Theatre, Friday August 29 - 1.15pm

Peter Denahy will take on "duties" as Muster Club Host during Friday, Saturday and Sunday - don't miss seeing him here !

PETER DENAHY

The multi-talented PETER DENAHY has been making whips since he was 12 years old, and his musical career has a strange affinity with whip-making.

It's the starting point with various strands that, through careful weaving, result in something unique, personal and totally functional.

Peter's music is very much the same - the talented multi instrumentalist, singer and songwriter weaves his words and music with the same focus - and the result is very special.

It's difficult to pigeon hole the talented Denahy, but the closest comparisons would be fellow Australian story tellers John Williamson and Colin Buchanan, whose songs range from the serious to the humorous and transcend musical boundaries.

Picture In A Frame is the perfect title for Denahy's new album as he paints vivid pictures of characters and events that draw the listener into it's stories.

Through an eclectic mix of material Denahy ascends as a skilled commentator on things uniquely Australian, drawing on a mix of musical styles without being locked into a single frame. And he continues the dichotomy of his previous self-titled album with a mixture of funny tales and some seriously reflective offerings.

He's not a bush balladeer, but his first radio single Ringing Of The Steel fits perfectly into the genre - a simple tale of farriers and blacksmiths that has the ring of truth - and why wouldn't it? His rural upbringing surfaces in many of his songs. He grew up near Bendigo in Central Victoria on a small property at Harcourt, he's an accomplished camp drafter and he knows the bush.

There's actually a touch of Slim Dusty in the Denahy persona, and that's easily explained.

"To me Slim was the two 'I's - influence and inspiration" shares Peter. "When I was a kid I just wanted to be like him. But as time went on, I heard Slim say 'you've got to be yourself,' and realised there were already plenty out there already trying to be like Slim."

From 1998 Denahy played fiddle, guitar and accordion in Slim's Travelling Country Band. A regular solo spot on Slim's show also allowed him the chance to showcase the lighter side of his broad talent and led to the release of the Petrol Head Fly album in 2000.

He's not strictly a bluegrass musician but he is a talented fiddle and mandolin player who's love of bluegrass emerges throughout the album. Peter's playing is superbly complemented by the likes of Martin Louis on banjo and Sam Lehman on guitar.

The two instrumentals on the album, Cranky Mama and The Mason's Apron, showcase the bluegrass influences - but with some distinctive Denahy touches. "On Cranky Mama I wanted to use some percussion not usually used in bluegrass and I decided to add a bit in this tune. I found a great percussionist by the name of Ben McAtamney who did a terrific job on bodhran and cajon."

And The Mason's Apron starts with a pure lilting Celtic feel on this traditional Irish tune that suddenly kicks into a pure bluegrass romp.

But it's the Denahy story telling that really steals the show on Picture In A Frame, and the stories have an element of personal experience.

The characters are easily identifiable in songs like Granny's Bric a Brac. "On tour we often stop at junk shops or any place that says old wares, second hand or bric-a-brac," explains Denahy. "Most people in junk shops are great to talk to but this song is about the more miserable ones ...the ones that do their pricing research."

And the quirky Miles And Lena. "This song is written from memories of a couple we knew as we were
growing up. Lena loved clearing sales. I remember the first time I went into their house I couldn't believe the amount of junk inside."

Then there's the irreverent Aunty Aggie and the hilarious Sort of Dunno, Nothin'. "It's hardly what you'd call a song," admits Denahy "There's no singing involved with this! It's based on people who give very short answers to questions asked. I wanted to make the interviewee as dull as I could. I also wanted to make the interviewer an annoying sort of a character. It's a duet I do on my own."

On the more serious side, Denahy also brings new influences to this album with the inclusion of two co-writes with fellow Victorian singer/songwriter Paul Hicks, and songs by Lyle Lovett and Neil Murray.

There was no specific intention to broaden the musical landscape - it was just the way things fell. "Paul Hicks and I write Old Pine Tree mostly by email," says Denahy. "And (guitarist) Jeff Mercer also added some touches.

"Paul also sent I Wonder What They Think Of Me Now and said 'Can you do anything with this? It just needs a bit of tweaking'. I wrote a little bit in the middle but the bulk of it is Paul's. It's about growing up around the time of the shearers' strike, living life's journey and finding contentment at the end."

"If I Had a Boat is a Lyle Lovett song that painted a very strong image in my mind when I heard it years ago. I've been doing it live for a long time."

"I'm also a big Neil Murray fan, and Good Light In Broome was an instant favourite when I heard it. It's about a bloke who stuffs a lot of things up and starts to get sucked down the gullytrap. The only thing keeps him going is the dream of getting to Broome. I hope we all find Broome!"

In 2008, Peter Denahy is still part larrikin, part serious performer and accomplished musician that audiences love, but there is a real surge in his career.

"It's a combination of things," said Denahy. "Marriage in 2004 certainly changed the dynamic of my life, but musically it made me more focussed on the solo career.

"As a single bloke I was pretty much happy just going along, playing with anybody, but now the focus is very much on my own career. I will still work with others but the emphasis is definitely on my own shows, and the new album."

And nothing could be more emphatic than Picture In A Frame - it's a window into the world of Peter Denahy, and a real revelation.