My guest today, is powerhouse vocalist Ally Friendship — a singer with grit, soul, and one hell of a story.

From fronting rock bands and tribute shows to nearly 30 years working as a mortician, Ally’s journey is as unique as it is inspiring.

We dive into her career on stage, her new project Skirts, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Check out Ally's website.

Check out Ally's Instagram

This conversation was recorded on 18/09/2025

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On Sunday 19th October 2025, I got word that Virginia Lillye lost her 2 year battle with cancer. 

Virginia was a powerhouse on stage but more so a beacon of hope and positivity off it, which makes it that more difficult to believe she is no longer with us. 

In tribute, I want to share with you the parts of her life that she shared with me for this podcast. 

She made a couple of appearances on the show. The first one being in September 2020 which that conversation became episode 98 of the Gig Life Podcast. 

The 2nd time was in 2021 when she shared 4 gig stories which 2 of them featured in the A Few Gig Tales series. 

Im going to play all of that in its entirety here today. First up is the 2020 interview and directly after that is all 4 of her gig stories, so stick around till the end. 

For those that knew her, I hope you get comfort from hearing her voice, and for those of you who didnt, her spirit is well and truely alive here. Here infectious laugh, her knack of telling a great story, and of course her positivity. 

We have lost a giant.

Rest in love Virginia Lillye ❤️

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My guest today is drummer and composer Alexander Flood.

From tabla to house beats, from Adelaide to Europe – Alex has carved out his own lane, blending electronic textures with the raw power of live drums.

We talk new albums, touring, and what it takes to be a true solo artist.

Hope you dig this chat, and go check out his music. 

https://alexanderfloodmusic.com.au

https://www.instagram.com/alexander_flood

This conversation was recorded on 08/09/2025

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My guest today Queensland guitarist, producer, and composer Joel Hunt.

A month ago I hadn’t heard of Joel Joel, but he sent me some links, I hit play, and straight away I thought, where’s this guy been hiding? His new album AudioVisual is a stunning mix of funk, rock, ambient, and electronic sounds, featuring some serious heavyweights—members of Snarky Puppy, Tycho, Corey Wong’s band, and even Aaron Sterling and Sean Hurley from John Mayer’s crew.

One thing I really love about doing this podcast is discovering new music through the guests I talk to. Joel’s music is special. 

Hope you dig this chat, and go check out his music. 

https://www.youtube.com/@joelhuntguitar

https://www.instagram.com/joelhuntguitar

https://joelhunt.com/

This conversation was recorded on 01/09/2025

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To celebrate Jim Kelly's bithday, here is our 2020 podcast interview. One of my personal favourite interviews. I hope you enjoy it. Stevie.

My guest today is Australian guitar legend, educator and studio owner, Jim Kelly.

Jim has firmly established himself as a leading Australian contemporary jazz and blues guitarist, composer and educator whose reputation goes well beyond Australian shores.

In 1975 Jim co-formed CROSSFIRE – Australia’s most celebrated jazz fusion group.

From 1975-87 Jim perfected the rigorous demands of the recording studio and became a highly sought-after session player performing on countless jingles, documentaries, film scores plus pop and jazz artists’ albums.

Jim also performed and recorded with Australian artists Kerrie Biddell, Renee Geyer, Johnny Farnham, Debbie Byrne, John English, Tommy Emmanuel, Erana Clark, Don Burrows, James Muller and Dale Barlow, to name but a few.

The 90’s saw a change of lifestyle for Jim with a move to Northern NSW to lecture at Southern Cross University, Lismore where he was Head of Guitar Studies for 17 years.  

Jim has since resigned from full-time academia and now runs a recording studio from his home – TONE RANGER STUDIO.

He has produced many fine albums and has quickly achieved the reputation of becoming a world-class Producer and Mixing/Mastering engineer. 

 Jim is a musician dedicated to the art of improvising, composing, performing and teaching and is always searching for new ways to expand his musical horizons.

So ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for Mr Jim Kelly.

This conversation was recorded 16/12/2020.

Intro music: Heaven Scent - Jim Kelly (Ya Gotta Love the Drummers).

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My guest today is Luke Davison.

Drummer for The Preatures, Dean Lewis, Delta Goodrem and more.

Humble, thoughful and a real player.

We chat about his early days growing up in Sydney, working at Drum City, learning from legends like Pete Drummond and Reece Cameron, and chasing the dream of being a session guy before finding his groove in original bands.

We talk about the various projects Luke is involved in including The Preatures & Dean Lewis, learning songs, dodgy record deals, and some lessons learned along the way.

A great hang, and one I reckon you’ll really dig.

For more information on Luke:

• Luke Davison - Instagram

This conversation was recorded on 16/7/2025 @ Church St Studios

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My guests today — joining me all the way from New Orleans — are Charlie Wooton and Arsene DeLay.

Charlie’s a monster bass player, originally from Lafayette, Louisiana. He’s toured the world, played with legends like Cyril Neville, Doug Wimbish, and Sonny Landreth, and carved out his own sound blending zydeco, Cajun, funk, and soul with his band, Zydefunk.

Arsene? What. A. Voice. She’s from New Orleans and comes from a long line of jazz royalty — all soul and class. Together, they’ve created some incredible music, including their latest project, Blue Basso.

This August, they’re bringing their Louisiana magic down under for an Australian tour, hitting stages across Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne — and playing alongside some of our finest, including Ray Beadle, Jamie Cameron, Shannon Stitt, and Geoff Achison.

In this chat, we dive into their musical roots, the story behind Blue Basso, life in New Orleans, and their upcoming Aussie shows. It was certainly an education for me in the music and history of Louisiana.

For more information on Charlie and Arsene, as well as tour dates and links:

• Charlie Wooton – Instagram
• Arsene DeLay - Instagram
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This conversation was recorded on 26/6/2025

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My guest today is Brett Garsed.

A guitar virtuoso, Brett is renowned for his work with John Farnham and is also well known for his hybrid picking technique and legato-style guitar playing. “Brett Garshred,” some call him.

Brett takes us through his musical journey, including the John Farnham gig, his time with the band Nelson, and collaborations with drumming legends like Virgil Donati, Bobby Rock, Gerry Pantazis, and Dennis Chambers — plus much more.

Check out Brett's "Hybrid Picking" and "Legato" educational material at Guitar Vivo

Check out Horizon band.

You can find more info on Brett at his Facebook and Instagram 

This conversation was recorded 25/06/2025 

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My guest today is Ali Foster.

From growing up in Western Sydney with a musical family, to earning stripes in jazz at the Con, hitting the road with the Hussy Hicks, playing with Beccy Cole, and sharing practice sessions from the back of her van — Ali’s journey is all groove and grit. Life on tour, journaling for clarity, and learning to swing from the ride cymbal up, Ali’s the real deal. 

For more info on Ali, check out her Instagram 

This conversation was recorded 04/06/2025 

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The Gig Life Podcast

First published in 2021, A Few Gig Tales is coming back! Check out this previous episode in the popular series. 

This is A Few Gig Tales #2.

Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes?

In this sub series of The Gig Life Podcast, you will hear some interesting tales, stories, anecdotes of life on the road, stage and studio, told by the musicians and artists that were there.

Sometimes the names will be changed or removed to protect the innocent and guilty.

Todays episode features 3 tales.

First up is Virginia Lillye with a story about a chance meeting at Frankies Pizza in Sydney.

Warning. Some of these stories contain adult themes, drug use and some rather bright language, so listener discretion is advised.

For more info and past episodes of The Gig Life Podcast featuring Virginia, Tony and Fran, visit thegiglifepodcast.com or search in your favourite podcast app. 

Also check out:

Kora:  https://www.facebook.com/KoraOfficial

Virginia Lillye: https://www.virginialillye.com.au/

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