Troy Zarb

Link to YouTube https://youtu.be/fxQh5YMG-Wc 

Welcome to Studio Two, join me, Jimmy, as I sit down with the incredibly talented Troy Zab—musician, videographer, and more. Troy and I dive into his origins in music, with him reminiscing about a childhood violin that felt more akin to punishment than performance. Was his family musical? No! Was he a little kid in a cardboard concert? Absolutely!  Troy reveals his epic struggle for the right mic setup, the struggles you face when working from a home studio, and also answers my biggest musical question, “what’s the purpose of a bridge in a song?”

As our conversation spirals just below the level of coherence, we touch on everything from the ever-expanding "leaf blower" black market of complaints (who knew suburban warfare was a thing?) to Troy’s other life as a cocktail connoisseur, where I share my dubious caravan park recipes. So kick back, grab a drink (ideally one of Troy’s cocktails), and prepare yourself for a chaotic yet hilarious journey through the oddly specific world of music, memories, and why being old is technically just a mindset—right?

Oh and we apologise in advance to both Danni Minogue and Holly Valance.

Song Credits

Pump Girl

Preformed by: Trojan Guns

Written by: Troy Zarb

Engineered by: Everland Studios

Source: 

welcome to Studio 2
https://www.instagram.com/welcometo_studio2?igsh=OXJyOGcxMTJveHhj&utm_source=qr

Troy Zarb https://www.instagram.com/troy_zarb?igsh=MWJ4N2c0YXZmcXdzeg==

Owen Butterworth
https://www.instagram.com/owenbutterworth?igsh=MTdvdm12ZXNydXlqbQ==

The Grove Studios    https://www.instagram.com/thegrovestudios?igsh=MWwzOTViMnEwN3d3bQ== 

Transcript

Jimmy 0:00

We're all good?

Owen 0:00

Yeah.

Jimmy 0:01

Alright, well, um, hello, and welcome to Studio Two. Uh, as always, I have the wonderful Owen Butterworth sitting across to me. Uh, my name's Jimmy, and sitting here on the chair today is Troy Zab.

Troy 0:14

G'day, thanks for having me, Jimmy.

Jimmy 0:16

No, thanks. Troy, it's great to have you in. So, Troy's actually um uh a friend of yet unpublished Welcome to Studio Two alumni Benny Pounder, who you'll all get to hear from quite shortly. And uh Man the Myth, the legend. The man the myth, the legend. Well, they're three words for him, I suppose. Um so Benny was uh really lovely, and he invited me down to his studio, his secret studio that we we don't mention where it is, um, to meet some of the crew that kind of hang out and do stuff down there. And I was lucky enough to meet Troy down there. Um Troy is a musician, but another thing Troy does is a bit of videography. So uh we're giving it a crack today. We're gonna film the podcast, we're gonna see how it looks like. So we'll send some shorts out to you guys on the socials and let us know what you think. Um, this also is, but just before we get stuck right into the podcast, Troy, this is the first one back for the year, so you know, pretty exciting. Um, we've had some great response from the podcast so far since we released it. So just want to thank my my 20 listeners and you also you wore your podcast fineries today because it's well I did, I dressed up for the occasion. I mean, this is just my you know my Saturday best, it's not my general Wednesday afternoon flu roll attire that I'm used to, but um, you know, it's nice to get nice to be here, nice to be doing it again. It's nice to have everyone back in the room, and it's lovely to have Troy here.

Troy 1:39

Thank you for having me.

Jimmy 1:40

All right, cool. So let's get stuck into it as we always do. And I suppose one thing I always like to do, Troy, is kind of start from you know, your first memories of getting into music. So was music something that you were uh brought up with? Is it a a kind of a family thing or is it something you pursued on your own?

Troy 1:58

Uh well look, I mean, just like a lot of kids, you you know, you learn how to play an instrument or something, or in school, I learned Violuminos 5. Um, but that didn't really get me into music. I think um the big moment for me was when Bon Jovi released Lifery When Wet and I saw that video clip and I wanted to be a rock star. And ever since then, I'm like I used to make cardboard cutouts of electric guitars and put on performances at you know at little school. And when I got into high school, I was in like you know, year six, seven, eight bands. Like most of the time I'd be doing something music related. And when I left high school, I started my I was in my first proper official band. Um and they were signed at the time, they were called Cry Mercy, and I did a lot of stuff with them, and that's how I met Benny P actually at one of those gigs.

Jimmy 2:52

Yep. Was that down at the cow shed by any chance?

Troy 2:55

Oh we have played at we did play at the cow shed, but no, I met him at some sort of um daytime gig, I think. I I can't remember exactly.

Jimmy 3:04

It's uh funny you say that Bon Jovi got you into music because the first photo Benny showed me of you back in the 90s, you had a very bon Jovi look, can't it?

Troy 3:11

With my hair down to my hair down to my arms.

Jimmy 3:14

I think your hair was maybe longer taller than you.

Troy 3:16

Oh man, yeah, those were the days. I wish I could grow that hair back, to be honest.

Jimmy 3:22

Uh awesome. So um teenage years, you start start on the violin, but when did you kind of head towards you know, kind of playing more guitar? Was it at that Bon Jovi time or were you you playing a bit of guitar before that?

Troy 3:35

Uh around the Bon Jovi sort of time, yes. Because um mum's friend gave me this really old um nylon string acoustic, which I spray painted black. String string strings and all.

Jimmy 3:48

Strings and all.

Troy 3:50

And um that was my you know, that's that's the guitar that I learned how to play. Like um, uh what's it called? That Peter Gun and Wipeout and all those, you know, songs you start playing with one string.

Jimmy 4:02

Yep.

Troy 4:03

Um then uh, you know, learnt a few chords in school with the teacher, had some sort of like group class on, and then I learned um lead from my cousins and borrowed a couple of lead books from cousins and stuff that just showed you like um the tablature and how to play uh I guess the pentatonic scale and all that.

Owen 4:21

Yep, nice.

Troy 4:22

So yeah, I'd always be in my my room noodling and and and also sometimes playing guitar. I would have used that. I'd play along to the the ads on the TV, you know what I mean? Yeah, um yeah, so that's what got me into it. Um I think outside of school, because I was always doing school, like we're doing in a Metallica, like um what was that song that was really popular, Enter Sandman or something?

Jimmy 4:50

Um that nothing else matters, but nothing else matters. You could play the first like five minutes without having to touch a stream. Yeah, nothing else matters.

Troy 4:56

We used to we played that a few times at Rockerstedford's and whatnot. Then um I joined a death metal band um I think on bass originally.

Jimmy 5:04

Yep.

Troy 5:05

I wasn't happy with that because I wasn't really a bass player, and the the guys next door asked me in in this in a rehearsal studio, there's a place called Party Peak Studio in Gil Geroin. Um that's where Cry Mercy I met them, they asked me to audition for their band, basically, and then I became the lead guitarist for that band.

Jimmy 5:20

Yeah, cool.

Troy 5:21

And yeah, life went on. I joined a punk band. I did a 60s cover show for a bit as a professional museum. Museum, professional musician. That was good money, like the money was good, you could live off it. But the nights, like the the shifts, like doing you know, three-hour concerts, and um it was kind of a bit soul destroying. Then I got back into punk.

Jimmy 5:43

Yep.

Troy 5:44

Then I joined I created a band called Scarlet's Revenge, which was a pirate punk band who had a flute player and accordion player. Sick.

Jimmy 5:52

Yeah, that's so cool.

Troy 5:53

So then then another band after that, then COVID hit that. We recorded a whole album. The band was called Crimes Against Fashion. And um that particular band, I wrote the music on bass with a drummer because I wanted the songs to have a really strong foundation. Then we recorded the album around that, and then John put the band together after the album was recorded. And then the band formed, we got gig ready, covet happened, we lost all the gig dates. Yeah, so then we walked towards the next and the shutdown again, second time, kind of, you know. We we were able to do I think three shows in that gap. And then COVID happened again and basically threw the band apart. So then I ended up doing solo stuff because it was too hard to put a new band together.

Jimmy 6:37

Yep.

Troy 6:37

Then after a while, me and my bass player from the who I've been playing bass with Mark um sorry, Mark Taylor. I've been playing bass with Mark Taylor for years and years and years since we're kids. And he said, Well, let's just do another band. So we did. The Trojan Guns happened, and that was basically us playing all of our favourite songs that we've played together in other bands.

Jimmy 6:56

Yep.

Troy 6:56

Now we're making a few new ones. So we've got Mass Matt Russell on drums with that band.

Jimmy 7:00

Do you know Matt at all? Uh I know the name. I don't know. I would have I met him at Benny's place or you would have met him at Benny's place.

Troy 7:07

Um, he would have been helping Ben um with his recycling program. Um, you know, making sure that the beer cans are empty, you know.

Owen 7:17

That's a fucking crucial job. That's a crucial job. Very important job. Mark Taylor, not of Australian cricket. Yeah, not Mark Tubby Taylor.

Troy 7:25

No, right, no, not Mark Tubby Taylor, right?

Jimmy 7:27

Okay, um, but that would be fun, man.

Troy 7:29

Just to just to say, yeah, so no, this is a different Mark Taylor.

Jimmy 7:32

Um I'd like to see Mark Tubby Taylor playing bass in a punk band.

Owen 7:35

Well, I mean, Brett Lee has six and out, right? Yeah, he does, yeah. Sure. I'm sure Tubbs has been on stage with six and out.

Jimmy 7:41

What was his song Ooh Are Glenn McGrath? Was that it? Did he write that or did someone else write it?

Owen 7:44

No, that was just like that was just the fans, right? That was just the fans. They end up turning to a song. Yeah, yeah.

Troy 7:49

Might be, yeah. Yeah, but man, Kappa. Warrior Kappa, I only take what m what's mine. That should be like, you know, one of the top Australian songs, most iconic songs. Have you heard it lately? Oh, no, I haven't, no. Great film clip, great film clip, great delivery of the song. He's not much of a singer, no, but he's a good footballer, you know, back in his time, so I guess that kind of can had a one of the all-time heads of hair as well.

Owen 8:15

Oh, one of the greatest hair, great dudes, yeah.

Jimmy 8:19

So playing guitar, uh sorry, playing violin at such a young age, I'd was your family a musical family? Was that no, or did they just push you into it?

Troy 8:29

Um, I told my mum I wanted to play violin and they bought me a violin for Christmas. Now, we weren't like my family, you know, we're working class, we everything cost a lot of money for us. But because of my grandfather played violin, my mum thought, well, this is just you know, naturally he's gonna play violin. So and I took it out. I played on St. Patrick's Day this year at the um big little brewery on Sunday, and I took the violin out and played a few songs along to a loop pedal. Uh my mum loved that, so yeah. The thing about the violin, it helped me understand the theory because when I was learning violin, I also learned how uh crutchets and semi-quavers and and all the other little squiggly lines work.

Jimmy 9:14

Yep.

Troy 9:14

Do you know what I mean? Yeah, so I'll know, but yeah.

Jimmy 9:17

Yeah.

Troy 9:18

Well, apparently there's like a a thing called music theory. Yeah, no, no, on on I've heard of it.

Owen 9:25

Um it's much like rocket science, it's one of those things you've heard of it.

Troy 9:30

Yeah, yeah, that's a thing, it's a real thing.

Jimmy 9:33

No, I've I've I've been delving into music theory quite a bit over the last few years myself. So um more so than reading music is understanding why sounds may sound like they do through theory. You know, I don't think, and we've spoken about this before, but personally I don't think music theory teaches you how to play music, yeah, but it does explain why things sound the way they do. And if you can have an understanding of that, then I think sometimes it can be easier to um either pick up things by ear or maybe write stuff or or play around with it and not just you know play covers or learn tabs because you know you have that understanding of why sounds sound like they do.

Troy 10:12

That's right. And when you learn how the different chords work together, it's like you understand the different colours of like if you're painting a picture, you understand how to mix your primaries to create tertiaries, right?

Jimmy 10:23

Well, this is a great segue because I actually had a shower thought the other day. And it's no, no, it's about bridges. So I I've been writing a lot more recently, probably since I've been doing the podcast, and my my lyrics are getting a little bit better than a cat on a hat sat on my fucking lap and now but they are slightly I'm not saying they're a lot better than that, but they're slightly better than that. But one thing I've been really struggling to do is really understand how to form a bridge properly because the word itself tells you that it's going to take you on a journey to another place. Nice, but but you end up coming back to where you started anyway, right? Yeah, so is it kind of is a bridge meant to show you like the grass is green on the other side, but you got there and you realise you had a good, so you go back to where you went.

Troy 11:07

Like I don't know, it's taking you to the to the to the next chapter of the song, yeah. And like you'll find a lot of people, if you're thinking about it when you write your your maybe your fourth verse, it's more of a refrain and and uh like a refresher of like what you were already talking about or a realization.

Jimmy 11:26

Four verses, calm down. I can do three at most.

Troy 11:30

No, no, no, just repeat, repeat verse one as verse three. That's all it's do it the Ramon style.

Jimmy 11:37

I had this conversation with a mate the other day because I can't come up with a third verse.

Troy 11:40

Just no, seriously, just do verse one and just change one or two things.

Jimmy 11:44

Yeah, okay.

Troy 11:45

You know, and that's that's it. That's your verse three.

Jimmy 11:48

Yeah, but the bridge. Explain to me the bridge. When you write a bridge, like what where do you where do you come from? How do you how do you approach it and then how do you cross it? That was great, wasn't it? That was fucking gold. That's a short. No.

Troy 12:06

So okay, all right, all right. Oh wow, wow, this is a good one. When I write a bridge, it just kind of happens, um, it's sort of like you the song needs to go somewhere else for a little bit.

Jimmy 12:18

Yep.

Troy 12:18

And you can cheat and just go, let's just play like a solo over a chorus, like what you're playing during the chorus. But it's like you could, but then it's a bit boring, right? So there's a variant on what the song is as if it's like a an alternate version of that song for a few bars to to take you to the next step. So it's the third act, maybe. You know what I mean? Yeah, no, no, no. But um I I don't really understand what the technical purpose of a bridge is. Um, I'm sure a lot of people like to build them and get over them.

Owen 12:51

I yeah, I don't know. I don't think there's like a Oxford dictionary defines the purpose of bridge. But I think I mean I always like bridges when they feel like a um you know when you go out for like a fancy meal and you have your entree and you're like, that was fantastic, I can't wait for the main, and then something weird comes out in between the entree and the main, it's just a little palate cleanser. Yeah. Gets you revved up. Like it might be something like you know, some little watercress lemon jobby that cleanses your palate, and you're like, hmm, fuck yeah, now I'm really keen for the main. That's what it that's what a good bridge does for me. It like cleanses my ears for eight to sixteen to thirty-two bars, and then when if a chorus rolls around again after it, it's like fuck yeah, we're back at the chorus. That's what it that's what it does for me personally. I also extra points in the right context when you come out of the bridge and you go into the last chorus, but it's a key change.

Jimmy 13:43

You told me you hate Keychain.

Owen 13:44

I do fucking hate Keith and but in the right place, like uh that what's the Michael Jackson song uh where he says the word change and the key changes. That's incredible. Beyoncé, when she keeps singing Love on Top and it goes up every time she sings Top, that's the best.

Jimmy 14:00

Like there's Penny Lane by the Beatles then.

Owen 14:03

Uh yeah, well that does. I mean, like A Day in the Life does also does one of the more diabolical key changes. Yeah.

Jimmy 14:10

There's like five key changes in Penny Lane or something. It's just something ridiculous. Yeah, it's nuts. Really? I watched the I didn't pick that up by you, I'll have to say. I watched the YouTube video on it. It was uh um who's that kind of oh, he's one of the guitar teachers. I forget his name now. It's not Marty, it's one of the other ones. Um, one of the European guys who've got a bit of an accent. Yeah, right. Uh, but he he made a YouTube video, you could probably find it, about Penny Lane being one of the greatest songs ever written, and not because of lyrically or whatever, but the theory behind it. And apparently Paul wanted to write a song that was incredibly hard and changed so many times and like have the most sharps and flats possible and all this kind of shit. So it was just came about a as a concept rather than um, you know, how the Beatles wrote, like they you know, they wrote some amazing music, but it was just to see if he could do it more so than and probably to piss John off a little bit as well. Maybe, yeah.

Troy 15:06

And that was with what four track recording back then, wasn't it? Something like that, yeah. It would have been four super um. So I had a four-track recording as a kid, a task cam, and you'd record your three tracks and then bounce them onto the fourth one. So they would have been doing lots of that. Um in terms of key changes, like I always think of key changes to be a very 80s thing.

Owen 15:27

Yeah.

Troy 15:28

Like something Kylie Minogue would have done in the um the locomotion.

Owen 15:31

Fucking a f so a faultless song then.

Troy 15:36

Well, yeah, I'm I'm sorry, I'm I I know, I'm I'm picking the I'm I'm picking the best of the best, right? Yeah, no, absolutely. I mean, it's it's I wasn't going with a Danny Minogue song. Wait, what song did she do?

Jimmy 15:48

She did one or two.

Troy 15:50

Yeah.

Owen 15:52

I think coattails one and two, maybe.

Jimmy 15:57

Well, Holly Valance was the same. She wasn't even her sister, and she still did it. That was a team. Well, we love you, Holly. Actually, I did love you when I was a teenager, so I'm gonna take that back.

Troy 16:05

Really? I I I I've yeah, she had other talents that didn't include singing. Um sorry, Holly. That's really mean. I retract that. I redact and retract.

Jimmy 16:20

Yeah, we we retract all our terrible statements about Holly, but Danny Minogue, you suck. No, um we love Danny.

Troy 16:28

I didn't say that, Danny.

Jimmy 16:30

I'd I dare say she's not gonna see or listen to this stuff. Don't think it's gonna get back to her.

Troy 16:35

You know, you don't know how big your channel's gonna grow yet.

Jimmy 16:38

Well, yeah, okay.

Troy 16:39

It might be like three years or she's going through listening, but it's what I'll tag her, I'll tag her on Instagram and see if she listens.

Owen 16:44

I mean, Kyle, Kyle Sanderlands is on the way out now, mate, so you could be the new. That could be you, that could be you're in.

Jimmy 16:49

Fuck no, I'd rather masturbate with the cheeseburger than you're that guy.

Troy 16:52

The big question about that whole fiasco, right, is why now?

Jimmy 16:57

Yeah, why why not 20 years ago?

Owen 16:59

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I was talking to my I've got some family who are avid listeners of that show, which is a whole nother thing. But um, I was like, I swear they've had bigger blues than this in the past, and they were like, yeah, it's the most insignificant the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. It was yeah.

Troy 17:16

But he was ripping into her about like what astrology, I think.

Owen 17:20

Like horoscopes and and the stars and shit.

Jimmy 17:23

Man, one of my favourite um on a live album that I've ever heard. It's a the Doors live album, and it was their first recording in New York after I got banned from playing there, and it goes for like two or three hours or something. And I've listened to it a few times, and uh there's this one part in it, and Jim Morrison's on stage, you know, he sings a song and he goes, Does anybody here believe in astrology? And you go all these women go, You're and he goes, I don't, I think it's a crock of shit, and every single one of them go, Me too, in the background.

Troy 17:53

It's just the funniest amazing. I don't know what's gonna happen, man. I don't know what's gonna happen, but I'm gonna get my kicks before this shit house goes up in flames.

Jimmy 18:02

That is so good.

Troy 18:03

That was American prayer, wasn't it? Is that the one you're talking about?

Jimmy 18:06

To be honest, I it's just I know what it's with the poetry, but yeah, he stops all through it and yeah, that's that's a good idea. That's the Lizard King stuff that he does.

Troy 18:13

That's great um that's something you should listen to, um, you know, and do like do do the right thing, be healthy, have a little bit of lettuce while you listen to it.

Jimmy 18:24

Or yeah, or something with a mushroom sauce, maybe I don't, you know.

Troy 18:27

Yeah, something you know, of the vegetables.

Jimmy 18:36

Some field mushrooms and uh just enjoy the doors, it's uh great thing to do. So um Troy we've spoken kind of about where you come from and you know uh what you do, and obviously, I know you've got uh you know a a few hobbies at the moment, this being one music being another, but kind of what what drives you to stay in the music industry and be a be a part of it in any way you can?

Troy 19:03

Well, um you know, like where they say, what is it? The definition of insanity is keep on trying to do the same thing over and over again.

Jimmy 19:13

And still getting it wrong, yeah.

Troy 19:14

Yeah, but um, I think I might be addicted to it. Okay, and also there's a the fellowship, the friendships. Like um, when I moved up to the central coast, I was a bit isolated. I had no idea that there was such a massive community out here until I uh I guess I I met these fellas in a band called Zipper Clone and they played at the Block and Tackle Brewery, and they said, Oh, come and watch us play at this place called the Lincoln Pin, which I never heard of. I'm like, what's this Abraham Lincoln place anyway? So I went there and then met heaps of really cool people and this massive, you know, community. Plus, I was doing the open mics at the um uh sunken monkey at the time, which is now the woodport.

Owen 19:55

Which it was before, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Troy 19:57

Um, and I met lots of people, became involved with the community. So something that keeps me driving, driven into the keeping, sorry, something that keeps me into this music industry is the camaraderie. Um, but also I get a massive buzz out of playing live. You know, like um you can't really top that. It's just a really good feeling, especially when you have a a night or a day when the audience are really getting into it. And one telltale sign for me is that people are if the bar people are dancing because they have to be there anyway.

Owen 20:29

Yep.

Troy 20:29

And if the phones are out, then I know I'm doing something right. So that buzz, it's like, yeah, I like to entertain.

Jimmy 20:38

I find there's two ways to judge if the crowd is engaged, and one of them's because they're into it, and the other one is because they're silent. And I guess I've experienced both of those, and I think I like the silent one more to be honest with you. I don't know, but um but anyway, yeah, I I it's fully it is it's a different it's been even in front of five or ten people, like yeah playing in front of people is something that I think musicians have to do.

Troy 21:08

Yeah, yeah.

Jimmy 21:09

It's not a want or a need, it's a have to.

Troy 21:11

You need to. And like is there's some people who like to uh play in their bedrooms and on and on weekends, but they're never gonna have like I always try and encourage people like that to to go to the open mic nights and give it a go live because it's a completely different experience. The other side is too, I'm I'm a creative by heart. Like I'm finally lucky to have a job that I get to create in. But there's just music, just I have a song in my head, I start humming it into my phone, and that's my next, you know, piece that I'm working on. Nice. And I love tracking, you know. I love and I everyone, we all have access to to home recording studios. Well, most people do now. So there's always something you can tinker with, you know what I mean? Yeah, it's it's great. Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah.

Jimmy 21:55

So your home recording studio setup is uh um Is it a a little easy thing? Is it extensive? Like what does what does that look like?

Troy 22:04

Well, I do actually record for clients. I do also uh also do voiceovers and I edit a lot of videos. So I've got what I'd like call a basic mini studio setup. So I have my flat monitors, I've got my um uh audio ins, I've got decent microphones, I've got slightly soundproof or sound-treated room to get rid of the all the echo and remove a little bit of outdoor noise. Um and it's just uh basically that's it. I don't have a desk. I well, I tell a lie, I've got a little USB desk and I've used it once, and I'm like, uh like it's like putting a hat on a hat. Do you know what I mean? Like the dial the dials are in front of me. It just kind of I mean, it feels good to have the tactile thing, but it doesn't actually add to my editing experience. In fact, it makes things slower. Yep. So um I've it just kind of sits there and collects dust. So that's what my studio looks like. Um and I do often have clients come over if they want to do like um if they want better audio um voice, if they're doing voice and they want better quality than they can do in home, they'll normally come over. But also I find it better for them if they come because I can actually help them kind of you know, help coach them to get a better performance out of what they're talking about.

Owen 23:21

Yep, nice.

Troy 23:21

Yeah, because it's you can just talk into the camera and go, today I'm going to talk to you about the importance of using my security firm. It's like, come on, let's let's go. You know, let's let's put some today. I'm gonna talk to you about improving your life with my product.

Owen 23:35

Yeah, and if you do it in front of them and coach them through it, it makes them feel less self-conscious about doing it.

Troy 23:40

Yeah, and and and the same thing with gigs, yeah. Like when I'm playing, if you give them the high energy, they give it back. Yeah, you know what I mean? Uh a lot of videos I do also in front of the um the auto cues, and that's like that's an art form in itself. And I've seen some people get really tired just trying to keep up because it's like, how do you deliver and read at the same time? I'd have to say I have a massive crash on Katrina Roundtree, and she's one of the best auto auto cue readers in my life. If you see the way she does it, it's like, man, she's really good. Absolutely seamless. So yeah, just in case you missed.

Owen 24:23

Do you um in your at your home setup, do you prefer doing voiceover stuff or music stuff?

Troy 24:31

Oh, um, wow. Um I I guess I would prefer to do music stuff. It's just um these days uh there's there's not as much need for it.

Owen 24:42

Yep.

Troy 24:43

People will prefer just to use like I've got massive libraries of stock audio, like stock music. So only every now and then when I get to write a jingle, I've been doing some music for a breathwork client lately, which is really interesting because I've got all these different sounds that have to happen at certain times and changing tempos. So yeah, I absolutely enjoy that more getting to play with my plugins and my my samples and my um all the other stuff. Um, but voiceovers pay like there's more constant work through voiceovers. And at the moment I know that AI is taking over, but they can't do a lot of the Aussie accents very well.

Owen 25:20

Yep.

Troy 25:21

And even when they try it starts sounding like this. Sure. But you know, give it five months, you know.

Owen 25:31

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Troy 25:31

So that's exactly like my business is not just videos. Like I started off doing videos, that was my that was my dream.

Owen 25:36

Yep.

Troy 25:37

I I was working in government and I did lots of videos, I had a team, we did videos, we did factories, all this kind of stuff, and I kind of made sure that when I left, I notified a lot of the external clients that this is what I'm doing, so hopefully I could take a few with me, which I did. Um, but because of the modern world, because of the accessibility to everything on our phones, people can just have all sorts of different subscriptions on the web where you can make videos and all these kind of things. So I I expanded into social media animation and the whole gambit because especially when it's social media management, I'm not just doing one video for a client, I'm doing a whole series of them in different formats. And I'm playing around with different kinds of some it's visual only, some are posts, some are photos, some are you know, audio just audio with with with words, just because you everyone now has a like 30-second attention span. So you want to have something different every time you post just to keep feeding the algorithm.

Owen 26:31

Yeah.

Troy 26:31

You know, it's like it's like this massive angry beast that sucks the life out of everyone. Big time. The algorithm.

Owen 26:38

Yeah.

Troy 26:39

Anyway, that's my story.

Jimmy 26:43

Yes, the algorithm.

Troy 26:46

Oh, any, so oh, so back to the studio, the home studio. Um, I've seen my home studio evolve since I was a kid.

Owen 26:52

Yeah, how good I've been thinking about this too recently.

Troy 26:55

So my first home studio was a little Tascam uh four-track.

Owen 26:58

Yep.

Troy 26:59

And I upgraded to a uh Philips or Stone, I actually can't remember the a Yamaha, yeah, Yamaha, um, which had better um noise reduction settings and also better EQ. Um still four-track. Um then, you know, back then I bought a nice SM58 microphone in the 90s, and it was really expensive when I was a kid. I've still got that in this. Yeah, it would still work. I still use that. I used it the other day live.

Owen 27:27

Yeah.

Troy 27:27

And you know, and just kind of like with guitars and other stuff, you buy something, you get, and before you know it, you just have a whole, you know, arsenal of crap that sometimes you rarely use. Um, then the first computers came out with some sort of DAW on it. I can't remember which one it was. We recorded a lot more stuff on there, go, oh my god, this is so cool. And eventually waves turned up on onto the market and they had all these really cool plugins. Before you knew it, you just didn't have one type of reverb, you had 40 of them and and vocoders, which I'd spend nights and nights and nights and nights drinking beer and doing all these different you know sounds, and then wake up in the morning to listen to what I created and I thought, oh we've all done so every I mean all vocoders sound better with beer, so I mean this is so that's how yeah, they're all from computer to computer to computer. Now I'm on the Mac um using um logic.

Owen 28:20

Nice.

Troy 28:20

Um and I find that it's it's very strong, very compatible with with uh non-brand plugins that you buy.

Owen 28:28

Oh yeah.

Troy 28:29

Um and it's just you know, it's it is like everyone has their own DAW that they prefer to use. And I think it's one of those things that if you use yours, you use yours, and it's hard to change. Like with editing videos, I'm I'm a Final Cut Pro boy, and I loathe it when a client wants to use Premiere because it's like, oh now I have to like around. Now I have to, it's like you have to translate in a different language, yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah, so it's like you know how it works, it does the same thing, it just does it differently.

Owen 28:55

Yeah, yeah.

Jimmy 28:56

I haven't I even had that at work. I recently got a new work computer of I used Mac for years and they gave me a Surface Pro. It's great little great little tool, but I couldn't even fucking print something. It took me like five minutes. I'm like, what the fuck, man? Like, yeah, how do I change this to a PDF? And it's like, yeah, you know, just is the Surface Pro like the touchscreen joby. It's got the touchscreen, but it's got the clip-in keyboard as well. Classic. Yeah, it's cool. It does the job. It's like it's it's a good little unit, and I'll figure it out. It's just that whole transition period, right? Yeah, it's always fun.

Owen 29:25

So where's your so is your current home studio setup now your favorite one so far, you think?

Troy 29:32

Well, yeah, it's the best so far. Yeah. Um when I like this is my home now, my permanent home, so I'm actually able to, you know, install like proper soundproofing um things without worrying about renting and all that. So yeah, and it's a perfect size, it's a tiny, like it's it's not large, it doesn't get in the way of everything, but it's also a good little workspace. So yeah.

Jimmy 29:58

Have you got anything um uh in mind of you that you that you need for the studio or you're working towards getting, or have you kind of got it set up the way you want?

Troy 30:07

Like I need to justify this as a business expense because it's like do I need to? Is it's gonna be expensive, but I wouldn't mind getting better mics. Yeah, I that is a great business expense. But apart from that, no, like I've got I've got my electronic drum kit pads that plug into the VST, so I can use them if I want to have better quality drums, but I've also got my acoustic kit. But then I'm not a drummer anyway, so what I normally do is just put whatever is a drum track and it's you know Matt's job to put up something interesting. So I've basically got everything. I'm happy I'm happy to DI the bass, I've never had a problem with that. Um now I'm DIing the guitar because you just have so much more freedom if you if you just plug straight in rather than going through an amp. So there's nothing really else I need to add to that.

Owen 31:00

If we ring the nerd alert buzzer for a moment, what mics have you got at the moment and what do you want to expand the arsenal with?

Troy 31:06

Uh just like you know what, I don't even know the names of them. Like I've got okay, the the shore mics I've got a whole bunch of like I've got the 57, I've got the 57 beta, I've got the 58. I've got several different shotgun mics. I've got some road um ones, I don't know what they're called.

Owen 31:24

Is that what you're doing your voiceover with primarily, the shotgun mics?

Troy 31:27

Uh the road, I've got a road something who's what's it. That's what I do. Um that with a popper stopper. Nice. That's it, but that mic I'd like to upgrade eventually. It is a type of shotgun, but it's um it works really well in my environment. Yeah. Um, and it's got this um high-end, low-end shelf thing that I use when there's a whipper snipper around. And it cuts that off. That's good. So yeah. But um, yeah, that's it.

Jimmy 31:56

Nice. External noise is always um fun when you're trying to record, isn't it?

Troy 32:02

Yeah, like I'm trying to do voiceovers and I've got this dog yapping that's but it's like thanks, dude. Um, or or yeah, there's the the whippersnipper. Um, but they normally that's only when I'm if I'm doing, say, for example, a live um if I'm doing a public speaking thing and it's live.

Owen 32:23

It's of course the time that the gardens need to be done.

Jimmy 32:26

That's when the whippersnipper needs to be on. They know, the neighbours know. Oh yeah. So there's been a bit of a pushback on the old uh blower in North Avoka, the North Avoka community Facebook page is right with people whinging about leaf like leaf blowers. Leaf blowers, mate. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 100%. Yeah, yeah. Oh, you do know some of us work from home or shift work, and you're using the leaf blower at one o'clock. That's a bit, you know. Can't can't you do it at four in the morning? That's when you should be doing it, Jimmy. Somebody actually somebody somebody actually wanted to set a time on Saturday when we're gonna be. I'm serious, I'm serious. And the the the pushback was absolutely amazing, and the the memes that came through over the next week about the check out the size of my leaf blower I just bought. Like it was absolutely fantastic.

Troy 33:10

Are you talking about your your Facebook social group or something like that? Yeah, it's just like the local community page, you know. Like I'd like to just get out the popcorn.

Owen 33:18

Uh uh.

Troy 33:18

Sometimes I just go, like, I'm gonna tag this so I can come back and read the comments because this is gonna be a dumpster fire.

Owen 33:24

The North Evoka one sounds way completely different to the Nerara one that I'm in. There's no complaints about leaf blowers, it's like who's the fucking kid that's gone past on the motorbox. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jimmy 33:35

That's my actually, that could be my friend's son. Uh she'll love that. Um the the leaf blower. Actually, while we're talking about leaf blowers, um, anyone out there that needs a really good costume idea for a dress up party, I've used this a few times, it's fantastic. Get yourself an old hat, bit of fishing line, and a leaf. Yeah. And then when people put it where the hat, when people say, What are you? You go, leaf blower. It's so fucking stupid. It's the costume when you don't want a costume, all right? Like it's fantastic. You'll come in handy one day. You'll use it. I'm gonna think of that next time.

Troy 34:13

Yep, yeah.

Jimmy 34:17

It's just all rubbish. All right. Um, entertain the people, give them what they want. So the Lincoln Pin. I noticed you've played down there quite a bit. I saw you played the Christmas party last year. Unfortunately, I missed it. You sure did, yes, it was great fun. Yeah, I missed that. I was already on holidays when they had that, so I missed that. And when you played the Christmas party down there, there was like pretty much the Lincoln Pin.

Troy 34:46

Yeah, all the pinheads were there.

Jimmy 34:47

All the pinheads.

Troy 34:48

Oh, is that what they're called?

Owen 34:49

That's fucking good. I like it.

Troy 34:51

Well, that's why the the one of the main beers is called the Gabba Gabba Hay.

Owen 34:54

Yeah.

Troy 34:55

That that all like links together. Because someone uh it was Russ from the FNCs who said, Yeah, yeah, I'm doing a video clip, and all the pinheads are gonna be in like, who's who's a pinhead? What are you talking about? Because what that's what they call the the the bar flies at the Lincoln Pin. So they should have t-shirts there.

Owen 35:12

Kimmy, what what is the Gabba Gabba Hay thing? Because I see it.

Troy 35:15

Well, because like um, you know the Ramon song, I don't wanna be a pinhead no more. Right, of course. So I go Gabba Gabba, hey, Gabba Gabba Hey.

Jimmy 35:23

Yeah.

Troy 35:24

We accept you, one of us, one of us, you know.

Jimmy 35:26

That's the tap year there.

Owen 35:27

The old Gabba Gabba.

Troy 35:28

Yeah, the old Gabba Gabba.

Owen 35:31

Much different to what uh many people in WooWoo would be familiar with a gabba as or gabba gabba. You're both looking at me like I'm an alien right now.

Troy 35:42

Are you talking about a cricket thing?

Owen 35:44

No, I'm not. I'm talking about do you know like the hard style dance, the gabba? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Troy 35:52

Is this a Wai Woi and Wai? It's not like a rave thing. It's like a rave thing, but it's a peninsula thing. No, it's uh it's worldwide.

Owen 35:59

Yeah, it's worldwide. But the reason I think of it is because Bradman Best, who's a Newcastle Knights player, is from Waiwoi and throws up the Wai Wy sign every time he scores, and also is notorious for gabbering, um, which is where that's how I got there from Lincoln Pin and Waiway to Gabbering via Bradman Best. Via Bradman Best. Yeah. Yeah, so yeah, I mean, you know, potentially the Lincoln Pin could start doing hard style raves as well. They wouldn't be out of place.

Troy 36:28

Oh, they they do sometimes sort of stuff like that.

Jimmy 36:31

Well, actually, while we're talking about the Lincoln Pin, we might drop a little exclusive. I actually had a chat with Adam um down there the other day, as I'd really love to get him on the podcast, and we're actually trying to find a way to have some kind of a launch for the podcast as well. So we thought it might be a good idea to do that down at the link. It's a good idea, and podcast Adam live and get some bands on. So pitch him my rave idea, like it'll be great. Do you want to get some gabbing music?

Owen 37:01

We'll get we'll I'll have to learn how to gabber before it.

Jimmy 37:04

We'll get DJ Mike the mustache to put some hardcore on.

Owen 37:07

Maybe we can get Bradman Best down there.

Jimmy 37:09

DJ's mustache. Just send him an email. Yeah. I have connections actually. I might be able to get in touch with it.

Troy 37:15

Perfect. Are you gonna wear rave pants and big baggy ones?

Owen 37:19

No, the culture is uh Nike TNs and like tight cuffed tracksuit pants or like really short shorts. So depending on the weather, I'll let you know what I go with. If it's hot enough, I'll get the short shorts out for sure. It needs to be the short shorts. Yeah, I actually yeah, too much information, but I purchased a pair of uh fluorescent orange uh swimming speedos the other day. Like the brand Speedo, but the shorts. Oh yeah, I look super fast in them. So they that could go well with my Nike T and Mr. Gabbard.

Troy 37:46

Super fast. Super fast.

Jimmy 37:49

I don't mind a speedo.

Troy 37:51

You've got to wear some veggie smugglers every now and then. Keeps people you know aware of you, uh I guess.

Owen 37:56

And and away from you, which sometimes is good too.

Jimmy 37:59

I was asked to put on shorts to patrol, I was a bit bit upset. Really? Well, you know, what happened to the day of the lifesaver just walking up and down the beach and slogan, now you've got to wear a long sleeve shirt.

Troy 38:08

David Hasselhoff running, you know. That's you do you patrol, Jimmy?

Jimmy 38:14

Oh, I to I I I patrolled for a while. I took a year off patrol this year. Um just you know, life gets in the way sometimes, and we've uh just been working on a whole bunch of other stuff, but uh I've kind of taken a break. But yeah, my you know, my kids did nippers and um always like to help out where I can and where I'm wanted in the community. It's good to give a little bit back every now and then. So whether it's you know, usually you got something to do with what the kids are doing, I try to put my hand up and and help out where I can.

Owen 38:44

Sick. So you shifted from patrol to leaf blower duty this year, serving the community in a different way.

Troy 38:51

So hang on, you you did your bronze medallion and all of that just so you could wear your budgie smugglers along the beach, and they've taken that one right off you.

Jimmy 38:58

Well, I was wearing the bugly budgy smugglers before I did the bronze medallion, but I at least I got to wear the one that said lifeguard on the back.

Troy 39:05

Oh, there you go. Nice.

Jimmy 39:08

We started uh I I do a yet another thing I've taken a year off, but a lot of ocean swimming. That was my kind of fitness routine for a while. And I don't know if you know that guy, the the powerfish, the guy that does uh three-meter flatties and stuff like that. So he has this saying when he sees like a big bloke in in Slugos on the beach, he goes, Oh, look at the size of that bluefin, like a bluefin tuna. So so me and a bunch of mates who were you know in our 40s and started ocean swimming. We decided to call ourselves the blue fins. Nice, clever. So that was our and we wear blue caps and blue speedos and swim around terrible. It's fun sick. Yeah.

Owen 39:44

It's one of the all-time tangents from the Lincoln Pin.

Troy 39:47

Well, it's related, I guess. Like I live in Daveo, so if I get drunk enough, I could probably swim home from the Lincoln Pin.

Owen 39:56

Definitely.

Troy 39:57

Actually, one of my favourite guilty pleasures is catching the ferry over on a Sunday. That's nice. And watching a few bands, having a few beers, coming back home and grabbing a burger and chips on the way.

Owen 40:08

Yep.

Troy 40:08

Um, except the the rumble of the ferry, no matter how many times I time it to go to the toilet after I leave, it's like ah right.

Owen 40:15

It awakens, yeah.

Troy 40:16

Yeah, it's because it's the that you're rumbling the ferry, there's water everywhere, and you're like, yeah, thanks for that, mate. Yeah, you know.

Owen 40:22

Do you uh do you get yourself into trouble being pissed on the ferry?

Troy 40:25

Oh, I'm always well behaved.

Owen 40:27

Yeah, okay. I uh once I once was getting the uh the ferry back from Newport to Woi Woi after a mate's birthday, and we'd had a brilliant day at the Newport Arms, and I decided Drunken Owen thought it'd be an excellent idea to try and ride the swell on the top of the ferry as we're as we're coming home. Try and get a bit of airtime. I managed to to come out of it unscathed, but um the the family of lovely Woi Woians sitting on the top of the ferry were not impressed, but also very impressed. So did a whole like Titanic King of the World piece? No, I didn't get it didn't go there. I was just trying to see how much airtime I could get as the the bow went up.

Jimmy 41:13

Oh that's funny. Well, so I suppose while we're there then, so what True, what keeps you like kinda happy outside of outside of music and work? Or are you one of these lucky people that I continuously speak to that just get to work their hobbies and yeah, okay, so well uh so like I said, um I'm finally in the position where my I always wanted to make videos.

Troy 41:40

I always love making videos and animations and all that kind of stuff. And now that's my job. A lot of it is boring corporate, you know, but I still get to be creative. Um then um I've got a client where they're doing um skate competitions every every second month. That's always a lot of fun. Um we get to have a skate before we start shooting as well.

Jimmy 42:03

Cool.

Troy 42:04

But sorry, what was the question? I just went on a tangent.

Jimmy 42:06

The question was Oh, what keeps you you know, what what keeps you happy outside of work?

Troy 42:11

Okay, so water, right? Take the boat out, catch a few crabs, um uh surfing.

Jimmy 42:20

What's your crab recipe?

Troy 42:22

Uh at the moment, just boil it in hot water until it's dead. Um no, seriously, I'll I I chill them before um I just I just boil them and eat them cold. Like, you know, I I haven't done all that kind of crab, you know, with curry and all that kind of stuff. Because I I prefer to do that with chicken um or beef beef or cow, beef or cow. Um yeah, surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, um anything water related, I love doing it. Yep, I love to get out there. We live on the central coast, we have we're in the best place in the world. You know, it's also the doorway to heaven for for some people because but it's it's the doorway to heaven in two ways, right? And skating, oh man, skateboarding. But that's one thing that people oh I went on a date with this girl years ago that I met on the apps, Tinder. Yeah, and she goes, Oh, she goes, You skate you skateboarding like, yeah, and she goes, that's that's for children. You know, going, Yeah, this is okay. Well, it was nice to meet you anyway. I think if you don't always explore new things, you will get old, right? I've just started doing acting classes for the first time. That was on my bucket list. Oh, that's with um Dr. Daniel Widowson at Salt Creative, Salt Creative. Um, and we'll end up doing some sort of um end of term performance. Cool. Um, it's eye-opening because I've always done characters, I've always done acting like my cocktail shows are new. Before then, I had a character called Bloke's Kitchen. Cool. And he would make stuff. Um it was almost based on Steve Irwin. Like that's how he started. It's like, whoa, be careful about these chook eggs. You just want to sneak up on them. Whatever you do, don't don't make them panic. Look at this beautiful you know, look at this beautiful pie. I'm gonna show you how to cook it. So that's how it started, right? Yeah. And I did lots and lots of episodes and that. That's what got my acting bug. Um, but then Epic Mealtime came along. I don't know if you remember that, but everyone started saying that I was ripping off Epic Mealtime even though I was there first, and it just kind of got really hard to compete.

Owen 44:35

Yep.

Troy 44:36

Yeah. So that's what keeps me going. What's your uh different activities?

Owen 44:41

What's your favourite skate park on the coast?

Troy 44:44

Oh, um okay, so I really like the new one at Amana. Nice. That's that's got like I've got my own little like tricks and stuff there. The battle bay, I think, is the best one.

Owen 44:58

Yeah.

Troy 44:58

But it's also super crowded.

Owen 45:00

Yeah.

Troy 45:01

And it's if you get it at the right time, you can have a really good skate.

Owen 45:06

It's fun at night with the lights on. Really? Yeah.

Troy 45:08

Yeah, okay.

Owen 45:09

All right. That's and it's there's there's less people there as well then.

Troy 45:12

Oh okay. I might go back there on this later then, yeah. Okay, because I find if you can get a if you get a good skate on, you go, oh man. But then if you've if someone's decided to have a birthday party and you've got like 20 million scooters there and you know, all that kind of stuff, it's just kids don't understand and parents, right? They don't understand that skateboards don't have brakes.

Owen 45:31

Yeah.

Troy 45:31

Um, so yeah, it's that and also, you know, like to say the slam factory in Tagra. That's the indoor one. Yes. Yep. Um, they were doing this thing where you'd like you'd pay, was it ten dollars? Ten dollars and you get a free coffee and a and an hour skate session in the morning before work. That's pretty sick. So, like at seven o'clock, so I'd go in there and have the park to myself, which was nice.

Owen 45:57

Very cool.

Troy 45:58

Um but also and other two other skate parks that I really like would be the one at Tempe. I really like that one. Um, but I cut my teeth on Dulwich Hill, which is an older park.

Owen 46:10

Yeah, yeah. Sick. Have you yeah, have you in the Gosford park? Like the new Nerara Gosford one there. It's like yeah, it's like near where Big Little is, near the oh the foot the AFL over on showground.

Troy 46:23

I saw it once coming back from Big Little Brewery, so no, I haven't, no, I haven't. No, I've got it. That's great.

Owen 46:27

That's fucking awesome. Yeah, that's really good. I'd it's a me, it's like it's like a smaller version of Bat O, but not in its layout or anything, it's just like new and nice and it's equally as fun, I'd say.

Troy 46:41

And look Banjo Patterson at um Terregal has a good little half pipe for pumping.

Owen 46:48

Yep.

Troy 46:48

Um you know, so that's what I used to do. I used to go into a half pipe once a week for just exercising my legs. I'd just sit there and pump until I got so high that I'd shit myself and then have to have a bit of a rest to go, like, you know what I mean? Like, you know, when you do that kind of thing, you go, Oh, that's a little bit further and higher than I really wanted to go.

Jimmy 47:10

I do that in the ocean sometimes. Sometimes I look at the surf and go, that looks really big. Then I paddle out there and go, what am I doing out here? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Troy 47:21

Yeah. Um, but yeah, I really want to do more surfing this this year. I haven't got enough of it in at the moment.

Jimmy 47:29

Your cocktails, I see you put those out all the time as well.

Troy 47:32

Yeah, so the whole idea is Where'd that come from?

Jimmy 47:34

Yeah.

Troy 47:34

Well, I like I said, I had Blokes Kitchen and that like I that stop I stopped doing that because the production was so it was such a big effort to get come up with new ideas and shoot and everything. Um, and I wasn't getting the views. And now I kind of thought, well, you know, I want to get back into that, but I want to do something else that's easy. The whole point of this is to raise revenue where people will say, Hey, Troy, I've got this new um this new liqueur that might create it, you know. Can you can you promote it on your show? And I'm like, Yeah, cool, 500 bucks, thanks. And you know, create a recipe, you can give me a discount code so I can share it with people. Yep. But I'm getting smashed at the moment with AI on YouTube. So I I can't compete with YouTube because there are so many people, you know, just doing all that stuff. So I thought the cocktails would be easy to make. Uh there's a recipe to easy, easy. Sorry, the video itself, you can just go up there, make it, shoot it, edit it. And I've got it into a way now that if I do three cocktails in a row, I can spend an hour on it and basically have three of them ready to go. Nice. It's still a big job because I have um two versions, like one in wide, like regular, and one in vertical. The vertical needs captions because if you're like I tell my clients too, if you're ever gonna put stuff on TikTok or stories, you have to put captions because people are watching that when they're on the shitter. Yeah, and they're gonna have the volume down if they're smart.

Owen 49:08

Yeah, if they're in the work bathroom. Yeah, for sure. For sure. Been there. You've been there. Been there.

Jimmy 49:15

Boss makes a dollar, I make a dollar, I'm doing my shit on company time. Yep, yep, yep.

Owen 49:20

When I used to work at Bunnings, I had a mate that had an app that he would like, you know, turn on when he was shitting and you know, he'd put in his like hourly rate and it would tell him how much money he'd made taking a shit. Oh what's um what's your favorite cocktail? One that you've made, or one even just one that you like, what's your go-to cocktail?

Troy 49:42

So, my go-to cocktail, I literally have a uh martini kit in my kitchen. Nice. That's got the little jinker, it's got the vermouth, it's got the dry martini, and ready to go. So whenever I feel like it, it's just there. That's my go-to. Um, but my favorite cocktail I've made so far was what I call the memberberry sour, which is basically blueberries, but I was doing memberberry for South Park.

Jimmy 50:07

Love that show.

Troy 50:08

Um, and it's got some sort of like it's got blueberry syrup that you make by hand, and there was something about that drink that I thought, yeah, this is like if I want to impress someone, that's that's the one that I'm gonna make.

Owen 50:19

Nice.

Troy 50:20

But then you can never go past a martini, uh sorry, a margarita, especially if it's like a jalapeno margarita.

Jimmy 50:25

Spicy marks, interesting. That's my jam. Yep, it's good stuff.

Troy 50:29

Yeah, I mean it's not if it's done properly, like if you go to one of those places and they charge you 20 bucks and it's just like Mr. Consistent margarita mix, it's like Yeah, yeah.

Jimmy 50:39

You know, that's not a real I was at I was at an unnamed bar a few weeks ago, the Pavilion Interrogal. Yeah, and um and two bars, they got two bars with it at the this unnamed bar, Integral, the Pavilion. And one of the bars had a really lovely guy making cocktails there, and we got some spicy margaritas, and I was like, oh, that was alright. And then I walked out to the other bar and I got a spicy margarita, and that one was like ten times better. And I was like, Oh wow, well, I'm just gonna go to this bar from now on. Yeah, just I don't know the love that was put into it on my couldn't tell you what it was, but it was it tasted better. That would the salt was saltier, like everything about it was better. And then I went to go get another one, and they're like, Oh, the outdoor bar's closed, you've got to go back to the indoor bar. I'm like, But you make the good cocktails, can you go on? I ought to clean this one. So then I just went to beer.

Troy 51:33

Dad, on that note, like so my cocktail show is like so. I've been approached by business owners before to ask me to help them with a cocktail menu because of that show.

Owen 51:42

Yeah, sick.

Troy 51:43

And one thing I was saying to one client, because she's doing the cocktails on the lower end, I'm like, make sure they're easy to make because you've got 20-year-old kids, not not nothing wrong with 20 year old kids, but you know, you don't want them to be f um smashed like by too many people ordering stuff on and they're trying to get these cocktails out really quickly. So make them easy to be made consistent and in a rush so that you always know what you're getting.

Owen 52:08

Yep, yeah.

Troy 52:09

You know, so I I got these recipes that like someone, some expert was showing them. I'm not gonna say an unnamed place, as you say. Um yeah, I don't know how if you're working at the block and tackle where you could be an expert on cocktails, but anyway.

Jimmy 52:24

Well, there's some places you could order a cocktail, and then people are you you realise they just make bee, right? Like that's so yeah, anyway.

Troy 52:32

But they're doing all these like frilly special like this is how you chill the glass for this, and this is how you and something no no no no, let's just cut it back to like two easy shots and and like two easy to measure shots.

Owen 52:45

Yeah, which side of a shot pourer do you use it?

Troy 52:47

And then whatever store like you know, like it's just to make it easy for the kids to make so they can at least have some sort of consistency, you know?

Jimmy 52:53

The young adults.

Troy 52:54

Yeah, the young adults because it's a $15 cocktail, it doesn't need to be like uh fucking if you're lucky it's fifteen dollar cocktails. Well, this was their price point. So if it's it's a $15 cocktail, you you're not like it doesn't have to be like something, you know. Yeah, yeah.

Owen 53:10

Yeah, my the worst is paying like north of $20 for a cocktail and it fucking sucks. I've done that like that's the worst.

Troy 53:18

I went to the Argyll bar in the city and ordered this um oh what they call it, Long Island Iced Tea.

Owen 53:24

Uh huh.

Troy 53:25

It came out blue. I'm like, why why is it blue? They're like, that's how long island iced tea. I'm like, do you know what a long island iced tea is? And that was like that was $28. And it was just it was just disgusting. I couldn't drink it.

Owen 53:47

Yeah, Jesus.

Jimmy 53:49

One of my favourite things to make is caravan park espresso martinis. Oh what makes them caravan park? Yeah. Well, I'd take my I make them at the caravan park, like when I go camping. Or make some caravan park.

Troy 54:02

Alright.

Jimmy 54:03

So I'm lost to shitty people. Oh, you can actually see them in the method.

Owen 54:12

So I thought it was gonna be like you use instant coffee or something. I was expecting to have a method element that made a caravan park, not a location. Sorry.

Jimmy 54:26

No, no, no. So just essentially like when I'm you know, when we I go camping with the family at Christmas and my brother-in-law makes spicy margaritas and I made espresso martinis, but when you take a sip of it, it's like ethanol with eight shots of coffee, right? So it's yeah, it's they're fucking fantastic.

Owen 54:44

Like so it is caravan park by nature as well, not only by by location.

Jimmy 54:50

One of my friends calls espresso martinis cocaine for people who don't do cocaine anymore.

Owen 54:57

Yeah, I like that. That's it. It's uh the espresso martini is my signature cocktail. Oh, is it? Yeah, I would love to try one of yours. Do you use Mr. Black? I do use Mr. Black.

Troy 55:07

Gotta use Mr. Black.

Owen 55:08

And I also am a coffee snob as well, so I like to dial in my espresso and get that right in the setup as well.

Troy 55:14

That's the way to do it. Yeah.

Jimmy 55:15

I'm keen. Yep. You know, we should we should all make our I'll make a caravan park one. You make your proper one.

Troy 55:22

All right. I'll I'll do the Nathan Harvey one. Nathan Harvey came on my show and made this espresso with uh pet Petron.

Owen 55:31

Oh yeah, the the XO one.

Troy 55:33

Yeah, it's expensive shit. Um it was good, it was good. But um, yeah, look, I prefer the one with Mr. Black. Well, you know what? I was buzzing for a while. Uh like he goes, let's have a surf after this. So we went for a surf, and I'm just like but luckily, like he he went straight in. I couldn't find him because he drove off really quickly. This was down at Coper, I think, and then I noticed the whole beach was lined with blue bottles, and I'm like, yeah, not gonna happen for me.

Owen 56:02

Yeah, fair enough.

Troy 56:03

Sorry, buddy. Or as you call them, Portuguese men of war.

Jimmy 56:11

So I heard a Dr. Carl segment about blue bottles years and years and years ago that stuck with me because I love absolutely useless facts. But apparently marine biologists have never been able to reproduce blue bottles in a kind of enclosed environment, in a never in a captive environment.

Troy 56:30

Being able to make them have sex with each other.

Jimmy 56:32

Pretty much, yeah.

Troy 56:32

These guys are perverts, man.

Jimmy 56:34

And and and the other interesting thing was uh apparently a blue bottle is three different organisms kind of living together. Yeah, yeah, that's pretty cool. That's the one thing they're not doing. Blue bottles are having multiple organisms. That's what we're talking about, Joe. They're multiple.

Owen 56:57

Maybe maybe that's why they can't um be forced to procreate because you can't get all three of the organism organisms as combining them. Yeah, you can't get all three life forms randy at the one time. Maybe it's mate.

Jimmy 57:12

As um, and you know, this is Dr. Carl on a Thursday when back in the day when I like this is 20 years ago, so there might have been some developments since then, so please don't hold me to to Dr. Carl's words here. But uh there was essentially a like a a thought process that maybe every blue bottle that exists already exists.

Owen 57:34

I don't like that.

Jimmy 57:35

Yeah, that that is which which would kind of entail some giant blue bottle a mothership like somewhere yeah, somewhere just dropping blue bottles.

Troy 57:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. But I just want to go back to okay. Imagine your your your wife or your husband come you're you've come home from work, they come home and he's a he or she is a marine biologist, and you go, Did they fuck today? And she's like, they like he we had some tentacle on tentacle action, but no, it came close, it really came close. Thanks for suggesting Barry White, but it didn't get there.

Owen 58:14

They go through the whole like classic troubled spouse arc of like I just can't get it to work and they're up for hours at night. I wish he'd come to bed, but he's just thinking about the blue bottles.

Jimmy 58:27

Well, I wonder, you know that um that classic real meme that goes around, it's like um it's the girl she goes, I wonder what he's doing right now. My favorite I saw one the other day, and it's his guy just like butchering smoke on the water. Fuck yeah.

Troy 58:46

Well, thanks for that factoid about the Portuguese man of war.

Jimmy 58:51

Next time man of war.

Troy 58:54

Next time someone one of them stings me, I'll be wondering. I've fucked more than you have.

Owen 59:02

Joke's on you, you sexless blue fuck.

Troy 59:08

But like that also that always triggers a thought that I have when I think about you know scientists doing stuff like that. I'm thinking, who's the first person to um micros to take a microscopic image of a sperm, right?

Jimmy 59:24

And then you go like Oh, it was definitely a dude.

Troy 59:26

Yeah, and like why imagine just so it's weird. Well, it like how do you go? Oh, I just had some sperm. Um like I took a photo of it with my with my microscopes. Like, yeah, but then it's like even worse, it's like, wait, was it your sperm? Oh no, I know someone else's that makes it like way more sus.

Owen 59:46

Yeah, it's like the same, you know, thinking about the first person that ever drank cow's milk. It's like, why'd you do that? Why'd you why'd you why'd you do it? Why'd you do it? Yeah, what made you see that? Yeah. Don't get me wrong, grateful to whoever did it first.

Troy 1:00:00

Fuck. But also, why? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jimmy 1:00:05

There's so many things we could.

Troy 1:00:08

Yes, see, and that get that brings us back to bridges.

Owen 1:00:12

Well, this being the yeah, the the blue bottle segment was the bridge of the podcast episode. So is the sunken monkey the bridge for the woodport?

Troy 1:00:21

Oh, I haven't been there since they opened it up. Is it good?

Jimmy 1:00:24

I haven't been either.

Troy 1:00:25

Yeah, I noticed that there were people complaining at like about the noise because there was like some band on there or something.

Jimmy 1:00:31

Oh, they they put on it, they had um uh I couldn't tell you, but they had some metal-ish bands playing down there, but they played them outside.

Troy 1:00:38

Yeah, but that that's what they do on a on a Sunday afternoon.

Jimmy 1:00:42

How dare they? I know, like, but in in a mostly industrial area on my colour.

Troy 1:00:46

It's a problem with places like that. It's like, yeah, they've always had bands there, so why did you move? Yeah. Same thing happened in Sydney with the Annandale heaps of times. Like people built these apartments called the McCarthy maisonets or something that look into the beer garden, and everyone would go in, like, oh this looks like a nice place to buy. Look, you can see the beer garden and everything. It's like, yeah, so the people the noise is gonna be coming up into your balconies, right? They move in there, then they they want to have the noise complaints, and the bands got shut down because the bands are too loud. But the problem is the bands were there first, right? So, and your your the and also the the rent on your house or the purchase on the house was a lot less than other houses in the area because it used to be the gaming room of the hotel.

Owen 1:01:32

Yeah, right.

Troy 1:01:32

See? So that used to frustrate me because I'd work at Liquor and Gaming and I'd see these complaints come in and go, This is not cool. You can't just move into something and then complain about it, you know. But I mean, leaf blowers are fine.

Owen 1:01:46

Leaf blowers are fine. I or the I this is weird, but I went to Lunar Park semi-recently and was reading because they've got the new Big Dipper now, yeah. Uh, which is like much quieter than the old rickety one that was or the like even the original one that was burnt down by the people that lived in the in the apartments next door, which is just not funny that they did that.

Troy 1:02:04

Yeah, there's a whole piece of legislation written about it, isn't it? The Lunar Park uh something EPA Act, or what I can't remember. Yeah, sorry, I don't want to interrupt.

Owen 1:02:13

No, no, no, that's that that was the anecdote, but yeah, no, it's just nuts that like you know you move in next to a fucking roller coaster and you complain about that it's noisy. It's like yeah, it's the I mean no, I know the drifters guys had the same issue with putting gigs on and it carrying across the water to like Point Frederick and the people that are living, you know, maybe a kilometre away, Max, are complaining about the noise of the the venue. It just it's yeah, it sucks.

Troy 1:02:38

Well uh so Luna Park was closed for like what 20 years or something because of that, wasn't it?

Owen 1:02:45

Um I think just the Big Dipper was. Oh, okay. Just yeah, just that roller coaster was.

Troy 1:02:51

I mean, the people in Point Frederick um need to invest in double glazing.

Jimmy 1:02:56

Or just enjoy the music.

Troy 1:02:58

Oh no, they can't enjoy the music.

Owen 1:03:00

Blasphemy. The people living in Point Frederick will probably afford the double glazing before they enjoy music.

Jimmy 1:03:06

That's true.

Troy 1:03:08

Yeah. On that note though, if you're having a nice relaxing time at the beach and someone brings this little boom box down and makes this assumption that you have the same music tastes. Yeah, this beautiful beach, you're sitting there enjoying the serenity, and then you got this like, ah, this trash. I don't know whatever uh what even I don't even know the genre of these music these days. It's just ignor like it's uh uh what's the word? Obnoxious.

Owen 1:03:35

I would love to have known what it sounded like.

Troy 1:03:37

Um but the the kids the kids were getting into this thing recently about like three months ago, where they'd play this really obnoxious music on the trains and like dance in everyone's faces, yeah. And I'd catch a train from the WOI all the way into the city and back, and that was their thing.

Owen 1:03:51

Yeah.

Troy 1:03:53

It was a local phenomenon.

Owen 1:03:55

Yeah, I mean that's I feel like that's been a classic thing on trains for since the invention of the Bluetooth speaker. People have really gotten around doing that on trains. I remember when I was going to uni, there would always be people with the UE booms or the JBL speakers pumping like cursor or 360 or you know, some other or like I actually had it on the metro in Sydney. There was a group of kids and they all would have been like between like 13 and 15, I reckon. Like they were pretty young and they had a big speaker, and they were yeah, they were dancing on the metro to like New York drill music, and they were all like getting getting sturdy on the metro, and like there was just everyone was just looking at them. It was I thought it was hilarious personally, because I was on the way back from the cricket, so I had I'd had a great day and couldn't complain about the the kids on the train. I couldn't yell at the clouds, but uh everyone was pretty pissed off.

Jimmy 1:04:49

I recently found some um Skowser um drill rap Pete and Baz. Oh, they're the old boys, yeah.

Owen 1:04:57

Yeah.

Jimmy 1:04:58

So there's these two, like they're in there, they've been in their 60s, and essentially they sing like like Scouser gangster rap, right? It's and it's it's pretty full on. And when you first listen to them, you think, oh, these guys, these guys have lived a life, but I kind of did a bit of I looked them up, did a research behind them. There's a bit of conjecture about whether they've really lived the life they did, or one of their grandsons is some kind of producer, and you kind of came up with do you know anything about that?

Owen 1:05:28

I don't, but I thought I saw, and maybe I've just fallen for the publicity stun. I thought that Baz was in prison. Like recently. I saw like a video the other day that was like free Baz. Okay. And I I didn't look into it any further, but maybe I've fallen for the for the gimmick. But that m they are hilarious, whether whether whether it's satire or not, it's p it's fucking funny.

Jimmy 1:05:49

And it's I and as far as Scows a jewel wrap goes, not that I'm all over it, but it's it's alright.

Owen 1:05:57

Yeah, it's hilarious because it's like, yeah, like. Jimmy said it's like you know, 67-year-old men talking about suffering your bird and smoking a cigar. You only need to listen to this. Yeah, it's very funny.

Troy 1:06:09

I think that would be quite like you know, I don't know. I think I'd probably get into it.

Jimmy 1:06:14

That's what I'm saying. Like, well, I heard it, I'm like, what the fuck's this? And I'm like, listen to it, but I'm like, I kind of like that song. Yeah. Mr. Worldwide, like they're cool, they're cool. It's uh and you and they only really like they they only made it a couple of years ago, but they've got like tens of millions of views and listens and stuff like they're killing it. Yeah, good on them. They tour, they I'd I found them through a friend, I think they played at the art house or something last year, and a friend was like, I went and saw Pete and Baz last night. I'm like, who? Like, you never heard of Pete and Baz here. And I'm like, what the fuck's this shit? And then I started listening to it. I'm like, I don't know if I like it behind it, but yeah, nothing.

Troy 1:06:51

They actually tour as well. Yeah, they tour. That'll be really cool.

Owen 1:06:56

Yeah, you know what?

Troy 1:06:57

There's hope for all of us don't worry. No, I get that, I get that. My mate's my mate's still playing and he's in his 70s, and he's playing like um well, I hope he's in his 70s. Sorry, John, if you're younger than that.

Jimmy 1:07:08

You look like you're in your 70s, John.

Troy 1:07:10

Oh yeah, so he's always doing gigs at the Piemont Hotel and all the like uh what's butcher's butcher's brew and and all those kind of places.

Owen 1:07:21

Yeah, awesome.

Troy 1:07:22

So like yeah, like almost at least at least twice a month, if not more. You know, so I want to be like that too. I don't want to give up. I don't want to be like, you know, um you get to you guys too, I'm too old to do this now kind of thing.

Jimmy 1:07:36

Like Johnny Cash, play till you die.

Troy 1:07:39

He did.

Jimmy 1:07:40

He did. Yeah. I was down at um Crowbar in Sydney a couple of months ago, and it took me like I don't know, 20-30 minutes to realise that it was a bald used to be the bald face stag, and I'm like, oh fucking play here.

Troy 1:08:03

Oh, that's funny.

Jimmy 1:08:04

And it wasn't until I was playing pool and I looked up and I had the sign saying bald face stag, and I was like, Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Troy 1:08:12

But you know what?

Jimmy 1:08:13

Like, what did you realize you didn't know this week, Troy?

Troy 1:08:15

Well, no, in in your defense, like some of those bars, like they they kind of look similar, like the Empire, you know, that's changed so many times. It's like I've been there and gone, uh, oh yeah, I did play here once, you know, in it but in a different format, you know what I mean? Yeah, when I realize I'm old, what what I did to realize that I was old.

Jimmy 1:08:35

No, what have you what have you no, no? I just want to ask it all. I said, What have you realized that you don't know that you didn't remember or something like no, no, because how do I phrase this right now? I thought I'd phrase it right the first time. Can we rewind and listen to that? Um no, essentially, like when what this week did you go, oh, I forgot that I knew that.

Troy 1:08:58

Yeah, uh, okay, so infringement is a punk band from Sydney that I was in in the late 90s. Um, and they did an article on us recently on sound something shit. Sorry, I forget noise levels? Yeah, noise levels. Okay, all right. Now we're getting some. I forgot it. That's what you yeah. No, but because I I read the article and saw all the photos, I'm like, oh I forgot about that gig. It's like being erased from my memory, you know what I mean? Yeah, and I'm like, and then I'm thinking, hell am I worrying? Shit. But um, but also like this, you know, I forgot completely out of about that gig until I saw the photo. I'm like, oh yeah, we played with that guy, and you know, it was like all this stuff happened, and like it was a good gig, you know, it was just one of those weird nights that you end up in a scout hall playing music for some reason. You know what I mean? And it was just stuck, I forgot all about it. And that was down in DY. What's that mean? Oh, I see. Okay, yeah. I thought it was always become prepared.

Jimmy 1:10:08

You can do whatever you want, John. You can both lost me there.

Troy 1:10:20

I guess you have to be there.

Jimmy 1:10:21

Yeah.

Troy 1:10:21

Yeah. So that's what I remember that I forgot that I didn't know.

Jimmy 1:10:27

Yeah. You remember you forgot that you didn't know. Yeah. You remembered that you forgot something that you didn't know.

Owen 1:10:33

Oh Tom, who I mentioned before, has a he's one of those pricks with like a freakish memory. So like once a week he'll remind me of some gig we played like fucking seven to ten years ago, and I'll just be like, fuck.

Jimmy 1:10:46

Like, you're one of those people that remembers the day and stuff as well, you know? Yeah. In like 1997, I'm like Oh, he doesn't hit me with the dates.

Owen 1:10:54

He'll definitely be like, it was a Saturday night, we got the train there, this person was at the gig. Yeah. And I just I'm like, fuck. Like it just, yeah.

Jimmy 1:11:01

I heard a friend like that, they bring up dates, and I'm like, are you sure about that? Because like 93 to like 2003, kind of one year for me.

Troy 1:11:09

Like it's just yeah, yeah, yeah. I agree with that. Yeah.

Jimmy 1:11:14

Yeah.

Troy 1:11:19

93, 2003, same thing. Just a slightly different car.

Jimmy 1:11:29

Alright, well, look, guys, I've had a great chat. Um you had a good chat.

Troy 1:11:34

We had a lovely chat. Yeah.

Jimmy 1:11:36

Absolutely awesome to be back. Um, I can't wait to see what Troy does with some little sound bites or clips or you know, whatever we're gonna end up doing with this. Um can't wait to see it. I can't wait to show all you guys. Uh, we've got you know, we're gonna throw on this launch sometime soon. Uh, we're gonna get some finer details worked out, some dates, and we'll let you all know about that. On top of that as well, I've got uh we're gonna have a little uh pre-sale merch kind of thing coming up soon. Seen as though we're you know we're called Welcome to Studio 2. I thought it might be fun to have some doormats um for people to purchase. Uh, if you like the podcast, you can purchase them. If you don't, you can purchase them and wipe your feet on them. So I think it's uh a great little thing. So once we have some more details, like we'll reach out and let everyone know and we'll talk about this on future episodes as well, obviously. Um always, as always, I'd like to thank Owen for the bigger.

Owen 1:12:38

Come the breaks, brother. You're missing something. No, no, I'm getting there. Oh yeah? Okay, yeah. Don't thank me too early then.

Jimmy 1:12:46

Always like to thank Owen for being here and um the Grove for No, no, no, I know what I'm doing.

Owen 1:12:51

I'll leave you too. I'll leave you too.

Jimmy 1:12:55

No, so you know, I just want to thank Owen and also you know the Grove for having me up here and and letting me record here. And the way we always finish the podcasts is with a song recommendation. So I'd like you to recommend us a song to listen to on the way home and for the listener to listen to.

Troy 1:13:15

Okay, um, so there's a band called the FNCs, and I would recommend it.

Jimmy 1:13:19

You can't find them on Spotify. You can't. Nah, they're not on it. You've only got to see the FNCs live.

Troy 1:13:24

I've got to be kidding.

Jimmy 1:13:25

You can't find the music anywhere. Is that the uh we may be able to find it on YouTube? I don't know. I spoke to Russ the other night, and a friend of mine said to him, Where do I listen to your music? And his words to me were you have to experience the FNC's bearers nuts.

Troy 1:13:42

I agree. Okay, alright. Okay, fine. Listen to one of my songs then you can find Trojan Guns Um Pump Girl on Spotify or on iTunes or on all the other crap.

Jimmy 1:13:54

And what we'll do is we'll um post a if we can find an FNC song anywhere, we will probably have to post a link in the show notes. So I will have that. And worst case, if we can't find anything anywhere, by the time this episode comes out, I will personally go to the Lincoln Pin, watch the FNCs, and record one of their uh songs on my phone and upload that for everybody.

Owen 1:14:20

Or we bring them to the Grove and you executive produce the song and we record it and then release it only on vinyl, so then you can just purchase the seven inch at an FNC show.

Jimmy 1:14:32

That's a fucking great idea. I'll have a chat with Russ. He'll love that. I'll go look I'll go on vinyl. Alright.

Troy 1:14:40

That's pretty cool. Thanks for having me, everyone.

Owen 1:14:42

Thank you.

Jimmy 1:14:43

Thanks for being here. Thanks, guys. Cheers. Thank you.