Is all art, is in some ways manipulative? Isn’t entertainment just another means to educate? 

Today’s guest is Wesley Enoch, a writer and director that has helped shape some of Australia’s most iconic and celebrated Indigenous theatre productions including “The Sapphires” the true story turned play by Tony Briggs that become a film earning 20 million at the Australian box office. 

It’s always a real personal treat to hear about the history and background to a iconic or landmark piece of art - but this conversation showed me the different philosophies and methodologies every individual takes to shape the messages and causes they are passionate about. How art can be as Wesley suggests a “trojan horse for change…”

He has worked as Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre Company, the Sydney Festival, a for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. His many original plays are celebrated pieces of Australian theatre and we chat from his office at Sydney Festival in 2019 - yes this is another one from the vault! - He ramble through his early days plying his trade, his mentor Nick Enright, the Australian playwright and director and how that infused his work and life as a director… but it comes back to the Sapphires today folks - the story of four women that travel to Vietnam to sing for troops in 1968. A true story turned play, turned film that inspired and educated many of us. Without us realising at the time. 

The Sapphires Film Trailer

Buy The Sapphires Soundtrack

Writer of the play TONY BRIGGS talks about previous Australian production

Wesley Enoch's Plays

Produced by Old Fashioned Studios

Hosted by Bradley McCaw

Sound design by Matt Erskine & Cross Point Solutions

Story Producer & additional engineering by Gilang Candraditya

Theme composed by James Ryan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do the great producers make great albums possible? What skills do they need? How do they communicate or plan or simply capture great music?

Today's guest is a veteran of the music industry. As a producer, musician, engineer, composer - he is quite simply prolific in every sense of the word.

Patrick Hamilton, is the son of two musicians, was classically trained before becoming a session musician for many of Belgians leading artists. This lead to work as a producer and writer with multiple #1 singles and gold & platinum albums.

Our chat recorded in 2021 explores his early days in Belgium, making incredibly successful albums with Katherine Jenkins, his mindset and process as a producer and musician, and his new career as a solo artist with millions of streams to his name thus far. We cover so and so much more about the music business in general and his career to date.

Listen to Patrick Hamilton

Listen to Katherine Jenkins

Produced by Old Fashioned Studios

Hosted by Bradley McCaw

Sound design by Matt Erskine & Cross Point Solutions

Story Producer & additional engineering by Gilang Candraditya

Theme composed by James Ryan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does an award-winning country artist turn independent after 20 years, and use crowdfunding to create her new album, taking control of a career. And in the process preserving a legacy for herself and her family.

Today's guest is Catherine Britt and Australian country music artist, whose long list of credits include Aria nomination, CMAA Country Music Awards. Multiple golden guitar Awards. She's worked with Kasey Chambers. Poor Kelly Dolly, Parton. Keith Urban, but in our chat recorded online in 2021, we discussed the music business, her latest album, hitting the road, which we would later discover would be affected by covid border closures. So please check our website for the updates on that. But we kick off the chat in Newcastle, Australia as a seventeen-year-old, being discovered by Sir Elton John!

Upcoming guests include musician Hall of Fame Musician LOUIE SHELTON, Dire Straits Keyboardist ALAN CLARK, singer/songwriter BOB EVANS, Writer/Director WESLEY ENOCH, Hall of Fame Poker Player Marsha Waggoner and so many more!

Listen to Home Truths (Spotify)

Current Catherine Britt Tour Dates

Catherine's Wesbite

Hosted by Bradley McCaw

Sound design by Matt Erskine & Cross Point Solutions

Assistant Engineering by Gilang Candraditya

Theme composed by James Ryan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does an American Blues musician navigate art, faith, business and racism during a career that spans almost 70 years and after everything, end up one of the last of the first True Blues Masters on the planet. Bobby Rush is our guest today and he's won 12 Blues Music, Awards, and in 2017, at the age of 83. Yes, 83 (!), won his first Grammy award for "Porcupine Meat." Celebrating the release of his new memoir “I Ain't Studdin’ Ya" Bobby stops by ramble City to share stories from his incredible career working alongside many of the ‘greats’ from the American Music tradition and some of his personal views and philosophies on life and music. Rolling Stone Magazine called him, "The King of the Chitlin Circuit" because of his 50 years of Relentless touring.

Buy "I AIN'T STUDDIN' YA"

Listen to BOBBY RUSH

Chitlin' Circuit

Transcripts

Upcoming guests include musician Hall of Fame Musician LOUIE SHELTON, singer/songwriter BOB EVANS, Writer/Director WESLEY ENOCH, Hall of Fame Poker Player Marsha Waggoner and so many more!

Produced by Old Fashioned Studios

Hosted by Bradley McCaw

Sound design by Matt Erskine & Cross Point Solutions

Assistant Engineering by Gilang Candraditya

Theme composed by James Ryan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tyrone Noonan is an Aria Award winning Australian musician, and original member of celebrated Brisbane band George

When a small group of Brisbane musicians, featuring siblings Katie & Tyrone Noonan form a small band during high school, no one expected years later to be Aria Winners and one of only ten Australian bands to debut at number one on the Aria charts.

Special mention here to the other members of GEORGE Geoff Green on drums and percussion, Paulie Bromley on bass guitar and Nick Stewart on acoustic and electric guitar. Geoff Hooton, a bass guitar player, left the band in early 2000.

This conversation took place to celebrate the bands Twenty year reunion performance at Brisbane Powerhouse. Tickets available here

Listen to Tyrone Noonan

Listen to GEORGE

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marsha Waggoner, an Australian born American professional poker player whose long and storied career has landed her in the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame. Despite playing as a young child, her career started by chance, originally entering casinos as the very first female black jack dealer in Australia - with countless tournaments to her belt, including World Series of Poker tournament, placings and wins, she had chips printed with her face on it, and witnessed the changing face of poker over the last forty years.

More about Marsha

Poker chips with Marsha's face printed on them

World Series of Poker

Produced by Old Fashioned Studios

Hosted by Bradley McCaw

Sound design by Matt Erskine & Cross Point Solutions

Theme composed by James Ryan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexander Sage Oyen is an American musical theatre writer/actor/singer. Playbill magazine called him “one of the contemporary musical theatre writers YOU SHOULD KNOW” and he selected Mac Miller's “Circles” as this episodes CLASSIC ALBUM.

Mac Miller s a grammy-nominated hip-hop artist whose difficult career spanned multiple styles, or iterations. We focus on his career, his battle with celebrity, his superstar album, producer / film composer John Brion and more.

A quick disclaimer: Neither of us knew Mac personally. So everything here, is a result of research - obviously. Mac Miller’s story is so interesting, and inspiring. It was a story I personally didn’t know before recording this episode.

Episode Transcripts available here

Listen to Mac Miller's CIRCLES

Buy Alexander’s music!

NPR Tiny Desk Live Concert Mac Miller

All things JON BRION

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The very first conversation recorded for RAMBLE CITY: JOSE MCLAUGHLIN, a mulit-instrumentalist, composer, and former member of world-famous pop group Gerry and the Pacemakers. He’s worked with The Doobie Brothers, Chuck Berry, Peter Allen, James Morrison, Bo Diddley and so many many more.

Purchase Jose McLaughlin's book

Episode Transcripts available here

Quick outline of Mersey Beat & Liverpool Music here

Produced by Old Fashioned Studios. Hosted by Bradley McCaw. Sound design by Matt Erskine & Cross Point Solutions. Theme composed by James Ryan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome… To Ramble City. A new podcast hosted by Bradley McCaw. Where artists and thinkers from around the globe, muse on art, sport and show business. Sound design by Matt Erskine & Cross Point Solutions. Theme music composed by James Ryan.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.