Dusken Lights are an Alt-folk band (more or less). Perth-born and Sydney-Based, singer and guitarist Paul Watling took his band for a special Western Australia tour, showing off the best of hometown from idyllic skylines to innovative shipping containers, as well as visits to iconic public artworks and the zoo.
All images supplied by Paul Watling except where stated.
Author: Paul Watling
It’s early in the morning and the tour to WA is about to begin. I’m already in Perth and I get a call from guitarist Bradley who’s still back in Sydney and scheduled to fly here tomorrow. He tells me he’s in hospital with a broken foot and doctors are preparing to operate. Aaaargh!
Doctors changed their minds about Bradley’s operation and gave him permission to fly. Woohoo! So he flies in, toughs it out and we rehearse before our first gig tomorrow.
(freocast photos Supplied by Lee Maree)
Fremantle radio enthusiasts saw the need for a more inclusive (and way cooler) local station. So in conjunction with the City of Fremantle they built Freocast, a fully equipped studio inside a bright orange shipping container. Silky-voiced Lee Maree invited Amy and I downtown to chat and perform songs in there for 45 minutes. It was such a treat. On the way out of the studio we bumped into WA Musician Racoo. It’s a thrill because we are secretly fans of her music but I guess the secret is out now.
(Photo Supplied by Phil Rawlinson)
First show – Lyric Lane is a beautiful venue in Maylands but we’re not playing inside the actual venue. Three times per year they hold a party in the laneway outside. We’re part of the lineup for this Summer edition of the party. It’s a hot day, misters are spraying the crowd and spirits are high.
Dada records is a store I’ve been going to since I was a teenager. We flicked through the racks for old times’ sake, ran into long-lost mate Chad and admired our tour poster on the way out.
Our great friend Susan arranged for us to motor around Perth Zoo in a snazzy zebra car on a rest day.
(photo supplied by Raphaella Katzen)
Gig two was at another fantastic venue – Clancy’s in Fremantle. The proprietors are a musical family and have hosted fellow troubadors there for decades. I reckon we played pretty well and we sold a few CD’s too. For this gig we were joined by two of our favourite WA bands, the abundantly charming Brodie and the Buzzkills plus the relentlessly cool Beautiful Losers (in duo mode).
We stopped in Subiaco to investigate Billy Bob the Giant. Billy Bob is one of a series of recycled Giants created by Thomas Dambo. They say some are tricky to find but we spotted him in the dark and like concerned villagers we marched across the grass to get a closer look with (iPhone) torches blazing.
We also visited Bon Scott to inquire about his healing powers. He prescribed High Voltage Rock and Roll but we’re not sure we can pull that off, we’re more like a folk band.
Our third and final gig was at the Vinyl Café in Leederville, another brilliant venue. This place is like a big cosy lounge room. Amy had to fly back to Sydney so Phil stepped in on percussion.
It was hot and dry all week in Perth but as we were about to depart, clouds rolled in and we were treated to a lightning storm. See you next time WA, we hope it’s soon.
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