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I feel some explantion should be offered for the chuntney song... Apart from the fact I relish the thought of chutney, especially when I'm a bit pickled, I am an avid fan of Peter Cook and Dudly Moore; aka Derek and Clive. This rejoicing of the condiment, chutney, is a feltheart tribute to to glory of Brittish profanity... Long rule Brittania!
I must admit that I was totally stonkered at the time I penned and recorded this messy missive, but hey, ya gotta laugh.
Please check out Love , Hope and Strenghth site, they need and deserve all the help and support that they can get.... I hsve seen the world with new eyes and it is affecting me deeply and most profoundly.
Playing in front of thousands of Nepalease and tourists live in Dubar Town Square beside the old Royal Palace flanked by 800 year old temples simply covered with people is something I will never forget... and to be in the company of such great people... My new dear friend Glen Tillbrook, Slim Jim, Mike, Simon, Nick and the ever mellow Davey... speechless. James Chippendale and Sannon Foley and the "trekkers" from the Love Hope Strength Foundation are the greatest hearted people I have ever met... I will have a lot more to say but right now am increidbly jet lagged and struggling just to get this up...I have posted some "new" songs to pay tribute to the experience... enjoy!
Kathmandu is like a ghost train ride that never ends. Surges of movement and sudden stops that give just barely enough time to absorb yet another distorted image that would probably more at home in Dante's Inferno, then gone. Another jarring halt what next? A doorway a window, faces peering from the dark interiors. Moving again. The chaos theory unleashed making Fellini's movies seem straight forward and logical. Yet there is laughter, smiles that are true and heartfelt and all the time movement and color. The air smells of a scorched post Apocolypse, exhaust fumes, car horns beeping, honking, is it some strange code, I try to cypher.. but no. Insense, butchered meat on the street, dogs gnoring a boar's head, burning yak shit... it keeps shutterring thru my brain. A flickering slide show that never ends. Will I ever feel the same... No, I must go back again!
This (below) was sent to me by my good friend Patrick Donovan. Patrick travelled to Kathmandu with me to cover the event in Dubar Town Square and introduce the Love Hope Strength Foundation to Australia.
By PATRICK DONOVAN
MUSIC WRITER
Durbar Square is an unlikely place to stage a rock concert.
A world heritage site, containing two temples and the wedding cake-like Royal Palace, it is a bustling epicenter of the Nepalese capital, teaming with buzzing motorbikes and hawkers peddling everything from fairy floss, kebabs to silk scarves.The heart of the city, four main roads jut out like arteries while the city reverberates outward in concentric circles.And there, right in the middle of it all, is Melbourne musician Steve Lucas, standing on stage resplendent in white tuxedo jacket and tartan pants, long wavy hair flowing in the warm breeze, opening the Everest Rocks concert to help raise money for a local cancer hospital for the Love, Hope, Strength foundation.Lucas is performing his song Dont Cry No Tears. Written by his old band X, it has become an all-too-regular lament played at funeral services held for some of Australias most respected musicians in the last few years. Standing on this make-shift stage, Lucas is the last man standing. He is the only surviving member of X after the recent deaths of the bands
bassist Ian Rilen and producer Lobby Loyde.Lucas was originally intending to be spending this weekend with Rilens family at Torquay for the scattering of the enigmatic musicians ashes. But he decided playing this concert in Nepal was a more poignant opportunity to pay respect to his fallen peers.As he pleads they cant take our love away, the pain on his face and in his rich voice is palpable. As are his nerves. Originally when he was asked to play, the concert was going to held in a smaller indoor venue to about 800 people. Days before the concert, Lucas was told it would be the biggest performance of his career, in front of 15,000 Nepalese. They are
just the ones present. The concert is also shown live on local television, and a pod cast of the concert is beamed out on the Love Hope strength website, which has already attracted five million hits from around the world.
The money raised from sponsors and donations, believed to be worth more than $US300,000, will go towards outfitting the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital on the outskirts of Kathmandu, and thousands of locals turn out to their farewell concert in a sign of solidarity and appreciation.The day before, the party of 40 trekkers, cancer survivors and musicians headed to the outskirts of Kathmandu to visit the hospital that would benefit from their good deeds.Climbing Everest is a popular challenge for foreign cancer survivors and charities, as it is a metaphor for battling and overcoming the deadly disease. But mostly, any money raised supports cancer treatment in western countries. Love Hope Strength wanted money raised to stay in Nepal.The hospital is in a ramshackle and impoverished state. It resembles a WW1 make-shift unit in Korea. The miniscule operating room, containing one stretcher bed and basic equipment, looks like a dental room and smells of death. This place is blessed, says local Dr Baral, the hospitals medical director and vice president of the Nepal Cancer Relief Society. It
is where we perform our miracles.The group is drained and brought to tears as it is taken on a tour of the centre and meets some of the despairing patients. Canadian cancer survivor and trekker Alan Hobson sits beside one bed ridden patient, holds her hand and prays. Climbing Everest is a tea party to fighting cancer, he later tells me.We get to leave, but they have to stay, adds Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats.The centre currently has only 42 inpatient beds and only basic equipment, so any patients that can afford to usually travel to India or Thailand for proper treatment, taking the money with them.With the donations of funds and equipment from the Everest Rocks mission, they will expand the centre to a 100 bed facility, fitted out with state of the art equipment.It seems like a hopeless situation for these patients, but thanks to the effort efforts of Love Hope Strength, future patients will be offered world class facilities to give them the best possible chance of surviving.This is what all of our had work has been for, to help this cancer centre, says the foundations co-founder and cancer survivor James Chipperdale. When I had cancer I had access to the best facilities and I survived. These people should have access to the same opportunities.Cancer is a global issue so we wanted to shout our positive message from the top of the world, he added before thanking the warm, loving and amazing people of Nepal.Local throat cancer survivor Vidhea Shresha explained that she had to travel to Dehli for treatment but could have been treated at home with the proper facilities. Because of her disease, she can no longer sing, but appreciates the power music and melody can have on the spirit so she is now learning to play keyboards.Im so grateful that you have chosen to help Nepal, she said to the group, I know you must have had some ups and downs along your journeys too, but we really appreciate what you have done for us.Having only just returned from Everest the day before, the trekkers have not seen a television in weeks. But buzzing from a corner of the waiting room is a television showing an advertisement for the concert, flashing up the names and faces of the musicians currently touring the centre. It is a poignant and seemingly coincidental moment, but the Nepalese
Buddhist dont believe in accidents; everything happens for a reason. Western rock stars and sick poor Nepalese people wouldnt seem to have that much in common, but for a brief moment in time, everything seems connected. Rock stars could really make a difference.Dr Baral presents a certificate of appreciation to the Foundations executive director Ms Shannon Foley, and they field questions from the local press. James Chippendale explains that they want to develop state of the art cancer facilities in every country they visit. Peru is next.The hospitals chairman Mr Diwakar Rajkarnikar says the foundations donations would have an immediate impact by providing essential equipment such as radiation therapy equipment and funding for patients. Down the track, it would help build infrastructure and equipment such as MRI, CT Scan, mammography and Brocoscope.He thanked the group for their donations and sending a very strong message for all the cancer patients of the world for their bright and deep hope to get cure and live long lives. Best wishes for the grand finale rock event at Darbur Square.
Back at the square, Lucas returns to the stage for an all-in encore with local and visiting American and British musicians. They perform a rousing rendition of Love Hope strength, the recently written foundations anthem. Standing next to Lucas on stage is musician Mike Peters, member of Welsh band The Alarm, a two time cancer survivor and co-founder of
Love, Hope strength. There are also members of 80s British pop band The Fixx, UK Squeezes Glenn Tilbrook, Slim Jim Phantom - the legendary drummer with rockabilly band the Stray Cats and Nick Harper, son of folk luminary Roy Harper.The are beaming as they sing. Partly in the knowledge that this is the final act of a six month journey that saw them overcome pain and difficulties to climb 5,650 meters to the base camp of the worlds highest mountain, Mt Everest, to perform the worlds highest rock concert. They have helped the locals by fitting out a state-of-the art cancer treatment centre
and have shouted a positive message from the top of the world that not only medicine, but positive thinking, will power and love, hope and strength can make a difference.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of "X".
Gongratulations to Cathy Geen, and Kim Volkman and John Hall for helping me keep the flag waving... And to Geoff Holmes, Eddie Fischer, Simon Smith, Greg Sawyer and Herbie Mayhem for being there when needed most.
R.I.P. Ian Krahe, Bob Nimmo, Steve Caferio, Peter Cataunche, Cath Synnerdahl and most recently Ian Rilen and Brett Ford.
"There is a land of the living and a land of the dead, and the bridge is love."
Thornton Wilder 1897 - 1975
"I support that bridge"
Steve Lucas 1957....
I am the lead singer and guitarist for X
and only surviving member of the original four piece line up. It's been a long journey and I miss my friends so very much... still, life goes on.
I am currently doing some "X" shows with long time (ex) X drummer Cathy Green and Kim Volkman of "Love Addicts " fame. To find out more about X click on the X(Australia) pic in my "top friends"...
I will be producing an album for my new best freiends Doll Squad.
They are a fine bunch of girls and very dedicated musicians... this should be happening sometime in April. I'm looking forward to the sessions and the chutney and pancakes will be on me.
Other projects for the new year include...
A new Bigger Than Jesus release,
The launching of new a band Empty Horses and looking for a label to release his new L.P. Change Poison, Make Medicine (featuring the late Cath Synnerdahl). "Walking On Fire" is one of the tracks featured on the album.
I have been front man for X, Bigger Than Jesus, The Feel, The Pubert Brown-Fridge Occurrence, A.R.M, The Groody Frenzy, Double Cross, and The Empty Horses. I play guitar and a bit of piano and keys here and there... hope you enjoy my site.
Review of X Live at The DING DONG LOUNGE Thurs 3rd of May
Perhaps it’s the light, (or lack thereof), perhaps it’s the booze, (plenty of), or perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but everyone in the ultra packed Ding Dong Lounge looks just as good as they did in the eighties for the re-release of At Home With You. This goes double for X frontman Steve Lucas, as he mounts the stage dressed, to his eternal credit, in skin tight pants that appear to be made of plastic, and Johnny Reb motorcycle boots. He sports his tatts proudly, as he does his dyed red hair, and he carries a tray of twenty or so tequila shots, all of which he and drummer, the divine Cathy Green, will get through before the first encore.
“We’re a band called X. We’ve been around for a few decades. This is a song about punk rock,†says Lucas, just before the band launches into opening number Degenerate Boy, one of the wildest, most fun filled songs in the band’s catalogue, and, to a person, the entire audience is deviously, deliciously hooked from note one.
New bass man Kim Volkman is the perfect replacement for the sadly departed Ian Rilen, whose ghost, looking on from above, or perhaps below, would have liked what he saw. Volkman, like the rest of the band, is all age wearied integrity, intensity and backbone. He plays his bass from the bottom of his gut, with an expression somewhere between pain and pleasure telling us this means more than the world to him.
The fire is still burning brightly with X. This is no cynical money making exercise, and it’s apparent in everything about the night: from the ardour of the audience to the fact that the band played for nearly two and a half hours, from the passion and honesty of the music itself to the way Cathy Green sings along to all the songs, even though she doesn’t have to, (there’s not a mic anywhere near her).
When management turns the house lights on, Lucas is still on stage, a full five minutes after the band has stopped playing, the crowd still chanting as one for more, more, more. And I get the feeling they would have played all night if they could, or at least as long as the tequila and the fervour kept flowing. This is life affirming, beautiful stuff for an old punk like me, and I leave the venue with ears ringing and something very much like love flowing, aware that I have just had the privilege of experiencing something truly remarkable.
My oldest male friend, who is unswervingly gay, came to the show with me that night. “Even I’m in love with that drummer,†he told me.
Viva X.
XXX.
Tony McMahon
