Past Events

Album Launch  ‘Leave On A Light – the songs of Karl Broadie’ 

Coogee Diggers, Thursday December 8th, 2016.

Amali Ward – Luke O’Shea – Amber Lawrence – Brett Hunt – Katie Brianna – Michael Carpenter

Tamworth, January 21st, 27th and 29th. 2017.

Tamworth CMF 2017

20th February 2017 

Letter To An Absent Friend

Dear Karl,

                So I went to Tamworth (stop laughing) I know you know it’s not my favourite event, but I wanted to promote our tribute album so I took one for the team. Di came too, and rode shotgun in the passenger seat (hello Luke O’Shea) and we actually had a great time. Here’s what happened….

We went to The Pub for the first show on 21st, Craig Power kindly agreed to provide the venue, prodded by the indefatigable Cheryl Burns, and ridiculously multi-talented Glen Hannah made a lovely poster to promote the night. I didn’t know exactly who would be able to find time, Tamworth is so demanding on everyone’s time, but the night ended up being such a beautiful thing, we even had 7 Golden Guitar 2017 nominees perform by the end, so it turned out well. Who fronted up? Would you believe – Luke O’Shea, Kevin Bennett, Lyn Bowtell, Fanny Lumsden and Dan Freeman, Gregory Page, John Krsulja, Richo Richardson, Brendan Nawrocki, Beck Fielding, Jasmine Beth, Benjy Pocock, Jeff Gibbo Gibson, Matt Thomson and Rachel Webster – and the one and only Archie Petrie. We sang your songs and talked about you, Johnny K had even learned See You When I Get There, and did a fine job, and he joined Luke O’Shea to do Old Man’s Shed, a song you predicted would win a Golden Guitar (more of that later). Rachel and Matt sounded great and did a song you wrote with Rach, Turpentine, a real gem. The freshly married Lumsden’s came (acoustic bass and all) and brightened everyone’s night, and the sweetheart of the rodeo, Richo Richardson belted out his wonderful Karl co-write Love Is A Vandal, and Jasmine Beth made a surprising and welcome appearance to support the night. Beck Fielding did a couple of tunes accompanied by Arch, who joined me and Katie for Hope Is a Thief. Katie Brianna got Greg Page up where they promptly stole the show with a killer duet of Greg’s Greatest Love of All. Luke O’Shea treated us to his version of Fishing Rod Song, helped by the tasty Benjy Pocock, and Brendan Nawrocki graced us with his earthy goodness. The endlessly talented Kev Bennett (joined by Lyn Bowtell and a choir of grievous angels) took us home with It Lasts, simultaneously having us singing along, smiling, crying and still wondering what went on behind the door of Franklin 216!?

The next event was helmed and stitched together by our old friend Den Hanrahan, and was at The Loft, a funky art-space off Peel Street on 27th. We’d enjoyed hanging at your old haunt, The Tamworth, during the afternoon, seeing the lovely Caitlin Harnett perform with her band, and catching up with her equally lovely parents Greg and Kim, who (you’ll be pleased to know) came down to the show later. Den and I kicked off with a few tunes and then handed the mike over to several great talents like Kate Rose, who played More Than Meet’s The Eye, the song you helped her write at the Academy and Gibbo, who played his beautiful song, started after his brother died, and finished after you did! It’s a stunner, you’d love it. Nick Payne gave us a sweet trio of acoustic stories and a story or two about your influence on him and his fine album he finished last year. Cloudbird (Justine Whalin and Pete Fenwick) got up to do some of their wonderfully offbeat folk, and rocked out in a joyous, rambling fashion, before I accompanied Justine on Paperback Book, and she did it as well as she always does. Ilona Brooks, fresh from a great set on Peel Street, (I realise that is a contradiction in terms) did her lovely version of your song, Something True, and Rachel did a ukulele turn on a great song of yours,We Can Change That, supported by Lou Bradley and Phil Chaffer, which was very warmly received. Katie Brianna again stole the show with a song she knew you’d like, Lucinda William’s Right In Time, before she did your rootsy classic, Drink The Whole Bottle Down – she’s getting really good at it now! Den and I were left to finish with Black Crow Callin’, he does it so well but still struggles with the structure (20 bucks!). A fine night after which we trekked back to The Tamworth to hear The Flood’s last blistering set – you’ll be thrilled that KB has been doing It Lasts as part of their sets now, and the fact that he finished with Bobby Z’s Like A Rolling Stone was a magical thing that would have had you grinning as hard as Harry Hookey was! Hannah blitzed it on guitar and Kev sang the shit out of it, just like he did when you and I heard him do it some 10 years back.

Saturday night we spent at The Tamworth, listening to Caitlin again and watching a live stream of the circus that is the Golden Guitars, but jumping for joy at the sight of our friends walking away with the chocolates! KB, Lyn Bowtell, Felicity Urquhart and Glen Hannah cleaned up twice for BBU, Fanny and Dan won best newlyweds (I think) and the highlight was your good buddies Luke O’Shea and John Krsulja winning for Best Heritage Song for Old Man’s Shed, off the album you produced for John! How cool is that? John thanked you from the stage (you predicted it after all) and later they put up your photo on a roll of honour, people applauded. Good people all and well deserved, and we all know Katie Brianna is the best so there’s time for her to be crowned somewhere down the track. 

Now to Sunday morning, coming down at The Dag…. We stayed there courtesy of the GG winning legend who is John Krsulja and his lovely wife Belinda, and we staged a final night there surrounded by friends and love and good music. We were set to play in the main room, but the power went out due to bad weather, so the night was acoustic, candlelit and perfect. The set was another procession of love and affection, Cloudbird reappeared, as did Mr Nawrocki and his Brendan in crime, Mr Smoother. Brendan N didn’t have Luke stealing his Fishing Rod and he led us in a rousing version of that. Johnny K dusted off his See You When I Get There, and his Karl Bro-D song (which should be a killer reggae/country hybrid if I may suggest) and Brendan Smoother hit the right tone with his songs and story about Karl helping him in his musical endeavours. Jason Kearney proved his worth with some gritty, fine songs, as did the inimitable Richo, who did Vandal and was joined by the wonderful Kelly Cork, a true songwriting craftsman I know you’d love. Lyn Taylor and Nick Payne played their hearts out and included another fine rendition of your song, It’s You. Gibbo dusted off his Hole In My Heart (if that’s what he ends up calling it), there wasn’t a dry eye in the house and did a couple of beautiful songs with Rachel, his own Good To Know and one they co-wrote called Dressed So Well. She’s really blossoming as a writer and performer, I know you’d be proud. Speaking of proud, the last record you worked on was Hayley Wilson’s, and sadly you never got to finish it, well our friend Glen Hannah did, and it’s a cracker. Hayley came and played some great songs and told a sweet story about a ghostly visit, on the spooky and memorable Somnus, and did a heart-stopping version of her lovely Karl co-write Further Than Forever. Brother Den and I got up to finish the night, and guess what? the lights came on…. power to The Dag. Den and I chose to stay acoustic, he has taken to singing Oh Jade now, and damn well too, and afterwards a young lad in the crowd got up to say how wonderful the night was and by speaking publicly that he was overcoming a crippling anxiety he was battling. Love, magic and healing (and roast lamb!), it was that kind of night.

So mate, what a great series of tributes to you, done with love and respect and by people who care deeply about your legacy. Everyone I mentioned pitched in brilliantly, and others, like  Simone, who helped with poster art, and Justine Moyle, Greg and Kim Harnett who simply showed up just to support and cheer us on. I hope I haven’t missed anyone or anything, but I thought you’d like to know. It’s surreal to be writing this to you care of a destination none of us can know… though some people have you sitting on a cloud somewhere, sipping wine, or if you’ve been naughty maybe locked in a room with Tanya Kernaghan’s latest single on endless repeat, which is heaven, which is hell? You decide! Maybe you’re talking songwriting with Leonard Cohen, waiting for Zimmy, who knows? I had you tailing a passing comet a while ago. I know on these nights you might not have been there, but you were there. You were there in our thoughts, you were there in the songs, you were there in our voices, you were there in our hearts, you were there in our smiles and our tears. It might be a poor substitute for the real thing, but we’re hanging on to you where we can. You’ve gone, but you ain’t going nowhere.

love,

       Micky Blue Eyes

“There’s always a light to where you’re going, and there’s always a light, from where you been” – Karl Broadie.

The Dag

Nundle

18th June 2016

I had the pleasure to be a small part of the third in a series of industry fundraisers for our dear, departed friend Karl Broadie. Organised and produced by Leyce Simmonds and John Krsulja, it was a fitting night of remembrance and love for a songwriter and musician who left an indelible mark of the fabric of the musical community of this country. A packed house at The Dag, John K’s wonderful and charmingly rustic old sheep station an hour from Tamworth, enjoyed something that transcended a mere musical concert, it was a communal reverie and reflection on the things that matter most in life – love in all its forms and the people we share it with. 

Concert for Karl – Number 3

The DAG – Nundle

June 18th

I had the pleasure to be a small part of the third in a series of industry fundraisers for our dear, departed friend Karl Broadie. Organised and produced by Leyce Simmonds and John Krsulia, it was a fitting night of remembrance and love for a songwriter and musician who left an indelible mark of the fabric of the musical community of this country. A packed house at The Dag, John K’s wonderful and charmingly rustic old sheep station an hour from Tamworth, enjoyed something that transcended a mere musical concert, it was a communal reverie and reflection on the things that matter most in life – love in all its forms and the people we share it with.

The evening kicked off with a fittingly emotional set from Brendan Nawrocki and John Krsulja, playing songs that had been either mentored or produced by Karl. Richo Richardson came on for a rockin’ Karl co-write and Katie Brianna joined John to recreate a song from John’s lovely Karl produced album, Travellin’. The set absolutely lived up to the spirit Karl personified, of fearless personal examination, and of total commitment to performing and communicating in song.

Next up we had a stunning set from Allison Forbes and Hayley Wilson, alternating original songs, highlights being Allison’s rollickin’ Pirate Song and Hayley’s touching Karl co-write, Still Loving Her. The girls were funny, sad, sweet, tender and superb in the way they related to the full room that responded with wrapt attention, you could literally hear a pin drop. That’s exactly what Karl loved in these performers, they did him proud.

Leyce Simmonds, who graciously and tenaciously organised the artists for the evening, stepped up and shared the stage with another of Karl’s dearest friends, Katie Brianna. Both girls are as talented and beautiful as any songwriters we’ve produced, and I was fortunate enough to join them to noodle away in the background on some under rehearsed guitar licks. Leyte did a beautiful and personal take on a pivotal Karl song, the title track to his second album, Black Crow Callin’, and Katie responded with a killer version of the edgy Karl classic, Drink The Whole Bottle Down. Just as that song will grace a tribute album currently in production, Leyce chimed in with an impromptu rendition of Karl’s lovely song Only a Moment, and she sang it beautifully, Karl would have been chuffed. Can’t wait to hear it when she records it with Michael Carpenter for the tribute album.

I took the opportunity generously afforded by Leyce to indulge in a personal moment, by playing a song of Karl’s that means a lot to me and to his family. In the lead up to the 2nd fundraiser in April it was clear Karl was unexpectedly in the final stages of this relentless and brutal disease, I’d seen him 2 days before the concert and said goodbye, so I was in a daze of confusion and mixed emotions knowing I’d be hosting a big concert with many of his friends and not knowing if he’d still be alive. The day before the show I was thinking about loss, and of course I found the perfect song to help me through, it was a Karl song called Hope Is a Thief. It’s a perfectly crafted piece of songwriting, the type of elegant simplicity that we all strive for but it seems that only the masters like Townes Van Zant or Bob Dylan can achieve. I decided at the last minute that it needed to be in the show and realised if that was going to happen at such a late stage then I’d have to have a crack at it. I played it many times on the Saturday and didn’t once get through it without crying, and barely held it together on the Sunday, but I got through. And so it happened again, there were tears, but Katie and Leyce backed me up and I was Karl’s voice for a song that needs to be shared to a community dealing with loss, his loss, a significant and resonating loss that is still so deeply felt.

Thankfully the professionals took over again and we were privileged to witness a gorgeous and intimate set from Shane Nicholson. Shane had known Karl over the years and shared some lovely memories between a stunning run of his originals, highlighted by a duet with Katie Brianna of the title track to his great album Hell Breaks Loose, and by a version of a song Karl wrote with Kim Richey called Once In Your Life. Shane did the song justice and then some, and I know Karl would be thrilled to know that it will be Shane’s contribution to the tribute album. Shane is a songwriter cut from the same cloth as Karl, a first class troubadour who can fashion mini soliloquies and pocket philosophies in four minute, four chord finger picked symphonies. Songwriting as revealed humanity doesn’t get any better that when performed at this level and it was a joy to experience it in the context of such a powerful and beautiful event.

The night was then topped off by a winning set from Graeme Connors, the elder statesman of the singer songwriting community, who wears his years as lightly as he sweetly picks his guitar. It felt like the wider community was giving Karl his imprimatur when Graeme admitted he’d not known Karl, but after hearing everybody prior he knew he was someone he would have loved to have known. Graeme, helped by a killer Leyce duet and another song featuring not one but two Simmonds girls on stage in Carly (and Michael Cole as a bonus) left the crowd smiling broadly with his easy way and warm presence, and joined in for a final song, a full stage of all the artists (and some friends Matt Thomson and Taryn Jane La Fauci) singing Karl’s rambling sing-a-long The Fishing Rod Song, led wonderfully by the inimitable Brendan Nawrocki.

What a night! It is not often that a musical event becomes something more, but when it happens it’s magical and memorable, and each of the Karl fundraisers reached this mark. Karl was totally committed to his art form and believed in the power of song to communicate, to transform, to heal, so it’s only fitting that these events achieved a depth and power that reflected that belief. It felt like a joining of hearts, and even the people in the room who didn’t know Karl could reflect on the loss of significant people in their lives. I said on the night that if we live right then eventually we get to be a significant loss to someone, somewhere down the line, that’s the human journey. Karl reached his destination much too soon, but his loss is significant and that’s a tribute to a full life, well lived. He leaves behind two lovely sons, Travis Jenkin-Broadie and Oskar Jenkin-Broadie, who made a sweet video message for the room given they couldn’t attend, and a wealth of family and friends who feel his spark of life in them every day and miss him with every grain of weeping sand.

I know the outpouring of love and respect for Karl makes it a wee bit easier for his family to deal with his loss. To his partner Rachel, his mother Margaret Ingrassia, to brothers Simon Ingrassia, Ollie Broad and sister/cousin (don’t ask!) Katharine Gunn and her family, to the boys and their Mum Marni Jenkin, they know he’s widely cherished still – he’s nowhere, but he’s now here.

Micky Blue Eyes

Concert for Karl

Rooty Hill RSL

17th April 2016

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, it was supposed to be a rousing, “get better soon mate, we’re all with you” moment, a fund raiser organised to help out a sick friend. Things changed. Having been overtaken by tragedy has meant some time has elapsed between the Concert for Karl and this meandering musing, but first some context is in order…. back, baby, back in time. 

The first week of March 2016 brought with it the gut wrenching news that one of my closest friends, Karl Broadie, had been diagnosed with a most aggressive cancer and that the prognosis was bleak to say the least. Within days of digesting this troubling news I reached out (with the help of mutual friends like Skip Beaumont-Edmunds and Geoff Bell) to a raft of artists, all friends or peers of Karl to put on a series of fundraisers and to provide some practical support. The first of the concerts was held at The Bunker, in Coogee Diggers in late March, and the second at Rooty Hill RSL in April. John Krsulja also asked to organise a third one in Nundle and Leyce Simmonds stepped up to wrangle the talent for what would be the final fundraiser.

The context of the first two events could not have been more different – at Coogee we had hope, and a weakened Karl sat through the entire 4 hour show to soak up the love and affection sent his way by a myriad of performers, but at Rooty Hill the circumstances were darkly and irrevocably changed. The cancer had done the bulk of the damage and Karl was in the last hours of his fight for life as the curtain went up. I was fortunate enough to share what was probably Karl’s last good day just 3 days prior, and was able to run through the proposed concert in detail with him, outlining just who was playing and singing and the scale of the concert, so he could see in his mind’s eye what would happen, including the finale which I had intended to be a surprise for him. He was troublingly weak, but grinning from ear to ear and shaking his head in mute astonishment at the prospect of so many of his friends singing for him. He’d seen it, now all we had to do was do it.

The speed of his deterioration was not widely known, firstly because it happened so quickly and secondly because people were kindly giving the family space to deal with the logistics of fighting the disease. In the blink of an eye, barely a week, we went from little hope to no hope, and sadly I had to share that shocking news with the over 300 people in attendance before the show commenced. “This is news I don’t want to pass on and news you won’t want to hear, but the cancer has progressed so rapidly that Karl has days or hours to live, he is pretty much in a sleep now that he will not wake up from.” I then told the crowd that we should shed our tears, but as Karl wrote – “Come let the tears flow, we all need to, some day you’ll look back and smile, I hope you believe that” and that we should take him at his word, that we were now celebrating his life and singing him across the great divide, starting the first phase of looking after his legacy. The room seemed to take a collective gasp, the mood immediately changed to one of sombre realisation and reflection on the deeper meaning of this gathering of the clan. It was now up to us as a collective to find some positivity in the darkness.

Pete Denahy and Celeste Clabburn then came on to host the event and introduced two of Karl’s friends, Katie Brianna and Caitlin Harnett, to sing one of his songs, Drink The Whole Bottle Down. Karl had nurtured and championed both young women in their careers, and it was one of my great pleasures to join them (unexpectedly) to start the show as they gave a great version of a fine song from Karl’s album Branches. Another fine young talent, Harry Hookey, then came on to do Long Long Way, a gem from Karl’s album Black Crow Callin’, and he nailed it with only a trusty acoustic guitar, harmonica and a Dylan-esque vocal that perfectly suited the troubadour tradition that both Dylan and Karl sprang from. Karl often raved about Harry, delighting that they both drank from the same singer-songwriter well, and the impressive and commanding rendition delivered here would have done Karl proud, the torch has been passed.

Country music stalwart and all around good bloke Adam Harvey then helped to keep the mood light with a good humoured, rollicking set that perfectly showcased his rich tenor and the white hot band, led by maestro James Gillard on bass. James put together a superb unit, Glen Wilson on drums, Rod Motbey on guitar and the superb Vaughn Jones on keys. A trio of Karl’s oldest friends fronted up next, road warrior Den Hanrahan (banjo), ex-pat Canadian Adam Young (guitar) and yours truly (accordion) and burned our way through a suitably ragged version of Karl’s classic song Black Crow Callin’. That song won Karl the Americana section of the International Songwriting Competition in 2005, and no wonder – it’s a perfectly written folk song, world class from start to finish. It was one of the pleasures of my life to join those boys in singing it together and we were superbly aided by the sweet acoustic bass tones of Michael Rix.

Catharine Britt, visibly struggling with the difficult situation (and doubly affected given her own battle with cancer) stepped up with a beautifully considered set, making a heartfelt and deep statement by including her Elton John duet, Is This Where We Both Say Goodbye, an heroic inclusion considering the circumstances. Her set was the perfect balance of emotion and art. A brief auction was held where Pete Denahy managed to extract a neat $2000 for a donated Fender acoustic (Thanks Kevin Bennett and Fender) signed by all the performers and a raffle that featured a donated and signed guitar from absent friend Troy Casser-Daley.   

The show launched into the final phase with a romping acoustic version of Karl’s Golden Guitar nominated song, Count Your Blessings, delivered by Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont (with able help from guitarist Duncan Toombs) and then with a stunning rendering of Karl’s lovely ballad If She Calls, by Jasmine Rae. Luke O’Shea brought his usual warmth and heart to Karl’s songs Fishing Rod Song and It Lasts, performed beautifully with the full band, pulling in the room to respond to the communal catharsis on offer.

The inimitable Kasey Chambers arrived to take us out, with Harry Hookey in tow, and performed superb versions of her hits The Captain and Not Pretty Enough, before Harry led a rousing version of a song he co-wrote with Karl called You Can Count on Me. I was fortunate enough to join them on that song and the room was basking in the communal glow of performers giving so much love and spirit for the cause, that at that moment it seemed the gathering was experiencing something beyond a concert, it felt important and connecting, cathartic and healing. After a wonderful set, the expansively generous and beautiful Kasey then allowed me a moment to sing one of Karl’s songs.

I had not intended to sing, it seemed indulgent given the superb talent on offer, but I’d been struggling in dealing with the entire scenario the day before, indeed wondering if Karl would still be alive on Sunday. I was also grieving for his impending death, thinking about the nature of loss and also wondering what I would tell the friends and others coming to the show to support him? It was then Karl gave me another gift, I started listening to and then playing to myself one of his songs. The song that came through was special for many reasons, a superb song about loss, called Hope Is A Thief, and Karl wrote it in 2015 for his mother following the loss of her dear partner, Alva. I’d played it several times with Karl, and knew from the first time I heard it that he’d written a classic ( I tell people it’s the best song Townes Van Zant never wrote).

So I had decided, at the last minute, that someone should play that song at the concert, but in the dozen times I’d played and sang it to myself on the Saturday, I couldn’t get through it without crying. Before the show I told Kasey of the dilemma, that I felt the song should be done but I didn’t know if I’d get through it.  She instinctively picked the right moment for it in the show and generously offered to learn a harmony for the chorus and to stand with me while I did it.  So when the moment arrived I called Karl’s and my good mate Archie Petrie to the stage, another Scot, and he brought his fiddle, so together and unrehearsed, we had a crack and I made it through. Thanks you Kasey for your love and support, thank you Archie for the fiddle and the kilt!

I then delivered a long set of thanks (to the sound of Going Home from the classic Scottish film Local Hero) to the many people who had made the day possible, to Mal Lancaster at Rooty Hill for providing the venue and sound FREE! – To Lyn Taylor for organising the merchandise, to Justine Moyle for organising the filming, and to all the friends and supporters (too numerous to mention here) for giving time and effort to the cause. We then called back all the performers and did a song laden with meaning, Bob Dylan’s I Shall Be Released. 

I knew when I chose that song for the finale weeks prior that there was a chance Karl would either be gone, or close to it, but we both loved Dylan and The Band so much, I knew it had to be this one. Playing and sharing that song with the people on stage will remain one of the indelible and sublime experiences of my life, we sang it with gusto and we sent waves of love across the miles to Karl in his hospital bed. He must have felt it, it felt magnificent and transcendent, and we held that mood as The Hawkesbury-Nepean Pipe Band came on and played Scotland The Brave and Loch Lomond to pipe us out.

Needless to say the bagpipes didn’t leave a dry eye in the house, and capped off what was an astonishing musical tribute to our friend, and a memorable human ritual of love and support for a wounded comrade. Just as The Bunker concert before was a great demonstration of communal regard for Karl, this event reached areas of emotional depth that elevated it beyond a mere musical experience. Humanity is at its best when it is giving and generous, when it is embracing and empathetic, and so it was this day. Karl is now gone, and the hole he’s left is significant, it feels surreal and wrong, but nevertheless it is so and it’s hard for those of us left behind to ponder just how we got here so fast.

Vale Karl Broadie, you’ve left an indelible mark, it was a privilege to call you friend, to share stages with you all over this country, and in England and especially Scotland, the land you loved. We love you, we miss you, we’re leaving on a light.

Micky Blue Eyes

Broadie Bunker Benefit

23rd March 2016

The power of music

If any proof was needed of the unifying and healing power of music then attending the Broadie Bunker Benefit concert at Coogee Diggers Club would be exhibit number one. Musicians, friends and colleagues came together to support songwriter, artist and producer Karl Broadie in his fight against a recently diagnosed and aggressive cancer, to celebrate his songs and to raise some money to help him cope through the coming tough times.

Karl has been running a singer/songwriter night every Tuesday for nearly 2 ½ years at the club, and in that time has encouraged and mentored hundreds of writers. That he has provided a format for original songs, in an era where Idol-X Factor cover nights are king, is a rarity in itself, but to consistently have new writers appear and perform is nothing short of remarkable. A few short weeks ago Karl’s world, and that of his family and close friends changed hugely with the sudden diagnosis, and immediately a night that was set aside for launching one of Karl’s protégé’s albums, became a night to support and celebrate his music.

The night kicked off with our resident Canadian, John Chesher, performing his When You Go, a Bunker favourite, before ceding the stage to friends from far and wide, some local like Keith Armiger and Adrian Heath and some from miles away like Brendan Nawrocki, John Krsulja and Graig Johnson. Bunker stalwarts Taryn La Fauci, Matt Thomson and Justine Whalin raised the stakes by performing Karl songs, Map Of The World (co-written with Taryn) Nowhere Now Here and Paperback Book respectively, before the first section was closed by Mags Stewart and Ilona Brooks, performing Dirty Shoes, a song from the very fine album that should have been launched on the night, Mags’ Karl produced, Far Away and Long Before. 

A somewhat weak, but very determined Karl sat in the front row the entire night to soak in the epic love and goodwill that flowed from the stage, as Fanny Lumsden and the inimitable Dan Freeman kicked off the second section. Lyn Taylor sang a gorgeous version of Karl’s It’s You, (with Nick Payne on piano!) and Shane Flew, himself a cancer survivor made his musical contribution, topped with a heartfelt salute, and Julia Clarke stepped up to do a killer, soulful version of Karl’s beautiful song Sleep On. Anthony Ackroyd provided some comic relief and art auctioneer skills before we finished with Caitlin Harnett, Katie Brianna (singing Karl’s Drink The Whole Bottle Down, with the amazing Bill Chambers on dobro), Adam Young, Luke O’Shea (memorably doing Karl’s Fishing Pole Song) and the wonderful Kevin Bennett and friends topping off a rich evening with Karl’s classic, It Lasts.

The memory of that night will indeed last for all who were there. But more than that, seeing the power of music working at such a deep, human level fills you with the conviction that art unifies and moves us in ways nothing else can. Karl Broadie’s humanity and art is the embodiment of music being able to speak where words leave off, of finding expressive layers in songs that reach for some sublime or unutterable experience that connects and defines the human journey. Karl’s belief in the power of song, in nurturing and encouraging fellow writers to find their best has made the Bunker nights an ongoing joy for all of us who attend, but on this night the love that he had sent out into the world was merely returning to him in ways that will hopefully be as medicinally healing as any of the drugs modern science can provide.

Karl has been my brother from another mother for many years now, and helping organise this evening was a bitter-sweet pleasure, and so was stepping up to sing to him a song he wrote and I produced for his first album, the poignant waltz, Leave On A Light. Aided by the fine fiddle of John Kendall and the luminous vocals of Katie Brianna I attempted to return a debt I know I never can, but reaffirming the cathartic nature of music works both ways. The fact that we could quantify the night as a success in practical, money raising terms (over $17k!) seems irrelevant when weighed against the transcendent and transformative power of song, which cannot be measured in a strictly utilitarian sense. The night worked its magic and healing in ways that cannot be measured but are as immutable and eternal as the fundamental laws of nature, and a reminder that humanity is at its best when gathered around one of its wounded, laughing, crying, loving and singing songs.

Sail on Sailor – from all of us, we’re leaving on a light.

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