July26
Donna and The Aspinauts have an adult version of the Barbie song, but I’ve reworked the lyrics for a kids version. Enjoy Read the rest of this entry »
July15
In 1985 I wrote a song called Not Just Anything. In 2009, I rewrote the lyrics to form the song A Room With A View. Unlike the award winning Merchant Ivory film of the same name (adapted from the 1908 novel by E.M Forster) my song is not a about an Edwardian romance. In 2007, I had written a filmscript, Mc Reedy’s Christmas (represented by Bicoastal Talent) about a post apocalyptic society and related to climate change in a world where we did nothing to stop it. The lyrics to A Room With A View were based on Mc Reedy’s world. Here’s its lyrics: Read the rest of this entry »
April7
As governments worldwide put economy before climate let me quote from , New Scientist cover story, from 28th Feb 09 issue from article “Surviving in a Warmer World” by Gaia Vince, who on page 33 quotes Crutzen in conclusion:
“I would like to be optimistic that we’ll survive, but I’ve got no good reason to be. I order to be safe we would have to reduce our carbon emissions by 70 per cent by 2015. We are currently putting in 3 percent more each year”.
Want to help change that? Lets stop over glorifying the replication process we call populating, get over ourselves, give the planet a rest and speak out to make the changes needed for us to be a planet that can still feed ourselves in 2015.
Donna Williams, Dip Ed, BA Hons
author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter
http://www.donnawilliams.net
March25
SUNDAY 3rd May is the Annual Chestnut Festival at Kalorama Reserve on Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd (near Grange Rd) which has been going for over 30 years. Over the years it has grown into a major event in the picturesque tourist spot of Dandenong Ranges.
Aside from the rainforest at Grant’s Picnic Ground and the gum forests of Monbulk, Kalista and Kalorama just minutes from the festival, there will be fairground rides, buskers, market stalls, roast chestnuts (of course), Devonshire teas, cakes, sausage sizzle, raffles, face painting, plants & showbags at the festival itself and the warm hospitality of the hills folk (of which I am one!).
Proceeds to the Mt Dandenong Pre-school up here in the hills. And you can hang out with me and the band, Donna Williams and The Aspinauts.
The lineup of performers will be:
Hope to see some of you there.
Donna Williams
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.myspace.com/donnaandtheaspinauts
March18
At 4.31pm I was sitting at my desk just like I was 2 weeks ago. Then the whole house rumbled, the foundations, the walls, the very earth. By the time I realised Melbourne had yet another earthquake, a 4.6 this time (last time was a 4.7), it had stopped. I strode outside and called to my neighbour. Did we just have another earthquake? She wanted to know. Yep, I said, shocked. Wild stuff. Melbourne and earthquakes were always such unlikely dance partners.
Donna Williams
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.myspace.com/donnaandtheaspinauts
March9
So you wondered what Donna Williams and The Aspinauts look like playing live? Now you can see for yourself in our new Donna and The Aspinauts slideshow. What’s more we’re even able to do a video concert for your event, even look into doing one live via teleconferencing facilities here in Melbourne. With Donna and The Aspinauts you get an abundance of atmosphere and the sky’s the limit 
Warmly,
Donna Williams
author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter
http://www.myspace.com/donnaandtheaspinauts
http://www.donnawilliams.net
March8
Heidi Everett is an awesome performer so it was a great honor to get this review from her. Enjoy. Here it is:
“The gig – ‘Rock and Rebuild’ benefit concert for Victoria’s bushfire crisis, was organised and promoted by Kaine Marsh, head of Finbar Production. The bands – A very eclectic yet thoroughly charismatic line up of artists who have some sort of connection with the towns affected by the fires. The location – Hurstbridge Oval, an iconic picture of pure Aussieness.
Tigger-dog and I had a visual introduction to Rock and Rebuild as the officially on-time Connex rolled into Hurstbridge station. A sun dried brick of a country oval transformed wonderfully into a fruitful orchard of stalls and country folk milling around a flat bed truck pumping out music with a whole lotta heart. As we lounged around in front of the stage, Donna and the Aspinauts sauntered into their first number and had the audience looking up from their snags to see what the hell had hit them front and centre between the eyes and ears.
A-ha! These were no ordinary folk songs to be kum-by-ya’d around the campfire, no way! As the guys in the Aspinauts band changed gear quicker than a red Ferrari, front-woman Donna kept apace brilliantly with her phonetically charged lyrics and mesmerizing hands shaping the melody like an artist at the easel. I watched, captivated like the crowd around me. Each song blurred deliciously into the next with Donna’s spoken word etching out the poetry of human condition, always so very eloquent and astutely connected to the song the band was about to launch into, such a poignant moment when Donna painted the scene of a blackened landscape, burnt by the very fires this benefit concert set to quell.
The set itself was just the right amount of time for Donna and the Aspinauts own musical genre to be smacked firmly into the hearts and minds of the audience. As a muso myself, I intuitively looked around to see the reaction of people who might not have had the chance to experience such a richly flavoured ensemble before, and as a muso, I can confidently say that The Aspinauts had the crowd in the rather elusive ‘palm of the hand’.
I’ve seen this band a few times now and I thoroughly recommend an audience with a Donna and the Aspinauts event if you are ever given the chance. I say event because they are so much more than just a band playing music, each of your five senses will be buzzing before the end of the first song, and by the end of the show, you’ll be definitely Aspi-fied.”
Heidi Everett
http://www.heidieverett.com.au/Home.html
March6
So we’ve had fires this last four weeks 1-2km to our South, East, West. We returned from holiday in NZ to find our village had evacuated for the 2nd time, this time because of combined fire threat and 140km gale force winds. And then tonight, Chris and I are typing away when the whole house shook.
I’d been through an earthquake in Japan (when on stage no less!) and in my 20s, but I’d also had atypical epilepsy in which I’d experienced full physically perceived earthquakes that actually didn’t happen (now there’s Twighlight Zone for you!).
So my first question was to Chris, “did you feel that earthquake”? And yes he had. Then emails rolled in, yep, it was felt across the city, a 4.7 in magnitude, not too big, but still scary for us Melbournians who only have a quake once in 1-2 decades.
So maybe its time for a sacrifice to the gods. I say we sacrifice some cars, some beef burgers and some air miles because the environment seems mighty pissed off with all and sundry this month. Goodness, mother nature is being very hormonal.
Donna Williams
http://www.donnawilliams.net
March2
OK, so February got lost somewhere in the Victorian bushfires and their chaos and yes, my blog has been so quiet. But, welcome to the March 2009 poetry challenge. Who knows, any of you coming to see us at any of the upcoming gigs for Donna and The Aspinauts may actually see some of the poems performed, complete with gestural signing and characterisations.
But right now, you have 30 days to send in your poetry challenges for the March 09 poetry jam. So off you go – feel free to send me a TITLE or THEME to write to in the comments section and in the next 30 days, you’ll find I’ve responded by posting a poem here addressing it. Come on, give it a try. Read the rest of this entry »
