Last weekend I got to see the Flickering Stars at the Merri Creek Tavern for $10 and that was so worth more than that. The feel of the Merri Creek Tavern is so amazing with the red light it looks like you are looking at a box type stage. They have finished doing gigs for 2025 but if you get a chance you should definitely check them out and especially look out for their Music that is close to being finished. They are back in the recording studio this week and it will be interesting to hear how that goes as Idge is allowing someone else be an engineer.

I spent the afternoon talking with Idge, the lead singer of Flickering Stars today having a chat for a future episode. Idge is also the COE, Studio Manager and head engineer at Soundpark Studios in Northcote. If I don't cut it from the episode you will hear that I met Idge after he advertised a 12 hour mixed take home CD deal. We took up this offer and it was the best decision. He was in the back of a different studio back then and some of the renovations are in our songs on the EP New Space, when he started building his current place we were mixing in a fairly empty warehouse that still today has a really great feel. It is like 25 years later and I hope he is proud of what he does and his part in helping create such a great independent music scene. He has worked with so many great Melbourne and Australian Musicians and would probably be too shy to tell you about it unless you spend some time with him.

When I recorded Sometimes Anderson's EP there in 2022 I think even Kurt Vile had tried to arrange a time to do some recording there when he was touring. If you have not been in a recording studio, you are not so much removed from me as I have only really been in 2 with the same engineer. I will have to ask someone I interview next about where they like to record and what different studios feel like. I like working at Soundpark because it feels like a place you go on camp and is a bit removed from the relaity of the traffic and life happening outside it. It has an awesome studio that feels warm and has so many instruments and things I would like to use it is overwhelming but normally when you are in the studio you are not starting something new so you can't start playing with new instruments.

Anyway Idge's episode is out in 2026.

On Sunday I went and saw most of Yolanda's double set at the Railway. In fact, I should have just stayed on that side of town for the night as these venues were so close to each other.

Yolanda fills the Railway for her afternoon Sunday session and it is wonderful to see so many people there for her music. Her voice and story telling are wonderful and I have been listening to the different music she makes and is influenced by as I edit her episode.

It is very hard not to just get distracted by listening to Billie Holiday, who is not some one I have deep dived much. Her delivery of lyrics and timing is quite beautiful.

Yolanda has another gig at the Drunken Poet on the 3rd of Decemember, which is walking distance for me this time and one of my favourite places to see music.

Have a great week.

And yes, my band Kruzy are finally going to play a gig after the Album launch in May 2003 in March 2026! We even have a set list. It is going to be weird as I did say I was not doing live after a bit of a disaster at the Drunken Poet in 2009 and listening to Musicians who should not have had an influence on me.