To tell stories in song and learning new instruments is my thing. My singer / songwriter / bass player, inspirations were Sting, Prince & Paul McCartney.
Electric bass was my first love, but I soon moved to guitar with a focus on jazz. Then came Upright Bass, Piano, Flute, Greek Lyre, Armenian Duduk, Indian Dholak.
Sydney in ’87, I was trained in jazz, and inspired by, the late great Ike Isaacs ,
Mum was a jazz big band junkie and a jazz pianist who picked it all up by ear. Dad was a classical music fanatic (nothing else !!!).
Over 40 Years and over 1800 gigs, OS, Brisbane and Sydney. Writing / Producing:
- 4ZZZ – August – Randomized live radio performances. Rene – Best Friend.mp3
Rene – First Love Song.mp3 Rene – Moon Dog Blues.mp3 Rene, Owen & Cowbell – Dean Martin, That’s Amore.mp3
Sugar Candy.mp3
Recently: (25 / 26) – Playing around town solo: jazz guitar / vocals, recording an album and bass with Country Noir outfit “The Cosmic Cowboys”. Bass with ’80s new wave esoterica “Eugene & the Egg”… See current Gigs
See the “The Artful Dodgers” at Mu’ooz Eritrean Restaurant
2024: Double Bass with Euromash Polka outfit “One Track Pony”. - Past few years: See the performances at The Triffid, The Junk Bar, Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall (Caxton St) and Prince Consort Hotel (Valley)
- From 9-piece bands (AAA Horns: Sydney Outfit) all through to duos (3 years with my good mate Brett Williams from Choirboys “Run to Paradise”) and solo (Inner city Sydney cafés): Always on vocals while either playing bass, jazz guitar or piano – being a constant presence in the Sydney and Brisbane music scene
- 5 years, over 900 gigs in Brisbane covers band “Millionaires and Teddy Bears” touring the east coast. Most worked band in QLD over the 5 years from 3 to 6 nights a week. 1990 to 95. Singer / Bass Player.
- Listen to – 2000 Soldiers track on fRETfEST – Best of 2009 & Best of 2010” CDs
- Solo performances 3 years running at Woodford Folk Festival 2006 – 08
- Listen to –Live radio performance Kobe radio: Japan
- Solo performance: ½ time soccer match at Osaka Dome – FIFA World Cup 2002
- See the AMIA music awards with Kim Wilde
- Winner: Sydney Dance Latino 2004 – Listen to – Hot Chilli & Cool Wine – Composer / Vocals / played all instruments. I still can’t believe it won! The real Latino Sydney musicians were fully pissed off. It IS a bit silly as far as songs go… It won, so I’ll take it.
- Winner: 2004 – Life without Barriers Theme Song – Listen to – Spirit Me Away – Composer / Vocals / played all instruments. Website: “Life Without Barriers”
I’ve had a diverse musical history from punk to jazz and just about everything in-between. Lived and performed in Japan, the Middle East and much of Australia. “Life would be a fine comedy if we weren’t such an integral part of it all.”.
Song-writer & Singer/ Bass – Brisbane 90s Band. Listen to – CLAMBAKE
