Every Sunday morning in and Id give him a Vincents Powder and a glass of water to wash it down...marveling he could consume the pink powder...the foulest elixir known to man...the painkiller for housewives and rock stars...a muso seeking path to the latter...both then youths...ultimately attaining the pinnacle of rock stardom he did.
Left his heart and sweat on stage the previous evening...needed a mothers little helper to reenergise his soul...so at his request I helped him along.
His name is Iva Davies...then of the band Flowers...better known as the lead and inspiration of Icehouse...one of our favourite bands.
Jump to 2022...Covid had killed the live music scene for the last two years...our bums on seats to help musos survive seemingly distant repast.
Then we saw a post that Icehouse were playing at Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour on 19 February 2022...previously a Naval Repair yard but now public space...quick get tickets...gotta join the throng.
bushfires followed by floods then Covid for two years and again floods...the weather forecast for the gig...expect a drenching at least.
But when music is our medicine and healing we need...a bit of rain to sprinkle the party is unlikely to make us bleed.
Drive to our parking spot...short walk to Kings Street wharf into the line of punters...and as we do talking to the couple next to us...David and Helen from the Central Coast .
Good move...much four folk more fun than two...stayed together for the duration of the seven bands on show.
Ferried onto giant Captain Cook Cruisers...meeting Tim and Donna whose music tales and portraits made my day...the sounds of bands warming up...greeting our arrival at Cockatoo Island docks.
This was an open air concert...all armed with picnic chairs...picked our own spot on a large stretch of grass bordering the lapping waters of the harbour...about 50m from the stage...all spaced for Covid as best one can.
live music began...and blow me over with a feather...the clouds lingered and frowned into the night...but only dropped a few tears.
Two brothers encouragement for their first gig then True Vibe Nation...a hip hop band headed by two guys from Zimbabwe kick off with energy.
Christine Anu with our friend Tim Sampson on bass. Christine is of Torres Island heritage and one of our most successful indigenous singers, song writers and actors...sublime performance.
Kasey Chambers...the country singing great whose friendly banter and songs The Captain, Pony and Rattlin Bones never fail to exhalt.
Then James Reyne from his solo song Fall of Rome and earlier Australian Crawl fame...younger cohorts exclaiming Never heard of this guy but his songs are great!
Superb into for the Headline act as darkness descends and expectation and excitement for what is Davies & Icehouse...can hardly wait.
A blue light on stage...a lone figure...this title Icehouse song...others joining...ethereal with lashings of all our favourites including Walls, Sister, Cant Help Myself, Hey Little Girl, No Promises, Love in Motion and of course Great Southern Land...the
We linger as the crowds disperse to waiting ferries...why stand in queues when we can breath and dance in the salty night air?
Memories of music riding the currents or hovering in the air...catch the last ferry back...smiling the warmth of contentment
