What was it like being a musician?

Playing music was an exciting life, though I wish I could have done it full-time and earned more from it. I started at the Napier Hotel, playing Friday nights from 7 to 10 for five pounds. When I moved to the Retreat in Collingwood, I’d play Saturday nights for five pounds. Back at the Napier, I got five pounds for Fridays and seven pounds for Saturdays, playing from 5 to 10 since pubs closed at 10:15 in those days.

I discovered there were other musicians around Richmond, Fitzroy, Collingwood, and West Melbourne. On Sunday afternoons, you could go to hotels for a counter lunch and there’d be music playing - it was really the start of karaoke. They’d have a master of ceremonies introducing artists, and people could get up and sing three songs maximum. I’d sit in with the bands as a backup artist, and if someone brought sheet music, I could pick up the keys on piano and join in. We called it jamming. Anyone who brought a musical instrument could join in, and we’d end up with a little band. Those were good times, especially around the Richmond area. There was a real sense of community.