Quality

This weekend The Experiment and I play a gig in our hometown of Melbourne at the old faithful Standard Hotel in Fitzroy on Sunday June 11th. We'll be playing two sets from 7:00pm, and it's a long weekend too, so we may stretch it out a little.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to our Brisbane shows last weekend - it was great to see many new faces along with some familiar ones. It was a privilege and an honour to play with Dana Gehrman and Ruby Gilbert as well. We'll be back up there before long, hopefully.

Photo taken by Stephen Goodwin at Brisbane Powerhouse, June 4th 2017. Check out more of his great live photos on his website here.

Photo taken by Stephen Goodwin at Brisbane Powerhouse, June 4th 2017. Check out more of his great live photos on his website here.

Brisbane

This coming weekend, The Experiment and I are heading up to Brisbane for a couple of shows. On Friday June 2nd we'll be playing our full set, replete with extended forms and guitar solos aplenty, at The Milk Factory in West End, alongside the great talent of Dana Gehrman. This will be kicking off at about 8:30pm or so, with a measly admission fee of $10 for what is really a heck of a lot of live music.

Then, on Sunday afternoon June 4th, we play a shorter set at Brisbane Powerhouse as part of their long-running Live Spark series on the Turbine Platform. Shorter it may be, but no less dynamic. Also playing will be Ruby Gilbert, who kicks off proceedings at 3:30pm, with us following at 4:30pm.

Photo by Ric Morgan or Jennifer Pryor, taken at The Retreat, Brunswick, April 20th 2017.

Photo by Ric Morgan or Jennifer Pryor, taken at The Retreat, Brunswick, April 20th 2017.

Gin

Our next Experiment show is going to be amidst the Dandenong ranges at Gin Lane in Belgrave on Saturday May 27th. Also playing will be the delightful Cookie Baker, and I'll be joining her for a few songs as well. It's free entry, and will be kicking off around 9:00pm. 

Labour

Next show for the Experiment will be at The Labour in Vain in Fitzroy on Sunday May 14th - two sets from 5:00-7:00pm. We'll also be heading up to Brisbane at the beginning of June to play a show at The Milk Factory on June 2nd, with support TBC. It's one of the only times we'll be in Brisbane this year, so please come along and join us.

My album 'Canyons' also recently received a review in Rhythms Magazine, which is excellent. Check it out below.

Tago

What a fun time we had up in Sydney and Maitland playing some shows and getting up to mischief. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us play, and to the Camelot Lounge and Grand Junction Hotel for being such wonderful hosts. We'll be back up that way again before the end of the year.

Photo by Pete Kilroy, taken at Django Bar, Sydney, March 17th 2017.

Our next show is coming up soon, and will be back in Melbourne at Tago Mago in Thornbury on Friday March 31st. Joining us on the bill is D.G. Gray & Co., and Matt Glass. Only $7 entry, and a wild time to be had.

Poster design by Matt Glass.

Rambling

The band and I are on the road and playing in the Sydney region for a couple of shows in March, presented by Mother Hen Touring. You can find us at:

Friday March 17th - Rambling Nights at Django Bar, Marrickville, with Jason Walker. Get Tickets here! 
Saturday March 18th - The Junkyard, Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland, two sets.

We'll also be playing a show on home turf (Melbourne) at Tago Mago in Thornbury on Friday March 31st, with D.G. Gray and Co. 

If you want a copy of the new album 'Canyons' too, there are download or CD copies for sale over on the store page.

Tours

It might be a big year this year, you never know. There's a few things on the cards already, and something worth noting is that the boys and I will be heading up to Sydney/Maitland for a couple of shows in March. We'll be playing Django Bar in Marrickville on Friday March 17th, and then heading up to play The Junkyard in Maitland on Saturday March 18th, so if you're in the area I hope we can catch you there.

In other news, bass player extraordinaire for the Chris Pickering Experiment, James O'Brien, has his own rather excellent musical project called Darling James, and he's launching a new EP called 'Theory of Mind' on Thursday February 11th at The Gasometer Hotel in Melbourne. Get along to it, because he's great, and the music is also really great.

In case you also weren't aware, CD Digipack copies of the new album, 'Canyons', are now available to purchase over at the CP store on this website. If physical product is your thing, we've got you covered.

So Long 2016

Well, what a jerk of a year 2016 turned out to be. Although, having said that, I think if you look at all years, they all contain some good and some bad, so it's important do have some perspective. So, maybe let's wrap it up:

2016: A Summary.

Cons:

  • A lot of people that were cared about died, a lot of which were heroes of mine: special mention goes to David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Muhammad Ali, Merle Haggard, and Leon Russell. Rest in Peace, everyone.
  • Some people won elections, which a lot of very rational and sensible people that care about each other and our planet didn't want to happen. You know what I'm talking about. Let's just hope that the sanity in humanity ultimately prevails.
  • There also seemed to be a lot of craziness in the world with terror attacks, war and aggression. Again, let's hope the compassion and common sense prevails on both sides of any conflict. Just look after each other, everybody. 
  • I also seemed to go through a lot this year. As my good friend Emma Swift said to me recently, "2016: no-one gets out unscathed". 

Pros:

  • A notable mention should be made in that great strides were made in medicine towards Alzheimer's prevention and treatment, which is something very close to me. 
  • I know, it's sport, but the fact that the Footscray Bulldogs won the AFL grand final, and the Chicago Cubs won the 'World Series' after some extremely long years in the wilderness is something to cheer about.
  • Apparently Tiger numbers have also risen for the first time in a century, which is awesome news. They are still low, and there's a long way to go, but that's still something to be thankful for. Now, let's just save all the Orangutans and start bringing them back from the brink - stop buying food with Palm Oil in it, people. The Palm Oil industry is responsible for destroying huge areas of Orangutan habitat, so do your bit by not supporting it - buy products free of palm oil. Check the ingredients when you next go shopping.
  • I also released a new album this year, which you've probably all heard about, and it's got some great reviews so far. You can check it out over on the sounds page.
  • I was also involved in a great compilation project with a bunch of other Melbourne musicians called Warm Evenings, Pale Mornings, which featured each of us performing songs by another contributing songwriter. You can order a copy of it here.

We'll see you again in 2017, and we've got a show coming up on January 8th at The Standard in Fitzroy. Come along!

The Retreat, December 15th, 2016. Photo by Laura Coates of The Weeping Willows.

Australian

'Canyons' just got a four star (out of five) review in The Australian today, which is awesome! Here it is in full:

Canyons - Chris Pickering
Resuscitation Records
4 stars

Between the guitar-drenched peaks of Canyons and The Wash, Melbourne-based Chris Pickering has constructed a richly detailed, one-man journey. A Morricone-esque guitar line at the beginning of the opening title track suggests the scope of Pickering’s vision and his impressive skill. He is capable of almost single-handedly creating captivating music in a variety of styles. His influences are impeccable: Neil Young comes to mind when his guitar goes into overdrive, Paul McCartney when the melodies get under your skin, Big Star with his DIY pop sensibility and even Rufus Wainwright at times. Recorded at Joshua Tree and Nashville in almost equal measure and separately co-produced by Adrian Mauro (Machine Age) and Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes), there is much space to highlight the playing. On Snowflake his fingerpicking is pitched against the steel of Michael Flanders. Savannah Jo Lack’s strings add a touch of class to Andalusia and when Pickering brings it down to voice and guitar on Broke My Own Heart the results are no less engaging. The album culminates with the 12-minute The Wash. It has a slow and casual build as if the end of the world has come after a heavy lunch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. “After all, it all comes out in the wash,” Pickering sweetly intones as Chloe Turner’s wordless chorus acts as a siren call. Flanders’ steel suggests a growing wind before Pickering’s powerful electric guitar dumps on everything like a tropical storm. A remarkable end to a remarkable recording.

Polly Coufos

Glad you liked it, Polly! Thank you! 

I'm playing my final show for the year next Thursday December 15th at The Retreat Hotel in Brunswick, with the band and with special guest Greg Cathcart from Silent Feature Era kicking off the night with a solo set. It's totally free and I'll also have fresh new copies of Canyons on CD available to purchase. 'Tis the season for giving, apparently...hint hint. You can also get Canyons from the online store part of this website.