Reviews
Review, p68, Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, United States of America
(by Les McIntyre )
HARDRIVE
BLUEGRASS BAND, DRIVEN, No label, No number. From Melbourne Australia comes
the Hardrive Bluegrass Band, originally formed in 1997. "Driven" is
the band's debut recording endeavor consisting of 14 original and traditional
Bluegrass melodies. Band member Nick Dear (Mandolin, fiddle, and vocals)
is the group's chief songwriter, having contributed no less than four numbers
including the three instrumentals "Easter Monday Mine," "Rosine
Waltz," and "Cranking Frank". His "Say Old Man" along
with Peter Sweatman's "New Moon Rising" was apparently inspired
by the fact that Bill Monroe was never able to visit Australia during his
lifetime. Other selections include "Blackjack", "How Mountain
Girls Can Love", "Nine Pound Hammer", and "Toy Heart".
The Hardrive BlueGrass Band has managed to bring together an imposing assortment
of adeptly executed bluegrass that is completely entertaining from start
to finish.
HARD TO FIND RECORDS
REVIEW "Driven", June 2000 Newsletter
"The Hardrive Blue Grass Band is Australia's most traditional Bluegrass band. Featuring high-lonesome vocals and great instrumentals from a traditional line-up of banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and double bass, their music will give you a genuine taste of Kentucky Bluegrass. Hardrive play the traditional and original music of Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs with power and passion."
This statement is taken from the liner notes and anyone who has heard them, and has any soul at all, will have no trouble in agreeing.
There are a few top Bluegrass bands in Australia and Hardrive is unquestionably one of them. The very experienced line-up includes Peter Sweatman - rhythm and lead guitar and lead vocals. Peter is one of the best front-men in the business, (other bands could learn a lot from careful observation of him in that role), and possess a great voice highly suited to the music. He too brings a lot of experience to the group following long service with the Melbourne Bluegrass Band, Dixie Does Bluegrass and other bands, well known to anyone who attend the Harrietville or Ausgrass Conventions.
Nick Dear is an outstanding fiddler and mandolinist and sings tenor and lead vocals with a definite passion. Pete and Nick combine on some fine old-style duet vocals. Fiddlin' Nick is well known as a great instrumentalist with a hard-driving sound. One of my fond memories is when a visiting American mandolinist, who was a very worthy featured artists at Ausgrass, asked Nick to join him on stage. He said, "Come up here Nick, but don't bring your mandolin!" He knew a threat when he saw one! So Nick brought the house down with his fiddle instead!
Mick Harrison is a very hot five-string banjo picker and is frequently heard in a number of line-ups at Harrietville, Ausgrass and elsewhere. Mick is a leading exponent of the original and best Scruggs style and is noted for his J.D. Crowe-esque backup and lead work. Mick is one of Melbourne's finest young musicians.
Lachlan Dear is featured on upright bass and is keeping up the family tradition. He also regularly performs with the Davidson Brothers appearing under a variety of names such as The Blue Grasshoppers. If you want to know something about Bluegrass just ask Lachlan. For a young fellow he is steeped in the music and has a surprising knowledge of all things Bluegrass, especially Del McCoury!
This is a great CD! It contains a few originals by Nick (one offering a nice tribute to Bill Monroe) and also by Peter. If you are really into Bluegrass you will love this.
REVIEW: CANBERRA TIMES, 26/6/00
Hardrive Bluegrass Band
This is high quality bluegrass music from this Victorian band. A four piece firmly within the mainstream of bluegrass, with a lineup of guitar, banjo, fiddle/mandolin and string bass with two part vocals with the right “high lonesome” harmonies on the choruses.
The material is a mix of songs from many of the big names of bluegrass: the Stanley Brothers, Grandpa Jones, JD Crowe, Bill Monroe and Merle Travis as well as several by fiddle/mandolin player Nick Dear.
Those by Dear are among the best on the CD with Say Old Man a classic bluegrass song - as well as a tribute to Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass - and the instrumentals Easter Monday Mine and Rosine Waltz fitting seamlessly into the tradition.
The Rosine Waltz features some very sweet mandolin playing in the Monroe style.
Dear is otherwise a member of acoustic band Cajun Roux, along with 12 year old son Lachlan Dear, who contributes solid and dependable bass lines throughout this recording.
Peter Sweatman's guitar establishes a solid rhythm and his vocals aptly suit the songs. Mick Harrison adds find Scruggs style banjo picking to round out the group. This is a recording to equal most of what is coming out of the US and as good a bluegrass recording as you will find from this country.
Graham McDonald
Hardrive Bluegrass Band - John Taylor Board Member, National Folk Festival
Anyone lucky enough to be at Canyonleigh NSW in the middle of winter 1997 could not have missed the Hardrive Bluegrass Band from Victoria. From that night they have quickly established a reputation for high quality traditional bluegrass
.This performance was repeated at the Harrietville Bluegrass Convention of October 1997. Hardrive went on to present their credentials on a national level with appearances at the National Folk Festival in Canberra over East 1998.
In June 1998, a short tour of NSW followed, with a return visit to Canberra, with the band playing once again to an enthusiastic response from the usually conservative Canberrans who clearly remembered the band from Easter. This was followed by a trip to the West for the Nannup Folk Festival.
The band has maintained regular work in Victoria, along with appearances at Port Fairy Folk Festival and regular visits to NSW and the ACT for Ausgrass Bluegrass Convention and the National Folk Festival 2000 where they launched their superlative, "Driven" - a must have in any bluegrass collection. This CD mixes Bluegrass standards from the Monroe/Stanley Brothers/Flatt and Scruggs repertoire with stunning original songs and instrumentals by both Nick Dear and Pete Sweatman. These originals are at once new but absolutely true to the Monroe tradition - particularly "Easter Monday Mine" That number and the Monroe tribute song "Say Old Man" were featured in a recent local ABC radio programme focussing on Australian Bluegrass performers.
The combination of Pete Sweatman (vocals, guitar), Nick Dear (vocals, mandolin/fiddle), Mick Harrison (banjo) and Lachlan Dear (bass) is unbeatable. Flawless harmony singing, foot-stamping rhythm and extraordinary musicianship guarantee one hell of a show.
A great touch of authenticity for the band is their choice of traditional suits and white hats (another Monroe-ism), which does much to enhance an already professional stage presence.
I have listened to and followed Hardrive closely over the last 3 years. I guarantee that a Hardrive gig is not to be missed. If you do, be prepared to have all your mates talking about it.