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Observer 50 YEARS

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Details of NEW packages on Page 2

www. darwinsbarrabase.com.au THE GREA T GREAT MUSIC OF THE ‘30s T O ‘60s TO Streaming through the Web PHONE: 6 9572 146 1466

$2.95

including GST

ISSN 1447 4611

S TATE EDITION Vol 46 No 1556 SERVING VICTORIA SINCE 1969

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PHONE 0418 883 335 See Observer Trader P9 Grosvenor in Cairns Holiday Apartments

Fully Self Contained 1 and 2 bedroom apartments Looking to escape the cold this winter; then head on up to Cairns - always warm!

Visit www.grosvenorcairns.com.au or email info@grosvenorcairns.com.au

or ring 1800 629 179

■ Simon Parris and Lea Bowen were at the opening night of 42nd Street staged by CLOC Musical Theatre at the National Theatre, St Kilda, to celebrate the organisation’s 50-year anniversary. More photos on Page 8.

Photos: Denise Damianos See our ad, Page 23 ‘Trader’

MERIMBULA, NSW 2014 VACANCIES AVAILABLE

Boarding Kennel and Cattery Pick-Up and Delivery. All over Melb.

Short and Long Term Stays.

Phone 5965 2242 www.pawsandclawsresort.com.au

BEACH ST APARTMENTS

See our full-page ad, P10 of ‘Trader’

1 Beach St, Merimbula, NSW 2548 Phone: (02) 6495 2205 w w w.beachs tr eetapartments.net.au .beachstr treetapartments.net.au

TURN TO ‘OBSERVER TRADER’ PAGE 8

WHAT WILLFOR TASMANIA AFL TEAM TASMANIA BETo AFL DRIVEN TO? C ommis sion, Commis ommission, take notice

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Door-to-Door delivery, Australia wide Open 9am-5.15pm Mon.-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun 243 Sea Kale Rd, Robinvale. Phone: 5026 3955 See Page 11, ‘Observer Trader’ section

See Observer Trader P22

TILCO WHOLESALERS TO FARMERS

Mattresses Galore

Cnr High St & Tooronga Rd, Malvern Phone: (03) 9822 9057.

Fax: (03) 9822 9821 www.mattressesgalore.com.au info@mattressesgalore.com.au 10% EXTRA DISCOUNT FOR MENTIONING MELB. OBSERVER Details: see ‘Observer Trader’ Page 12

LAND FOR SALE

I just created a campaign: AFL TTeam eam ffor or TTasmania. asmania.

It would mean a lot to me if you took a moment to add your name in support.

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AND CONTRACTORS Manufacturers and distributors of an extensive range of tillage equipment and components Phone: (07) 4633 0624 Mobile: 0422 399 544 www.tilco.com.au barry@tilco.com. au Turn to Page 14 of ‘Observer Trader’ section

See ad on Page 20 ‘Trader’

See ad on back page Page 17 ‘Trader’

Page 2 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, May 21, 2014

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - Page 3

Melbourne Observer Advertising Press+Online+Google+SocialMedia+Editorial Advertisers’ Index References to ‘Trader’ denote the 32-page liftout in this edition All 4 Paws & Claws Resort ....... Trader P23 Maroondah Sports Club ........... Trader P21 Australian Greyhound Products ........ Page 54 Mattresses Galore ..................... Trader P12 Barry MCVilly Pty Ltd ................ Trader P24 MCVilly Timber .......................... Trader P24 Beach Street Apartments ........... Trader P8 Mermaid Beach Park View ............... Page 52 Boat Industry Assoc. of Vic. .............. Page 28 Metro Cinemas Boronia .............. Page 55 Braemac Energy ....................... Trader P19 Michael’s Trailers ...................... Trader P9 Burong Equestrian Centre ............ Trader P29 Moonsshine Drinks ........................... Page 27 Chrla-J Antiques ................................ Page 52 Open Nutrition .................................. Page 52 CMS International (Autosol) ..... Trader P13 Play DVDs/Rare Music ............... Trader P10 Combined Home Care ......................... Page 53 Plyboard Distributors ........................ Page 23 Coolum Baywatch Resort ......... Trader P18 Productive Gardens ................. Trader P15 CPAP Victoria .................................... Page 25 Protea Village .................................... Page 32 Darwin’s Barra Base ..................... Page 2 Quest Consulting Group .................... Page 53 E-Cell ........................................ Trader P12 Rangeview Seeds ................................ Page 32 Echo 4x4 ................................. Trader P25 Robinvale Wines ...................... Trader P11 Entertainment Australia ................. Page 34 Royal Melbourne Philharmonic ........... Page 6 Equisent ........................................... Page 52 Run On Sun Australia ......................... Page 51 Formula Ford Experience Aust. .... Trader P32 Scootersmart .......................... Trader P14 Front Beach Beach Houses ............... Page 26 Funlover Tours .................................... Page 3 Sea Change Safety Cove ............ Page 64 Gilmour’s Comfort Shoes ............. Trader P25 SGI Consulting Group ................ Trader P22 Golden Days Radio .................... Trader P16 Shop Inside .............................. Trader P7 Grosvenor In Cairns .................. Trader P3 Sunrise Dental & Denture Clinic ...... Page 24 Gutzbusta ....................................Trader P28 Tilco ......................................... Trader P20 Hygeia ................................................ Page 51 Tribute Funeral Services ........... Trader P6 Inst. of Mediators & Arbitrators ......... Page 54 Tunit Australia .......................... Trader P17 Ivanhoe Cycles .................................... Page 5 Waverley Medical Centre ................. Page 53 Jenny Pihan Fine Art ................... Page 33 K & J Woolley’s Plumbing ......... Trader P4 The Limbada Group ............................. Page 53 Yering Meeadows Golf Club ............... Page 54 Mandalay Apartments .................... Trader P27 Yogaplex ............................................ Page 51

Our advertisers are making news The Adventures of Barry MCVilly ■ Professional hunter Barry MCVilly understands that the subject of hunting can be a controversial one.

He has been requested on numerous occasions to put down animals that are causing havoc amongst local stock ... and residents.

His profession takes him to all parts of Australia, as well as international locations.

One tale involves requests by an African village for Barry to euthanise an old male giraffe that was attacking other animals.

He explains that older giraffes in this situation usually have coats that goes a dark brown.

The animals become outcasts amongst their own herds, and usually its own kind hunt them down, and remove them from the herd.

In this case, the rogue giraffe was causing damage to property in the village, damaging huts, and attacking women and children.

Barry was given the task of humanely attending to the problem creature, with the meat going back to the villagers. He was granted permission to bring back the skin for taxidermy.

New advertisers ■ The Melbourne Observer welcomes the Boat Industry Association of Victoria. Its members have news of the Boat Show being held from Jane 12-16 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. See Page 28.

■ You will be seeing ads for Moonshine Drinks in the Observer throughout 2014. They are exhibiting at the Good Food and Wine Show being held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from May 30 to June 1. See Page 27 for more details.

● Barry MCVilly was asked by African villagers to euthanise a giraffe that was attacking locals

Course work ■ Young Charlie Blakeley, 16, has had a hand in designing the new cross country course under construction at the Burong Equestrian Centre, Winchelsea.

Spread over 250 acres, there jumps of a different levels, and a variety of water sections. Hopefully, the first stage will be completed next month.

His mother, Charlotte, has been involved in competition work in Lara, Sydney and country Victoria.

PHOTO: IKON IMAGES

Page 4 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, May 21, 2014

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Mark Richardson ♥ Straight from the heart

E-Mail: mark@localmedia.com.au

Big band’s toe-tapping spectacular ■ The internet and social media sites such as Facebook have made organising events, seminars and even reunions somewhat easier to promote, locate and invite guests to.

With Facebook it's simple to create an event, post it to your news feed, invite friends to attend and spread the word far and wide.

In comparison, creating events such as a school or club reunion was a far more tedious and challenging task for organisers prior to the internet; particularly when trying to first locate former class mates or members to alert and invite.

Over a long lunch in the early 80s with his good friend, Johnny Desmond ,who was the former star singer for Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band (fondly dubbed as the G.I Frank Sinatra), Rick Gerber suggested reuniting its original members to attend open air concert.

Johnny handed over three possible contact numbers to Rick; and with up to 70 former members living in any of the 50 states across 9,826,675 square km, Rick put his telephone, fax machine and posting envelope skills into full swing.

Over several months, Rick managed to track-down and invited many former band members.

Word quickly spread and the USA Air Force Museum funded airflights for 41 members who were able to travel to enjoy a sentimental journey down memory together for a spectacular orchestral performance of 'Big Band' hits they performed nationally 40 years earlier.

With thanks to the ease of the internet, whilst on a break during touring the USA, I connected with Rick on his Musical Director's Porch in Branson, Missouri, explaining, "The Glenn Miller Orchestra's 77th anniversary concert is heading to Victoria and promises to be a colourful and flamboyant evening filled with fun and nostalgia of the 30s and 40s; including our unique jazz sounds with the addition of recreating the golden era of swing plus music from the library of The Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band."

The Glenn Miller Orchestra is still in high demand in many countries. You've performed in Melbourne's Hamer Hall three or four times previously. Where else has the Orchestra performed around the world?

We've performed numerous times in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand, Mexico, USA and of

Musical Director’s Porch Thoughts

course all around Australia.

Do you have other countries in mind that you haven't toured but would like to?

We've got things pending for South America and in Middle East including Dubai. If the phone rings and it sounds good, we're ready to go.

You were born and raised in a small town which is now known as North Central Iowa that is roughly 100km north of the State Capital - Des Moines.

What is your strongest family memory of big band music that contributed to your passion for music?

My mum was musical. She played a fine piano and she was self-taught.

As a child in the late 40s and early 50s, I was surrounded by stacks of old 78 RPM records around the house. There was a collection of a little bit of everything and there was a lot of big band records. I listened to Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey Band and Glenn Miller.

In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, I can imagine that people ventured out to the movies or to see dance bands for social entertainment. Was this the case in small towns or just larger city venues in the USA? In those days, bands focused on being dance bands. Every 30 miles in both big and small towns there was a dance hall or a place where people went for social entertainment. After WWII, it started dropping off. Our soldiers came home from the war and settled down and started having families. This started the baby boom.

When Jonny Desmond first handed you the phone numbers to start reuniting some of the original band members, did you think it was going to be a possibility?

There had always been talk about it about a reunion but nothing had ever eventuated as it was 40 years later.

Through many phone calls I eventu-

ally contacted 41 surviving members. It began from there.

With the age of the members and with transportation logistics in mind, how did you manage to get the US Air Force Museum involved to fund everyone's airflights?

The museum is located in the Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton in Ohio. Through word of mouth they heard about the reunion and offered to provide the setting, venue and flights for the reunion through their 'slush fund'. The concert was held in August, 1986. We sadly lost Johnny Desmond to cancer in September, 1985.

It must have been an amazing reunion for everyone involved. Did many people attend the concert?

The concert was sponsored by the government so the media had picked up on it which created a lot of publicity. 18,000 people attended the Saturday night concert including the 41 original band members I had contacted. Sadly there are only five original members still alive.

You have had an amazing musical career yourself joining the Jack Gillespie band in 1981 before form-

● Rick Gerber ing your own big band in Los Angeles in 1987. In 2001 you entered into a license agreement with Glenn Miller Productions, Inc. to form a special unit for the California market and have since toured the world.

What do you hope audiences ultimately experience under your musical direction?

We want them to experience seeing and hearing the live band on stage playing the authentic original arrangements so, it's like their favourite records have come to life on stage.

Who makes up the Glenn Miller Orchestra for this special 77 year anniversary tour?

The Orchestra consist of 26 musicians, singers and dancers on stage featuring The Moonlight Serenade Singers and The Broadway Swing Dancers all presenting great 'Big Band' hits with original Glenn Miller arrangements. We play the music of The Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and the romantic World War II melodies made famous by Vera Lynn.

Which musical arrangements and timeless icons of American culture can we expect to enjoy in Victorian venues?

There are many hits which have captivated millions of people including Chattanooga Choo-Choo, In The Mood, Tuxedo Junction, A String Of Pearls, Moonlight Serenade, Little Brown Jug and Pennsylvania 6- 5000.

What legacy do you hope to pass onto future generations as the current Musical Director of the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra?

When I retire or have to hang it up, there will always be somebody else with the same general theory and concept to ensure that the music is kept alive. We must keep playing and recreating the music but always according to the original arrangements and we play it the style that it was intended to be played.

What is your Porch Thought for the day?

Glenn Miller was quoted, "America means freedom and there's no expression of freedom quite so sincere as music…and a band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality." ● For venues, dates and ticketing information visit www.glennmillerorchestra. com.au

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - Page 5

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