Tin Shed Rattlers – One for the Road

CD review by Christine Wheeler
Does it sometimes seem to our readers that most ‘bush’ bands are based in the cities? Meet the Tin Shed Rattlers, currently an 8-member band who are based loosely around south western NSW, from Wagga to Narrandera to Griffith to Grong Grong (and I thought I had troubles organising rehearsals!). The original line up of this band came together in 1971 and I believe they’re up to about 40 players through the band thus far, with one original member, Noel Raynes, still going strong. Here is a band that takes music and dancing and a few laughs to I would guess, to where people need it – rustic country halls in drought-ridden regions of the State. Their CD reveals that they know a thing or two about entertaining as well as making music and I’d venture to suggest to festival organisers that this band might be a popular choice at the right folk festival. ‘One for the Road’ introduces a competent, cheerful group of musicians who have recorded a mix of generally well known Australian, British, Irish and American songs and tunes just as they would play them to a live audience. There are not too many notes or credits on the album but I suspect there are one or two original songs tucked in with the better known numbers and they blend in very well too. While this group has many features typical of an unpretentious and ‘useful’ bush band and dance band, it also has some special features that must endear it to its audiences. The band includes as its youngest and newest member a tuneful uillean piper, Mark Williamson, as well as 4 convincing lead singers and a couple of backing vocalists. Melody instruments include fiddle, whistle, pipes, mandolin, banjo and harmonica – more than enough to maintain interest and variety of sound while the rhythm section of guitar, bass and light percussion is effective, generally understated and well suited to the styles of music they play.