I travelled to Charters Towers  twice, while I was living in the Cairns region in ’97-’98. The first time I played at the Commercial Hotel, the Rix Hotel and the St. Patricks Hotel.
It was in Charters Towers on that trip that I learnt that my father had passed away in Wonthaggi, Victoria. I flew from Townsville to Melbourne for the funeral, stayed about a week with family and flew back to Townsville as it was a return ticket. Then I had to hitch-hike from Townsville to Cairns.

The second time I went to Charters was a “planned’ trip to enter the Charters Towers Country Music Festival Talent Quest. I put ‘planned’ in quotes like that because it was about as planned as hitting a kangaroo.
I left Cairns and picked up my mate Bodie Malone from Innisfail on the way through. Bodie didn’t know he was going until I turned up at his place, wasn’t too keen but I convinced him it would be great fun. We got about halfway to Townsville and Bodie had a panic attack or something and wanted me to take him home again but after he settled down and thought about his options he decided sitting in an air-conditioned car was better than humping his bluey on foot back to Innisfail.
He really did end up having a good time and I’m sure he still remembers that weekend, as do I, for it was a great couple of days of playing our hearts out, drinking our fill and meeting some unforgettable characters…well, as far as I can remember anyway.

Both Bodie and I had done a lot of playing over the years and had a big repertoire of songs between us.  He, playing guitar and front man for pub rock bands had become somewhat of a local legend but for a few years had languished in depression having had all of his equipment stolen and his heart broken about the same time. When I met him he was still playing in his lounge room, tinkering with songs, but had lost the urge to get out and play live again in the pubs.
He had a bunch of great songs down. 60’s classics, Bee Gees, Beatles etc. A great mix of laid back easy listening stuff covering 20 or 30 years or so.
I on the other hand had been concentrating on classic country and some of the newer stuff as well, both Aussie and American. So we complimented each other as we took it in turns to play and do our own thing individually.

Have a listen to HURT TOWN. Even though the hurt from this town was self induced, as you will learn, I thought it appropriate as a title song.

Unfortunately I don’t have any pics of Bodie or of us playing. It was in the olden days before everyone had a digital camera in a mobile telephone. Such a shame, there aren’t a lot of photos of my gigs at all. So I will have to relate as best I can, in story form…

How Bodie and me nearly die from playing music (and having a few beers…too many.)

As you heard in our last episode, Bodie and me were on our way to Charters Towers. Now, we arrived at sundown on the Wednesday before the CM Festival. I had every intention of registering for the Talent Quest and any songwriting competitions that were going but our plan was to go to a pub and ask if we could set up and test out our gear and possibly entertain their patrons.
The first pub we come across was the Waverly Hotel on the way into town. The publican was happy for us to play and even brought out a six pack each for me and Bodie and some sausage rolls and party pies.
Well we made a lot of friends and had a good time, there were even people dancing. One old bloke in particular, a tall grey haired fella in the biggest Stetson hat I’d ever seen, became our mate and, when he heard our plans, offered that we could camp at his place that night.

The Waverly Hotel

The next morning, encouraged by our success the night before, we set out for the main street in search of a venue more befitting our new found fame.
And so it was, not long after opening time on Thursday morning, that we walked into the Courthouse Hotel and approached Scotty, the publican, with our business proposition. We would draw in patrons, he would make a lot of money and we would play for ‘a couple of beers and a feed’. Scotty agreed and that would be fine…as long as we drank HIS beer. The deal was set, and Bodie and me were very happy with our entrepreneurship.
It wouldn’t have even been 11 o’clock and we were set up in the corner of the bar that would become our home for the next two days.

to be cont…..

The Courthouse Hotel. Scotty is no longer the publican and as you can see on the front its now known as Irish Mollys.