Legendary Australian songwriter Don Walker + The Bads announce tour dates in April.
The Bads are excited to announce that legendary Australian songwriter Don Walker has accepted their invitation to travel to New Zealand– where they will play with him to celebrate the release of his 3rd solo album Hully Gully. Don and The Bads will take this new instalment of dark stories, hope and humour on the road in New Zealand for two dates in April 2014. They’ll be showcasing the new album and of course performing old favourites, in a warm and friendly way.
Walker has few peers in illuminating the darker underbelly of the Australian psyche, whether he’s performing with Cold Chisel, Tex, Don and Charlie or solo. Angry women, luck-chasers, wannabe’s, and anyone who just wants to throw the afternoon away on a game of pool – none are excluded and none are described with greater authenticity. His songs have created an important soundtrack to many people’s lives in New Zealand and Australia.
About Hully Gully:
Mixed by Joe Henry in Pasadena, Hully Gully was written by Don and recorded over several years and studio sessions with his band The Suave Fucks featuring Glen Hannah, Roy Payne, Garrett Costigan, Michael Vidale and Hamish Stuart. The first single from Hully Gully is the dream song Young Girls that drifts and drives a pair of new lovers towards a paradise they know lies somewhere North.
What they are saying about Don:
“The first thing you notice at a Don Walker solo show is how completely different his audience is to those at a Jimmy Barnes gig. Jimmy epitomises the rock and roll pub culture. His audience come along to sing. Walker’s audience are a sophisticated, gracious lot who come to listen.
At the intimate Caravan Club in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh the Cold Chisel songsmith was launching his solo album ‘Hully Gully’. The audience hung off his every word both in song and in banter.
I bumped into Melbourne musician Shannon Bourne who said, “have you seen the crowd' Every songwriter in Melbourne is here. They’ve come to see how its done”. That summarised the respect people have for Don Walker....To listen to Don Walker perform his songs for a few hundred people in such a small environment was indeed a rare treat” Paul Cashmere, NOISE11.COM
Don Walker is some sort of genius, probably Australian rock’s greatest songwriter, definitely its greatest lyricist, a person without whose input Australian music would be infinitely poorer.
Tim Dunlop - crikey.com.au
“In my mind there is a parallel universe for all occasions and all possibilities. It's where landscape artists are king for the way they illustrate the setting sun. It's a land too, where songwriters that tell the story of their homeland command the respect and admiration they surely deserve. One such member of that group is Don Walker…. I would implore you that if Don Walker should stop by your town, get out and see him. You won't be disappointed and will at the same time be celebrating a sacred and unique part of this great land.” Three Steps to Midnight (Perth) live Review
“From The Perfect Crime to Angry Women, Walkers gift for wry insights paints a great tangle of characters who, if 2006’s still glorious Cutting Back is any indication, won’t surrender their secrets in a few spins.” 4 out of 5 Stars– Michael Dwyer, The Age Aug 16
“As with the best of his material, they are musings on the lives of ordinary men; smokers, drinkers, optimists, cynics, a hopeless romantic, an afternoon playing pool. Mixed by Joe Henry, it begins with a swagger but quickly slips into a more contemplative mood grounded in country music and graced with vocals that speak a lifetime of grit and grind” 3 out of 4 Stars– Graeme Hammond, Sunday Herald Sun,
“Hully Gully – Walkers first solo album in seven years sounds like the soundtrack to an Aussie road trip. The six minute Young Girls is the standout. ‘We’ll ride the highway you and me’ Walker sings and ‘I’ll fall in love before I know your name’ Is Don, is good.” 3 ½ out of 4 stars – STACK MAGAZINE, Sept 2013
About The Bads:
The Bads are: guitarist/singer Brett Adams, (Adams has been touring and recording with Tim Finn since 2006) and singer/guitarist Dianne Swann, with regular band-mates: Wayne Bell on drums, Dave Khan on violin, mandolin and banjo, and bass player Mike Hall. Earlier this year, the band released their third album, Travel Light to great reception from NZ media and fans alike.
In September 2013 The Bads performed a special one off show with Tim Finn’s at the Sawmills Café in Leigh. The show was a great success, and the band relished the chance to play those unique and finely crafted songs. That night resulted in The Bads and Tim Finn’s invitation to open WOMAD festival in Taranaki in March 2014. And now with the announcement of their show with Don Walker, 2014 is shaping up to be an important and exciting year for the band.
