Scales, Scribbling & the Highway to Hell

From Nell's high notes, my footnotes and Angus Young’s old school uniform, some things improve with age and some just get louder! Plus, Happy Snaps! What more do you want? Honestly...

Aug 02, 2025

When Nell announced she was getting a vocal/singing coach and entering this year’s Gladstone Eisteddfod I was a bit surprised.

“Isn’t that for schoolkids?” I asked.

Apparently not.

So, for the last few weeks, our humble home has rung to the sounds of Donella practicing four songs over and over. And over. And over.

And over…

I’ve circled round from liking ‘Scarborough Fair’, to hating it, loathing it, then singing along and enjoying it, and right now I’m back to hating it again.

Now, I think Nell has a pretty impressive voice. It’s one of the first things I noticed about her. But even the greats need a tune up from time to time. Bad habits creep in.

In her own words:

“Earlier this I did a NYE gig and realised I didn't have vocal stamina.

I was running out of breath, and it took a lot of effort to project my voice. Even with a microphone.

I recalled when I was practising for competitions, I'd do scales and breathwork, and singing for long periods was effortless.

So, this year, I signed up for the Gladstone Eisteddfod then organised vocal lessons with a classically trained teacher, Julie Sibley from Great Studios (check out her link here!)

For the past three months I’ve been ironing out bad habits and learning better ones.

The Eisteddfod is a couple of weeks away and I feel ready and looking forward to tweaking the songs for the final performance.

It's not about the competition,

I’m looking forward to being critiqued by an experienced adjudicator and getting the best out of my voice and continue to use the techniques in future, so I don’t run out of puff.

Anyway, I see Greg stuffing his earplugs in, so it must be time to practice…”

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This Scribbling Life

Making a hobby pay, or paying for my hobby?

Am I a writer? Well, yes and, no.

I’m a writer in pretty much the same way I’m a musician, comedian, dad, actor and porn star, I do alright, and occasionally, I can really impress.

As a writer, I’ve had a crack at blogging, reviews, ads, training manuals, policies and procedures, poetry, song writing, a long running newspaper column, been a reporter and have 12 (or more) novels cluttering up my hard drive (all of which need some serious work before I let them loose on an unsuspecting public).

Why do I write?

Great question!! Glad I asked it…

Well, it’s certainly not for the fame, or clearly for the money.

Short answer: I’ve always enjoyed it.

Even if most of my stuff is, to be honest, pretty ‘fluffy’. I don’t ‘do’ hard-hitting expose’s or tell all, gritty, no holds barred, embarrassing, personal confessions etc.

So, what’s the point?

Slightly Longer Answer:

a) I’m writing to the people, friends, family, interested strangers, etc., who want to see what I’ll do next. Hell, even I struggle to keep up with my own journey and, I promise, when I work out what I want to do when I grow up, you wonderful people will be the first to know.

b) But mostly, I’m writing ‘letters’ to my children and grandchildren. You know, before the dementia sets in. Because there’s a lot I want to share, or overshare, with them before I head off to the Great Typewriter Factory in the sky.

100, 500, or 1000 years from now, nobody will remember, or care about, any of us (let’s face it, even 25 years from now is a stretch!)

Maybe a scrap of what I’m writing today will survive in whatever hard drives my descendants will own or use in the future, and if one of my descendants has found this blog:

‘Hullo from 2025!’

So, that’s it. That’s the reason I take photos of things I think are interesting, or humorous, and why, each week, I plunk myself down in front of a PC (for those of you in the future, that’s short for ‘Personal Computer’… I think they’re being phased out by mobile phones in most parts of the planet as I type) and write a few hundred words about life, thoughts and… things.

So, while I can, I’ll keep scribbling away. And, speaking of things fading away…

AC/DC Back on Tour

The Highway to Hell goes on and on…

Who’d have guessed back in the heady days of the early 1970’s that a little rock band from Oz would still be touring and bringing in the crowds?

The Rise and Fall of The Rock Legends AC/DC – Twisted Thread

Whoops! I meant these lads, (the non-satin wearing band):

The Brothers Who Built AC/DC | The New Yorker

At 69 y.o. Angus Young is still making music and touring. When most people his age, or from his era, are either retired, dead, or preparing for the Great Beyond, Angus is still on stage, in his trademark school uniform, hammering on his old guitar like it owes him money.

Officially it’s the ‘Power Up Tour’, but unofficially it could be ‘The Last Man Standing Tour’. Which is what Angus is, from the original band line-up.

His 77 y.o. mate, Brian Johnson, (the man who will always be remembered around Bray Manor as ‘Bons’ Replacement’) is right beside him, shrieking out hits from fifty years ago, and still, clearly enjoying himself.

And they’ve still got their hair! Mostly:

AC/DC: Power Up Tour with The Pretty Reckless | 05/24/2025 | Choose Chicago

Good on ‘em!

This may be their last tour. It might not.

For those lamenting the last gigs of AC/DC, I have three words, “The Rolling Stones”.

Mick and Keith are 81 years old, Ronnie is a sprightly 78, and they’re still touring. Mind you, Keefy boy probably has another couple of centuries in him:

Hell, Chad Morgan toured into his early 90’s before the Grim Reaper cut off the power to his guitar and mic.

If people are going to keep turning up, then I have no doubt Angus will entertain them the best way he knows how. And these days, I hear he’s keeping his clothes on!

More power to him! Go out strumming mate.

Ambulance Fee Free

But only in Queensland and Tasmania

Last week, Nell’s eldest son, who lives in Sydney, caught Covid and was transported to hospital in an ambulance. To our astonishment he was told he’d potentially be charged $400 (plus whatever it cost per klm) to get to hospital, so I sincerely hope they didn’t transport him via the scenic route…

Happily, he made a full recovery and was delighted that the NSW Ambo’s didn’t hammer his wallet but decided to charge Medicare for the trip instead. But still…

Here in the Sunshine State we don’t pay anything to be carted off to hospital by Ambulance.

It was not always this way though.

Back when I was a youth, we could pay a small ‘voluntary’ fee from our pay each week (I think it was a couple of measly dollars, which was pretty good insurance for a great service), the Ambo’s also had to fundraise for stuff too, like oxygen, spare tyres, car polish, fuel, etc.

Then, in 2003 the State Govt. tacked a levy onto our electricity bills to cover the costs of running the Ambulance Service.

Then in 2011, that fee was scrapped and the service was fully funded by the Government. And, Qld residents no longer had to empty their purses or dig the spare change out from under the couch cushions, in order to get a much-needed, or urgent, lift to hospital.

In fact, hardly anybody remembers that we used to pay for Ambulances. It’s just something we’re clearly taking for granted here in the Sunshine State judging by how astonished I was to hear that another Australian State charges people to use, what I firmly believe, should be a fee-free service.

But, a quick search turned up the following and caused me to spray coffee all over my desk:

May be an image of text that says 'State/ Territo ry Callout Fee $/Kilometre ACT $1,107 $767 for any treatment $14 for every km outside the ACT $445 ($873 if NSW visiting from interstate) $4.02 ($7.88 if you're visiting from interstate) NT $897 ($407 for non-urgent callouts) $5.80 (per km greater than 10km) OLD Free for state residents $0 for state residents SA $1,171 ($262 for non-urgent callouts) $6.70 TAS Free for state residents $0 for state residents VIC $1,396 (Metropolitan), $2,059 (Regional) $0 WA $1,133 ($1,355if if you're visiting from interstate) $0'

By comparison to what other States are gouging their residents for, NSW looks practically benevolent! Plus, what the hell is a ‘non-urgent’ call out and who decides what is, or isn’t, an emergency?

Only Queensland and Tasmanian residents are able to access a fee free (and severely less financial anxiety inducing) Ambulance ride to hospital regardless of whatever is deemed non-urgent or not.

Which begs the question, what are the other states charging (grifting?) for, say, the Firey’s or Police?

Do residents in NSW, Vic, WA, NT or SA have to negotiate with other essential services to save their lives or douse their burning homes and vehicles?

Madness, I say!

It’s enough to make you sick.

And if it does, don’t call an Ambulance unless you’re well beyond the northern side of the Tweed River (or on the southern end of Bass Strait)!

Ok, the meds are taking effect now, so it’s time for…