer to buy your cd's from a store rather than over the internet. No problem - ask your favorite music store if they use Super D Distributors. If they do then they will be able to special order Mermaids or Sinbad Ranch for you.

Super D distributes world wide so there is a good chance that the little shop down the road can get Stephen Lomas music or just about anything else for you - no worries!

In Australia there are 25 stores that can order from Super D.
Here are just a few...
Minotaur Ent. (Melbourne), 618 Records (Adelaide), Spot Music (Avalon), Fish Records (Balmain), Resist Records (Newtown), Red Eye Records (Sydney).

In the USA there are over 2000 participating stores. Worldwide Super D supplies stores throughout Europe, Japan, the Middle East & South America.

A big thank you to all the folks who responded to my guest appearance on Ian Price's "Blues & Beyond" show on Radio 2AAA FM. It was a lot of fun - Ian played a selection of songs from both my Mermaids & Sinbad Ranch cd's & I got to chat a bit. I played a couple of songs live - "Rolling & Tumbling" to get with the "blues" theme of the show, plus "Fade Away" which was intended for Sinbad Ranch but we ran out of room.
"Blues & Beyond" can be heard Tuesdays 10 - Midnight (Eastern Australian time) on 2AAA FM 107.1 Wagga Wagga (NSW, Australia). If that's not close to you listen to the live streaming through their website: http://www.2aaa.net

I've stepped right out of character today & set up a song for free download. The song, "Fade Away" was intended for my new cd Sinbad Ranch but at the final cut it was squeezed out - there just wasn't room.
Fade Away has a long sad look at the homeless among us. Read more about it & get the download in the Music section.
For the curious guitarists out there, I used a "double G" tuning for this one. Same as regular open G tuning but with the second string (B) tuned down to G. In other words both the 2nd & 3rd strings are tuned to G.

It's April & I'm back in Tumbarumba. What happened to March? Nice sojourn from LA to Seattle & back. Only destroyed one rental car; not a bad record. Saw most of the friends I wanted to see...
Kick started my new cd "Sinbad Ranch" at the Unurban in Santa Monica. Have a look at the pictures in the Photo Gallery. Special thanks to Michael Silliman at the Unurban for letting me do a long show; and also for lending me two of his guitars. The Ovation was "interesting," the Goodall was superb.
Speaking of guitars, thanks also to Jef Davis at McCabes for lending me a nice Taylor when I played there.
And more guitars... I picked up a G&L Tribute series (their import brand) S-500. So many pick-up combinations, it'll take me years to figure them out. Not as flashy as their US made instruments but it looks, feels & plays a cut above the usual import.

Whether you're a suffering songwriter knocking about LA looking for gigs or just dangerously curious... sooner or later you'll show up at the Bliss Art House Cafe in Hollywood & you'll meet my good friend Billy Beck. You'll be glad you did.
I found this podcast of an interview with Billy by JvonD which covers amongst other things Billy's guitar tuning (absolutely unique), his musical style, influences & development, his famous "Bonzo" dog stories & some fine jamming.

There's a lot of material here so find some time & log onto - http://jvond.com/podcast/2005-12-20_JVonD_BillyBeck.mp3

Then... find your way to the Bliss on Vine at Fountain. open mic on Mondays, jam session on Fridays. Damn I miss that place!

So what do you call your favorite music - "Adult Contemporary", "Alternative" or just "Folk"? For me the lines get too blurred. Anyway, I'm getting a collection of Radio Stations that play some cool stuff - including my music! Some are internet radio, some are broadcast stations.
The latest addition to my list is 3MDR 97.1FM, "the voice of the Dandenongs" in Victoria, Australia. Have a listen to Folk on the Fringe on Wednesday nights.
Find them all in the Links Section.

So... you want to buy the cd but well you're just not sure about it. Or you want to download a track but do you really like it that much? There is a solution - use www.weed.com.
Weed is a file sharing service that allows you to download a song & play it up to three times for free. That's when you get to make a decision whether to buy it or not.
Cool thing is you can also share the song with friends - if they buy it, you get a commission, Yeah we'll all get rich!
Here's the full link to my music on Weed.com: www.weedtracks.com/weed/artist/Stephen+Lomas

I'd been playing around with guitars for years before I finally made a stand at a mic. And when you're just one guy with a guitar well they say it's folk music right? Here's how I got here...
For awhile I was keen to be a Motivational Speaker. But I just couldn't be bothered.
I flew airplanes for a time. Thought about becoming an airline pilot. But I found that I just couldn't drink enough!
I considered pursuing Political Office. I took all the tests, you know, checking my background, integrity, honesty, personality & things like that.Well that didn't work out. The results came in & I found that I had scored way too high. Passed 'em all!
I enquired about joining the Police. Thought that would work because everyone tells me I'm a right proper bastard. But that wasn't good enough. Police applicants are required to be total & complete bastards!
Horses are cool. I thought I could be a jockey but well, I wear boxers.
I could have studied a bit & become a lawyer, But why would anyone become a lawyer?

Let's see... who else is there to insult?
Well I was school teacher years ago. Then I thought I'd try working for a living!
Okay you chalks, calm down, it's just a joke! Really!
Considered terrorism.... but there was a problem. They tell you "blow up a bus & there'll be seventy virgins waiting for you in Paradise!" Sounds good but they don't mention gender at all. Besides, I don't think seventy virgins is any where near enough. You have to consider your personal image too. I mean, strap on a bomb-belt & jeez your arse looks big!

Have fun!