Welcome to another Weekend Warrior profile, where we chat to a fellow keyboard player on the front lines of music making. If you’d like to be profiled yourself, here’s how.
Say hi to Alex Maher, man of many bands and experienced weekend warrior. Read on for tales of awkward kisses and the dangers of doing the Time Warp….
Band Name (or names)
The Joker Pokers
JJ Rome and the Jumpstarts – Jerome is ex Divinyls and Paul on bass is ex Aussie Crawl. Some royalty there 🙂
Eddie Skiba Band
Abbi Muir Band
What genres / eras does your band cover?
The Joker Pokers are experimental psychedelic improv roots (and covers)
JJ Rome is rock/blues
Eddie Skiba is rock/pop
Abbi is pop
How many years have you been playing gigs?
35 years – started playing when I was 13 and did my first gig at 16.
What inspired you to become a keyboard player in the first place?
In a nutshell, I had a motorcycle accident – before music, 13 year old me was all about karate (hey it was the 80s and Mr Miyagi was my hero). The day of my brown belt grading I was at a mate’s place waiting to be taken to the dojo. We were mucking about in the garden with an old motorbike he had. We got it going and I was bombing around the garden when I slid out and crashed through a greenhouse. Long story short the greenhouse won that fight. I had 50 something stitches in my left arm and I chopped my middle finger in half (vertically, not sideways if that makes sense). I nearly lost the use of my left arm. They managed to save my finger and put it back together but told me that I’d probably lose the use, or have limited use.
My dad was a guitarist for the 60s in a band called Tinkerbells Fairydust (heh look them up, I think you’d like it. They got pretty big in the day). He said I should start playing piano as therapy to get the movement back. I was a big fan of Howard Jones, The Thompson Twins and 80s synth pop back then, so he got me a DX100 – the mini key baby DX7. That’s where the love started. I learnt to program that tiny thing and I think I’ve still got it somewhere in the attic at mum’s place. All my mates had those horrible Casios things with the built in rhythms and stuff. Back then I kinda wanted that, but I had a DX. It was the bomb.
Shortly after getting the DX I was round at a mate’s place and he introduced me to a new album he’d just got. That was Pink Floyd’s “Delicate Sound of Thunder”. THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING! I heard Richard Wright for the first time and was instantly hooked. The way he blended sounds and synth and that old organ thing with that wobbly sound… my mind was blown. I’ve been using Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes and synth sounds as the core sound palette ever since.
I pestered dad into getting me a sequencer, and multi timbral synth. We ended up getting an SC55 sound canvas, and a Roland sound palette sequencer. – the rest as they say is history. I’ve been recording and gigging ever since pretty much.
What is the keyboard rig you currently use when gigging?
I’ve got a Nord Stage 3, An Electro 6D and a ROLI Seaboard Rise 49. Oh and a Leslie 2101.
The Nord Stage is the bread and butter. Pianos, Rhodes and synths. If I need to take a lead guitar sound I use the Rhodes patch, through a Fender Twin and have the drive cranked, bit of delay, touch of reverb and a dab of wah when needed. I’ve upset a few guitarists with that sound :-).
I mostly fly the Stage 3 solo, but if it’s a bigger/organ centric gig the Electro comes along with the Leslie. I’d love a real B3/122, but these days, who can afford it, and fit it in the car. The NE6 through a 2101 is 95% there for everything I do.
I use the ROLI pretty much exclusively for sax and trumpet solo. I cannot stand keyboard brass… it’s just horrible but the ROLI SWAM sax and trumpets are amazing. I get that sound from the iPad running GeoShred.
Sometimes I use a Boss RC505 loop station for duo shows. That’s a fun toy, but I’m not very good at it.
Ooh I sometimes use AudioKit Synth One, and the Moog on the iPad too… they are epic for doing soundscapes and recording. They are a bit of a pain in the arse to use in the live rig though (maybe it’s just me).
Is there a piece of gear you’re lusting after?
Not really. The Nords and the ROLI pretty much do everything that I need. I’ve had a ton of Rolands over the years. (XP10, VR-09, FA08)
I had a look at the Kronos recently. It’s nice but damn you need a PhD in computer science just to add reverb. And don’t start on the boot time 😉
If I had an unlimited budget – a Stage 4 maybe. I’d like some of the Hydrasynths, or a Moog Muse maybe… but I’m pretty good where I am at the moment gear-wise.
Aside from keys duties, do you have other roles in the band?
I’m a graphic designer so naturally that means I do all the IT/Facebook/posters/EPK/video shooting and edits/sound engineering when recording/releasing of the music to the streams and van driver (as I don’t drink).
Most memorable gig you’ve played and why was it memorable?
I did an AIDS benefit concert back in the mid 90’s. It was the biggest show I’ve ever done. There was a sea of people, 20, 30,000 something. We went on in between Ratcat and DefFX (I also had a huge crush on Fiona Horne back then too lol). I was playing with the Amanda Easton Band, and the crowd responding so well to what we did, lapping it up. I’ve never done anything like that size before or since.
TRIGGER WARNING – NSFW
But what made that one stick in my head so much… (deep breath).. ok so we finish the set and we’re standing backstage in the green room… now remember it’s an AIDS awareness and benefit gig, so… the pink dollar was very strong, if you get my meaning. This extravagantly dressed man walked up to me and after making the usual remarks, love the show… great sound etc. He turned to me and offered to give me the best BJ that I would ever have… Now I’m 100% Hetero, and have never been any other way, but I didn’t know how to respond so I’m just standing there being really awkward. Then he walks up to me and gives me the biggest tongue filled pash (for those outside Australia, pash = kiss – Ed), leaving me dumbstruck and shocked…to which he then says. I know, I know I just love f***ing with you straight guys… and walks out the tent.
By now the rest of the band were literally on the floor laughing.
Has anything ever gone spectacularly wrong for you at a gig that you’re happy to share?
I was playing at the Ski Rider in Thredbo – the first thing that happened was we were doing the Time Warp. I did the jump to the left, about 4 ft down, straight off the side of the stage. That was pretty funny…
Are there songs you love or hate to play?
Love is in the Air… shudder… no it’s not.
Who are your keyboard player inspirations and why?
Richard Wright – just a genius. He’s the one who started it all for me.
Ray Manzarek – That dude’s left hand is insane – I do my best with my thumb and pinky
Jean Michel Jarre – I want a light synth thingie… actually add that to the gear lust section
Lachy Doley – Dude’s got more chops than the Woolies meat department
Jon Lord – because Jon Lord
Fantasy time: you get a call from your favourite band of all time, asking you to play keys next week at their gig. Who is that band and how would you pull it off?
Pink Floyd. I’m so familiar with all their songs, but I’d spend a week hyperventilating getting the sounds right.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Yeah – I’d still be playing. It’s therapy for me, so I couldn’t not be playing.
Still in Cairns and maybe doing some tours. That would be nice.
Your 5 Desert Island Discs
Pink Floyd – Momentary Lapse of Reason
Jeff Wayne’s – War of the Worlds
Peter Gabriel – SO
Steve Wilson – The Harmony Codex
Jean Michel Jarre – Equinoxe
Anything else you’d like to add?
Blatant Plug, here’s the Spotify profile for The Joker Pokers
If anyone would like to see how a one and a half handed organ player does it, here’s a link to the YouTube channel of an original song called ‘The Man with the Blues’
