Press releases come in the mail all the time at TCP, much of the time there isn't time to give them much notice but this one was different. For some reason or accident of timing and my mood this one got my attention. I was excited about the idea because I had been thinking of something like this for TCP to Host sometime. So… we get a free demo on how it's done! COOL!

All we have to do is drive 3000 clicks there and back and pay for accommodation and we get to take advantage of….FREE TICKETS! YEAH! Cost about a grand all up for the free tickets but that's the penalty you pay for living in the sticks.

We showed up early to check the action outside before the main show starts inside. Col Noble was doing a great one man show on the outside stage for a gathering of very strangely dressed folk….Well,icall any group wearing cheeseburgers on their head fuckin weird! The pirates are OK and I expected the parrot heads but the gang of cheeseburgers left me in awed delight!

The venue is huge! Gavin Bull of Toombul music is in a room up front and he and his gang are selling Jimmy Buffet and Island stuff so hard I can't even get close to the counter to say hi! I wave from the rear of the crowd. Inside are tables arranged across the room with reservations in place. This gig is booked out in advance; don't even think about just rocking up on the eve of the show! But for those tardy planners the outside show preceding the main indoor show is worth the trouble and it's free so, no losers here!

There are stages on both ends of the room. The bigger is obviously the entertainment and the other end is (GULP) the press and local dignitaries gathered around a huge screen where Jimmy was on the screen. Seems he knows about this show and made a little recording for the benefit of the.. benefit! So that's where they put Kay and I. Man, I felt weird. There were real media people up there, channel 7 and local government and such… I bolted for the crowd!

It's amazing what you can get away with if you have a camera in hand. It's gotta be a big pro looking thing but security guards wave you by and people will cooperate with the most fantastic requests… If I was a terrorist, I would plant a bomb in a big hasleblad camera. You wouldn't have to sneak in anywhere, you get a bloody police escort! But I digress big time!!!!

Around a corner there is food! CHEESEBURGERS! "I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz 57 and French fried potato!" If you don't know the song, (and a bit of American slang) none of this can make sense!

The show inside started with a troupe of Hula dancers of the Hawaiian type made up of imported and local talent from woman to wee little girl and they were all excellent! It's as obvious they worked hard to get it right as it was they did it for the joy of it. It was the perfect way to get the audience into "Island Time" and had everyone smiling before the muso's even got to the stage. Also they were the best eye candy a photographer could hope for so I got lottsa pics of the pretty girls shaken the tail feathers. I am, after all, a professional!

First up on stage was Bill Chambers. The country ballads were mixed in with some Buffet to his own mellow timing. Next up was Darren Coggan doing his solo in thongs and blue jeans looking very gen- u- ine as a beach bum balladeer and belting out a Buffet mix of his own and he got the dance floor going, especially after a couple of high energy young chicks screamed across the polished timber doing something wild of their own. Everybody got in on the act! From little girls to great grandmum, the dance floor filled up with people having a brilliant time. As I was noticing the disparity in age and style the real attraction became apparent. Jimmy Buffet has created a culture of happy! Inclusive, grass roots and universal in appeal. That's a rare and wonderful thing in these days of "us" and "them", "ours" and "theirs".

The main act is "Montserrat" a ten piece band specialising in Jimmy Buffet music and they do not disappoint!

I'll let the photos do the talking from here on but suffice to say, I haven't lost my enthusiasm for the idea! I would really like to bring a show like this north.

So… I'll be looking for a venue and people willing to lend a hand.

Good times do not go out of fashion!