Description
Expect the unexpected! These “virtuosos of the bizarre” create a live stage experience that must be seen and heard to be believed. Wielding National guitars, ukuleles, a sousaphone, a phono-fiddle, actual garbage cans and metal sinks, these rhythmagicians make venues rock.
The music and antics of the National Junk Band defies catagorisation. Is this post-millenium cabaret or new vaudeville? No, it’s the National Junk Band!
The fans have described them as :
“the Sex Pistols meets Bing Crosby”
“bluesy with a touch of Monty Python”
“extreme entertainment”
“layer upon layer of insanity, lunacy, anarchy”
Witness fire, illusion, passion, irreverent satire, singing saws, flying chooks and musical mayhem.
For four years the National Junk Band has had toes tapping and jaws dropping at festivals, pubs, joints, radio, and TV. With two death-defying albums to their credit, and the music to “Badcop Badcop” (ABC TV) in the can, they are about to kick over another with their latest CD “Tin Can Alley”. A quantum leap of style and musicianship for the quirkiest band in the land who even performed for the Pope (Pope Alice’s “Pacifica” at the MCA). What next – church music for atheists?
DVD also available TN697-55 $25
Mic Conway’s National Junk Band – Kitchen Sink Music
CD review by Tony Smith =- TN178
TN389-25 – $30
This 1998 album features Mic ‘Microphone’ Conway on a huge variety of instruments, ‘Diamond Jem’ Cook on an enormous array, featuring especially percussive things such as garbage bin lids and hubcaps, ‘Fiji’ Phil Donnison on a similarly staggering lot including nose flute, newspaper tearing and Titanic announcements, Marcus ‘E.H.’ Holden on (merely) violin, mandolin and vocals, and ‘Sousa’ Sue Bradley on tuba, jug and long distance driving.
Extras include Jim Conway (harmonica), Azo Bell (musical saw, ukulele), Damon Davies (guitar, slide, vocals), Stephen Serner (accordion), Ian Cooper (violin) and Ann Gibbons and Mark Jones (vocals).
Do not be deceived by the album’s title.
While ‘junk’ might describe some of the unusual percussion instruments whacked on by the band members, the arrangement and presentation of these tunes is first rate.
The compositions by band members, principally M.Conway, lose nothing in comparison to those by internationally established musicians.
The album includes covers of several well known tunes: ‘Good News Week’ by J.King is a satirical standard from the 1960s to which the saw is an appropriate addition; ‘Down on the Corner’ by J.C.Fogerty of ‘Creedence Clearwater Revival’; and, ‘God Save the Queen’ by Rotten, Jones, Cook, Matlock.
Fear not ardent republicans, this is the Johnny Rotten ‘Sex Pistols’ punk version.
Then there are some slightly less well known songs including ‘Seduced’ by Gary Tigerman, ‘Collectors Item’ by Broadway Harris, which is sung through a megaphone and sounds very much like a tune for dancing the Charleston, and ‘My Old Man’ by Mercer Hanighan, which is suggestive of music hall songs.
The remaining tracks are by Mic Conway, either solo or in collaboration.
There are: ‘Round and Round (Skit Skiddy Doo)’ credited to Conway, S.Cooney and T.Burkys; ‘The Land of Oz’ by Conway and P.Donnison; and, ‘Juggling Time’ by Conway with E.McCusker.
Jim Conway’s harmonica is a feature of ‘Unstate of the Art’ by Mic Conway.
The saw features particularly strongly in ‘Road to Nowhere’ which is by David Byrne of ‘Talking Heads’.
‘Deck Chairs on the Titanic’ by Mic Conway has ‘ship’ effects advising ‘all aboard’ for a shuffle perhaps.
Conway’s ‘Blossoms and Wrinkles’ is enhanced by some very nice ‘swing’ violin.
‘Pick It Up & Play It’ by Conway and Donnison is right in the rock and roll groove and features kazoo.
Both the band members and the extras are experienced musicians and arrangers of great skill.
Nor are they mere beginners.
With brother Jim, Mic Conway founded the ‘Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band’, and Marcus Holden for one is a much sought after fiddler of great versatility who can slot into ensembles playing in many genres.
The kinds of songs included on the album show the band’s strong focus on music that does not take itself too seriously.
Even with the standards such as ‘Down on the Corner’ and ‘Good News Week’ there is a cheekiness about the covers.
Mic Conway has composed songs that needed writing and offer good opportunity for yet more fun.
The titles such as ‘Unstate of the Art’ and ‘Deckchairs on the Titanic’ satirise worn out cliches.
Overall, the music is always upbeat and inventive and very far from being junk.
Ed. Mic Conway has three albums and a DVD available for sale from the Trad&Now website.
Marcus Holden also has an album for sale.
Tracks from all four albums may be heard from time to time on Trad&NowLive!
