Al Buchan | Musician/band

Al Buchan

Phone: +61 438 386 237

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• Musician/band

25.01.2022 RECOGNITION & REWARD RECEIVED I applied for a grant to record a song to recognise the heroes of Covid-19 and I got it! The band and I will now record and release the song ‘Heroes’ by David Bowie along with a film clip celebrating the efforts of the shelf stackers, the truck drivers, postal workers, the journalists, police, security and medical staff who worked while the rest of us remained safe at home. Thanks to Caroline and her team at Arts North West and Jacinta at The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth! https://www.northerndailyleader.com.au//creativity-thrive/

23.01.2022 CH-CH-CH-CHANGES I played one of the final live music concerts in Australia last night (in Mudgee) and I received a lot of sympathic support and positive feedback. Hopefully I will be able to ride this storm and adapt to the current situation. I have been looking into live streaming services and how to hold virtual concerts online, although there are some issues with song ownership and royalties that will have to be sorted out by YouTube and other streaming services befo...re musicians can publish arrangements of other artist's songs (ie "covers"). This pandemic is going to force the online giants to address this issue and make some big changes (which will be good for our industry) and it might also encourage musicians to promote their own music more enthusiastically and audiences might start requesting artists like me to play my own songs and that would be a good thing too. As you may know, I have written a lot of songs, some of which are available now for free on Spotify etc and you can also purchase my songs through itunes. My plan is to start recording and release a lot more of my music online and restructure my income base. Please feel free to browse my existing music catalogue using the link below. Ultimately, this pandemic is going to change the way we listen to music and it will change the way we value music, as consumers. I reckon we will all come out of this with a brand new appreciation for music and the arts in general.. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/al-buchan/959413460

22.01.2022 SOME EXCITING NEWS HERE I released the debut song with my new band, The Buchaneers, toda! I was fortunate to receive a grant from Arts North West to help fund the recording which was mastered by Nathan at https://www.facebook.com/solarsoundfoundry and a video as well by Terence at https://m.facebook.com/IXLATFILM/ so stay tuned for that! In the meantime you can head over and check out the song why the link below > https://ditto.fm/heroes-alandthebuchaneers

22.01.2022 MY ORIGINAL MUSIC RELEASED I’m now working on my original music during this lock down and it’s going to take some time, so I wanted to introduce you to my back catalogue, starting with this track from 2014, What’s Wrong With The World. This song seems so relevant today when you watch the video and read the lyrics, it’s a scary time right now and I hope you are safe and well. ... APPLE ITUNES You can buy my music here > https://music.apple.com/au/artist/al-buchan/959413460 SPOTIFY Listen to my latest Ep (for free) https://ditto.fm/after-the-gig YOUTUBE VIDEO What’s Wrong With The World by Al Buchan > https://youtu.be/rHFJZLuryog

22.01.2022 COME ALONG & SING ALONG Next Friday night 2nd October from 8pm I’ll be playing the hits of the seventies (solo) at the Gunnedah Services Club and I hope you can make it. https://facebook.com/events/s/my-next-big-gig/670748560203075/?ti=icl

19.01.2022 I’LL BE ON THE RADIO AGAIN Tune in, to 88.9fm Tamworth this Wednesday 10:15am to catch the details of our support campaign for the unsung heroes of Covid-19 and listen to the debut single from my new band, Al & The Buchaneers https://ditto.fm/heroes-alandthebuchaneers

18.01.2022 I’M OKAY & I HOPE YOU ARE TOO I am safe & well, staying home and preparing to spend to next 2 weeks in my recording studio, working on a new album of all original songs! I hope to be able to bring you a sneak peak and will be streaming a live performance soon. Thank you for your support! Stay safe.

18.01.2022 I MADE THE PAPER AGAIN Great to see local businesses getting behind this good venture! https://www.northerndailyleader.com.au//banding-together-/

17.01.2022 PLEASE ADD YOUR COMMENTS HERE It’s been 6 months since I last toured and I’m hoping we can get back to enjoying some great live music again at long last. If there’s a venue you’d like me to play, please leave a comment here with venue details and I’ll contact them this week. Thank you Fingers crossed...!

17.01.2022 IT’S A BUZZ TO BE BACK This Saturday I will be performing 10am till 12noon at the Tamworth Grower’s Market in Bicentennial Park on Kable Avenue. Bring a folding chair and a groovy hat to create your own shade or sit beneath a tree and sing along to the hits of the 70s! https://www.facebook.com/1431343753838473/posts/2506425699663601/?d=n

16.01.2022 UNSUNG HEROES WANTED A local video is now being produced using the song ‘Heroes’ (David Bowie) performed by local band, Al & The Buchaneers, in recognition of the work that was carried out by those businesses that remained open during the Covid lockdown. This project has the backing of Arts North West and, right now, businesses across the Hunter New England region are being asked to submit a photo of their staff ‘at work’ to be included in the video for release in August. Al...l business are welcome to submit their photo for inclusion in the video and this may include but is not limited to the following service industries: - The farmers who kept working the land to produce food for our nation during the lockdown - The pickers & packers - The food distribution staff - The truck drivers - Petrol refinery and service station staff -The transportation industry, shipping, dock workers, airline staff and road maintenance crews - The electricity supply staff - Town water crews - Telephone services - Council workers - Maintenance crews - The broadcasters - The Internet providers - Television news reporters - Journalists - Mechanics - Bus drivers - Taxi drivers - Delivery drivers - Food outlets, chefs, catering crews and kitchen staff - Breweries & bottleshops! - The supermarket staff, the shelf stackers - Security staff - The teachers and our school children who had their lives totally disrupted, lost contact with their school mates and had to put up with a big change in their lives. The aim of this project is to publicly praise the unsung heroes of COVID-19, the people who kept working ‘behind the scenes, behind the cameras, out of the spotlight, those people who kept our lives ticking along as close to normal as possible, while we all, including the musicians who participated in this project, stayed safe at home. says Al Buchan, project coordinator. Please send your photo and details to [email protected] Thank you Ps. The song, ‘Heroes’ has just been released and it is available on all media via the link below > https://ditto.fm/heroes-alandthebuchaneers See more

14.01.2022 RIGHT BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGAN On my 12th birthday, Australia’s biggest pop band, Sherbert, released their sensational single entitled ‘Summer Love’ and that song sparked my lifelong love of music. The year was 1975 and I was fortunate to live in a middle class family at a time when television was in its prime and the highly influential pop music culture phenomenon, Countdown, was being aired every Sunday night; and I lapped it up! Check out this video of the band performi...ng live to see what all the fuss was about. https://youtu.be/CfhuV_HYN2w Consequently, I made my own drum sticks from 2 pieces of dowel, carefully chiseling tips to resemble real drum sticks and I up turned several apple cartons and arranged them in a semi circle to emulate a drumkit. I was all set to become a great drummer and I was about to become a teenager. Watching this video reminds me of the motivation I received from the bands of the 70s as a teenager and why my destiny was directed although, sadly my parents refused to buy me a real drumkit (We’re not having drums in this house! the words I recall my mother uttering). Luckily I talked her into buying me a guitar and that’s where my journey really began. Since then I’ve always been fascinated by rhythms and, through an astounding turn of events in my life, I wound up teaching drums for a living, along with guitar. So here I am now in my home studio drumming to one of my favourite songs from 1977 which I hope to soon release. It was a huge hit for David Bowie and recording songs from the 70s has brought me right back to my youth, some 45 years later! Wow... See more

13.01.2022 LET THE GIGS BEGIN AGAIN At last! An announcement about life after the lockdown for hospitality staff, hoteliers, foodies, waiters, musicians, foodies, promoters, soundies and security! Finally... HOORAY

13.01.2022 SING OUTSIDE THIS SATURDAY The time has finally arrived, at long last, to play my first gig in 5 months! This Saturday 10am till 12noon at the Tamworth Farmer’s Market in the Kabel Ave park. Please join me!

11.01.2022 MUSIC AT THE MARKETS I had a great time this morning, playing my first gig since the lockdown in March and this provide a much needed boost to my moral and to regenerate my musical artistry. ThankYou to Gerry, Sam, Adele, Ryan, Heather and my friends Nerida, Bernadette and everyone who bought my Cd! Stay safe and I hope to see you again sometime soon. Cheers from Al Buchan www.facebook.com/albuchanmusic

10.01.2022 THANK YOU MUDGEE BREWING Full house, encore and I sold all my Cds! Best gig ever!!! So grateful for the generousity of the crowd. It may be my last gig for a while, but it was definitely worth it! Thank you so much!

08.01.2022 ARRR YO HO HO I bought a few props from the $2 shop for my new band, The Buchaneers, and of course my 7yo son LOVES the whole idea! Must admit I am kinda loving the pirate thing too! Follow us by searching Al&TheBuchaneers

07.01.2022 FAN PHOTOS FROM FRIDAY Rod & Jen Windrim chose to end their road trip with a surprise stop in Gunnedah to see me sing last night! What a treat!.. wonderful

06.01.2022 1ST GIG SINCE LOCKDOWN THIS SAT 10AM I am grateful to have been asked to perform this Saturday, 29th August, at the reopening of Tamworth Grower’s Market, 10am till 12noon! Hope you can make it https://www.nbnnews.com.au//tamworth-growers-market-hoped/

06.01.2022 UNSUNG HEROES VIDEO LAUNCHED A local band has released a video praising the efforts of businesses that stayed open during the recent lockdown. Al & The Buchaneers, from Tamworth, funded the video and recorded the song ‘Heroes’ by the late David Bowie, with support from Arts North West in Armidale. Businesses across the New England North West submitted photos for the video and the project manager, Al Buchan, says he hopes the video goes ‘viral’. ‘We produced this video a...s a way of saying thank you, to all the workers who turned up when everyone else stayed safe at home. These people deserve our recognition.’ says Al. ‘The pandemic caused chaos, with concerns around even the most basic essentials, such as toilet paper. Still, a lot of people went to work every day to help maintain the services, supplies, technology and information we really needed and those people are the ‘unsung heroes of Covid-19’’ says Al. The video has been released to the public this week on YouTube and the band is happy with the exposure they received through local radio and newspaper articles. Well known Tamworth musicians, Phil Weaver, Steve Whitby and Paul Owen teamed up with Al Buchan to record the song which has spawned a new seventies rock tribute band, Al & The Buchaneers. The song, Heroes, is available on all music platforms and the video can be viewed on YouTube using its title: Unsung Heroes 2020 NSW North West, by Al & The Buchaneers, or by clicking the link below: > https://youtu.be/Y_JbxHbmBZo The band is planning to launch at the 2021 Tamworth Country Music Festival in January with a CD now in production as well. ‘This is the perfect outcome’ says Al, ‘given that the aim of the funding was to activate local arts workers during the lockdown. It certainly did that; and then some! We couldn’t be happier with the result.’ Please share it far and wide! Thank you

05.01.2022 SAT 14th NOVEMBER AT 10am I will be playing at Tamworth Grower’s Market till 12pm and you can expect to hear the sweet songs of the seventies from Bread, America, James Taylor, The Eagles and from British acts Elton John, Rod Stewart, Cat Stevens, as well as Aussie artists, Ross Ryan, Russell Morris, Jon English and Redgum! Free music in the park, lovely. Markets page link > https://m.facebook.com/tamworthgrowersmarket/

05.01.2022 THANK YOU Thanks to everyone who came to my gig tonight especially Rod and Jen Windrim from the coast! It was great to be with you again, cheers!

03.01.2022 HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT It’s been 6 months since the lockdown in March and I am excited to be back playing gigs again.. at last! I’ve been busy in the meantime rehearsing with my band (Al & The Buchaneers) and we released a single (David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’) plus a video in honour of the unsung heroes of Covid 19. I’ll be playing solo this Friday night but I’ll definitely sing Heroes for you ..

02.01.2022 I THINK I FOUND MY NEW GUITAR A super slim Hofner semi solid... classic! I couldn’t put it down.

01.01.2022 Streaming services (like Spotify) make millions selling music whilst only paying a tiny fraction to songwriters (like $0.04) each time a song gets played. At this rate, a songwriter can only make $10,000 if their song gets streamed 1 million times. But it the song only gets streamed 10000 times, the songwriter will only get $400 and 10000 streams is considered pretty good for an indie artist these days! So you can see how stingy this deal is, for songwriters. It’s great for S...potify but in the meantime, it costs $2000 on average to record a song professionally in a recording studio using pro musicians and that doesn’t take into consideration the additional cost of making a film clip to go with the song. So you can see how unfair this deal is, while streamers like Spotify make millions! This petition is asking for 1 cent per stream, which is not a lot to ask. Please sign the petition, to help make songwriting more viable in the digital age. Thank you https://www.change.org/p/daniel-ek-we-d//promote_or_share