A Band is Born
"I didn't think we'd get more than two gigs"
MBM - our first bass player, always encouraging
December 3, 2011: The Hummers were born with a bang - 2 gigs in the space of 8 days. An Eastern Suburbs 40th Birthday has the honour of being the world premiere venue for The Hummers and the 30 guests in the Kensington backyard provided an enthusiastic reception for a bunch of very nervous musicians."You guys dont suck" a partygoer was heard to say, en route to the bathroom !Having proved they could actually play in front of real people andnot just each other, The Hummers were straight back into it with John Stanton's 50th birthday
party the very next Saturday. The South Coogee SLSC looked a picture as did the magnificant view of Coogee beach and The Hummers played their entire repertoire to the dancing guests. Two down, and the only thing the band wanted to know was - where do we play next?
Practice, practice, practice...
Nothing much happened after that. The phone didn't ring and The Hummers went to the summer vacation wondering when or where they would get to play again. Adding songs to the list was the order of the day and John and David worked on some favourites waiting for a chance to reveal them to the world. After the entry into 702 ABC Radio Afternoons contest "Exhumed Bands Competition" came to naught (finalists being chosen based on talent) it was not unitl winter when an opportunity arose. Hummers Lite, minus Richard and David (David Bullock playing Rhythm guitar), played a short set at The Valve in Tempe as part of a bands competition. Rehearsals continued at the practice rooms in Bondi Pavilion through a long, cold, lonely winter
A Band of Brothers
Finally a gig. On the last Thursday in June, The Hummers played at the magnificent Clovelly Bowling Club, a self-organized farewell for David Rosen from his VMO appointment at the Royal Hospital for Women. With Terry McConchie kindly deputising for Greg and now with an all male lineup, and despite the heavens emptying themselves early in the evening, the 50 or so guests had a great time in a room made for The Hummers distinctive sound (ie. covering other peoples songs). And the rain continued, but now it was raining gigs.
The crowd enjoying the vibe at the Fox and Lion
As the weather turned toward spring and the Swans marched to their second AFL premiership in 7 years, The Hummers played the Hordern Pavilion...environs. A charity performance for 'Georgia Rocks' saw families and friends spend a wonderful Sunday afternoon rocking out at the Fox & Lion Pub. A month later, on Grand Final day, The Hummers joined 3 other Sydney Bands on stage at the Peakhurst Bowling Club in support of the Melanoma Fondation. With each gig, the sound was tighter, the Hummers more relaxed and the song list growing...
Georgiapalooza
The sun was shining, the food plentiful, the drink flowing and 300 people turned up to the Colleagues Rugby Club in late October for a huge charity function for "Georgia Rocks". With donations pouring in from a Facebook campaign for a huge prize raffle, The Hummers entertained the gathered throng "Let it Be' style - standing on an open roof. Only this time it was in sunglasses and about 25 degrees warmer! How far they had travelled from a 30 person birthday party. But the best was yet to come. On December the 1st, less than 12 months since their first gig, The Hummers played gig number 8.Back at the Clovelly Bowling Club, supported
"The Ukes of Hazard", with a free tab at the bar and 180 pleasantly inaebriated nurses the Greg-less Hummers wowed the crowd, and themselves, with their ability to function as a unit, support each others (little) mistakes, and sing backing vocals. Who knows how good it could have been if Jono had actually been in Sydney for any rehearsals!