My musical instrument playing started at about age 5-6?, playing my brothers guitars and trying to learn, but also playing the drums which were set up in our 'garage' for my father's bands rehearsals. This led me to joining the school band playing side drum for four years throughout primary school, then moving back to guitar on entering high school.,
I became interested in live sound and started to learn around 1978, joing my first band on guitar the following year.My career in live audio commenced in 1978/9 in the hotels of Tamworth Australia, and was built upon throughout the New England and coastal area circuits of NSW which was toured in both clockwise, and counter clockwise directions including;
Hunter Valley to Newcastle - Newcastle to Coffs Harbour - Coffs Harbour to Tweed Heads - Tweed Heads to Tenterfield - Tenterfield to Glenn Innes - Glen Innes to Armidale to Tamworth, and many regional towns en route kinda thang!!
It also included regular trips west to Gunnedah, Narrabri, Burren - Junction, Lightning Ridge, Brewarrina and Cobar.
Much of what I learnt in those early years was from engineers Leon Darcey and Brian Cox with local country and rock units such as 'One for the Road, 'Slippery when Wet', 'Little Rock' and 'The Hired Hands' for example.........and shows for the Tamworth Country Music Festival such as the 'Star Maker Quest' (1979-1991)
In 1983, my old friends Phil and Tommy Emmanuel whose family we met around 1962-3, invited me to join them on a tour which was primarily my first outside of the areas mentioned previously. This being when my knowledge of sound/tour management, acoustic and electric guitars and their amplification through PA systems commenced, in a big way!!
I moved to Sydney in that year and commenced working with Phil's first solo band, that band bearing his own name. At this time also, I first met and became involved with the Jacobsen family (then - Kevin Jacobsen Promotions), who had taken on management for Phil and Tommy. The Emmanuel Brothers gigs continued up until 1986 as far as I was involved, and I enjoyed many shows with them sharing duties on the tours and shows with guitar guru Alan Rig, who looked after production and sound also.
My times working with both Phil and Tommy has been amazing, having worked with them as Guitar Tech, Sound and Tour manager on many occasions over the years, learning much
My playing time has been limited, with stints alongside James Blundell - 1988 for 1 year, The Phil Emmanuel Band 1991 for a year, and some scattered shows with Jean Stafford and Norma O'Hara Murphy on Bass. I also enjoyed playing in a duo at times with my good friend Wayne Duffty, a hell of a mate, and singer.
At this time, I am working with singer Christine Anu on F.O.H. audio, and preparing to record some acoustic tunes which I look forward to posting on this site throughout the year. I don't know when......maybe when time permits me too!
Thanx for stopping by,
Greg
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