Chapter 18: Some Radical Suggestions

They Think They are Popstars?

Monday March 27^th – Sunday April 2^nd, 2000

April was shaping up to be a busy month, following the completion of the recording sessions we had several weeks where we would be playing live each Friday and Saturday night, first at the Antler, then the Enmore Theatre and back to Selina’s. There hadn’t been any word from Alberts when the album would be released, but Mary Beth said it would be around the end of April. The Easter weekend was the 21st to the 24th, and before that I would be having my ‘Guest Expert’ night on ‘Popstars’, and then there was the official release of the ‘Welcome to my State’ tourist video. Now that I had decided to move into the largest of the Sedgebrook terraces, I would be meeting with Chris and Paul Ramos to talk about some minor alterations I would want to the property, nothing all that major, just making sure that the rooms would be laid out the way I wanted.

Chris Murphy had shown me information about something that he thought would interest me, it was a ‘media computer and distribution system’, basically a Linux system that was configured as a file server for digitized music, with a digital audio system connected to several amplifiers. The system could be controlled from a Wi-Fi connected ‘tablet’, selecting the digitized music file to play, controlling the pre-amp settings, routing the output through one or more amplifiers, and there was a plug-in for an AM/FM receiver which could be tuned via the tablet controller, too. My thought was I could install the server in the ‘computer room’ – the space under the main staircase - and run the audio cables to amplifiers and speakers in several locations around the house. I could put a suitable FM antenna - probably a simple folded dipole – up in the roof and feed the 75-ohm coax down to the server. The computer closet would also contain the main Internet appliance, the Wi-Fi system controller, and a hub for the ethernet cabling. I had got a full set of blueprints for the building, and had started planning where Wi-Fi access points, ethernet cables, audio cabling and phone outlets could be located. Paul’s cable TV guy had already planned where the TV cables would run, and I would try to share the outlet points as much as possible. To remove the need for power connections to the Wi-Fi access points, I could use the recently announced ‘Power Over Ethernet’ standard, which provided a 48-volt DC supply from the Ethernet switch to some of the unused pairs of the RJ-45 connector.

I was starting to get concerned about heat build-up in the closet under the stairs, the amount of equipment was starting to grow. I would talk to the Ramos brothers about the feasibility of putting in some air conditioning, mainly to keep the interior of the house comfortable during the summers, but also to cool the server closet. It might be possible to use a ‘heat pump’ to warm the house during winter, they would know what the best options would be. At least I had enough information now to work out where all the cables would have to run, the types of cables and how each would be terminated. I would need suitable patch panels – one for the Cat 5 twisted pair ethernet cables, one for the stereo balanced audio cables, one for the phone system, and probably one for the cable TV service.

On the Monday afternoon I drove over to the Sedgebrook Terrace work site and greeted Chris Ramos.

“G’day, Will,” Chris said. “I’m sorry to hear you are now a single man again, I’m sorry things didn’t work out with you and Angie. I guess you’ll be moving into the largest terrace once it’s finished?”

“Yeah, thanks for that, Mate,” I said. “You’re right, I’ll take the main one as my house, what I want to do today is go over some of the minor changes I want for myself. Is now a good time to discuss that with you and Paul?”

“Sure, let me call him, I think he’s down at the far end supervising the replacement of the roof tiles,” he said.

When Paul had returned, and we had exchanged pleasantries, I pulled out the blueprints where I had added the cable details.

“Shit, look at that, Paul, Will, thinks he’s a fucking architect! What is the world coming to?”

“Shut up, you dickhead, this is the easiest way for me to make sure the cabling will be installed correctly by you fly-by-night tradies,” I said, giving them as good as I got.

I showed where I wanted the Wi-Fi access points installed, where the Cat-5 cables would run, the audio cables, and phone outlets. I showed a sample of the audio cables, and how they would be terminated, and a quick sketch of the equipment rack that would go in the server cabinet under the stairs.

“What sort of power will you need there?” Paul asked.

“Just a fifteen-amp, single phase circuit,” I said. “This bottom box in the rack is a battery UPS and power filter for the equipment. But what will probably be needed is some air conditioning, at least for that closet.”

I mentioned the total heat load of the equipment, and the temperature range that it would need to be kept at.

“Now, one option that you might want to consider,” Chris said, “is putting in a HVAC system for the whole terrace. If we decided now, we could still run all the duct work before the gyprock goes in. We could put the air handling equipment in the utility room back here, with the hot water system. The best would be a heat pump, to heat during the winter. There are some units that use a natural gas heat, but it really doesn’t get cold enough here to make that worthwhile. We could put in a dual system, with a small unit providing cooling year-round for your computer equipment.”

“Sounds good to me, let’s go with that,” I said. “I like the heat pump idea, we don’t need a separate gas heating system, it’s not like we are up in the mountains where the temperatures drop below zero.”

We then talked about how the various cables would be terminated on the wall plates, the different sockets that would be needed, how stuff would be powered – they were interested when I told them that the Wi-Fi access points would be powered through the Ethernet cabling.

“Frank is using something similar for his latest security stuff too,” Paul said. “Now, is there room in that rack, and capacity on your battery system for the control box for the security equipment?”

“Yeah, I’ve been talking to Frank about that,” I said. “See on this rack diagram here? That’s the master security control unit, he’s given me the specs for it, and that’s been taken into my design for the power and heat load.”

“Cool, tomorrow I’ll write up a variation order for the A/C and cabling, get you to sign off on that, and we’ll go ahead with it,” Paul said. I liked how he was always making sure project changes were documented properly, that way no one misunderstood what was required. “Care to take a walk around your new place? We’ve been making good progress across the whole site.”

I picked up my hard hat, and we walked out of the site office, and into the back entrance of what would be my new house. The coach house was still full of the windows, doors and wood trim that was being rehabilitated, and inside the main building, the stairs had been rebuilt. The front veranda was no longer in danger of collapsing, and the views over East Balmain towards the city were quite impressive. The top floor bedroom had been framed out, along with the ensuite bathroom, and I stepped out onto one of the Juliet balconies; the view was even better.

Chris explained how on the first floor, there would be the large bedroom and walk-in closet at the front of the building, with the main bathroom immediately behind it. At the back of that floor were two smaller bedrooms, each with a small closet.

“They are still a good size,” I said to them.

Downstairs, there was the living room, formal dining room, and kitchen at the back. Off the kitchen was a small room that I would use as my office, behind that the laundry and the utility rooms, opening onto a family room / breakfast room, with doors out to the courtyard – currently occupied by the site office building. Everything was looking good, there would be plenty of space. I could see how the kitchen layout was progressing, the cabinet shells had been fabricated, and were just awaiting the drawers, doors, and counter tops. Of course, all of the flooring was covered with sheets of thin MDF to protect them while construction was continuing, and the walls were yet to have the gyprock plasterboard installed. Most of the electrical cables and plumbing lines had been installed, but there was now additional cabling to go in before the wallboards could be put up. Once that was done, the interior doors and trim work could be put in, electrical work – outlets, switches, and lights – completed, and then it was over to the painters.

“It’s looking bloody good, guys, your teams have done great job,” I said.

We then looked through the other four terraces, these were smaller, and hadn’t progressed as far, but I was still very happy with what I saw.

“We are getting lots of inquiries from people wanting to buy or rent them,” Paul said. “Any thoughts on whether you will want to keep them and rent them out?”

“Not yet, can you guys run the figures on what I could get with either option? Selling would give a good cash infusion, but the regular income from renting them might be better in the long run.”

“The rental market is heating up here at the moment, and when they are ready to rent, they will go quickly, probably for about fifty per cent more than similar places in Rozelle and Lilyfield,” Chris said. “But if you sell them, you’ll make a very tidy profit, and there’s a block that might be coming on the market, over in East Balmain, that we should talk about. A project to shift to when we wrap this one up.”

“Okay, give me the details and figures sometime this week, and I’ll go through them,” I said. “Thanks for the tour, and I’ll sign those project variation docs when you’ve got them ready. Is there anything else you need from me today?”

“Nah, we are still a week or two away from needing a decision on the bathroom and kitchen fit out details,” Chris said. “Unless you want any major changes to the layouts? A bidet, so you can wash your arse after shitting. You still want the spa tub next to the shower?”

“Bidet, no, spa, yes,” I said. “We can work out tile details, taps and fittings and all that stuff a bit later. Okay, if that’s it, I’ll head off, and catch you guys later. Thanks, it’s looking bloody fantastic!”

I was very happy with the progress, Paul and Chris really knew their business, they had only the best tradies working for them, guys they had used for years, and who they trusted to do the best work. The option of sell vs rent, I really didn’t know. If I could afford to keep the remaining four places and rent them out would probably be a better option, assuming the figures panned out. The option of doing another big renovation in East Balmain was interesting, just how much it would cost to get started would be the big question. If I had to borrow money – even up to a million to get the project off the ground, that wasn’t a problem, at the moment my bank was keen to get involved, they knew the projects the Ramos brothers and I have been involved in previously had all been successful. Of course, they would get a decent interest rate, so it’s not as if they were lending me money out of the kindness of their hearts, but we were a good business for them to be involved with.

The next question was, assuming I moved into ‘Number 1 Sedgebrook Terrace’, was who would I share the place with? I could see there were four bedrooms, three on the first floor, and the main one on the second floor. The upstairs level of the coach house would become our new studio, we would need that since the place that Megan was renting wouldn’t be available after July, as that was the next big redevelopment project for the Ramos’s. What if Megan and Lori moved in with me? Was that something I might want? All things I really had to start thinking about.

On Wednesday lunchtime I was over at the Seven network studios for my ‘Guest Judge’ segment on Popstars. I had dressed appropriately – my usual ‘on stage’ attire, and I met Megan, who introduced me to the producers of the show, and then explained how they would want me to tell what attributes and skills were necessary for someone to make it ‘big’ in the music industry. I told them I had some ideas, but they were purely from my experience, and I really couldn’t say whether any of the entrants on the show ‘had what it took’; they said that was fine, what they wanted to hear was my experiences, and how I felt a person could use their talents to become ‘a star’. I felt rather dubious about the whole concept, but I had promised Megan I would do it, and I didn’t want to let her down.

I was introduced to the three main judges, then had some ‘make up’ applied – mainly powder to reduce the shine on my face, something I was familiar with after the video work with Sue. We then sat at our places on the set, and Jackie O introduced me.

“We are fortunate to have with us tonight one of Australia’s top rock stars, singer, guitarist, and keyboard play extraordinaire, from the band ‘The Roberttones’, Will Morris,” she said, and paused for the applause. “He’s going to share with us, and provide advice to the entrants, just what it takes to be a star. Welcome to the ‘Popstars’, Will, what have you and your group been up to of late? We haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Thanks, Jackie, it’s great to be on the show,” I said. “Well, we took an eighteen-month hiatus, we were all feeling a bit burnt out, a few things had happened in our lives, and we need to recharge. But in the last few months we have got back together, and we’ve just finished recording another album, ‘Reconciliation’, all about us putting our past behind us, and working together.”

“Fantastic, when is that likely to be out? Are there any singles being release?”

“I expect around early May, it will be out, it’s a double CD, some new songs, some older ones. Singles, I’m not sure, that will be up to the experts at Alberts Music.”

“Well, now we will get you to earn your pay, you and your group have been very successful for quite a number of years, what do you put that down to? What does someone wanting to be a success in the music business need to make it big?” she asked.

“Well, firstly, you need talent, if you can’t sing or play an instrument, then forget it. But there’s more than just that, there are lots of very good singers, lots of great musicians that never get anywhere. I think there are three things that you need, in addition to your talent.

“Firstly, you need an understanding of basic music theory; scales, keys, modes, what is it about a piece of music that causes the listener to feel happy, or sad, or inspired. If you are singing with me, and I say, ‘let’s try that transposed down a tone, we’ll try it in B minor’, if you don’t understand that, if I’m speaking Swahili, then forget it. It’s like wanting to be an artist, a painter, and you don’t understand the concepts of the colour wheel, or complementary colours, don’t bother picking a brush up. So, understanding the basics of music theory is important. Quite often, when we are working up a song, we might say something like ‘let’s try that down a semitone’, and tell whoever is singing what key we want it in. Being able to read music is very important, all the singers in our group can read music and play an instrument. So, we can give them the score for a song, and they can follow that.

“Secondly, there are three things that go into making music, the pitch of a note, the volume, and the timing. You must be able to get all of them correct and know how to vary them to make what you are playing or singing interesting. If you are singing out of key, off pitch, the audience will boo you – at the least – there are some places where you will get drinks thrown at you. Likewise, timing, you are singing with a band, you must match their timing. Volume – vary it, make it interesting. When you are singing a song, you are conveying a story, and what is important is to get a solid emotional connection with your audience. If you can’t connect, you are wasting your time, they will quickly forget about you.

“I would tell the entrants here to listen to some of the great vocalists from the past, listen to how they would sing, how they conveyed the song to the listener. People like Linda Ronstadt, Christine McVie, from Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, and Australia’s own Judith Durham. They all had pure voices, they would sing a note, it would be in perfect pitch, they would hold that note perfectly. That’s how to sing a song.”

“But they are all from decades ago,” Jackie said. “What about someone more recent?”

“Sure, all of the singers I mentioned are from maybe thirty or more years ago,” I said. “But they are still fantastic to listen to, and I’m sure in another thirty years, people will still be listening to them still admiring them. There are some current singers that will be forgotten about in a few years’ time. Great talent never gets old, never fades.

“The third thing that any aspiring musician needs is hard work. There was the Ringo Starr song, ‘It don’t come easy’, there was the line ‘You gotta pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues’. That’s so true, the secret to becoming an overnight star is years of hard work and practice, playing in dingy, grotty bars, playing to a drunken crowd who really don’t want to listen, slowing refining and improving your craft. I think everyone knows the classic AC/DC song...

Ridin’ down the highway
Goin’ to a show
Stop in all the byways
Playin’ rock ‘n’ roll
Gettin’ robbed
Gettin’ stoned
Gettin’ beat up
Broken-boned
Gettin’ had
Gettin’ took
I tell you, folks
It’s harder than it looks.

It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll
It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll.

“Ask anyone who’s made it in the music industry, and they will tell you the same thing, it’s hard work, and takes a lot of grind, a lot of practice before you make it big. That was how it was for us, the guys who formed the group, back in 1970, practiced for months before their first few gigs, which was playing at high school dances and local surf clubs. We worked hard for quite a few years before we got our first recording deal, and even now, we still rehearse and practice several nights a week.”

“You talked about establishing an emotional connection, a link to the audience,” she asked. “How do you do that?

“That takes a lot of effort,” I said, “it’s not easy. What I’ve found is before I sing a song, I think ‘what was the composer trying to portray with this song’, and then I picture a scenario in my head where I can imagine myself in a similar situation.”

“How about you give us a demonstration, Will?” Megan said. “We’ve got a guitar and amp set up for you, would you mind playing something for us, where you can convey that emotion? How about Clapton’s ‘Wonderful Tonight’, you do that well.”

That was the one song that I dreaded having to sing, that was the song that I would always dedicate to Lisa. But since I was put on the spot; I would have to go through with it, and not let Megan down.

“Eric Clapton wrote that song for his wife, Pattie Boyd. Actually, she inspired at least three songs, George Harrison’s ‘Something’, Clapton’s ‘Layla’, and this one, ‘Wonderful Tonight’. Now, the background to the song is Clapton and Boyd were going out to a party, and this song is about his love for her. So, to get in the mood, I’ll put myself in the situation where I’m about to go out with the woman I love...”

I moved over to where Megan had arranged for one of my guitars to be set up with my Twin Reverb amp. I checked the tuning, and the controls on the amp, it sounded right for the song.

It’s late in the evening
She’s wondering what clothes to wear
She puts on her make up
And brushes her long brown hair.

And then she asks me, “Do I look alright?”
And I say, “Yes, you look wonderful tonight.”

We go to a party
And everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady
That’s walking around with me.

And then she asks me, “Do you feel alright?”
And I say, “Yes, I feel wonderful tonight.”

I could imagine me singing this to Lisa, she would be wearing the long emerald blue gown she would often wear if we went to special functions, the necklace that I had got her for a birthday, and I felt a lump in my throat. I couldn’t let myself break down; I pushed through it, to sing the middle eight and the final verse.

I feel wonderful
Because I see the love light in your eyes
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don’t realize how much I love you.

It’s time to go home now
And I’ve got an aching head
So I give her the car keys
She helps me to bed.

And then I tell her, as I turn out the light
I say, “My darling, you are wonderful tonight”
Oh my darling, you are wonderful tonight.

When I finished, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, I was no longer mourning the loss of my wife, the death of my life partner. The rest of the panel were in a stunned silence, finally some of the wanna-be ‘Popstars’ started clapping.

“That was amazing, Will, thank you for a stunning performance,” Jackie said. “I could feel the emotions, feel the longing in your singing, I understand about conveying emotions now. That’s going to be a hard act to follow for our contestants!”

“That was a perfect example of how to sing a ballad,” Michael Napthali said.

“All of you contestants,” Chris Moss said. “That’s the level of performance that you must strive for. The pitch, the phrasing, the variation in volume, the emotion that came out through Will’s singing, I don’t think I have ever heard a better version of that song. If any of you can do something half as good as that, well, you will have a future in this industry.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Well, that’s all part of what I was saying, the final point I made, that it takes a lot of hard work. I’ve been playing and singing professionally since 1974, I have over twenty-six years of experience to draw on. I’ve probably played that song live more times than I care to remember. It’s all practice, work, experience. It doesn’t just happen because you asked me to play and sing a song. That’s the essence of the advice I have for the contestants here, put in the hard work, and if you are lucky, you might make it.”

That was the end of my part in the show, the director thanked me, as did the three panellists. Megan walked me to the door, and thanked me for being here, and singing without any notice.

“You did a fantastic job, Will, I am in your debt,” she said. “And that song, it was beautiful the way you sang it.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off without breaking down,” I said. “That was always the song I dedicated to Lisa, and...”

“Oh my God, Will, I’m so sorry,” she said. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have suggested it. I’m such an insensitive idiot, can you forgive me?”

“Of course, you weren’t to know,” I said. “I need to work out how I was able to get through that without being reduced to a blubbering mess, even now, I’m not feeling sad from the emotions it generated.”

“Maybe sufficient time has passed, or with all the other things that have been going on in your life, the loss of Lisa is becoming less prominent in your mind?” she suggested.

“That could be it, I’ll really have to think over everything that’s been going on in my life,” I said. “I have to work out what my long-term plans are for Doctor Sleigh, and I think that will be part of it. Anyway, it went better than I had feared doing this Popstars thing, whether what I had to say will make any difference, I don’t know, but at least I got to say my piece. I’ll see you tomorrow evening at the studio, thanks, Megan.”

I kissed her on the cheek, and headed back into the city, back to work. I wondered if there was something in what Megan had said, that recent events in my life had somehow lowered the ‘priority’, for want of a better word, that my mind viewed the loss of Lisa. There was still the deep sense of loss and pain inside me, but it rarely rose to the top of my consciousness, not the way that it been had eighteen months or so ago. Did that mean I was now getting to the mental state where I could start looking at my long-term future? I hoped so, I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life marking time, waiting for something to happen. Perhaps that was a reason why I had been involved with Angie, to provide a ‘circuit breaker’, something to separate my previous life with Lisa and what would be my future life. I would make sure I discussed that with Margaret. But now, the Land Information System project called, we had to finalize the complete data model, and those data relationships wouldn’t define themselves.

Thursday evening at Megan’s studio we reviewed the set lists for the next two nights at the Antler; we wanted to push the new songs that would be on the upcoming album. We checked off all the equipment we would need and agreed to meet at noon tomorrow to load the trailer. As the others were leaving, Megan asked me if I could give her details about the place I was having renovated in Balmain, so I followed her and Lori to the living room and sat down to speak with them.

“As you know, Will, we only have this place until the end of June or early July, when the redevelopment project starts,” Megan said. “So, we only have a rehearsal space until then. But I thought I heard you saying that now you are moving into the terrace place in Balmain, you could fit out a space for a studio. Is that right?”

“There is that option,” I said. “The upstairs part of the garage – actually, the coach house – would be perfect for a studio. Probably just as large as the one I had in Banksia Lodge, the house I had at Lane Cove. You never saw that, did you?”

“My sister told me all about it,” Lori said. “I’ve seen photos, that was a pretty fancy place, the way you did it up.”

“That thought was in the back of my mind when I saw the place at Balmain,” I said. “The garage would make an ideal studio, just as the one at Lane Cove did. Since I decided that the place at Balmain will become my next house, I’ve had a few minor changes made to the refurbishment, including running additional power to the upstairs part of the garage to turn it into a big studio.”

“That would be perfect for the group,” Megan said. “That would only need Lori and me to find a place to rent, and not having to worry about finding a place where the group could practice would make that so much easier!”

“Like I said, that was the idea at the back of my head when I purchased the place,” I said. “It would be the ideal studio for us, given that the one here is only temporary. Until you can find a place of your own, there are bedrooms that you could use. It’s not that far from here, it’s just off Darling Street in the centre of Balmain. Lots of great places to eat, coffee shops, pubs, places for dessert ... It hasn’t been overrun by the trendies, not yet.”

“Are you serious, Will? Would you want us moving into your place?” Lori asked. “That would be great, but...”

“Hey, I have – or I will have, once the building work is finished – a place with some spare bedrooms, and you need a place, preferably close to here, it’s a perfect match. I’m not putting any conditions on you moving in, there are four bedrooms in the place, so you can take whatever ones you want for yourself.”

“Are you serious, Will?” Megan asked. “That would be fantastic, it was so much fun when we were at uni, all in that big group house. What do you think, Lori? Will that work for us?”

“That would be a lifesaver, Will, I was starting to worry that we might not be able to find somewhere to move to when we have to leave this place,” Lori said. “When can we take a look at it?”

“How about this Saturday morning, around 11:00? I will pick you up, and we can drive over there.”

“Sounds fantastic, Will, if we can have your new place as our studio, and for Lori and me to live ... that solves a lot of problems,” Megan said.

As I drove home, I wondered if offering them rooms in my new place was a good decision, it was almost pre-empting any decision I would make on any plans for my future. Would they assume that me offering them rooms in the new house was a precursor to having us ‘live together’, in the complete sense of that phrase? By doing that, had I backed myself into a corner that I might not be able to get out from? I felt that I really could not have offered them the accommodation, not to have done so would have been deliberately ungenerous (is there such a word as ‘ungenerous’?). Had I allowed myself to be caught, and, if so, might it prove to be a problem? I guess it all depended on what I wanted to do long-term, which I had so far been unable to determine.

Friday at lunchtime I drove across to Megan’s place, we attached the trailer, and started to load our equipment. As usual, Alberts would have the lighting and PA equipment already set up by the time we arrived at the Antler, all we had to do was set our instruments up, do the sound check, and play. Once again, the Antler didn’t disappoint; the place was packed, the crowd was enthusiastic, getting into the music, and as usual, there were a bunch of women standing right up against the stage, exposing their breasts and pussies to us. No one tossed any soaked panties up onto my mike stand this time, however three women did toss their panties up on the edge of the stage. By the end of the night, I was lathered in sweat, the Antler always seemed to be incredibly hot inside. We felt we had put on a great show, as Stewie sad, ‘no fights broke out, so we must have sounded good!’.