The year was 2010. Feraliza was living in the Illawara area of Southern Sydney, catching trains from busking spot to busking spot and getting by from the coins of strangers, in the ordinary ways of a minstrel. This particular day, she had smiled and sung and played for the people like she always did, only she seemed weighed down by something more than the familiar weight of her guitar case and jangling coin pouch as she made her way back to the station.
As she sat down on the train, a tall man dressed in a motley striped suit jacket and befeathered top hat with a pointy moustache sat down opposite her. "Good afternoon," said the cosmic stranger, "I don't mean to intrude by sitting next to you and speaking like this, do you mind at all?"
"No, not at all" said Feraliza, with the raising of an eyebrow and sparkle of the eye in recognition that she had met the man before, but not in the past, but the future, or in an alternate reality.
"I can tell you are a traveler, an authentic minstrel, and perhaps one who tends to feel out of place in a town like this. I'm compelled to remind you that you will always belong exactly where you are. Right now, hearing these words. Tomorrow, no one can tell, but remember, when it is your time to go, your train will always be exactly on time. Thank you for your music"
said the mysterious messenger to Feraliza as he twirled out of his seat and skipped off the train onto the platform, waving at her through the windows as he strolled away to the next place he was compelled to show up.
Never did she see this fellow again, but she will not forget that moment.
That night, Feraliza wrote a song:
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This version of Cosmic train was produced in 2013 at the Mothership Musical Retreat in Uki. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jake Mann of Kit 'n' Kaboodle Productions. It features his skills on the bass, percussion and keys and Danidoo playing the melodica. |
The very next day, Feraliza picked up her guitar and walked to the station. She did not look at the clock or the timetable. She didn't even stop at the ticket machine. She simply stepped onto the very next train to pull up and she rode it right to the end of the line and found herself in Bondi Junction. For some reason she had not been back to Bondi since she had first arrived in Sydney a couple of months ago.
She pulled out her guitar and sang the songs and the people threw coins and she smelled the salt air and knew the beach was close enough to walk to. As she put away her coins and picked up the guitar to walk off, a dapper looking young man carrying what looked like a guitar on his back, stopped and complimented her music. The guitar turned out to be a bass and this new friend was Yiss Mill. They got to talking and pretty soon decided to wander to the beach and get something to eat and have a jam after.
As the two of them meandered down towards the sea, Feraliza pricked up her ears and said "was that drumming?"
"what was that?" he replied
"I thought I heard a...."
She pulled out her guitar and sang the songs and the people threw coins and she smelled the salt air and knew the beach was close enough to walk to. As she put away her coins and picked up the guitar to walk off, a dapper looking young man carrying what looked like a guitar on his back, stopped and complimented her music. The guitar turned out to be a bass and this new friend was Yiss Mill. They got to talking and pretty soon decided to wander to the beach and get something to eat and have a jam after.
As the two of them meandered down towards the sea, Feraliza pricked up her ears and said "was that drumming?"
"what was that?" he replied
"I thought I heard a...."
They all ended up in a cave on the cliffs overlooking the ocean singing songs and talking about philosophy and adventure until the sun came up.
Suddenly a voice interjected from aloft. It was coming from a high balcony across the road.
"Oi! You two with the guitars! Where you off to? Come jam with us!"
The accent was un-mistakeably Kiwi and Feraliza and Yiss were invited in and made to feel right at home in an apartment full of music lovers. They jammed well past midnight until the neighbors started banging on the walls and told them to cut it out.
It was getting quite late so they bid their new friends goodnight and carried on with their walk to the beach.
When they got there, there were fireflies twirling their flaming toys and a circle of larakins with some drums.
The two sat down and joined in this diverse little gathering of vagrants and vagabonds.
Soon enough another most remarkable individual followed the lights and sounds towards the throng with another guitar. She quietly sat down and started to play and Feraliza knew when she heard her sing that this was a genuinely original performer with a fire in the belly and a lion's roar. A few words revealed she was from Germany and called herself Ilona "The Walker". She liked to just wander around with her guitar and see what happened. This was certainly a trait Feraliza could relate to!
They all ended up in a cave on the cliffs overlooking the ocean singing songs and talking about philosophy and adventure until the sun came up.
It was here they decided the logical thing to do was to head to Ilona's place in Townsville and start out on a walking tour, with a trolley full of instruments.
This clipping from the Townsville bulletin in May 2010 captured the moment the intrepid journeyers set off. Yes, that is another guitarist!
Mark Hillman from Townsville joined the band when they met him while busking on Flinders St and he caught onto the vibe they had going. Marks virtuosity brought a whole new flavor and set of songs to their expanding repertoire.
Between all of their originals, some of each of their most beloved covers and improvised jamming in the moment, this unconventional band could play all night and walk all day! They were always open to spontaneous new band members popping out of the back alleys or paddocks to join in when they hit the country pubs or roadsides along the way to perform their music.
The Walkers certainly needed for nothing once they embarked on this adventure, everywhere they went the people treated them as honored guests and offered them all a wandering ensemble could possibly need.
That is to say, the only thing they often lacked was sleep!
The other important band members to mention were Norah the Dog and Bernie Bear, who you see lying on the floor in the photo above, perhaps snoozing or contemplating the ever changing sky. Bernie was our mascot and a truly legendary traverser of maps who had rollicking stories to tell in those dark beady eyes.
Mark Hillman from Townsville joined the band when they met him while busking on Flinders St and he caught onto the vibe they had going. Marks virtuosity brought a whole new flavor and set of songs to their expanding repertoire.
Between all of their originals, some of each of their most beloved covers and improvised jamming in the moment, this unconventional band could play all night and walk all day! They were always open to spontaneous new band members popping out of the back alleys or paddocks to join in when they hit the country pubs or roadsides along the way to perform their music.
The Walkers certainly needed for nothing once they embarked on this adventure, everywhere they went the people treated them as honored guests and offered them all a wandering ensemble could possibly need.
That is to say, the only thing they often lacked was sleep!
The other important band members to mention were Norah the Dog and Bernie Bear, who you see lying on the floor in the photo above, perhaps snoozing or contemplating the ever changing sky. Bernie was our mascot and a truly legendary traverser of maps who had rollicking stories to tell in those dark beady eyes.
The picture above taken by Mark's Mum on the day of departure clearly shows the broken arm that Yiss, the multi talented percussion powerhouse had in a cast during the trip. I still don't really understand how he did it, but he sure did! Check out his more recent work with Aljamia.
The band played their last show together at the Cairns Winter Solstice Festival before their own paths all took them in different directions, but will always remain connected by this extraordinary experience and the music they shared and the similar attitude to life each of these characters has which drew them to one another.
Here are the full lyrics to the song, Cosmic Train, by Feraliza:
Waiting on the edge of time
For the cosmic train to roll on by
And take me to an unknown destination
I bide my time, sitting on a sign
Down at the station
Practicing patience when
Oooo
The whistle blows, here we go again
Woooot Woooooooot
The whistle blows,
Here we go again
Stepping on, stepping in,
The setting sun is at the rim
And I'm on the move again
My heart is broken
And growing again
My friends are always here
Wherever, whenever, whoever so ever we've been
Regressing, digressing, addressing, progressing
And testing and resting and then....
The whistle blows, here we go again
Woot woooooot!
The whistle blows,
here we go again
If I trust in my feet and I keep to the beat
Then I know I'll be sweet
Time is on my side
I bide my time
Sitting on a sign
Down at the station
Practicing patience when
Oooh The whistle blows
Here we go again!
Woot woooot
The whistle blows,
here we go again
Repeat till end
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