Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band

Subject: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Helen
Date: 05 Jan 01 - 06:15 PM

Hi all you other Aussies, & interested others,

Way back in 1973 when I went to the Nimbin Festival, a bush band called Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band played one evening out on a sports oval or something. When it got too dark to see where we were dancing we still yelled for more music because it was so good.

I was just wondering who the band members were. I used to have one of their posters but I think it is long gone after innumerable shared house moves. I probably wore it out from taking it down and tacking it up again on the walls, or someone else may have taken a fancy to it and snaffled it. It didn't have the band members names on it, as far as I remember, though.

I often try to think back about how I became interested in folk music.

The list so far is:

1. Hearing the Irish Rovers (I think it was them) singing Black Velvet Band on the radio. I don't know what year that was.
2. School of the Air, ABC Radio school's broadcasting programme - Chris Kempster who is a singer/songwriter and also the editor of the Henry Lawson songbook was a key player in getting folk music into schools via this programme. In primary schoool, from 1963-1966
3. Borrowing John Meredith's book called Folk Songs of Australia from the local public library and trying to play the songs on a plastic whistle called a Musette. Also learning some folk tunes on the Musette at school. 1966(?) onwards.
4. Going to a folk concert at Maitland, put on by the Newcastle Folk Club, with performers such as Bobby Campbell, Brad Tate (I think he was there) and Bill Morgan. 1971
5. Going to the Newcastle Folk Club a couple of times when I was in high school. 1971-2
6. Going to the Nimbin Festival, hearing people making their own music, seeing & dancing to Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band. 1973
7. After moving to Newcastle in 1974, going regularly to the Newcastle Folk Club and every year to Newcastle Folk Festival, and some other festivals elsewhere.

By then I was well & truly hooked.

So, Bob Bolton & others, can you help me here with the names of the band members?

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Jan 01 - 03:11 AM

Helen, it seems there is a video available HERE , but it is expensive.....it's about the 22nd item in the list, and at the very bottom is a Home clickie. Don't know if this will help or not.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Helen
Date: 06 Jan 01 - 05:46 PM

Thanks a lot, Sorcha. I tried a search on Google and got nothing.

I thought Bob Bolton would jump right in within minutes with the answer. Maybe he is on holidays.

The description of the video says that the band has been playing for three years. Either there is a new band with that name or it is a misprint. The one I heard was in 1973.

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Bugsy
Date: 06 Jan 01 - 07:25 PM

Hi Helen, Mulga Bil's Bicycle Band were;

Tony Britz- Banjo, Acoustic Guitar and vocals Barry Golding - Lagerphone, Acoustic Guitar and Vocals,
Chris Bettle - Acoustic and Electric Fiddle
Marsh Robinson - Double and Teachest Bass
Jo BEams - Vocals and Tambourine
PEter McDonald - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Mouth Organd and Vocals.

Hope this is of help.

CHeers

''

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Helen
Date: 07 Jan 01 - 04:58 PM

Thanks heaps, Bugsy.

I don't recognise any of the names. Do you know how long the band was in existence, or is it still going? I never really heard any more about them after a year or so after the Nimbin Festival. I don't even know where they started either. In fact I know very little about them.

The reason they suddenly sprang to mind was katlaughing's thread about Peter Duggan and Jacko Kevans, who have been around the folk scene for decades. When Bob Bolton mentioned that Jacko lived on the north coast I suddenly remembered Nimbin and the Mulga Bill's band.

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 07 Jan 01 - 06:54 PM

Hi Helen, you're in luck, I knew Mulga Bill's extremely well and were a great stage act. They were mostly members of the Melbourne Uni Folk Club and formed Mulga Bill's circa 1972. They played to packed houses at the Polaris Inn in Melbourne, before embarking on two national tours sponsored by the Australian Arts Councils where they visited scores of rural towns. While on their first tour ABC TV filmed an episode of the ground breaking Big Country series, probably in B&W (1973?).

The other bands that were prominent at Polaris at the time were The Bushwackers, Mic Conway's Captain Matchbox and later on The Cobbers.

Mulga Bill's had a great influence on me as well. I performed one of my first paid gigs at one of their concerts, played with them as a fill-in on a few occasions and then went on to form a new band with Peter McDonald and Marsh Robinson plus Dave Kidd from The Bushwackers and the late Chris Wendte from the fabulous but defunct Colonials and did about 400 gigs together until 1976.

I don't know what has happened to the other members of Mulga Bill. Peter and I later formed the Jeff Kennet Blues Band. Marsh Robinson is a truly superb jazz double bass player and apart from credits on recordings I'd be very surprised if he wasn't still playing. The others - I don't know.

Regards, John

Subject: Lyr Add: MULGA BILL'S BICYCLE ("Banjo" Paterson)
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Jan 01 - 08:14 PM

I know it doesn't answer any of Helen's questions, but I recognized immediately where the group got its name, from one of my favorite poems. I was first introduced to the works of A. B. Paterson (other than The Man From Snowy River and Waltzing Matilda) by a TV special on PBS years ago. I figure I may never get a chance to drop it into a conversation again ~~ so, by the way . . .

MULGA BILL'S BICYCLE
by A.B. "Banjo" Paterson, 1864-1941
First published in The Sydney Mail, 25 July 1896

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze;
He turned away the good old horse that served him many days;
He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen;
He hurried off to town and bought a shining new machine;
And as he wheeled it through the door, with air of lordly pride,
The grinning shop assistant said, "Excuse me, can you ride?"

"See here, young man," said Mulga Bill, "from Walgett to the sea,
From Conroy's Gap to Castlereagh, there's none can ride like me.
I'm good all round at everything as everybody knows,
Although I'm not the one to talk - I hate a man that blows.

But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight;
Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a wildcat can it fight.
There's nothing clothed in hair or hide, or built of flesh or steel,
There's nothing walks or jumps, or runs, on axle, hoof, or wheel,
But what I'll sit, while hide will hold and girths and straps are tight:
I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern right straight away at sight."

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that sought his own abode,
That perched above Dead Man's Creek, beside the mountain road.
He turned the cycle down the hill and mounted for the fray,
But 'ere he'd gone a dozen yards it bolted clean away.
It left the track, and through the trees, just like a silver streak,
It whistled down the awful slope towards the Dead Man's Creek.

It shaved a stump by half an inch, it dodged a big white-box:
The very wallaroos in fright went scrambling up the rocks,
The wombats hiding in their caves dug deeper underground,
As Mulga Bill, as white as chalk, sat tight to every bound.
It struck a stone and gave a spring that cleared a fallen tree,
It raced beside a precipice as close as close could be;
And then as Mulga Bill let out one last despairing shriek
It made a leap of twenty feet into the Dead Man's Creek.

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that slowly swam ashore:
He said, "I've had some narrer shaves and lively rides before;
I've rode a wild bull round a yard to win a five-pound bet,
But this was the most awful ride that I've encountered yet.
I'll give that two-wheeled outlaw best; it's shaken all my nerve
To feel it whistle through the air and plunge and buck and swerve.
It's safe at rest in Dead Man's Creek, we'll leave it lying still;
A horse's back is good enough henceforth for Mulga Bill."

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 07 Jan 01 - 09:17 PM

Ah ... G'day Helen and everyone,

I'm afraid this is the first I have seen of this thread ... I have been working hard capturing old cassette recorded folk stuff and burning CDs - and the home machine gets very touchy about Mudcat when I have been using lots of memory (everything else works ... maybe it doesn't have a good capacity for folk music).

Anyway, you got the full story from John in Brisbane - more detail than I could have given you!

BTW: I think I have a concert or two of theirs, on cassette (from ABC broadcasts).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Helen
Date: 08 Jan 01 - 05:26 PM

Thanks for all the info John, & Dale for the poem, and Bob, and Bugsy.

Now I wish I could hear some of their music or see that video - but not for $100.

Ask & I shall receive (grin).

Reading the poem again reminds me of a kids picture book illustrating it. The picture of Mulga Bill "as white as chalk" hurtling down the rocky slope is one of the funniest pix I have ever seen. I could almost reproduce it right now, even though I haven't seen it for at least 10 years.

I just bought a bicycle a couple of months ago. Haven't ridden a bike for about 20 years so I am still in the hair-raising/Mulga Bill stage when I get it out on the road. Fighting for your rights in traffic is worse than speeding down a rocky slope, IMHO.

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From:
Date: 28 Jan 02 - 03:42 PM

Hello all, I found this thread after typing Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band into Google. I did this strange thing because my dad played a tape of theirs which his brother sent over from Australia (we're in the uk) years and years ago. It has been played many, many times and is sounding a bit old. We're all very fond of it as a family and i was trying to see if there was a cd available of their music. I guess from the above conversation, that's a non starter, but any info to the contrary would be very gratefully received.

Thanks Hannah

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,alinact
Date: 28 Jan 02 - 03:58 PM

Ah the Polaris Inn - them were the days!

Allan

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 20 May 02 - 12:18 AM

Just a couple of additional notes for posterity. The original double bass player with Mulga Bill's was Ian "Norm" Sullivan, a classically trained muso who in later years acquired a 5 string bass (with a low B string) with a headstock carved with the face of Beethoven. Then came Marsh Robinson and later Peter Howell took over the double bass mantle. You'll find Peter's name with recording session credits on a number of CD's produced in Australia.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Helen
Date: 20 May 02 - 12:47 AM

Sorry, Hannah (28 Jan 02) - I didn't see your posting then. I don't know if there are any CD's available. Someone else might know. If the vinyl and/or CD's if any are totally unavailable then someone may be able to copy something for you and send it to you. If it is still available then buying it and supporting the musicians is the what we usually recommend, but if this is the only way you would get a copy then it's a possibility.

The video is available from Australia's ABC-TV but apparently it is expensive. It would be in PAL (not NTSC) video format which is the usual format in the UK I think.

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From:
Date: 20 May 02 - 11:19 PM

Hello Helen, Bob & John.

Around the same time there was an Oz group called Captain Matchbox, or Captain Matchbox and The ( His ) Whoopee Band. Any idea where I can get some info on this group, especially their song Wangaratta Wahine.

JG/FME.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 21 May 02 - 07:36 AM

G'day John,

I remember The Capt. Matchbox Whoopee Band from the 1971 National ... in Adelaide ... yipes! (I even have photographs of them in one of the concerts.)

They did promote themselves to Major Matchbox over the years ... but I've not heard them for some time now. I do have Wangaratta Wahine on vinyl ... out there ... somewhere, but are you after extra information not vouchsafed in their record notes?

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: greg stephens
Date: 21 May 02 - 07:42 AM

Were they the Australian mob who appeared at an Olympic Games opening ceremony playing Soldiers Joy after emerging from some sort of exploding mushroom? This is a memory from a very long timeago, I might have the odd detail wrong, but I remember a lagerphone and fiddle.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: greg stephens
Date: 21 May 02 - 07:44 AM

Come to think of it, I think Bullocky Bill mighthave been part of the title, not Mulga Bill. Any recollections?

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Hrothgar
Date: 21 May 02 - 07:46 AM

Was Lionel O'Keefe in Mulga Bill at one time? I seem to remember commenting that I didn't think it was really his sort of music, and he said something like, "It's not too bad, and it keeps a few snags in the fridge."

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: John Gray
Date: 21 May 02 - 11:58 AM

Hello Bob,

Re Captain Matchbox. Thanks for the info. I've been trying to come up with a site that lists their songs & lyrics but no luck.
Yeah, I had the vinyl too, the one with the cartoon lady, on the cover, as a keystone in the bridge. I think one of my ex-wives ended up with it.

JG/FME.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,roo
Date: 26 May 02 - 08:12 PM

Here's a story and some audio of Mic Conway talking about the evolution of Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band. He and was the frontman for the group and now has his own site for the National Junkband, this century's version of Captain Matchbox I'd say.

cheers, Valda

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Sep 02 - 04:31 AM

The album that I have is called Wangaratta Wahine, and the cover features a Leunig cartoon with a naked lady in place of the keystone on a bridge, and a character on stilts with his tongue out and an evil grin, the bridge is filled with Leunig characters. Tracks include the title track, Hernando's hideaway, Your feet's to big, If youse a viper, Wait for me Juanita, and others (12 in all) I used to share a house with, amongst others, Peter McDonald, in Parkville, near Melbourne Uni. The band was definitely called Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band, Greg, and my partner at the time owned a Volkswagen twin cab ute that the band took to Sunbury, and had Mulga Bill painted across the back of it. When Mary and I lived in Castlemaine, the ute was well known around town. I used to hang around the folk nights at Traynors in Little Lonsdale Street in the sixties, wonder what happened to some of those folk

Cheers Graham

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 30 Sep 02 - 08:59 PM

G'day John Gray and (GUEST) Graham,

I listened to Mic Conway and his National Junk Band down at the Illawarra Folk Festival at Jamberoo, two weeks back. At one point Mic asked "Is there anyone here who remembers the Captain Matchbox Band? When lots of people raised their hands, he said (~) "Damn! I was hoping we had a new, young audience."

I bought two of his CDs ... one of which was a combination of two past Captain Matchbox LPs ... and the cover(s) ... front and back ... have the Leunig cartoons (the back one shows the fallen, ruined bridge, with a tall "Wanted" poster for the lascivious stilt-walker. I'll look at them when I get home and post the details, if you are interested.

BTW: I told Mic I had photos of Captain Matchbox performing at the (Australian) National Folk Festival in Adelaide, (January?) 1971 ... just a year or so after Captain Matchbox formed as a band.He asked if this was a blackmail approach! (Actually, both my wife and I reckon they were a highlight of that festival!)

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: allanwill
Date: 02 Oct 02 - 10:56 AM

If you want to see Captain Matchbox performing, get hold of the film "Dimboola". It's another one of those early seventies Aussie movies that I'm always raving about and is simply about a country wedding. Capt. M. are the band that plays at the reception party.

I'm surprised that those above who know the band all refer to Wangaratta Wahini, but nobody has mentioned their "hit" record (in Victoria at least) "My Canary Has Circles Under Its Eyes".

Allan

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Peter Howell
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 12:44 AM

Hi Greg That event was the opening concert for the World Soccer Cup in Frankfurt in 1974. The exploding mushrooms(!) were soccer balls. It was my last gig with the band.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Helen
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 04:57 AM

Hi Peter,

Welcome to Mudcat. And thanks for contributing to that wonderful band, Mulga Bill's. I started this thread, 3 years and 9 days ago and if you want to know what I thought of the band, just read what I wrote then. I count MBBB as a significant musical influence, which helped me to get into folk music. I also still vividly remember that Nimbin experience.

Capt Matchbox was one of my favourites too, because they used to gig at Newcastle, NSW fairly often, including the annual May Ball, which was always a real riot.

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Margret RoadKnight
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 05:26 AM

Hi Pete - Happy New Year! (Good to see your name pop up)

Btw, Mic Conway's National Junk Band were a definite highlight at the Woodford Folk Festival.

Also saw Mic last month in Sydney when we both sang duets with Jeannie Lewis at her "SOUThEART" CD launch.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Golly
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 08:14 AM

i would love to find out what happened to
Marsh Robinson He also played bass in Jasmine and The Tea Leaves in the 1980's in Melbourne. I used to jam with him at The Green Man in Malvern and 1c1. I remember he had a truamatic event (love type I think) and went off to the Queensland outback supporting himself as a tiler. We always expected him to return to Melbourne but he never did. He was a hell of a bass player.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Gerry McArdle
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 06:40 AM

This is years after the event. Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band (title comes from a Banjo Patterson verse) began as a group of students from Latrobe University at the Polaris Inn in Melbourne in the early 1970s. I was just arrived from Ireland, and used to sing there sometimes on Friday nights in 1972. The Bushwhacker's Band also evolved from that group, and I have some of their CDs. I was hoping the Polaris might be there still, as I will be revisitng Australia in October this yeaar, 2007. Alas, it seems to have disappeared.
Gerry.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Peter McDonald
Date: 21 Aug 07 - 08:10 PM

Gerry
Peter McDonald here, formerly of Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band.

I can't quite place you from the good old Polaris days but please make contact and maybe we can catch up when you are in Melbourne in October.

My contact number is 613 9532 9449 and my email address is:
[e-mail]

The top of the morning to you

Peter Mc

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Gerry McArdle
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 11:23 AM

Thanks Peter, and I've emailed you. There was a guy called Alan with whom I was very friendly; he became a teacher in some country town. Suitably vague, as happens with a lapse of time, but if that rings any bells for anyone, I'd love to hear from him.
[e-mail] will get me.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 22 Aug 07 - 09:19 PM

Hi Margaret, saw you on the ABC last night... :-)


BTW, would really love to get CDs of all the old Matchbox LPs - my collection was depleted...

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Joybell
Date: 23 Aug 07 - 06:00 PM

Hello Peter -- So any news of Marsh Robinson for Golly -- see above.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: JackSpratt
Date: 03 Feb 11 - 03:22 PM

Hi,

For anyone who is interested, I have just posted a Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band Record up for Auction.

Regards

Jack Spratt

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: freda underhill
Date: 04 Feb 11 - 07:40 AM

The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band reformed in 2010 for the Woodford Folk Festival, with shows at Bluesfest and Sydney (Cat & Fiddle - standing room only) and Melbourne. Members: Mic Conway, Jim Conway, Jeremy Cook, Don Hopkins, Phil Donnison, Cazzbo Johns, Jess Green and George Washingmachine.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 14 Feb 11 - 09:21 PM

G'day Freda,

... I reckon they won't look all that much like my photos of them at the 1971 National Folk festival, (Australian Day Weekend - usually the last weekend of January) in Adelaide!

I also photographed Margret RoadKnight in both the Saturday Night concert and the Sunday Night concerts at NFF '71!

Regard(les)s,

Bob

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Mike Fitzgerald
Date: 30 May 11 - 03:53 AM

In 1980 Tony Britz (ex Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band) was playing with a group called the 'Bass Straits' in Forth, Tasmania, near where he lived. The Band consisted on Tony , a couple (names escape me) and 3 Fitzgerald sibs; Anne, Trish and Mike (myself). It was a hoot indeed!! However, we all went different ways after 1980. Tony moved to Melbourne, I believe. I would like to track him down as well, if anybody knows of his where aboouts

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Marsh Robinson
Date: 11 Mar 13 - 09:20 AM

In 2009 I was contacted by Chris Bettle with a proposal to perform with him, Liz Eager and Barry Goanna Golding in Forbes. His pitch concerned the song "The Ballad of Ben Hall". We had performed it all over the country but never in Forbes. Chris had friends in Forbes, and so he had heard that Forbes was planning a Ben Hall Festival in September of 2009. He saw his chance to have "Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band" finally perform the Ballad in the place where it was set. Chris contacted Liz, Barry and me to ask if we would perform a set at an event during the festival, with of course the Ballad being represented. We agreed, and began rehearsing via loungeroom recordings sent through the post.
Come the day, we played two sets and were part of an event which included relatives of Ben Hall, including his great nephew, himself named Ben Hall. It was a charming affair, and I believe we acquitted ourselves to the audience's satisfaction and the memory of the Band. I don't recall all the tunes we played, but we finished as we began with the lovely sound of Liz's flute on Tom Blackman's Waltz.
It was videod by Liz's husband Clive who had been sound engineer with Mulga Bill for many years.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 11 Mar 13 - 07:53 PM

G'day GUEST,Marsh Robinson,

Which "Ballad of Ben Hall" is it to which you refer ... the " Come all you Lachlan Men ..." one ... ?

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 11 Mar 13 - 08:02 PM

G'day again ...

... Marsh Robinson:

I should map out my reference ... I'm thinking of:

THE STREETS OF FORBES
(Said to be written by Ben Hall's brother-in-law, John McGuire on seeing the body paraded down "the streets of Forbes" by the police troopers.)

(As posted by me ... ~ back in 1998 ...)

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Marsh Robinson
Date: 12 Mar 13 - 05:37 AM

You are right Bob - it was the Streets of Forbes I was referring to.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Mar 13 - 11:06 PM

G'day again Marsh Robinson,

I suppose that "The Streets of Forbes" has to be the logical 'lead number' when your playing for a Ben Hall Festival ... in Forbes! (I was involved ... as (then) Chairman of the NSW Flok Federation back around 1972 / 1973 with attempts to get "Ben Hall Festivals" going in various towns ... all claiming (~) "equal rights" to Ben hall, over (and before) his bushranging career.

Definitely Forbes that gets my vote ... having been conducted (by Rob Willis ... now a folklorist at Film & Sound Australia ...) out to see the spot, in the middle of a sheep paddock ... where the troopers actually sent in their 'black tracker' to take whatever risk there was in sneaking up on a sleeping man and shooting him dead!

All the mentions of Mic Conway resonate ... even Freda Underhill's 2010 reference to The Woodford Festival. Some years back, at the party for the daughter of a local Lebanese lady friend, I was apparoached by a younger Australian lady who said she recognised me from Folk Festivals around the country ... and said she was doing a video on the Mic & the Band for the "Spirit of Woodford" video competition.

I mentioned my 1971 Adelaide Captain Matchbox photos ... and she ended up including several as 'throwbacks' to balance her coverage of the young Woodford band trying to get the 'Matchbox sound'. Apparently her video did well ... hey who else has ancient black & white stills in their coloured moving videos!

Anyway, I did, for a while run into Mic ... several times in my Doctor's waiting room ... since he lives about a kilometre away from me - a short ... and interesting walk!

Regard(les)s,

Bob

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,David French
Date: 10 May 13 - 06:32 AM

I took the kids to meet Julia Gillard a week or so ago. My father took me to meet Gough Whitlam at about the same age - in the same place in Rockhampton that he took us to see Mulga Bills Bicycle Band. Now in my late 40's, I see Dad must gave been a serious leftie! I still remember the night at MBBB, and especially "The F111 it is a Lovely Plane", which is interesting in light of the JSF debate. As Split Enz said "History Never Repeats"!.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 13 - 04:45 AM

David; I wonder if you could recall any of the concert that you saw? After all this time, memory of each concert in Qld tend to blur , but I remember that some places we did a concert only, at other places we cleared the chairs and ran a bushdance.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Don Reis
Date: 16 Nov 13 - 05:56 AM

Hi, Marsh Robinson was in the folk group Shearer's Nightmare in the early 1980s. They were based in Rockhampton. They released one album of mostly self penned tunes in 1984 on the Larrikin label [LRF 149] called Burning Sleepers. A friend of mine called Paul Keating [not the ex-PM] was also a member along with Rob Brock, Barbara Bowman and Mick McGinty. I saw Mulga BIll's Bicycle Band on Thursday Island while I was teaching there in 1974. Paul was a high school teacher there at the time and I guess this is where he first met Marsh. One of the band spent most of the day before the concert riding around the island on a penny farthing bike.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Jules Normington
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 02:19 AM

Hi there...going right back to the original question, re the members...I have a copy of their "Rum & Raspberry" 7" EP which lists the members (as most of you already know) as being:
CHRIS BETTLE
TONY BRITZ
BARRY GOANNA GOLDING
MARSH ROBINSON
PETER HOWELL
LIZ EAGER
CLIVE WILLMAN
However the cover is fully signed by all EIGHT members, of some time after this of course...being Chris, Tony, Barry, Liz, and Clive (no Marsh or Peter H.)...and the other 3 who signed are:
ANNE O'CONNELL
GEOFFREY O'CONNELL
and LIONEL O'KEEFE
A clue to the timeframe is that Barry has added after his signature "Thanks for the bunk in '75"...suggesting, one would assume, this was signed at least 2 or 3 years later. All have signed in the same pen - it was signed all at one time...at a gig in Lismore (I got this from a chap up there).
So that's my input...hope it helps a bit. Cheers, Jules

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Jules Normington
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 02:22 AM

PS...contact details: email - [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: GUEST,Barry Golding
Date: 08 Apr 16 - 10:01 AM

I enjoyed the many threads in this conversation. i have just posted some background notes about Mulga Bills Bicycle Band on the Mulga Bills Bicycle Band page of my web site www.barrygoanna.com.

I was one of three band members who was there at the beginning on 1970 and the end, the others being Tony Britz and Liz Eager. Rob Willis organised an interview 'concert' at the recent Canberra Folk Festival which prompted Cris Bettle to suggest we put some of what we have from the bands archives on line.

It includes copies of tracks off our In concert LP recorded in Queensland in 1973 and released in 1974.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Apr 16 - 11:23 AM

Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Nov 23 - 05:45 AM

Ive just come across some of Bob's photos from the 1971 Adelaide National Folk Festival - Phyl Lobl, Margret RoadKnight & Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band

From the Archives - 1971 Adelaide National Folk Festival - Bob Bolton Collection

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: JennieG
Date: 12 Nov 23 - 07:55 PM

Sandra - when I tried the link in your last post it came up as "about:blank#blocked".

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Nov 23 - 10:34 PM

oops, a little typo (blush) - I forgot to test it

From the Archives - 1971 Adelaide National Folk Festival - Bob Bolton Collection

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: JennieG
Date: 13 Nov 23 - 03:44 AM

Thanks, Sandra....that works.

Some familiar faces there!

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Nov 23 - 04:39 AM

I've sent Phyl her pics + pics for Margret.

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: JennieG
Date: 12 Nov 23 - 07:55 PM

Sandra - when I tried the link in your last post it came up as "about:blank#blocked".

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: JennieG
Date: 13 Nov 23 - 03:44 AM

Thanks, Sandra....that works.

Some familiar faces there!

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Nov 23 - 05:45 AM

Ive just come across some of Bob's photos from the 1971 Adelaide National Folk Festival - Phyl Lobl, Margret RoadKnight & Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band

From the Archives - 1971 Adelaide National Folk Festival - Bob Bolton Collection

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Nov 23 - 10:34 PM

oops, a little typo (blush) - I forgot to test it

From the Archives - 1971 Adelaide National Folk Festival - Bob Bolton Collection

Subject: RE: Help: Oz: Mulga Bill's Bicycle Band
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Nov 23 - 04:39 AM

I've sent Phyl her pics + pics for Margret.