About The Ducks


Apart from a love of Polka music, the Ducks are inspired by the sounds of West Texas, home-made red wine and a lasting camaraderie. The core of the band has been playing together since 1989. The current line-up includes eight Muscovy ducks and one Mallard.

The Muscovies play a great variety of instruments none of which sound much like aquatic birds. The Mallard looks after all the sound requirements of the duck pond.

The Ducks travel with their own sound system which provides quality sound for venues of all types and sizes.

A regular 'Ducks' show lasts about three hours and would normally consist of three sets of forty five to fifty minutes.

The Ducks cater to audiences of all ages and tailor each show to suit – playing longer or shorter shows as required.

Most recently, at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, the Ducks and friends entertained patrons of the Nemingha Tavern from 4:00pm till midnight.


One unique feature of a Ducks’ show, is the band’s interaction with the audience, which frequently sees the stage becoming quite crowded with various ‘poultry’ from the party adding their quacks to the Duckophany.

The Muscovies are:

. Peter Rafferty – Acoustic guitar, Banjo, Vocals

· Joe Lizzio – Piano accordion

· Paul Buckingham – Steel guitar, Mandolin

· Andrew Cross – Vocals, Didgeridoo, Percussion

· Peter Robbie – Electric guitar, Vocals

· Dr Peter Purches – Fiddle, Trombone, Vocals

· Ken Dewsbury – Drums, Percussion

· Pat Frisina – Bass Guitar, Vocals

· Anthony Frazer(guest) – Keyboards, Vocals

The Mallard is: Shane Evers – Sound Engineer

The Ducks preferred search engine is of course; https://duckduckgo.com/

Saturday, 15 June 2013

St Rose 40th Anniversary June 2013:

The 16th of June 2013 saw the 40th Anniversary celebration for St. Rose Catholic Primary School, Collaroy Plateau.   This was the very venue where it all began back in November 1989 for "The Bush Bandits" that evolved into "The Ducks" you see today 24 years on and still going strong. 

In brief, it all began when the new Principal (Peter Rafferty) arrived at St. Rose. After settling in he sent all the kids home with a message for mums and dads that used to or still  play a musical instrument to join a band as the school was having its first Bush Dance.  Six weeks later it was on in the schoolyard with Peter (Rafferty) on guitar, banjo and vocals, Glen Nichols on keyboard, Gillian Evers on guitar and vocals, Joe Lizzio on the piano accordion and Paul Buckingham on guitar and vocals.  Shane Evers looked after the sound for that first gig and still does so for The Ducks today.  A few months later Geoff Ford joined up on the tin whistle and harmonica.

The School invited The Ducks to the celebration for a Bush Dance to be held after Mass. For the 2013 reunion at St Rose, The Ducks mustered up as many past and present members as they could get hold of and it was a sensational show.  A perfect sunny winter afternoon, sausages on the BBQ, lots of people dancing and  the music was a pleasure to behold.

 

Posted by at 1 comment:

Sunday, 31 March 2013

Hear the Ducks Live @ Tamworth 2013

Follow the link to the sound cloud for The Ducks recorded live at the Tamworth Country Music Festival 2013;

https://soundcloud.com/thehulaboy/sets/the-ducks-live-tamworth-2013
Posted by at 1 comment:

Friday, 25 January 2013

The Ducks & Friends @ Nemingah Tavern 2013.

Australia Day fell on Saturday this year so day three of the Northern Tablelands Fringe Festival was at the Nemingah Tavern.  Just on the outskirts of Tamworth, its a quiet place until January comes around.  The dining room at the Tavern is well known for a good feed so most nights there’s a good crowd of hungry music fans just waiting to be entertained.  Apart from the good tucker there were many Aussie tunes in the show, dating from colonial days right through to the modern era.  Denno started off the afternoon around four, followed by The Ducks and their many varied derivatives, ending up with the Guitar Orchestra later that night.

 
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, 24 January 2013

A quite afternoon with The Ducks @ Attunga 2013.

Another quiet little country town on the Manilla Road just north west of Tamworth.  The Attunga Hotel has a small circular bar and a shady beer garden where the Ducks and their friends set up and cruised through the afternoon into a hot, steamy evening.  Denno was a hit as always. They’re a hardy bunch of locals who frequent the pub, but not too many non-local punters this year. Those present were a lively crowd and enjoyed the music.  Maybe the rest of the Attunga clientele were saving themselves for the carp tossing and goanna wrestling the next morning.


 
 
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Guyra - Lamb & Potato Festival - January 2103

Guyra is situated midway between Armidale and Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands in the New England region of New South Wales. Being one of the highest places in Australia at 1,330 metres above sea level you can bet it’ll be a bit on the chilly side even in the summertime.  The Lamb and Potato Festival is held during the last week of January and is a highlight of the Guyra annual social calendar.  The Ducks provided the entertainment at Rotary Park from late afternoon till closing time.

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)