Clermont Archives

In Concert at Richmond , Virginia, USA, Indian Cultural Centre July 4 2002

Left to Right – Andrew Clermont, Dya Singh, Dheeraj Shrestha, Keith Preston
Dya Singh also receiving Khalsa Award from the Mayor of Leicester, UK

Recent Years have seen Dya Singh group perform at numerable Californian Events. Peace & Multi-Faith conferences to Sikh Temples, and twice at both the Indian Yuba City Mela & California World Music Festival along side other Australians The Waifs, Bluehouse & Fruit (and almost all from Adelaide!)
Here they are at a Multifaith service presented by the Orange County Sikhs. Dya Singh group was recently acknowledged by the Californian Lieutenant Governor , Cruz M. Bustamante, for services to the Community.

And finally the top of the world with Dya Singh World Music Group.
Yes this is actually in Australia at the Woodford Folk Festival –
but a nice shot eh! Thanks to the benevolent photographer , Fran Stahlut-Kemp from the Gypsy HotClub

Well fun times indeed, Mal Webb had just recited the chorus of “My Car’s got a nice Roof Rack to carry my Love to You”, in perfect sibilance – backwards! (as in a tape running backwards). On the diagonal corner, the next morning, are the beautifully snowed streets of Graz, Austria in our “by heck it’s cold” gear.
Now this is just a couple of weeks back, in October 2003 with Totally Gourdgeous, in ‘return tour’ mode. The concert shot is at “Die Brueke” (The Bridge) which runs an interesting parallel to The Crossing from whence I type all this. Die Brueke deals with providing responsible means for variably disabled folk to learn they can have a “normal” life; while The Crossing provides the means for youth & older youth (who think they are normal) to usually discover they have had a disabled view on what it means to live responsibly on the planet earth (but do checkout their website given earlier)!
Moving across the Top we have the deft guitar style of Robbie Long, clinching member of our new Bluegrass unit “The Lawnmowers” taking a rather hot solo in ‘Milk Cow Blues’ at The October Supper Club. Accompanying him is the last sunset I saw from Bob Eggert’s kitchen window in Seattle, USA. He now watches from up on high. His passing in the last year puts a big hole in many lives and in particular the many musicians he helped in so many ways across the planet. The gentle hues on snowy Mt Reiner are also from his farm looking north west.
Between contemplates piano man, Parris Macleod, a crucial part of my Supper Club since it’s beginings 6 years ago. We had a great series of Supper Club concerts either side of the TG, Austrian Tour, including the well run BarrAbor Arts Festival of Barraba.
Framing the high country are the flying, banjo fingers of Dave Hellens and ever smiling Dougie Ball, rockabilly Double Bass man, together with with Robbie & I they complete The Lawnmowers – Bluegrass into the New Millenium!!! And a whole heap of fun. At Harrietville Bluegrass Festival this weekend.
The October SupClub’s feature artist was Dheeraj Shrestha, Nepalese Tabla master from the Dya Singh Group. We managed to snag a free weekend and between Schools, and venues in Armidale & Tamworth we presented a fine world music continuity from May’s SupClub’s Tibetan flavour to this times Bulgarian/ Indian/ Celtic / Country/ Jazz ! However here we are celebrating a perfect weekend at Alberta’s North Fair (Canada – last year) with a chummy hug.
Beside is a very happy PuYu Macleod having just finished a touchingly sublime delivery of world Flute at Armidale’s Cattlesman Motel within the SupClub. Quiet spoken but soars wildly on the flute. No egos here, just melodic plucks on strings of the heart & soul producing even a few tears I was told.
But she has no inkling that only days later I’d be making a snowman in Austria, Penelope providing backdrop here – having amazed us on Flute as well, at an Austrian corporate gig! Mal does cosmetic adjustments to Mr.Carrot nose. Totally Gourdgeous will return there next June as well for a return invite to the mighty Donauinsel Festival.
Providing the powerful didgeridoo finish to many recent Supper Clubs, Mark Atkins, now rehearsing for the Athens Olympic Games with a cultural delivery from Oz, is pulling out all stops – to the point that if you look carefully, you’ll see a bead of sweat just leaving his eyebrow!
Twas a particularly well received Supper Club this October and with 3 cameras rolling and recording straight to computer we are tickled pink to say we’ll have a Video and/or CD available very soon.

Here’s lookin’ at Ya from a ‘worldly'(!) perspective. Starting with a Totally Gourdgeous ‘awareness for the physically disadvantaged’ concert, in Austria, with a final show at the Donauinsel Fest amidst 2.5 million folk in Vienna! We also ne’r forget to take in the tourist sites eg. at the thundering Canada/ USA border and by Lake Louisa (Alberta) in The Rockies with snow and Dya Singh World Music Group (after a 12hr drive over them!), or later in Scotland via my Photoshop – ‘Whoa there Nessie!’.(We actually took a band holiday!) Them wee Longhorns were pretty special too – not to mention curious! All photos from my Video Cam except top L (Die Bruke)and bottom R

ALL CORNERS COVERED – Rachel Johnston, Mal Webb & Andrew Clermont

[Currently paused]

Andrew Clermont touring with super cool cellist Rachel Johnston (formerly 7 years of the Australian String Quartet (!) and toured with Missy Higgins). Together they covered a selection from the tips of Scandinavia through UK to inner Outback & Oldtime.
Tantalising and soaring are the works. Curious & twisted are the stories and songs. Clermont is with new sensuous double size Mick Moffat F5 Mandola along side the Gilchrist F5 Mandolin and Roger Buckmaster Fiddle, beside Rachel’s Luis & Clark “near glowing” Cello, plus Clermont’s 3 time Bluegrass Guitar Champ maneuvers and haunting “cast metal” Didgeridoo. A feast to behold.
Occasionally touring/ appearing with Mal Webb on unique Mouth Music Beat Boxing

Fiery Fiddlers

FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH
– FOUR FIERY FIDDLERS – as presented by BEMAC, Brisbane, August, 2001 CLERMONT with

As it turns out, Clermont & Graham had been meeting up at festivals across Victoria through to Queensland for quite a while at the time but now in 2021, a full 20 years later, he’s strong friends with Shenzo as well and appear at each other’s events regularly. They all hit it off very well throughout the night
Bemac Four Fiery Fiddlers – Spiros, Andrew, Fred, Shenton

ANDREW CLERMONT (left), chameleon player with Epoch Strings sponsorship and soon became Director to the Golden Fiddle Awards was this night letting his hair down with

FRED GRAHAM (Far Right):

One of Australia foremost fiddle players, Fred Graham plays with Brisbane-based Celtic group Tulca Mor and is a founder member of the jazz-fusion/ original music quartet Mystrel. Whilst graduating with a degree in Jazz studies, Fred has nurtured his interest in Irish fiddle playing, which recently culminated in his touring Ireland on a Lord Mayor’s Cultural Fellowship grant, to study Irish fiddling. Fred has played at many major festivals throughout Australia, including Woodford Festival, Canberra National Folk Festival and Port Fairy Festival. Fred has recorded two critically acclaimed CD’s: ‘Rise a Mile’ with Tulca Mor and ‘What Borders’ with Mystrel. For the BEMAC ‘Four Corners of the Earth’ World Music Café, Fred will be accompanied by long-standing musical colleague and friend, Steve Cook on Bouzouki and Guitar.

SHENTON GREGORY (Right):

A graduate from Queensland Conservatorium with a Bachelor of music in classical Violin, Shenton Gregory’s style combines sheer virtuosity, amazing versatility, and an entertaining touch of eccentricity. Shenton has toured with Queensland Arts Council in schools across 7500km of Queensland; Participated in the “Jazz in July” course at University of Massachusetts, USA Composed music for La Boite Theatre and the band George, Toured with Natalie Cole. Performed a world premier Violin Concerto with a 35 piece amplified orchestra as well as dangling from a roof in Queen St mall as “Shenzo Gregorio Stunt Violinist” live on Ch 9 “Today”. Perfomed in
“Shenzo’s Electric Stunt Orchestra” at opening of Roma Street Parklands. Played African and Afro-Cuban music with Keith Caisey at the 1999 Pinnacles jazz festival; Vulcana omen’s circus, Smokey Dawson, Savage Garden, The Whitlams, Kelway String Quartet, Musica Viva, and with ‘SARS’, the Gypsy, Jazz, Tango fusion quartet, at the Powerhouse for BEMAC World Music Café and at Brisbane Festival 2000. Shenton has recently recorded a CD with SARS.

SPIROS RANTOS (Far Left):

Violinist and Conductor, was born in Corfu, Greece, grew up in Athens and pursued his musical studies in Vienna, Austria, where he met his wife and musical partner, Israeli born pianist Brachi Tilles. Spiros has won the International Violin competitions of Colmar, France and Forte dei Marmi, Italy and commissioned and promoted over 400 performances around the world as a soloist, chamber music player and conductor. He has recorded over 55 records for many labels including Deutsche Grammophon, Harmonia Mundi, Adelcord and Grevillea Records. He has been a frequent guest performer for National broadcast companies in Europe, Asia and Australia. Spiros came to Australia in 1976 as a member of the Vienna based group Ensemble 1. He is the founder, artistic director and conductor of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and has taught at the Victorian College of the Arts, the University of Southern Queensland & University of Melbourne. He has appeared recently as a soloist with several regional Victorian and Queensland Orchestras in concertos by Bach, Haydn, Lalo, Chausson and Saint-Saens. Spiros has received the Hellenic Distinction Award (Melbourne 1987 and 1990).

TWAS A BIG, BIG NIGHT

Fiddlers Festival

Fiddlers Festival & Summit (memories)

Random early Band moments and collaborations

The NoHoldsBarred Australian Fiddle Contest early years

You Saw and Sent!