Red Hot Poker Dots

A country/rock/bop trio from Melbourne, Australia

Band Members:

Lil'Odette - short and spunky cowgirl with a big voice who plays the double bass and sings. She has excellent looking tattoos and a punk hairdo. Her signature move is to stand on top of the double bass during one song and lift it above her head even though it probably nearly weighs the same as she does.

Ray Dee Ator - Plays guitar and sings. Always wears a white cowboy hat with a Red Hot Poker Dots sticker on it. He is also responsible for their website which has been up since 1995 (a lot earlier than most bands.)

Mr Trubble - On drums and cowbell (they have had to replace three of them in the past year).

EPs
Smokin' twistabilly...Countrybop
Tracks:
1. Sparkle Radio 3.24
2. Suzi Speed 2.40
3. Red Hot Bop 2.20 (this is the one Lil'Odette climbs on the double bass on)
4. The Yodelling Punk 2.52 (my favourite track on this EP)
5. Country Hand 2.45
6. Psycho Boots 2.36
7. UFO 1.38

Live from the Jackson St Festival
Tracks:
1. 30 Mile Square
2. That Brenda
3. Star Spangled Radio
4. He Taught Me How to Yodel

Single
Happy Fucking Birthday
WARNING - THIS CD CONTAINS THE WORD FUCKIN' about 48 TIMES

They also have two singles out but I haven't bought them yet. The track 'The Yodelling Punk' appears on a CD called 'Jackson St Jubilee' which has 36 tracks compiled from bands that performed at the Jackson St Music Festival in St Kilda.

Red Hot Poker Dots & GIT

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who ever goes to see any live music or comedy in Melbourne (or at least writes about it afterwards). I have tried to get people to come with me but I never usually hear back from them. It's probably for this reason I like talking to the people in bands as we share a common interest.

As I had talked to them at GIT's show last week I decided to go see Red Hot Poker Dots at the Grace Darling Hotel in Collingwood today. They started at 3pm and went to 6 but I didn't want to have to walk down Smith St in the dark so I left about 4.30 to go see GIT.

Something I like about seeing the 'Dots is that on both the times I have seen them there has been a couple dancing really well up the front (it was two women this week). It really suits their style of music to see people spinning around and jumping all over the place.

I also got to talk to Ray from the band just before I left. Next week I will have to get a bowl of chips there as they looked pretty good, as did the barmaid. I would also recommend wearing a coat there as it seemed to be a bit cold and dark. The band also said they are going over to the USA in a few weeks for a tour.

Arriving early to see GIT at the Old Colonial, I found out they were starting at 5.30pm today instead (no pool tables to move this week though). I was going to go to Polyester Books to have a look but decided to stay and read a book.

From there they played a similar set to the last four weeks in a row I have seen them (which I why I come to see them every week - huge crush on Suzannah Espie not withstanding). There were also some new songs and a obscure cover called 'Oh Ricky' by a band called the Secretaries. Suzannah from the band said they used to play mainly obscure covers but have written so many new songs they can't fit them in.

Next week for Mother's Day they will be showing a film called Lonestar on the projection screen and giving out chocolate to the mothers who come along (it will probably be packed out.) I am going to try and see all of the 'Dots gig and come around to see the second set of GIT.