BAND IT ABOUT - Podcast Series

S2 E32 The Engine Room Drummer Andrew Griffiths , Andy started learning drums December 1973, and has over 40 years experience in performing, recording and songwriting throughout Australia, having spent 7 years in Sydney and Melbourne as part of his Professional playing career. His first Adelaide band was the very first Punk/New Wave band in Adelaide " Black Chrome" , Simon Stretton - vocals,...

Preview of S2 E32 Andrew Griffiths , author of " Progressive Rock Drumming ", Business Owner/ Manager ' Frets & Sticks Music co ' Andy joins me in The Engine Room this week to chat about his career. This is a preview of one of Andy's many stories that he tells during his interview. This is part of his memorable gig stories, when he explains how the Adelaide band " The Dagoes " broke up during...

Update 1 : When I first interviewed Joe Turtur it was just before he was to go into hospital to have part of his colon removed. Joe had T3 Colon Cancer, and was not given a guarantee that he would wake up from the surgery. Thankfully Joe did wake up, he spent 17 days in hospital, and has been living with a Ileostomy Bag while his colon recovers from the surgery. Joe is looking forward to having th...

Sue Filmer joins me this week in The Engine Room to discuss her musical journey which began with Sue being a trained dancer. Sue was born in New South Wales and moved to Adelaide when she was 20 to attend the only Contemporary Dance Course on offer in Australia at the time, which was at Flinders University. Sue worked in various jobs while studying and at one stage was employed to dance at events...

Sue Filmer joins me this week in The Engine Room to discuss her musical journey which began with Sue being a trained dancer. This is a preview of Sue sharing a story from when she used to be employed to dance at events in Adelaide, prior to joining her first band as a percussionist. The full episode will be available on Saturday May 29th at 9am (Adelaide, South Australia.) Sue has always loved mus...

S2 E29 PAUL JIMMY SHARMAN Part 2. Paul miraculously manages to mention all of the following people: his wife Tracey, Bette Midler, Steve and Ben Todd, Steve Prestwich, Satisfaction band members plus Nigel Bourne, Louise Pearson, Peter Kershaw, Tonkin Family, Mark Meyer, Mario Marino, Bobby Keys, Rolling Stones, Royal Crown Revue, Jeff Algra, ABC's Snowflake podcast, Daniel Glass, Charlie Watts, Mi...

Paul Sharman had a happy childhood despite growing up poor, living on an old farm, situated on largely arid land. Since joining his first band in High School, Paul has been involved in the South Australian music scene ever since. Drumming in a variety of bands, managing, and promoting his, as well as other bands. Paul is one of the few remaining original members of the highly successful and longes...

Ken Chenery moved to Adelaide with his parents when he was 10. In 1969, Ken began playing with popular local bands, during a period when the live music scene was vibrant in South Australia. The musical talent were kept busy, performing, creating, and entertaining the audiences that would regularly attend one of the many live music venues, some of which hosted live music events every night of the w...

I interviewed Darren Lee 5 days before the very sad passing of the "Bay City Rollers" lead singer Les McKeown.  After learning of this I contacted Darren to see if he still wanted his interview to be released, given the fact that he obviously talks about being the "Bay City Rollers" drummer. Darren appreciated being given the choice and decided to still go ahead with it knowing that Les would...

During the interview I ask Darren what it's like Touring with Les McKeown's "BAY CITY ROLLERS" , this is part of his response. The full interview will be available to listen to tomorrow morning, Saturday May 1st from 9am (Adelaide, South Australian time.) I recorded this interview on April 15, Darren absolutely Loved being in the "BAY CITY ROLLERS" , and sadly with the recent passing of Les McKeow...

This interview is a must for Live Music Venue owners and musicians who are interested in finding out more about their own return to live music events and concerts once their countries current social distancing measures are relaxed. It will give many a realistic insight into just how long it will be before you can expect to get back to any sort of normal and what that new normal will look like. At...

We are rewinding the Engine Room back to Episodes 6 to 10 to replay the last segment of the show 20 questions in 2 minutes.  First up is E6 the Funny Funky Monks Australian Red Hot Chilli Peppers Drummer, Nick Romano who speaks that fast at times that I misheard one of his answers thinking that he had told me that he was his favorite RHCP drummer, it eventually clicked that he had said Chad S...

It is amazing how much you can find out about a person when you ask them 20 quick, random questions. Have you ever wondered why I end the show by playing 20 questions? Are you now thinking, 20 questions, I didn’t know that you even did that? Well this is the episode that will give you the answers.  Today I rewind to the start of the second series, to hear Dieter (Audio Reign), Mardi Hogan (In...

Travis Dragani is the Band It About - podcast series 'Engine Room' guest this week. Travis has always known what he wanted to do for a career, he was given his first kit when he was 3 years old and has continued to play drums ever since. His career started in Adelaide where he played with many bands, prior to making the decision to move to Melbourne and improve his professional career opportunitie...

Travis Dragani joins Band It About podcast series host Di Spillane, in The Engine Room this weekend. Don't miss hearing Travis share his journey to becoming one of the busiest drummers on the Australian music scene. He has performed all over Australia, Europe, USA, Indonesia & UAE. Travis has played drums for and toured with the following bands and artists.  The Superjesus  2019 - Na...

Eli Green had no desire to play the drums when he first started, his mother signed him up for lessons as a distraction while his parents were separating, and although he enjoyed the lessons and friendship that developed with his drum teacher, Eli eventually stopped playing.  It wasn’t until years later when his school friends told him that they were starting a band and insisted on him being t...

Adelaide drummer Eli Green joins me this week in The Engine Room S2E20 to discuss his amazing career. Eli is the drummer for Life Pilot, the touring drummer for a band that first formed in the 80s, many years prior to Eli being born, he joined The Mark of Cain in 2013 and has been their touring drummer ever since. Eli has recorded and toured with many solo artists and works regularly as a professi...

Host Di Spillane has set up a PayPal https://paypal.me/banditabout?locale.x=en_AU and ‘buy me a coffee’ to help her to cover the expenses that come with producing this weekly independent podcast series. If you would like to help by buying a coffee you can do so via this link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BandIt Thank you for your support, and thanks for listening to the Band It About - Podcast Ser...

Adelaide drummer and former John Reynolds Music City Manager, John Stephens, joins me this week to share stories from his music career, taking us on a journey filled with his fabulous memories from the entertainment scene in Adelaide from the 50's right through to recent years. John has lived a life that most wouldn't even dream of, rubbing shoulders with, meeting and forming relations with the ri...

Adelaide born drummer John Yacka joins me this week to discuss his career. John's first major original band was 'Ironhorse' who began performing in 1980, and within four years had won a reputation as one of Adelaide's most devoutly supported acts. The bands first major gig was on November 30th 1984 when they supported 'Deep Purple' at Memorial Drive during DP's "Perfect Strangers" Tour. Despi...

Listen to Mark's first interview E7 first. I recently caught up with Mark after one of his gigs, we chatted about his first Engine Room interview, he mentioned that there was a lot that he did not touch on, so I was delighted when he suggested that we arrange a time to record part 2. In this interview Mark reflects on the incredibly talented musicians that he has met, worked with, and formed frien...

S2 E27 THE LOVE MUSSELS are an Adelaide psychedelic rock band who originally formed in 1994, they released their first album "Dirty World" the same year, followed by a few more releases until the band disappeared in 2006. The band reformed in 2019 and recorded the "It's All Relative - Redux", which was released in October 2020.  During the interview (recorded in 'Mussel Manor'), the band disc...

Adelaide drummer Liv Bafile is this weeks Engine Room guest. I must thank Pete Kershaw for suggesting that I interview Liv, if it were left up to Liv I doubt that this would have happened as Liv is quite shy and didn't think that he had a story worth sharing. I beg to differ, as I am sure that you will too! Liv has been in many original bands as well as some very popular cover bands throughout his...

Adelaide drummer Ben Todd began playing drums at the age of 3, adding to an already large family of drummers (3 generations to be exact!) His first introduction to the instrument was from his father Steve who worked as a freelance musician. After leaving high school, Ben quickly became established in the Adelaide music community and began work in sessions, musicals and corporate bands, as well as...

John Reynolds is a South Australian icon, and one of the nicest gentleman that you could possibly chat with. John discusses his career as a performer with the Dominoes and the Frank Sebastian Entertainment Revue (among others), as well as what led to him starting his business in 1968 with $400, a business that would go on to play a part in many South Australian drummers’ careers, supplying, teachi...