Promoting the best of Lidcombe’s musical talent, the Sunday Sessions are held on the first Sunday of the month.
This month, as well as originals rock band, The Reprobates (who regularly play at Lidstock each year), there will be a special treat with Terry Lockley performing some of his country inspired songs, one of which won ‘Best Pub Song’ at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
All of Terry’s songs are inspired by life in Lidcombe and trucking on the road over the past 50 years or so.
Back in 2011, Terry heard of a competition coming up at the next Tamworth festival. It was to write a pub song in the vein of Slim Dusty’s ‘Pub With No Beer’.
“I’d played guitar at home for 30 odd years, but nerves and fear always stopped me from playing live,” he said.
“But I thought, why not give it a go! I wrote a song called ‘Gotta Love The Local’. After falling completely apart with nerves in the semis, I went to the finals and won the competition!”
As well as ‘Gotta Love The Local’, Terry will be performing a few songs that capture some of the little known history of Lidcombe, including one about the bush ranger Thunderbolt.
“My grandfather ran Lockley’s wood and coal yard in Lidcombe for about 50 years. In about 1955, they had the job of emptying out the contents of a surgery in John Street Lidcombe. There was an old display case that contained a very old, very large key, that had a tag tied to it with string that read, ‘Captain Thunderbolt’s Solitary Confinement cell key, Cockatoo Island’.
“After my father’s death I put the key on display with the ‘Thunderbolt collection’ at McCrossins Mill Museum in Uralla.
“It seemed fitting that many years later I should write a song about ‘The Captain’.”
Rounding out a great afternoon will be ‘Chickasaw Bayou’ performing Americana style music on harmonica, guitar, octave mandolin, Scottish small-pipes and whistles.
“These guys generate a lot of roots and blues energy,” Greg said.
Lidstock is held on the anniversary of Woodstock each year, and this year will be held at the Bowlo on Saturday, August 17.