Flashback Rock ‘n Roll Showband was formed in 1988 with fellow musician and friend Peter Waterman. Peter and Rod were already discussing writing a musical Cruisin’ at this stage of their respective teaching careers. This became a reality in 1995 with the first production at the Dolphin Theatre University of Western Australia. The band Flashback was very popular as a corporate band and provided backing for much of the development of Cruisin’ the Musical in the early stages. Regular appearances at the Parmelia Hotel Christmas shows and New Years Eve were highlights of the band’s success.Members of the band: Rod Christian Lead Guitar/Vocals, Peter Waterman Lead Vocals/Guitar, Trevor Cooksley (dec.) Piano/Keyboards/Vocals, Paul Millard Saxes/Flute, Norman Buchanan Drums/Vocals.
I record artists at my studio Hotel Sorrento and feature them on Reverbnation under the title Pure Magic. This is the playlist where you can listen to my compositions sung by various artists.
Click here: reverbnation website
I am now officially a member of the Perth band Purple Haze. The band is becoming very popular with our new mix of Rock’n Roll, Latin, Swing, Rockabilly and Country songs. The collective experience of all of the members includes Blue Brass, Rock’n Roll Show, Motivation, Tony Tyler and the Purple Haze to name a few. Tight harmonies and an extensive repertoire are features of this exciting band. The band leader is Nigel Ridgway (Vocals and Drums),Greg (Bazz) Clarke, (Vocals, Sax and Trumpet), Robbie Jones (Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars) and Rod Christian (Vocals, Bass, Guitar and Keyboards). Purple Haze perform regularly at the Kingsley Tavern and various dance clubs and venues around the city and country. Bookings Nige 0419921131 or Rod 0411441044. See and hear the band here:
The song Western Australia was inspired by the sheer beauty and vastness of this great state we live in. The message is simple; “it’s the best-kept-secret in this land, West Australians welcome you” and, “Let us join together with friends and family. To celebrate this great state and live in harmony.”
I wrote the song as an anthem to WA. The sheet music is now available. The arrangements are scored for full SATB choir, SSA choir, primary and secondary school choirs, and solo or two part voice male/female with piano/guitar accompaniment. A full backing track is now available as well.
A recent interview with Today Tonight and the premiere of the song on Australia Day at Council House Perth launched the song, which has already received amazing reviews.The Spirit of WA Choir and Courtney Murphy performed the song at the the City Of Perth Citizenship Ceremony. The Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi gave the song the “thumbs up” as did many of the invited guests who met the choir at a reception afterwards.
Hear the song as sung by Courtney Murphy accompanied with vision from WA Tourism. Also available on iTunes.
Please contact me at email: rodmusic@bigpond.com or, via the contact page on this website for schools. Here you will find details as to how you can purchase the package for your school or choir. This includes full piano/guitar score, full backing track and your own copy of the video.
Photo: The Spirit of WA Choir at Council House WA with Courtney Murphy.
Video 1: Today Tonight Interview with Rod Channel 7.
Video 2: Spirit of WA Choir with Courtney Murphy live, Citizenship Ceremony, Australia Day 2013
Video 3: Mt Pleasant Primary School Choir sing Song for WA.
Video 4: Extracts from Western Australian Anthem Video.
The Sorrentones are an all male group of students from Sacred Heart College in Sorrento, Western Australia. This is an arrangement I did of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen and was performed at the Rejoyce Choir Concert in may 2011 at the Callaway Auditorium, University of WA.
People from all walks of life suffer from depression or “the black dog”. I wanted to write a song that says “you just swing those blues away” by listening to music or performing music, whether it be singing in a choir or just simply singing or playing away your blues. Music is a very powerful tool and I hope this song helps those who find peace in music. The Performer is a good friend, Lotti Lothian who performs this song on her own album recorded at Hotel Sorrento titled “Feel The Music”
[mp3j track= “STBlues.m4a” title= “click to play:”]
The In Pulse at St Pats Dance Fremantle 1967. Top photo L-R Dave Sears Rhythm Guitar, Bob hawker bass, Rod Christian Lead Guitar and Ian Love Drums. On the MTT Ferry Zephyr doing a river cruise to Point Walter.
Which bands did you play in, and when?
I started drumming in a band called Four of a Kind while still at school in Year 11 at Trinity College in East Perth in 1965. We used to play a lot of dances and university functions in the old Barrack St Jetty Rowing Club and all of the school socials. It was that year I started to teach myself guitar and (on guitar) formed the Jeff Phillips Fan Club band with Jeff Phillips. We regularly played at his fan club dances in South Perth.
When I left school at the end of 1966, I formed a band called The In-Pulse with Peter Waterman, Bob Hawker, Ian Love (of Cocos fame) and Dave Sears. (See photo above)
This was a great band with harmonies and lots of work around the Perth scene. A regular gig was St Pat’s dance every Sunday night in Fremantle, plus dances and cabarets around town including The Italian Club in North Perth. We also played the Swan Hotel Circuit including the Booragoon, Manning, North Perth, Hamilton Hill, Osbourne park and many more.
We often did river cruises to Point Walter on a Saturday night and supported bands at nightclubs in Perth. I played lead guitar along with Nigel Ridgway, Jon Burns, Ron Burns and Brian Ward in The Blue Brass at the Nanking restaurant in Belmont from 1968. We backed many international artists including The Platters, The Sitopal Sisters, Four Kinsmen, and Martin St James etc. This is where I learned to read music (basically by ear) and also to play bass guitar, as we used to swap instruments to keep the music going. It was a lot of fun working with Peter Harries, Kelly Green, Ian de Souza (now a prominent Fremantle artist) and Elaine Mort, amongst other local musicians.
In 1969 I left The Blue Brass and formed The Motivation with Russ Kennedy, Nigel Ridgway (then Maurie Pearson), Peter Waterman and John Quilty. In this band I played lead guitar and keyboards. We played the Swan Hotel circuit in Perth and many nightclubs including Top Hat, Ricki Tik, Two Eyes, The Colosseum and more. In 1971 I joined Triax at the Morley Hotel as bass player.
We played four nights a week and then we got the job as resident band at Contacio International in Scarborough. Here, Peter Harries and Kelly Green were the floor show artists and in 1973 Peter started his own nightclub, The Knight Klub in Como, where I joined him as musical director for the next nine years. I am still performing with Kelly today (see photo at the end of this blog.)
I still play in five different bands today including The Haze Showband, Powerhouse and the original In-Pulse which works under the name Cruisin’ Rock ‘n Roll Showband with three of us original members still in the band!
What got you into rock and roll?
When I was seven years old, I lived in Claremont and the radio was always on. We listened to tunes like ‘Build Your Love on a Strong Foundation’, ‘The Battle of New Orleans’, ‘Tammy and Witch Doctor’. I absolutely LOVED these songs and could sing them back perfectly. The next-door neighbours were girls in their late teens and they were dating American sailors visiting Perth. The sailors brought 45 records over from the US and gave them to the girls who used to play them full bore on the stereo next door. My brother Bret and sisters Julie and Jan and I used to dance on the lawn. When I heard the sax solo in ‘Purple People Eater’ that was it! I had to play or be involved in music from that point on. We had an old piano and I could soon bang out the melodies of all these songs. From there I joined the junior choir at Trinity College and then the Senior Choir, then the ‘Four Of A Kind’ band and the rest is …
Is there a gig that really stands out in your memory?
There were many, particularly backing famous people. In the early days I was playing bass in the main backing band for Telethon with Ed Peters and Guy Bart and we used to back people like John Farnham, Cleo Lane, Johnny O’Keefe and Little Patti. It was all live to air, so exhilarating and at the same time frightening.
I remember being support band to Gary Pucket and the Union Gap and to the Deltones. A memorable gig was backing Harry Secombe at Perth Concert Hall and Warren Williams, Johnny Young, and Ray Brown in subsequent gigs. I also went to many great gigs including Peter Frampton, Doctor Hook, Boz Scaggs, Paul McCartney, and, more recently conducted a season of my own musical Cruisin at the Regal Theatre in Perth as Musical Director, with Glenn Shorrock in the lead role. I also write heaps of choral music. A memorable occasion was back in 2002 when 9000 people heard a world premiere of a song I composed called ‘Anthem for Unity for Australia’ at the Perth Entertainment Centre.
What was guaranteed to get audiences off their seats and dancing?
Rock and roll of course! The simplicity, the harmonies, the great string arrangements, the backup vocals all combined to make this a unique genre. I have a very broad taste in music but you can’t beat good old rock and roll. I particularly like the backbeat and the tempo of jive music.
Kelly Green in full flight and Dennis Bird on drums at the Royal Thai Restaurant 2016
This is Pure Magic the resident band at the Royal Thai Restaurant in Mt Hawthorn. The band is vocalist Kelly Green, drummer Dennis Bird and keys/vocals Rod Christian. Peter Harries was the owner/ host and we performed there from 2012 -2016. The band played every style of music and accompanied guest artists every week. Watch a selection of our band numbers here:
