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Blues band Toby head for their favourite spot at Bridgetown
Last Update: Monday, November 5, 2007. 6:54pm AWDT

By Sharon Kennedy

http://www.abc.net.au/southwestwa/stories/s2082373.htm

Toby Beard has always been a performer. Since she was in nappies, she reckons. Now in her twenties and fronting an eponymous band, she's making a name for herself in the live music scene and waiting for a tall dark handsome manager to drive up waving a white contract to take her away to superstardom.

At least, if this was the movies, she would be. The reality is that Toby works hard, very hard, to stand out in a crowded blues and roots scene and to achieve her goal of touring the world with a seven piece band.

Perth born and bred, Toby takes heart from the fact that her inspiration, The Waifs, slugged it out for over a decade before making the big time. "It's OK," she says as she reminds herself that four to five years is not so long after all.

A couple of years ago, Toby made the decision to pursue music full time. At times, she questions her sanity. "I'm certainly not doing it for money at this point," she laughs. There's no magic carpet you can hop on to take you to the ARIAs, Toby knows. Just keep doing it, keep getting gigs and ride out the rollercoaster of rejection.

About 60 to 70 per cent of the bands who started out at the same time as Toby have dropped off, she reckons. "It's really hard and hard on your ego. Gigs can be great and the next a flop and it makes you doubt this career choice and why you're in this industry."

As an independent artist, says Toby, staying afloat means doing lots of gigs, hoping for the right person to be there. "I'm still searching for the magical manager to rock up and make my world a lot easier."

The people you surround yourself with also matter, says Toby. Keeping a band together is hard as any musician will tell you, she says; finding the right person, the right personalities, people who can see the big picture. "At the end of the day, it's normally the singer songwriter's baby so they don't quite see the vision as well as you do."

Toby's ultimate band is a seven piece - violin, brass, keys, bass, drums and herself. "At the moment, if you were to say to a WA venue there's going to be a seven piece - they'd probably be stoked about it - but they'd look at it and think seven meals and seven beds and seven people drinking and you simply can't charge what you need to charge to keep that going. It means a tour bus and stepping up everything to a whole new level."

The Blues at Bridgetown festival is one place where she can stretch out musically. The Blues is special, she says; her benchmark for a good gig. "The audience are really there for the music and they're supportive," she says. "At the same time they're picky and that's what makes you step up a level."

How do the bigger gigs eventuate? "I don't know; I don't know. Not luck. I work too hard to call it luck." Toby spends time everyday at the business of self promotion, sending out emails, doing packages. When the result is a support act for the Indigo Girls as she's just done, the result is worth the effort. But it's also time not spent writing.

Constantly talking up yourself is also wearing, she finds. The WA scene is small but also vibrant and people do help each other out, says Toby. Blue Shaddy are one band from whom she count on good advice but in the end, artists need to be protective and they are competing for the same good gigs.

"Ultimately, you want someone to walk up and go 'I want to put a million dollars into your business. Let's get the hit on the radio and let's get that little pop video thing happening and bang, you're big. But (that) isn't how it works in the independent blues and roots scene."

The goal list for 2008 includes "Find a manager." It's been there for the last five years, laughs Toby. Good managers exist but it follows that they are busy and not taking on more work, she thinks and having trust in someone else's determination and ability is just as scary as becoming an artist. "The pay cheque's not going to happen for a long time."

Also on the goal list for 2008 are more trips interstate and overseas and a new album, things achieved this year and added to, says Toby. "It's been a busy year."

Touring is also a chance to see others at work on stage, to understand what attracts an audience, learn what very quickly what will and what won't work for yourself, says Toby. In Canada, Michael Franti impressed with his energy, positive message and "godlike presence on stage." Xavier Rudd also had the same rapport with an audience, she says.


Is it harder still for a woman? "Yes," is the answer. "I hate that that's the answer because I feel like it's somewhat of an excuse. But I do believe it's a real boy's world especially in the blues and roots music. Look at any festival and there's rarely a woman's name up there. Maybe 10 to 20 per cent of the line up."

Toby doesn't know why men predominate in her chosen field. She does know that success takes assertiveness and the ability to absorb hard knocks. And a hard shell. "You have got to be so tough to deal with non-stop touring," she says.

Her last tour was four weeks, 20 gigs and 7,500km in 40°C heat in a car with the airconditioning not working; dealing with people's personalities and constantly in each other's face.

Women do well in the pop field and Toby admits that making it big is much easier when you have the industry behind you. Her parents are great fans of Australian Idol and Toby gets the lecture about entering. "I've actually thought about it," she says.

Not too much contemplation was needed for Toby to come to the conclusion that she does not want to stand up on stage singing other people's songs. That truth was brought home to her during one five week stint up in Broome. Five nights a week, 10 till 2am and the set a stipulated 40 per cent covers. "Embarrassed," was how she describes her feelings, not because the band played badly but because she wasn't enjoying it.

Even five weeks in idyllic Broome couldn't make up for the ordeal but as Toby, freely admits, she only had herself to blame for "begging" for the job despite her tour manager's warnings.

If the life of a full time musician is so hard, why do it? "It's my escape," is the swift answer. For Toby, the enjoyment is not the anticipation but the actual performance. "Energetically, it feels good, physically it feels good; you get a huge high and a huge adrenaline rush when you know you've performed well."

Toby grew up listening to her parents music, a wide ranging baby boomer mix; The Beatles, Doors, Janis, Janis Ian, Carol King. She doesn't listen to radio today and doesn't know what's out there. "I feel I'm in the dark ages," she jokes.

Her own writing is developing as she matures. "I would love to write about something other than love. That's the mission I think a lot of us are on," she says. Relationships and other people's stories increasingly interest her as she travels and tours more.

Toby remembers clearly the day she was hooked on the life of a musician. She was 16 and her teacher had arranged one of her original songs for an ensemble. She sang it live and thought, "Wow."

"I had a few experiences like that in high school," Toby remembers. Her biggest audience was 600 people. "I remember the reaction and thinking, 'I really like this.'"



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Toby
Blues at Bridgetown

 

2005

state wide WA tour (October)

support for Glenn Tillbrook (UK Squueze)

Melbourne tour, supporting Bomba and Carus. (full band)

releasing and launching new acoustic album, "On Second Thoughts".

launching "On Second Thoughts" throughout WA and the East coast

five week tour in Broome May/June

supported international act, Luka Bloom at the Fly By Night Club

 

2004

Supporting Paul Kelly at his SOLD OUT show in Fremantle, February 6th

Supporting Pete Murray in December at his sold out show (6000 people!)

Supporting international artist Donavon Frankenreiter

Supporting international blues artist, Eugene Hideaway Bridges in Bunbury, Feb 28th

Recording and launching their first full length live album "Live on The West Coast"

Recording and launching "GIDDYUP" a mini country/blues studio EP

Nominated as a finalist in the roots category of WAM “Song Of The Year”

Competed in the Next Big Thing Semi Finals

three performances at the Blues and Roots Festival in Broome, Toby and Code Red doing a set with Tex Perkins, Nick Barker (the Reptiles), Sally Dastey Tidass)and Carus

Performing at the highly acclaimed Bridgetown Blues Festival [with likes of Xavier Rudd, Ian Moss etc] with Ash Grundwald joining Code Red for a few numbers!

Full band tour in Melbourne (August)

Performing at the highly acclaimed Fairbridge Festival (April)

performing at the Vintage Blues Festival (January)

Toby performed solo shows in Melbourne , wooing the crowds and selling many of their new album “Indi – Live on The West Coast”. (April)

28 day WA state wide tour, launching "Indi - Live on The West Coast". (May/June)

21 WA day state wide tour (August, September)

Performing to nearly ten thousand people at the Bunbury Australia Day Concert Performing at Frankland River Festival

Performing at the Shark Bay Festival

Toby performed solo in El Questro - one of Australia 's top resorts

Successful down south tours

Residency at the Indi Bar, Scarborough

Supporting Carus and The True Believers

Gigs in the Perth/Fremantle area

 

2003

Performing three shows at the Bridgetown Blues Festival, November

Coming third place out of over 250 bands in the Coca Cola band competition

Solo shows in Melbourne , January

Solo shows in Interlaken , Switzerland , July

Solo performance at the Swiss Day Festival in Interlaken

Supporting Carus on his WA tour

Supporting Nathan Gaunt and The Black Eyed Dogs

Extensive touring of WA

Weekly gigs in the Perth/Fremantle area

Residencys at Paddington Ale House, the Indi Bar, Clancy's Fish Pub and The Bog Inn

 

2002

Performing solo at the July 4th Festival in Interlaken Solo gigs in Broome , WA Coming third place in the TASTE band comp, out of approx eighty bands Supporting East Coast band, Women In Docs Supporting Carus Supporting Nathan Gaunt and the Black Eyed Dogs Weekly gigs in the Perth/Fremantle area

 

LAST UPDATED END OF NOV 2006