Ben McArthur
IF the 77-year-old Australian musical icon Brian Cadd could speak to aspiring musicians, he would offer one piece of advice.
“I think the best piece of advice is to hang on,” he said.
Mr Cadd, who has had a distinguished career and is best known for being part of hit songs from the 1970s including A Little Ray of Sunshine, Ginger Man and Let Go, said it’s important for aspiring musicians to stay grounded.
“It’s easy to get disillusioned early on when you don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere, and it’s just too hard. But you gotta keep doing it because if it’s meant to happen, you will rise and become noticed,” he said.
“It just takes longer than most people are prepared to wait, and it’s a long slog. While you play gigs in bars and other places, you may dream about playing in the Forum, but you need to hang in there to get there.
“Looking back on my nearly 60 years in the industry, I can pinpoint times when I zigged at the right time, and I can also talk about when I zigged when I should have zagged, and these are big moments in my career.”
Mr Cadd’s musical journey began when he discovered a passion for the piano at a young age.
“I got interested in this instrument because my mother was a soprano, but she was terrified of an audience, and for some reason, at an early age, I could pick a note out, and I wasn’t even learning music or anything, but my ear seemed to be working,” he said.
“And the rest is history. I got lessons, and my mother became a stage mum, and every time I turned around, she pushed me into someplace else, and it was wonderful.”
The next step for Mr Cadd’s career came in the early 1960s when he joined the Melbourne-based band The Jackson Kings, marking the commencement of his professional career.
“In those days I was working a day job, so it wasn’t professional, but it was the step before being professional. Then we got a record out and heard it on the radio and every time something like that happens it makes you want to do more,” he said.
“I can’t even describe to you what it was like to be driving along and hear your music on the radio for the first time. It was such a thrill!”
As Mr Cadd’s status grew, his musical ability kept growing and garnering attention, eventually gaining global fame. Yet even at the height of his fame, he still received a thrill from hearing his record played on the radio.
Today, Mr Cadd notices that many of his fans are not the older people who grew up with his music, but the younger audiences.
“There are so many kids today who have got old heavy metal and vinyl collections. I don’t know why they like the old stuff, but it’s been great for us to look down at the audience and see a 23-year-old dancing madly and singing the songs that the band doesn’t know,” he said.
“While the majority of our fans are older, I find that many kids who are now adults come along with their parents and have a brilliant time.”
Mr Cadd is doing a tour to celebrate his new album release, Dream Train, which takes place across Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
This album is relatively unique for Mr Cadd because it is far more countrified than his past music.
“After every album, you sit there in horror thinking ‘God! I hope they like it,’ but I’ve got nothing to lose at this point, and it was such an amazing experience for me,” he said.
“I just went in with no preconceptions and just played and recorded music, and here I am with a country album. I’m thrilled with it and hope other people are too.”
Brian Cadd will perform at The Wedge this Thursday (February 8) at 7.30pm.
