Blog for MarkGardner

A Big thanks to all my FANS! A NEW Sound NEW Band - The Broken Sweethearts

2018-03-17T04:31:02-04:00

Hi All, Thank you for all your support over the years especially to all the FANS and Reverbnation friends on here !My songwriting has taken me places over the last few years and now I sing Lead vocals in "The Broken Sweethearts" and play some trumpet and guitars. Please checkout www.thebrokensweethearts.com for the new release of 4 upcoming singles . 3 of which are written by myself and one written by Stephen RG. The first single " Thinking about You "will be pre-launched at The Basin Music Festival Sat 24th March at The Oak Tree Tavern -167 Forest Rd, The Basin, Vic Australia. Stay Tuned and visit often for updates.

New EP coming - Titled Between 2 Rivers

2014-11-10T22:16:16-05:00

G'day / Hello/ Hallo....Yes Mark has been extremely busy performing and now recording new tunes for an upcoming 6 track EP titled "Between 2 Rivers" - This title came about because in the heartland of Melbourne is 2 rivers the Yarra River and the Maribynong River and the cultural heart of Melbourne is often torn apart from that who have and those that have not . The rich and the poor the sick and the healthy --It should never matter when performing music just Enjoy as it brings all walks of life together for peace and happiness.
We must encourage one and all those who create and those that keep improving and doing their best.
Mark has also been helping local musicians and songwriters by running Show Us Your Love Open Mic @ Whole Lotta Love Bar every Weds night with prizes on each night and grand prizes after each quarter. This is the "REAL" testament of talent because "REAL" musicians come and play, jam, write ,network, liase with industry and perform and talk to one another.
Mark is an accomplished musician , singer /songwriter who has written over 80 songs and continues to push the boundaries as a trumpeter by performing trumpet alongside various acts like Indigenous act Crystal mercy, The Steelbirds, The Matt Finnish Band, The Vagrants, Rod Fritz, Neil Wise, Craig Fraser and The Legends of GOFPOS and many more .
If you have songs and perform and reside in Melbourne , Vic , Australia please email Mark for a spot on "Show Us Your Love Open Mic" @ Whole Lotta Love Bar 7-11pm every Weds night
by eail: showusyourloveopenmic@gmail.com or SMS Mark on 0412 673 951 fro a spot 6-10 acts per Weds night.
Mark has also been running a show on 3wbc / 94.1 FM on Tuesday nights called Australian Made 7-8pm. Live stream on www.3wbc.org.au (globally )or 94.1 on the FM dial. if you reside in Melbourne.

Keep the Music Live and Well.

The Long Journey Begins....

2011-05-27T05:26:51-04:00

You can jump in your 4WD and drive for miles here in Australia but nothing beats going driving to "The Great Divide".

As a humble singer / songwriter I started writing my first tunes at the tender age of 14 when I first picked up a guitar.At first i would jot down notes or poems, write a few chords down on the lyrics in a basic form GDC form or 1 4 5.

If I remember back that farm my first tune I wrote was "Hey Betty Lou".I had a TDK D60 tape of this recording in my vaults in my catalogue.
The song was about a girl who knew no wrong --little miss perfect because at school there was always someone just like that in my classes...It was a bit of a laugh listening back at it recently but rewarding as the Chorus was lyrically + melodically strong Hey Betty Hey Betty Lou ..Hey Betty Hey Betty where are you Hey Betty Hey Betty who are you Hey Betty Hey Betty Lou...

I guess it was basic and worked at the time. The very next song was called "The Fear Of Love" which I later recorded a snippet during my Bricks and Mortar days ...I never really finished it but there was something there...I have the demo here and will complete it one day...The next song was a song called "Listen" which to me was my very first song with a hook in it but I never really recorded it properly on my TDK D60 recording unit...But it sounded pretty good everytime I played it acoustically according to my long time friend Andrew Rose (drummer from Bricks and Mortar).

I then realised how useful my basic cassette tape recording unit was and often left it running while just jamming and working out tunes at home.
Later on after school when I reached my later years I listened back and found some tune called "Ebony Street" in the recordings but how it had change since then and I even recorded a mild "Great Divide" which I later demo'd with my first real band called "The Great Divide" featured Ben Mocka on guitar, Andrew rose on drums , Michael Emmett on guitar and Nino Becic on Bass and I played keys,trumpet and sang and acoustic guitar on it.
It seemed to work at the time but it was an 8 track demo that I still listen to and how it has changed somewhat...The beat was the same though and adding the harmonica on it seems to addanother dimenson. We did later play it in Bricks and Mortar but I was never really happy with it as Andrew left the band before we really wanted to record it...now here it is on my solo album and this song still remains sacred...
I remeber writing the song at the time in my parents backyard in the foothills of the Dandenong just South east of Melbourne. It was a fine day yet I could see the Dandenongs and they were covered in fog or smog or smoke and I though heck it really is hazy and warm day today and hope the farmers and the people are all ok. I was only 16 or 17 at the time.
One day i will put the original demo of The Great Divide ..all financed by Safeway at the time as we recorded a Checker of the year song called "SHOP in Safeway" what a laugh it was...

There have been a lot of musicians in and out of my life and everytime I think of The Great Divide song I remember and cherish the moments in my youth at the opportunities I had thanks to my parents and friends. It saddens me today that these opportunities are perhaps neglected or people seem to busy to worry about the environment or there futire or there loved ones well I do and wish to leave the legacy of leaving this Earth in the same state as what I left it...

Please do your self the favour and purchse this album "The Great Divide" via Itunes and protect the environment. If you live in Australia please request this song on your nearest radio station.

The journey still continues...

In fact The Great Divide is No. 1 in Victorian Reverbnation Charts and No. 1 on AIRIT/AMRAP charts in teh Rock Category . Thsi means it is the most added song on the Australian Community Radio network and I really am just warmig up.

Today the journey continues...

The Great Divide

2010-08-30T08:23:51-04:00

Or called The Great Dividing Range.
This is geographically the longest running landmark in Ausralia.It stretches accross 3 states of Australia including Victoria,NSW and Queensland.

The Great Divide has many species of birds,plants,animals and spectacular scenery.
This is also Australia's gretaest source of Oxygen and
hosts so many varieties of natural forest yet we keep chopping it down or digging up the ground for coal and gas.
Yes it is a great resource but we need tolook after our heritage, our forests, our own culture.

It seems ironic but Australian went to the polls recently electing a hung parliament 72 seats for Labour, 72 seats for Liberal and we have independents and Greens deciding the election.

Yes Australia has become divided and elected no major party in...Instead we have Independents and a stronger Green representation in the Senate. This is great for all Australians and it means the politicians now relaise they have to work hard to stay in government.

Maybe we are divided here in this country but we should always look after our backyards, families and friends and never forget who we are..

Maybe Austra;ia needs to gro up and become a Republic now and vote the first President in? Who would be Vice President or Secretary?

This song seems extremely relevant now....

Time will tell..

2009-08-28T12:34:35-04:00

Life is a web highway for music artists...
There are now literally 100's of music websites everywhere
First the www.mp3.com.au revolution came then the www.myspace.com revolution swept in, then Facebook and ilike moved in while itunes and amazon cam aboard.
Now we have a new wave of online chit chat with Bebo, Twitter and all of them combined to give bands and artists wider exposure especially to wider audiences and allowing more access for artists to make some roads into the industry through film and new music...