Down here in Melbourne you’re begging for raucous bellows of “Brokeback cowboy!” from passing cars if you slouch around town in a cowboy hat, even a Just Jeans hat stolen from Sneaky Butcher. But they’re real handy when it comes to fending off killer x-ray sunbeams slicing through the whopping big hole in the ozone layer above. And when, two minutes later the suns gone and it’s pouring with rain, they make a handy micro-umbrella for the head. It’s worth feeling like a displaced rodeo clown just for the sheer imperviousness.

Speaking of Sneaky Butcher, aka Uncle Burnin’ Love, he’s creating a new name for himself as Sidekick of the Year, having recently swung his banjo with Jimmy Willing and the Real Gone Hick-Ups, Glennys Rae Virus and last weekend, The Red Hot Poker Dots, on their recent run up to Queensland. Word is he’ll be doing some more Re-Mains cameos in the near future, if Dwight Yoakum doesn’t give him a call in the meantime.

The Re-Mains rendezvous in Melbourne next week, for a sold-out show at the Northcote Social Club supporting a temporarily reforming Weddings Parties Anything, folk rock heroes of the Eighties and Nineties. Weddoes were my rock-and roll role models, who I used to go and see religiously in Sydney for years and indeed frontman Mick Thomas, one of the finest songwriters of his generation, is now the boss of our record company, Croxton Records. Weddings Parties fans are a special breed of fanatic who snapped up all the tickets to this show within two hours of its announcement. So it’s with a great sense of satisfaction that we back up this legendary band, who toured the world supporting such acts as U2, The Pogues, Steve Earle and Stevie Ray Vaughn. And the night after we’re back at our regular Melbourne haunt, The Retreat, supported by Den Hanrahan, before making our weay back up through Wagga, Maitland and the Central Coast for our shows at the Winsome on December 1st and Billinudgel on December 3.

THE PUP – AKA Sam Martin. He’s wants to be a teacher of children. He left the band to join these other guys who took him to Scotland for a bit. He started the whole Pup thing by willingly embracing the title thrust upon him at the commencement of his tenure in the band. Now there are other Pups – the New Pup, the Seal Pup… but Sam will always be the original Pup. Pup….. pup…… pup…… pup….pup….. pup……pup…… PUP!

Uncle Burnin Love – AKA Grandads AKA Butter maker AKA Uncle S AKA Shaun Butcher. His colostomy bag broke and he was forced to retreat into the hills. He feels the need to help the youth. His elderly experience will doubtless assist in this quest although he has been spotted nodding off with repaired bag at his side in Jimmy Willing’s band and the Red Hot Poker dots. He pines for the days of yore. That’s why he still comes out and does the occasional show/tour with us. He will never escape.

WARD aka WARRRRRRRRRRD aka WWWWAAAAARRRRD aka A.M. WARD aka C$%^ox AKA Wardy aka #$%^* He left to look after his son he reckons. His son actually needs protection. He still plays drums in other bands of various sorts. Hoo Haas. Louis Tillet. Red Hot Poker Dots (they steal all our ex-member and still working members too). He’s a $%^&

HARRIS aka BLACK HARRIS aka THE FINGER aka THE MESS aka Jonny Harris.
He’s a 0.01% er. He bakes stuff and has left the the band as many times as he has joined the band. That’s twice and probably a 3rd pending in the near future. He paints and talks to his mate ‘Sid now and then. Harris. Harris. Harris. Harris. Harris…..

This is premature, but B.B. Buckets Drinkwater aka B Double aka Brendo aka Brendan Drinkwater in the 3rd person AKA Brendan Drinkwater is leaving the band in Jan 2007 to resume his drumming carreer with the Invisible Friend – his band from Wagga Wagga for the last 10 years. He is Loyal. He is a nice guy. He’s such a nice guy. Did I say he was a nice guy? A torrid drummer…. and a really nice guy.

There are of course the other guys who were in the original lineup, but they aint exacly in the fold. More’s the pity about that.

The Owl and Daley of course will continue to bring you CR&R till the cows come home – or until we get sick of putting lineups together all the fricken time.