Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined 2020
Patrick McMahon - Week 24
Bec Reid
Hello, I'm Bec Reid, and it's great to have you with us here at the Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined in 2020. This week, it's all about renewal and we couldn't think of a more apt artist to come back into the VSF family That's right. It's Patrick McMahon. Patrick, how are you?
Patrick McMahon
Good morning again, Bec, good morning.
Bec Reid
Back by popular demand, Patrick. It's so good to see you.
Patrick McMahon
I'm so honoured that you asked me to come back again for round two. Ding-ding!
Bec Reid
Patrick, we're exploring renewal and I wanted to ask you, artistically, what gives you energy? What renews you?
Patrick McMahon
Going home to Nannup in Western Australia, my hometown, and just tinkering on the farm, playing with old tractors and cars and utes and hanging with my peeps on the farm. That contributes to my musical renewal as well but, in addition to that, listening to - I listen to music all the time. I have the radio on, as you can see behind me, and I'm very retro when it comes that. I listen to the wireless [laughter. I love listening to the wireless and I listen to these retro DJs, who give tremendous backgrounds on who wrote a song and why they wrote it and everything else.
Bec Reid
Patrick, your repertoire is so rich and diverse. Is there a particular genre of music that also really energizes you?
Patrick McMahon
Definitely country and folk. There's something about it. I just really get empowered and energized by listening to them and inspired. That sort of music just really touches my soul on the deepest levels, lyrically and musically. It's fantastic. All genres of music feature in my listening every day. Classical, jazz, even punk rock, heavy metal rock. Love it. I love everything.
Bec Reid
Patrick, can you tell us about the current album that you're working on?
Patrick McMahon
It's an album of original material. I've been writing heaps and heaps of new stuff, obviously lots of time on my hands. It's just very country based. One of the many songs I've written for this next album is called Glendambo Hambo.
[Patrick singing]
When I was rolling on my way to Coober Pedy
Hungry as a hunter all the while
Fanging for the roadhouse that would feed me
Mile after mile
The midday sun was shining like a demon
I could not see the highway from the haze
I was weary, I was just daydreaming. And driving in a daze
Then all at once, I came across Glendambo
With a windmill and a pub and a general store
I asked the man to make me a hamburger
It was the biggest burger that I ever saw
Glendambo Hambo, you are my style
Glendambo Hambo my, my, my
And the story goes on [laughter]
Bec Reid
It really is a family affair for you, Patrick. Can you tell us about the importance of musical connections?
Bec Reid
Cherylanne's, my beautiful wife and her niece, Lauren - we were sitting on the couch in 1988 in Melbourne and here's this little four year old, Lauren, sitting on the couch next to me watching Phil Collins on MTV. Phil Collins was doing 'I can feel it comin' in the air tonight' and, suddenly, I'm aware of the fact that little Lauren snuggled in next to me on the couch. In my right lughole, is seeing the most perfect, perfect, beautiful in pitch in key harmonies and it stunned me. I was like, "what are you doing?" and, of course, we were all so stunned and thrilled to hear her doing that and that's how it began with that family connection with Lauren.
Patrick McMahon
And now Lauren has toured with you, Patrick.
Patrick McMahon
That's right. She does all my big shows, any big corporate shows, any big country music festivals on the big stage. She and Melissa Jane, Mel, not only do they sound like the Dixie Chicks together, they're just amazing with their wall of sound and harmonies but they are also great movers because everybody knows that I am such an awesome dancer. [laughter] So, they take the audience's focus off my incredible footwork and the audience watches them instead of me. That's fantastic. They really are brilliant. Great singers and dancers.
Bec Reid
Oh, it's so good to hear, Patrick, that it's truly a family team effort.
Patrick McMahon
Oh, totally.
[Patrick playing guitar and singing]
You can see your brothers standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he’s sowed
And if you see your sister falling by the way
Just stop and say, you're going the wrong way
You've got to try a little kindness
Just show a little kindness
And shed a light for everyone you meet
And if you try a little kindness
And you overlook the blindness
Of the narrowminded people
On the narrowminded streets
Don't walk around the down and out
Lend a helping hand instead of doubt
And the kindness that you show every day
Will help someone along their way
You've got to try a little kindness
Just show a little kindness
And shed a light for everyone you meet
And if you try a little kindness
And you overlook the blindness
Of the narrowminded people
On the narrowminded streets
You've got to try a little kindness
Just show a little kindness
And shed a light for everyone you meet
And if you try a little kindness
And you overlook the blindness
Of the narrowminded people
On the narrowminded streets
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Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined 2020
Patrick McMahon - Week 24
Bec Reid
Hello, I'm Bec Reid, and it's great to have you with us here at the Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined in 2020. This week, it's all about renewal and we couldn't think of a more apt artist to come back into the VSF family That's right. It's Patrick McMahon. Patrick, how are you?
Patrick McMahon
Good morning again, Bec, good morning.
Bec Reid
Back by popular demand, Patrick. It's so good to see you.
Patrick McMahon
I'm so honoured that you asked me to come back again for round two. Ding-ding!
Bec Reid
Patrick, we're exploring renewal and I wanted to ask you, artistically, what gives you energy? What renews you?
Patrick McMahon
Going home to Nannup in Western Australia, my hometown, and just tinkering on the farm, playing with old tractors and cars and utes and hanging with my peeps on the farm. That contributes to my musical renewal as well but, in addition to that, listening to - I listen to music all the time. I have the radio on, as you can see behind me, and I'm very retro when it comes that. I listen to the wireless [laughter. I love listening to the wireless and I listen to these retro DJs, who give tremendous backgrounds on who wrote a song and why they wrote it and everything else.
Bec Reid
Patrick, your repertoire is so rich and diverse. Is there a particular genre of music that also really energizes you?
Patrick McMahon
Definitely country and folk. There's something about it. I just really get empowered and energized by listening to them and inspired. That sort of music just really touches my soul on the deepest levels, lyrically and musically. It's fantastic. All genres of music feature in my listening every day. Classical, jazz, even punk rock, heavy metal rock. Love it. I love everything.
Bec Reid
Patrick, can you tell us about the current album that you're working on?
Patrick McMahon
It's an album of original material. I've been writing heaps and heaps of new stuff, obviously lots of time on my hands. It's just very country based. One of the many songs I've written for this next album is called Glendambo Hambo.
[Patrick singing]
When I was rolling on my way to Coober Pedy
Hungry as a hunter all the while
Fanging for the roadhouse that would feed me
Mile after mile
The midday sun was shining like a demon
I could not see the highway from the haze
I was weary, I was just daydreaming. And driving in a daze
Then all at once, I came across Glendambo
With a windmill and a pub and a general store
I asked the man to make me a hamburger
It was the biggest burger that I ever saw
Glendambo Hambo, you are my style
Glendambo Hambo my, my, my
And the story goes on [laughter]
Bec Reid
It really is a family affair for you, Patrick. Can you tell us about the importance of musical connections?
Bec Reid
Cherylanne's, my beautiful wife and her niece, Lauren - we were sitting on the couch in 1988 in Melbourne and here's this little four year old, Lauren, sitting on the couch next to me watching Phil Collins on MTV. Phil Collins was doing 'I can feel it comin' in the air tonight' and, suddenly, I'm aware of the fact that little Lauren snuggled in next to me on the couch. In my right lughole, is seeing the most perfect, perfect, beautiful in pitch in key harmonies and it stunned me. I was like, "what are you doing?" and, of course, we were all so stunned and thrilled to hear her doing that and that's how it began with that family connection with Lauren.
Patrick McMahon
And now Lauren has toured with you, Patrick.
Patrick McMahon
That's right. She does all my big shows, any big corporate shows, any big country music festivals on the big stage. She and Melissa Jane, Mel, not only do they sound like the Dixie Chicks together, they're just amazing with their wall of sound and harmonies but they are also great movers because everybody knows that I am such an awesome dancer. [laughter] So, they take the audience's focus off my incredible footwork and the audience watches them instead of me. That's fantastic. They really are brilliant. Great singers and dancers.
Bec Reid
Oh, it's so good to hear, Patrick, that it's truly a family team effort.
Patrick McMahon
Oh, totally.
[Patrick playing guitar and singing]
You can see your brothers standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he’s sowed
And if you see your sister falling by the way
Just stop and say, you're going the wrong way
You've got to try a little kindness
Just show a little kindness
And shed a light for everyone you meet
And if you try a little kindness
And you overlook the blindness
Of the narrowminded people
On the narrowminded streets
Don't walk around the down and out
Lend a helping hand instead of doubt
And the kindness that you show every day
Will help someone along their way
You've got to try a little kindness
Just show a little kindness
And shed a light for everyone you meet
And if you try a little kindness
And you overlook the blindness
Of the narrowminded people
On the narrowminded streets
You've got to try a little kindness
Just show a little kindness
And shed a light for everyone you meet
And if you try a little kindness
And you overlook the blindness
Of the narrowminded people
On the narrowminded streets