Topic: All Around Man - The High Steppin' Muskrats

[ArthurBlake]

Hi all, been quite a while since I put up a video here so I thought I should put up a clip of a gig we did yesterday. I have a new electric blues band called the Bluland Healers and before I brought the whole band out Peter Healy and myself did a country blues acoustic set and we did this Bo Carter tune ( but I took out the notorious "Milkman" verse just so my girlfriend wouldn't slap me).
                           Nothing like a bit of Hokum to liven things up, incidentally the day was a great success as we unveiled our new blues/rock/funk original DYNAMITE which is now up on youtube.

[jtbrown]

Well done!  You both sound very good, though I do wish the guitar were a little louder and the harmonica a little quieter.  (And good call on that "milkman" verse -- talk about a single entendre!)

Todd Brown

[ArthurBlake]

Well done!  You both sound very good, though I do wish the guitar were a little louder and the harmonica a little quieter.  (And good call on that "milkman" verse -- talk about a single entendre!)

Todd Brown

I agree with that, I should have used my Gretsch Dobro for those two songs but I couldn't use it on Big Road Blues which we did just before those two songs as that was in Dropped D tuning and I tend to pop the Bass D string out of the bridge on the Gretcsh when doing BRB so I use a standard acoustic on that and I was too lazy to change guitars. It was live at a pub and done before my electric full band came on.
              I really appreciate getting a comment from you, thanks very much.

[ArthurBlake]

Yeah I used to sing the MILKMAN verse in front of audiences but that was before I met Corina (yeah, how about that for a name of a bluesman's girlfriend, CORINA CORINA ) but I am not complaining, she is a wonderful lady, I have since come up with a few verses of my own making and to be frank I can't believe I actually got away with them. I changed a word or two from the original there like councilman instead of what I think Carter sang.... ie Alderman because I am singing for Aussies and the original reference does not make a lot of sense to an Aussie.
                       

[Gumbo]

Good stuff! And a lovely idea to be your own semi-acoustic support band!

[ArthurBlake]

Good stuff! And a lovely idea to be your own semi-acoustic support band!

Thank you, I would rather it be totally acoustic but that would need a 4 thousand dollar microphone (Australian $$$$) or thereabouts to get a decent live sound so it was plugged in. We did another gig today backing ourselves this way, incidentally the band sounded good and I am chuffed and the duo went well too, we are looking for a washboard/percussionist for the Muskrats so if anyone knows a decent one in the Sydney/Newcastle Metropolitan area let me know.
                            Thanks for the kind words mate.

[ArthurBlake]

For anyone interested in seeing my videos here is my youtube channel, it has acoustic blues, solo or with Muskrats and my band, Bluland Healers and a few videos from The Bald Faced Stag House Band with me in it as well as some straight out jam sessions from various venues. There are 32 videos and counting on it.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1oJ3f-KuomY9NXoOZc1tg/feed

I am very busy atm doing the Bluland Healers stuff but I really do want to do a lot more of the stuff we weenie guys are fond of, i.e. real blues fingerpicking. There will be some in the future.