interview – Page 14 – TINSEL and TAP SHOES

An Interview with Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer has a career that has spanned over four decades. He’s written for artists such as Roger Daltrey, Dolly Parton and Tina Turner, and had numerous classic hits such as the Grammy Award winning You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, When I Need You and More Than I Can Say. With the new tour and album Restless Years, I spoke to Leo about touring the country, competing with DJs and the importance of powerful songwriting.

Hi Leo. How’s touring going?

It’s all going really well. I’m on the Restless Years tour and this is Day 17 we’re here in Dubbo. I’m doing the New South Wales lot now then into Queensland and then finally Hobart.

This is your first solo tour in over four years; how does it feel to be back on the road?

It’s nice to do the continuity. Technically it’s really nice as well because we’ve got the same truck traveling all the way through with all of our gear everywhere we go – everywhere we go, we’ve got the same speakers, microphones, harmonicas, guitars and keyboards – so that makes it easier to perform and you can really sort of guarantee the quality of the show. It’s great and that’s very comfortable. But the trucks been everywhere! I mean, right across The Great Australian Bight and the Nullarbor Plain and then back again to do Western Australia.

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An Interview With Adam Brand

Adam Brand is one of Australia’s most loved and recognizable country music artists. The 12-time Golden Guitar winner is heading to Thredbo to headline the Snowy Mountains Country Music Festival this month.

What can people expect from your show at Snowy Mountains Country Music Festival?

It’s actually my very first time playing at Thredbo at the Snowy Mountains. I know they’ve had a lot of festivals down there before, you know [the] CMC festival?, but for some reason or another, I was always away or on tour or something when those festivals were happening. So I’m really excited about going there. My shows are always high energy. [When] we walk off the stage, there’s nothing left in the gas tank – put it that way. We’re going to give it our everything! My show is, obviously, I’ve got the new album out My Side Of The Street so there’s a few of those new songs in there but I definitely play songs ranging from my very first album, which came out in 98, and songs off every each album through the years. So what can they can expect is a pretty broad cross section of songs spanning my ten albums.

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An Interview With Morgan Evans

I firstly just wanted to congratulate you on your possible Logie nomination.
It’s pretty funny! I think it’s funny anyway. I think it’s awesome but it’s funny! It’s a huge deal. It’s something that’s never even crossed my mind. A friend of mine took a photo of the Sydney Morning Herald article when they announced it and texted it to me. I consider myself a musician and I do the TV stuff for the Country Music Channel obviously but I always considered it in a musical-way rather than a TV-way, I guess.

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Interview: Musician Craig Heath

Frontman of rock-group Velvet City, Craig Heath is set to release his first solo single off his recently launched own label, Global Records. His first single All Because Of You featuring Rick Springfield, was co-written with Keith Urban and Monty Powell is out this March.

On His Solo Music: “I don’t think it’s country. It has the full banjo and the twang with a crossover with a bit of pop in it. A lot of the records done these days in Nashville are rock and pop so I think it’s country/pop with rock elements in it.”

On Working With Rick Springfield: “[It was] very enjoyable. He’s been through his ups and downs so it was just a really great, nice experience. He’s just a really nice down to Earth guy. When cutting the song, I just sounded like it deserved to be a duo. We sent it to Rick and he loved it. He put his voice on there and it just sounded great together. Rick’s voice suited my voice quite well and I think it’s turned out really well.”

On His Solo Ambitions: “I’ve always gravitated towards that kind of writing – you know, from the heart. Nashville, their motto is ‘three cords and the truth’ and if you can make a song stand up by just sitting there playing it on an acoustic guitar then you know its good without adding all the bits and the production and trying a bunch of stuff to make it sound like a good song.”

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Interview with Hayden Tee

LES-MIS-AUSTRALIAN-PRODUCTION-2014-Hayden-Tee-PHOTO-CREDIT-MATT-MURPHY

Hayden Tee is currently starring as Javert in the Australian production of Les Misérables. I spoke to Hayden about his take on Javert, what he likes most about the production and what his future plans are once Les Misérables comes to a close.

You’ve been involved in a lot of musicals from South Pacific to My Fair Lady and Jekyll & Hyde. Is there one or a few personal favourites or career highlights for you so far?

I love what I do and am generally very happy in any show as long as I am working. Personal highlights are definitely Les Misérables – which is a big part of why I have returned. I also loved doing Cats – there is so much room for improv that it never ever got boring.

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Interview with Dave Callan

I interviewed Dave Callan at the Portland Hotel in Melbourne last Thursday.

The sexy selfie, as mentioned in the interview, is under the cut 🙂

You can find out more about Dave at:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/davecallanofficial
Twitter – https://twitter.com/davecallantwit

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Interview with Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes

How does one describe this interview I did with Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes last Thursday …

Hmm, well it starts off pretty uncomfortable, starts to become comfortable and ends in the most hilarious of ways! It was strange and crazy, yet a lot of fun. Thanks to Hughesy for being such a great sport and having a laugh!

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Interview: Actor Dave Lawson

Originally posted on Cry Little Sister

AN INTERVIEW WITH Dave Lawson
Dave Lawson is an Australian television and radio personality. You may have recently seen him as Scott in ABC1’s comedy series Utopia or as Graeme in the film, The Mule. I interviewed Dave about his love for catering, shaving his head, working with Game of Thrones‘ Peter “The Dink” Dinklage, fatherhood and more.

How did you first get into acting?
I was studying Advertising at RMIT in the late 90’s, and a mate of mine in the course, his mum was an Agent – which was very helpful. I’d called a few agents previously and they’d told me to call back when I’d done some work. Kind of a catch 22 – you can’t get work without an Agent and can’t get an Agent without work. The first audition to was for a chocolate milk called ‘Gary’. I got the job and was hooked – mainly for the catering.

Is acting always something that you’ve wanted to do?
Not particularly, I always enjoyed being a dick and trying to make friends laugh, it wasn’t until I was about 16 that I considered I might like to become an actor one day. The early advice I received was to have a fall back career, which is why I studied Advertising. It seemed like a mix of acting and drawing – my favourite subjects at high school. I was constantly reminded of the statistic that 99% of actors are out of work. Dad reminded me that also means 1% are in work.

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Interview: Colin Dean from ‘Once, A New Musical’

Originally posted on Cry Little Sister.

AN INTERVIEW WITH Colin Dean

Tasmanian performer Colin has been working in the industry for over thirty years. He is currently playing the role of lonely music shop owner Billy in Once, the new musical at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne. I spoke to Colin about dream roles, down time and art imitating life.

You’re a well-rounded performer – from acting on screen, singing and dancing on stage, being a tour guide, stand up comedy, live performances and more. Is there anything you can’t do?

Make a decent curry. How do you get the lumps out?
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