MIC CONWAY

WITH GUITARIST - ROBBIE LONG

(Australian’s 2008 Flatpicking Guitar Champion - see below)

http://www.myspace.com/micconway

ALBERT PARK YACHT CLUB PORT LOUNGE

22 Aquatic Drive Albert Park Lake Reserve (just before the Point Restaurant)

Enter the Lake Reserve opposite Clarendon Street, first left, first right. 250m and you’re there. Parking off road at back, entry Lakeside.

 Melbourne’s best view for a venue, best Turkish Dips & Bread & hot party food in the break. All included in the price.

Doors open 7:30pm for 8:00pm start. $20 cash at door. No reserved seating. Bookings essential. Cliff on taxman@bigpond.net.au or 03 96901233

Mic Conway first performed at Albert Park in April three years ago. We have missed him. His particular brand of vaudeville, magic, comedy, insanity and unpredictability is unique. In part it’s what made his “Captain Matchbox Whoopie Band” a cult hit in the 70s. 

Fire eater, song writer, musician, singer, magician, actor, tap dancer, juggler, latex mask maker, props repairer (yes, there are lots of props), ventriloquist and puppeteer, Mic has even won an ARIA!

Born into a family of vaudeville theatre and opera, in the 1970s, together with his brother Jim Conway, Mic founded the Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band. To their surprise it became a cult phenomenon, recording seven records, two of which achieved gold status. Mic also joined the legendary Pram Factory Theatre in Melbourne, creating Soapbox Circus, where he was ringmaster, musician, juggler and acrobat. In 1978 Soapbox became the now world famous Circus Oz with Mic as a founding member.

Mic has toured across Australia, Britain, USA, New Zealand and Asia delighting audiences of all ages. His current outfit, Mic Conway’s National Junk Band is touring their new album “CORPORATE CHOOK” : entertainment that “defies categorisation” (Sydney Morning Herald).

Recently, Mic has been developing a new duo show with Robbie Long (Australian Flat Pick Guitar Champion 2008). Stripped back, irreverent and shameless, they take the stage playing idiosyncratic tunes that make jaws drop, toes tap and sides split. A circus of comedy, magic and general mayhem.

WHAT THEY SAY:
Mic Conway should be elected as one of Australia’s living national treasures.”
: Bill Riner, ABC Radio, Queensland

Mic Conway has always taken the road less travelled… The world would be a poorer place without either this record [Corporate Chook] or the National Junk Band… Go for a ride down a road you never thought even existed.”
: Michael Smith (Drum Media, Sept. 2008)

If Mic Conway loses his night job he could become an economist… (A High Standard of) Mediocrity is a perfect anthem for our era.
: John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald, Oct. 2008)

ROBBIE LONG

(is the current Australian Flatpicking Guitar Champion - Tamworth 2008)

“…undoubtedly one the country’s finest flatpickers…”

Rhythms Magazine, March 2008

Guitarist Robbie Long is a multi-instrumentalist who has covered miles of styles in his weird & wonderful career. He has been a ‘working man’s musician’ since leaving school, walking the boards with countless acts on stages and in studios over the past twenty years in Australia, New Zealand and Europe and Ireland. Although Rob has jazz/rock foundations, he has gathered tools from a spectrum of musical genres through his musical journeys, adding spice and depth to his playing.

As well as playing solo, Rob with a mixed bag of diverse acts including bluegrass/newgrass band ‘The Lawnmowers’, singer-songwriter Kate Fagan, bassist/vocalist Liz Frencham, and master of madness Mic Conway. He has also worked with festival acts such as Totally Gourdgeous, Gilly Darbey, Waiting for Guinness and Glenys Rae Virus.

Rob has performed at many of Australia’s major festivals, including Woodford, The National Folk Festival, Port Fairy, Illawarra Folk Fest, and Tamworth. His band The Lawnmowers was featured on The Daily Planet on Radio National 2007. The Lawnmowers also recorded tracks for the film ‘Australia’. A respected Australian guitarist, he has also performed onstage with a host of legendary Aussie guitar pickers, including Rod McCormack, Phil Emmanuel, Micheal Fix, Bruce Mathiske, Nick Charles and Lloyd Spiegel.

Also check out: The Lawnmowers

Some of the people I’ve had the good fortune to play with on stage or in the studio over the last few years includes:

The Lawnmowers, Kate Fagan, Andrew Clermont, Liz Frencham, Mic Conway, Jim Conway, Mitch Shadlow, Rod McCormack, Phil Emanual, Dave Hellens, Gleny Rae, Anthony Snape, Steve Fuller, Jason Bone, Sam Martin, Micheal Fix, Pat Drummond, Smokin Joe Robinson, Parris McCloud, Waiting for Guinness, Gilly Darbey, The Davidson Brothers, Ruth Unger (the Mammals), Tania Elizebeth (The Duhks), Devilish Mary, Mal Webb, Lloyd Spiegel, Maureen O’Brien, Quentin Fraser, Penelope Swales, Nigel Lever, Marus Holden, Gary Brown, Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty), Donal Baylor, Pete Fidler, Totally Gourdgeous, Tony Eyers, Alex Gordon (Tamaresque), David Ross McDonald (The Waifs), Andrew Scott, Mike Vidal, Ross Waldron, Reason to Breath, Bruce Mathiske, Lawrie Minson (Lee Kernaghan), Mark Atkins, Lucie Thorn, James Gillard, Su Morley, The Goat Band, Marty Moose, Dave Steel, Anthony McGloin, Nancy Kerr, Lachy Dengate, Nick Charles, Lucy Langham, Heath Cullen, Gary Steel, Andrew Winton, Kym Warner (The Greencards), Christian Marsh, The Whitetop Mountaineers, Limerick etc etc…..