Nick Parnell - percussionist: Ron lends an ear in the Outback region of South Australia
The 2009 Adelaide Fridge takes centre stage in mad March giving Adelaide a cultural feast. We caught up with one of the performers at a rrehearsal session at The Promethean in Grote Street.
Percussionist Nick Parnell and pianist Leigh Harrold were going through their paces practicing De Bussy's Clair de Lune - one of many pieces Nick will perform at upcoming Fringe performances.
Nick Parnell is one of Australia's leading percussionists having mixed it with the Adelaide and Western Australian Symphony Orchestras, the Australian String Quartet and even the Russian Ballet. It's been a roller coaster ride for a South Aussie boy from the bush who started out pounding away to the beat of Bon Jovi and other classic rock'n'roll bands of the 80s.
Nick Parnell: "I originally got into music wanting to be a rock drummer and I played in lots of rock bands to start off with. Then I branched out more which took me into web of percussion."
Trace the Parnell story back to its roots and you end up in the town of Orroroo, 270 kilometres north of Adelaide. It's a small farming community on the edge of Goyders Line where the locals make do with what they can. But isolation certainly has its compensations for a percussionist - you can make as much racket as you like and the neighbours won't complain.
The shearing shed and the sheep yards at Genroy Estate have long reverberated to a riotous cacophony ever since Nick - as a ten year old - began tapping away among the wool fleeces and wool presses.
Nick Parnell: "This is where we had the original 'Rhythms to Woolbales' concert."
The Rhythms to Woolbales event was started by Nick and his sister Susan and was originally staged in their father John's Shearing shed. Now the two young Parnell entrepreneurs have moved it to the Blacksmith's Chatter - a refurbished workshop where the Parnell's transport empire thrived for well over three generations.
Nick Parnell: "I'm really the black sheep of the family. Both of my sisters went working on the land and married farmers and shearers and I decided I wanted to become a musician and headed off and did that."
From playing pots and pans and old Milo tins - the Parnell percussive sound has become a little more sophisticated - with the rose wood, jarrah and steel pipes of the merimba filling spaces like the Blacksmith's Chatter in Orroroo.
Come March, Nick will be playing at The Promethean in Grote Street. The next Rhythms and Woolbales Concert at Orroroo will be held on April 25th. And for CD's of Nick's music go to his website. If you have any furhter questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Adelaide Fringe
February 27 - March 22, 2009
www.adelaidefringe.com.auNick Parnell Chill Out Sessions
Promethean Theatre
Sun 1 March - 2pm Sat 7 March - 7.30pm Fri 13 March - 11pm
Fringetix 1300 374 643Rhythms & Woolbales
Blacksmiths Chatter
Orroroo Sat 25 April
Bookings 0427 581 302Published 22nd February 2009
