It’s ironic that Bobby Alu’s Take It Slow tour zooms around the country at breakneck speed. Bobby has 27 dates, including six with Xavier Rudd, before summer begins. He will traverse the mainland and here in the northern rivers we will get a handful of opportunities to see him with local dates at the Soundlounge, the Hotel Brunswick, the Mullum Music Fest and the YAC with Rudd. Bobby will also poke his head into the Island Vibe Festival on North Straddy late October.
Alu had his latest big release last Friday through Vitamin. Take It Slow is the second album from Bobby Alu. In many ways for Bobby, though, it feels like the first.
‘My first album was completely solo and an experiment. Now Bobby Alu is a team and a family. The balance, lineup and groove of the band has taken shape over two years of touring the country, playing festivals, support slots, writing together and, of course, recording this album.
‘It’s all about lifestyle choice for all of us. We choose the lives we lead and remain grateful for the good fortune that comes our way. Success doesn’t come without hard work but we find salvation in keeping the balance. Chilling out as well as working hard but first and foremost enjoying the journey. Take it Slow is an album delivering this philosophy.’
Between the four of them – Paulie B (guitar), Stewart Barry (bass), Grant Gerathy (drums) and of course Bobby himself – the band has compiled these songs to offer up some downtime and counter a fast-moving and at times careless, irresponsible world.
‘I have travelled a lot since the debut album and have drawn inspiration from the tussle to find balance and patience. Slip Take It Slow on and for 48 minutes take some time out to chill.’
Indeed, it’s been a massive two years for Charles Wall, Bobby Alu’s creator and alter ego. A highly-respected, sought-after musician in his own right, when Bobby Alu is taking time out from the spotlight it’s usually because Charles Wall himself is touring Australia, or the world. Most recently it’s been the USA with Xavier Rudd but for years now Charles has been a regular co-conspirator with the likes of Nicky Bomba, Kooii, Mista Savona, Oka and many more. Even the Take It Slow album launch tour dates have been slotted in amongst shows with Xavier Rudd, Donavon Frankenreiter, and Nahko And Medicine for The People’s National Tour.
But, from an almost accidental start, it’s the enduring and ever-rising reception for Bobby Alu that now takes up most of Charles’s time. And rightly so: there’ve been two Queensland Music Award nominations, a semifinalist berth in the International Song Writing Competition, support slots for The Beautiful Girls, Katchafire, Watussi and Blue King Brown and festival performances everywhere from Byron Bay Blues & Roots, Woodford Folk, Reggaetown, Village, Eclipse festivals, Wide Open Space in the Northern Territory, Folk Rhythm & Life Festival, the Australasian World Music Expo and Nannup Festival, to Island Vibe and Deep Roots. All this collaborating, living and learning within the project meant this was the perfect time for Bobby Alu to record and release this collection of songs.
At the helm of the recording was the unflappable PaulieB (the band’s full-time guitarist, also contributing bass, vocals, percussion), who produced, engineered and mixed Take It Slow in his Tanuki Lounge studio. Clocking up an ARIA award and 300,000+ album sales with his old band George, international touring work with The Beautiful Girls, and production for bands such as Kooii, Kingfisha and Dubmarine, has PaulieB at the forefront of the Australian roots scene.
A great friend and collaborator of Charles’s they’ve become a formidable bass-and-drums team for many artists over the years, though PaulieB’s relationship with Bobby Alu bassist Stewart Barry goes even further back. Meeting Charles when first they formed a rhythm section (for Melbourne artist Saritah) Stu’s years of experience in both the Melbourne and Brisbane jazz scenes have seen him work with many top musicians over the past decade. Bringing up the rear, sits drummer Grant ‘Ding Dong’ Gerathy (Ray Mann 3, Jon Clearly) driving home the point that for this group – comprising two bassists and drummers – rhythm is the crucial element. It goes without saying that serious groove is essential to Bobby Alu, and its members’ inspiration.
Take it Slow embodies smooth with little stress. PaulieB, Stu and Ding Dong enhance Charles’s songs with the perfect experience and energy, creating music that soundtracks a complete lifestyle choice. Written completely on ukulele by Charles before the full Bobby Alu team developed basslines, beats and licks, it was nonetheless a team effort also featuring Darky Roots frontman Josh ‘Hua’ Hillman on backing vocals, extra beats by African percussionist Elliott Orr, and mastering by Grammy winner William Bowden (Gotye, The Living End, Hermitude, Eskimo Joe) at King Willie Sound.
Mullum Music Festival Sunday November 24
Sunday November 3 Byron Bay Brewery
Island Vibe Festival runs October 25–27 October North Stradbroke Island, Brisbane QLD
with Xavier Rudd Monday October 7 – YAC Amphitheatre, Byron Bay
Sunday September 22 – Hotel Brunswick
Friday September 20 – Soundlounge Currumbin
Find this and many other great gigs in Echonetdaily’s North Coast Gig Guide.
