Author: andrew

Pride March is one of the most iconic events on the Band’s calendar. With the weather forecast rising to the low forties during the week leading up the event, the Band made the tough decision to march in the parade but not play.

Even without our music we aimed to stick out, and our 20 strong group flew flags, banners and giant music notes in every colour of the rainbow still managed to gain the enthusiastic support of the crowd.

This year’s Midsumma Carnival returned to Alexandra Gardens. The Band played under a tree near the river, attracting lots of foot traffic. We performed 3 sets, including a surprise Flashmob with members of the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus. This was a new experience for the band, and the audience loved our collaboration of classic Lady Gaga tunes “Born this Way” and “Bad Romance”. We also had an impromptu dance to “Gangnam Style” from our very own “Psy”; a huge thank you to Win’s friend for helping us rock the crowd!

We also had good numbers of people come and visit our stall and sign up as either potential members or “Friends of the Band.” Midsumma is always a great way to celebrate the LGBTI community and the MRB looks forward to our continued involvement in this event.

The Melbourne Rainbow Band’s 15th Anniversary CD is on sale now, and it’s even more fabulous than we could have hoped.  Celebrating some of our favourite music from the last five years, it pretty much includes every style of music we play – movies, musicals, classical, jazz and even a couple of rock tunes with guest vocalist Julie Leder.

CD’s will be available at all our events for $15 each, or click here to purchase one online (postage charges apply).

TRACKLIST:

• The Dam Busters March
• The Man from Snowy River (Listen to an excerpt)
• Hold On, I’m Coming (Vocals: Julie Leder)
• Selections from ‘Hairspray’
• Pacem – A Hymn for Peace (Listen to an excerpt)
• Virginia
• The Doors in Concert
• Big Spender (Vocals: Julie Leder)
• The Genius of Ray Charles
• Tribute to Count Basie (Listen to an excerpt)
• Pilatus: Mountain of Dragons

This is our first CD since our 1997 offering Live in San Francisco, and our first ever studio-recorded CD.  It was an amazing experience for all the performers involved, and a great team effort.  The CD was recorded in November 2010 by Recording Engineer Rod Reynolds of Rochester Engineering.

Check out pics from the recording process below:

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As has become part of the tradition, ChillOut 2011 was a mixture of fun performances, relaxation and unexpected weather.

The MRB’s advance team arrived in Daylesford on Friday night for a welcome bbq hosted by our recently retired conductor Mark Lyall.  We spent the evening eating fabulous food and drinking under the amazing country stars.  Saturday we took Chillout at face value, and generally had a lazy time of it – at least until the evening bushdance where we kicked up our heels and do-si-do’d ourselves silly.

The rest of the band joined us on Sunday morning for a quick bite at Harvest Cafe before heading up the hill to prepare for the Street Parade.  For the first time at Chillout we weren’t the only band in the gay village – Daylesford Brass Band had their inaugural march in the parade, and we look forward to seeing them again next year.  The march took its standard unconventional route, but as always the audience loved us and boogied along to Lady Gaga and Pink

For Carnival Day we set up near the main gate opposite the giant BOLLYWOOD sign, and played our first set to the arriving crowd.  The day had started out with completely clear skies, and we were counting our blessing after the unfortunate weather in previous years.  Sadly, it didn’t last.  We tried to beat the rain by starting our second set early, but by the time we were half way through Disco Inferno it was torrential – thank god for marching folders with plastic protective sleeves!  Regardless of the downpour, we made it to the end of the piece in a brilliant display of dedication (and stupidity) before scattering.   By the time the rain had passed most of us had well and truly disbanded, so we called it a day.

Thanks to the band members for the great effort, ChillOut organizers for a wonderful festival, and the rain gods for putting on another impressive meteorological display.

Another Pride, and another fantastic performance by the MRB!  We put on a great show this year: without doubt our crowd-pleasing repertoire and awesome Colour Guard helped, but it was mainly because of the great teamwork and effort all our members put in beforehand – well done all!

We met at Albert Park at 11:30am for our traditional final rehearsal – only to find that the BOM had it right again, and the cold and rain made us all wonder what the day would bring.  We managed a few warm up numbers huddled together under a nearby balcony, then grit our teeth and proceeded to march up and down on the soggy grass to the amusement of passers by.

Thankfully the rain cleared up, and what had started out as a miserable morning turned into a beautiful afternoon.  We did a few pre-show numbers to entertain the other groups joining us in the parade, then set off down Fitzroy St.

The parade itself was great, and the massive audience materialised out of nowhere.  We looked awesome, and the crowd sang and danced to our chosen tunes, Poker Face and Get the Party Started.  We kept in step, we played in the right places (apart from a magical trumpet solo which wasn’t planned but worked beautifully), and we had a great time.  After ten minutes to catch our breath at the end of the parade, we played a final set to the gathering party goers, then called it a day – satisfied with a job well done, and all a little exhausted.

Thanks to everyone who came to St Kilda to see us in Pride March, thanks to our flag bearers and banner carriers, and thanks to everyone in the band for their tremendous work.

Happy Pride 2011!!

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It was a lovely day for marching this year; not too hot, not too cold. We assembled as per usual by the Arts Centre coffee man and congratulated ourselves on our dedication not only to our country but to the caffeine that gets us up in the morning.

The march kicked off this year a little later than expected and sans jet fighter much to everyone’s chagrin; however the road was clear of horses which meant smooth marching and clean shoes for all. The band played both Aussie Folk Song Medley and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo to a hefty crowd and was introduced four times by the man on the microphone as we marched past the dignitary’s tent.

As soon as the band had parallel marched into the parking bay, we were off and racing toward Mt Macedon for the annual Joy94.9 Picnic fundraiser at Forest Glade. All seemed well, as our intrepid band members began the steep ascent, however as they drew closer to the summit a heavy fog engulfed performers, instruments, lunch men, and general merrymakers.

A thick band of uncertainty had permeated throughout the mountain as people were on the edge of their well hidden and slightly damp picnic rugs… Would the band play? Would the chorus sing? Who will break through the fog and bring light and peppiness to the picnic?

The Melbourne Rainbow Band, with a brand new stand and blow repertoire, accepted the challenge! We threw off our warm clothes, donned the all too vivid blue polo and blasted apart the mist that had set in earlier that morning. With a walk-on rendition of Sing, Sing, Sing, a brassed up Poker Face, and many more we put on a great show, sold some CD’s, and had a wonderful lunch in the gardens.

Huge thanks to Penny and Liz at Event Logistics for including us in the Australia Day Parade and their continued support of the MRB, to everyone at Joy94.9 for organizing such a wonderful community picnic, and to Cyril Stokes for his beautiful gardens as well as his tremendous support over many years.

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