The new documentary (or is it?) That Half Barbaric Twang – about the musical misadventures of legendary Aussie actors Geoff Morrell and David Field, and their gifted musical brother-in-arms Tim Oxley – will take to the stage and make its local bow at the Gold Coast Film Festival in April.
What do you get when you cross two of Australia’s most recognised actors with a musical wizard? A troubadour trio of conscientious “vagabonds” – 160 years between them – who want to bring their “bad ass gospel” country music to the most remote and marginalised people in Australia.
The resultant musical collective is the rollicking, rockingly soulful country outfit The Number 4 Band, comprised of veteran Aussie stage and screen performers David Field (Chopper, Two Hands, The Rover, Secret Daughter) and Geoff Morrell (Lord Of The Rings, Ned Kelly, Blue Heelers, Cloudstreet, Oscar And Lucinda), along with musical mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Tim Oxley, who has played with everyone from Nick Cave to Nirvana.
The boys of The Number 4 Band are captured in all their shaggy, ragged, bone-weary but highly energised glory in the new documentary That Half Barbaric Twang, which comes artfully and thoughtfully tailored by renowned, award-winning photographer and visual artist Stephen Dupont.
Here’s a first look:
Playing original music on a menagerie of instruments (banjo, mandolin, guitar, harp, drums), this trio of musical true believers set off along Australia’s frequently less-travelled highways and by-ways with no real tour schedule in sight, but a lot of local country pubs happy to provide them with a corner of the bar in which to play, and a warm, not always comfortable bed in which to sleep for the night. Playing to keen (and sometimes not so keen) music fans in Australia’s rural and outer-urban heartlands, the prodigious musical gifts of The Number 4 Band are placed front and centre, while their warm, wonderfully eccentric personalities are given ample room to shine bright and hard.
Aussie audiences are now invited to tune in and share a round with The Number 4 Band as That Half Barbaric Twang makes its local debut at The Gold Coast Film Festival on April 28 with the band in attendance for a very special red-carpet event. This is a night not to be missed.
That Half Barbaric Twang will screen at The Gold Coast Film Festival on April 28 at Dendy Southport at 6:30pm. For all ticketing and venue details, click here: https://gcff.com.au/program/that-half-barbaric-twang/