2 April, 2006

An All-Star Tribute to The Band's final concert:
The Last Waltz

Last Waltz goes West with The Last Drinks

Jason Walker and The Last Drinks will be anchoring a 30th anniversary tribute to The Last Waltz on Friday 21 April, 8:30 p.m. at the historic Carrington Hotel in the Blue Mountains. Performing the music of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Emmylou Harris, and The Band, The Last Drinks will be joined on stage by a great range of local talent including Sydney piano legend, Louis Tillett, the fantastic Perry Keyes and members of Spurs for Jesus, Eva Trout and the Astro Tabasco horns (formerly with The Whitlams).

If you are thinking of geting away to the mountains for the Anzac weekend The Carrington has come up with a fantastic accommodation package that includes a room for two plus two tickets to the show for $180. Their normal room rate is $190 for just the rooms. The Carrington is located at 15 Katoomba Street, Katoomba.

There are plenty of other rooms available throughout Katoomba, including the Cecil Guest House (around $50 a night).

The Band performed their final concert 30 years ago in 1976. It was recorded and released as The Last Waltz and filmed by Martin Scorsese. This legendary rock documentary is known as "the greatest concert film ever made."

The Band was arguably the greatest ensemble in the history of rock. Their music mixed Rock, Blues, Folk, Jazz and R&B into a mélange previously unheard. Following their stint as Bob Dylan's backing band, which ushered him into the electric age, their debut album Music From Big Pink changed the entire music industry. Eric Clapton heard it and quit Cream, and it was the inspiration for The Beatles' Let it Be. Come and hear this seminal music interpreted by some of Sydney's foremost musical talent.

Jason Walker is an accomplished musician and writer, whose recent biography of country music legend Gram Parsons was voted book of the month by the UK's prestigious Uncut Magazine. The magazine also gave Jason Walker & The Last Drinks last album, Ashes and Wine, 4 stars and called it; "[S]omewhere between Jagger and Steve Earle. Expressive, literate and ballsy stuff."
Before his recent success with the Last Drinks, Walker was a member of Golden Rough and Youth Group. Ashes and Wine has also been favorably reviewed by acclaimed British magazine, Mojo.

The rest of the band include: award-winning producer, drummer and solo-artist Michael Carpenter, whose recording studio, Love Hz is currently one of the hottest new places for bands in Sydney to lay down tracks; David Keys, former bassist in Soap Star Joe and Sarah Blasko's band; keyboardist Brian Crouch, formerly of Golden Rough, and Worth Wagers, who was most recently in legendary US bands, Cow Lily & The Moviegoers.

Their guests on the night include: Louis Tillett, whose career started as singer and keyboard player with Wet Taxis in 1977 and led to playing piano on records by Laughing Clowns, Celibate Rifles, Died Pretty, and the New Christs as well as his current solo career; Perry Keyes, whose debut album, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, "lives in the musical house built by the likes of John Prine, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and the young Richard Clapton."

Also performing are former Eva Trout singer/songwriter Bek-Jean Stewart, Spurs for Jesus' reverend in charge of whoopin' & hollerin' Kane Dyson, and the Astro Tabasco horn section, who have toured with The Whitlams among other luminaries. Matt Galvin (Eva Trout, guest guitar for Whitlams) of course will be doing his interpretation of "God".

The tribute concert has already played to highly enthusiastic audiences in Sydney & Melbourne and will soon travel up the coast as well.

Tickets are $15 and are available at The Carrington Hotel on (02) 47821111.
Call them today to secure your accommodation package.

For further information and to arrange interviews, contact Craig Gilliver at Things That Breathe Productions (0413 026 586, craig@thingsthatbreathe.com).