three more sleeps...

...and we're out on the road again!

In many ways, this trip - through NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory - has been trickier to organise than a UK tour...
The distances to cover between gigs are far, far greater.
Much of the landscape will be much more alien.
And the extremes of temperature between sub-zero nights in the red centre and tropical days in Dawin will put our internal thermostats (not to mention clothes-packing abilities) to the test.

But it's always fun to be travelling together, singing (whether in the car or on stage) and meeting other singers.

Here we go, here we go, here we go! (That's the a cappella version.)

songs we've been asked to learn

Sometimes - nay, often - someone will come up to us after a gig and say "hey - you guys should sing THIS song...". This is a fine thing. Often it's a really good idea and it sits and percolates for a month, or a couple of years, until we realise the incredible insight and wisdom of the suggestion - even though in our ignorance we may have scoffed or looked vaguely appalled in the first instance.

Some of the songs that have been put forward - but not yet attempted - include:

• Nights in White Satin


• Horse With No Name


• A song about gnomes, publicans and toilets


• The Rose


• Nearly every christmas carol in christendom

Chris and Terry might be able to recall others, and add them as a comment to this post. And you, our solitary reader, may like to suggest still more titles.

In a related vein... a gentlemen once asked us if we had thought of doing Tant Que Vivrai as a round (bear in mind that we're talking about a polyphonic Renaissance French chanson here), and another remarked proudly (at the Same Gig) that his band did an a cappella version of "Here We Go, Here We Go, Here We Go...". That's obviously quite a different kettle of fish to the orchestral version.

stand down code orange

Very disappointed here. A couple of weeks ago, we were contacted by a gentleman with amorous intentions. Not towards any of us, mind you, but for some lucky lady he'd been eyeing for a while.

So where do we come in?
He wanted to book us to play Cyrano to his Baron Christian de Neuvillette. That is, we were to stand beneath her window (or maybe outside her place of work, or even in Woolies, I'm not sure) and sing of his love for her.
OK, so Cyrano din't sing, but you get the idea.

There were a couple of potential problems with the plan from the outset...

1. Most of our songs are about sadness and suffering - not such a good way to start a relationship.
   We managed to find one that would work - suitably sweet, with not too much of a stalking edge to it.


2. What if she turned him down?
   Terry suggested that at least we could flog her an autographed CD, so it wouldn't be a total waste.


3. What if she fancied him, but hated our music?
   Ha ha ha - only joking.

We've been on code orange since he was last in contact. Sleeping in our best serenading clothes, just in case we should get the call.

Happily, the couple concerned managed to find their way together without our musical intervention. No, really - we're just thrilled for them.

But we were kind of liking the idea. Any dumbstruck lovers out there want to hire a band?

we're coming - hua hua huaaaaa!

Not many sleeps to go until Touchwood's next big adventure West, South, Souther, Central and further up. For full details of our itinerary please visit our website's gig page which Kate has lovingly updated.

(Silly) things we're excited about:

• We get to meet The Sisters of Mercy in Bathurst (they are providing the venue) and find out if they are yet departed or gone (thanks Leonard).


• We get to see if the giant pink poodle statue (? effigy?) has been reinstated outside the vet's in Albury (we always look out for it but it has been missing for some time now. Is there a pound for lost paper mache dogs? ).


• Having a big ukelele rave with Jeremy, Kate, Angourie and Kalliope in Darwin. Rock on!


• Arguing about whether to listen to Steve Nieve's "Mumu" in the right track order or on "random".

Special reasons to squeal "eeeeh!":

• All the best people sing (have sung or will one day sing) in a choir. We'll be meeting a hearty number of those folk in Jindera and Adelaide.


• We get to see the red centre (first time for me) and hopefully do the circumnavigation of Uluru.


• Looking forward to a little of that Blackwood magic as we pass through Maldon.

Hope to keep cyberspace up to date with our adventures as we go, so stay tuned (as the choir leader said to the bishop).