WATTY THOMPSON & HIS TOTAL FIRE BAND

Indie bush bard Watty Thompson is hitting the road in support of his brand-new single ‘Rock & Roll’, a clarion call for his fellow artists doing it tough.

After his Australian Music Prize nominated 2023 debut album scored a direct hit into the hearts of fans and critics alike, winning praise, accolades, and airplay, it announced the arrival of a newpositive voice in Australian music.

Since then, Watty has been taking stock, quietly working toward his next message of hope. The bush born empath gathered up the multi-limbed talents of his Total Fire Band and headed into the studio to capture some more of his patented heart on sleeve messages to self-belief. The frst fruit of those efforts is the rollicking affrmation “Rock & Roll”.

In a country where it’s somewhat engrained to keep our hopes and dreams to ourselves through fear of getting cut down, “Rock & Roll” seeks to encourage other artists to follow their calling, regardless of what society might suggest is a safer path.

“It can take guts to follow your true calling”, Watty admits. “All kinds of things can make you second guess yourself, but if you know in your heart that you’re meant to be doing something, give it your all if you’re able to do so.”

At a time when the Australian music industry is doing it tough, “Rock & Roll” seeks to edify fellow artists a to hang on and keep fghting for their art.

As ever Watty is trying to live by example suggesting, “it’s a long road sure, but I’ll be striving hard until the day that I die, even if it means forever digging ditches in between to make it possible.”

Voted Music Victoria’s Regional Artist of the Year in 2023, Watty and his Total Fire Band have connected with a growing number of believers through stellar showings at festivals including Dashville

Skyline, Riverboats, Out On The Weekend, OK Motels and of course their life-affrming set at Meredith Music Festival. These new tour dates will visit some new places and faces as Watty looks to spread his message across the country.

He says, the world needs art and as artists, I reckon we’ll reach the end of this life with a full heart regardless of how full or empty our pockets are. We’ll be fulflled and content knowing we did what we were supposed to do.”

Watty and his Total Fire Band will be joined by special guests Brodie Buttons and J. Kagan & The Government Beers.

EVENT DETAILS:

• When: Sunday 8th September @3pm

• Where: Eltham Hotel

• Price: From $33

• Tickets: Via the QR code

Place the digits 1 to 9 in the blue squares, so that all 6 equations are correct. Multiplication and/or division are performed rst, in whichever order they appear –followed by addition and/or subtraction, in whichever order they appear.

Time For Trivia

1 What was the real first name of the character known as Potsie in the sitcom, Happy Days? (a) Chuck (b) Warren (c) Geoffrey (d) Roger

2 Which country would you visit to see the Antonine Wall World Heritage Site? (a) Greece (b) Italy (c) United Kingdom (d) Ireland

3 Which gulf lies between Yemen and Somalia?

(a) Gulf of Oman (b) Persian Gulf (c) Gulf of Aden (d) Gulf of Riga

4 The Scoville scale is a used to measure the “heat level” of what? (a) Concrete (b) Chili peppers (c) Water (d) Sunburn

5 Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles is often referred to as the “Founder of” what? (a) Singapore (b) Papua New Guinea (c) South Africa (d) Iceland

6 Which composer was most famous for the orchestral suite known as The Planets? (a) Benjamin Britten (b) Gustav Holst (c) Gustav Mahler (d) Hector Berlioz

Alfakodo

Which Words

Which is the correct meaning for these words?

1 ARCANUM

(a) A mystery

(b) A walk arched over

(c) One of nine chief magistrates of ancient Athens

2 CONTUBERNAL

(a) Pertaining to companionship

(b) Opposing lawful authority with contempt

(c) Affirming the contrary

3 ITERATE

(a) To place in a detached situation

(b) To repeat

(c) To make angry or fretful

4 PERFUNCTORY

(a) Hasty and superficial

(b) Actually achieving a result

(c) Very eager

5 RECENSION

(a) A formal receiving of guests

(b) A critical revision of a text

(c) The habit of relapsing into crime