Easter – the crowds have arrived and Busselton and the surrounding areas have virtually doubled in population for at least a few days. The beaches are packed, as are the wineries and micro-breweries.

Raksha (grandson Josh’s band) have been down here for the week-end to record a single, and to play a gig at the Beer Farm. Alice, Paul, Tim and Josh are down here camping nearby, along with all the other members of Raksha, and some of their families and friends – quite a crowd.

We firstly caught up with the family at a local beach yesterday (minus Josh – who was busy at the recording studio).

Paul had a go in one of the boys canoes, and also checked out another canoe being used for fishing. I think a similar fishing canoe has been added to his ‘wish list’ – perhaps when we return next spring from our upcoming caravan trip.

Today we all met up again at the Beer Farm for Raksha’s gig. Paul (Riley) was enthralled at how much the band have improved since he last heard them. He was in the UK in January when the band stayed here with me rehearsing for the Busselton Battle of the Bands, so didn’t have the pleasure of becoming familiar with some of their current sounds. They’re certainly growing in professionalism, and their repertoire is becoming quite diversified. I don’t think they stick strictly to any particular style of music. There’s touches of Indi Rock, Indi Folk, Reggae, Jazz, and apparently they also throw in some Psychedelic Rock (whatever that is), or so I’m told. I don’t have much of an ear for recognition of any particular music type. I only know what I like, and having become familiar with quite a lot of Raksha’s songs,  I’m quite liking what I hear.

It’s hard to get a clear photo with the all of the members of the band in it. The one below was about the best I could manage that included all of the six members together on stage. Apologies Ethan – your face is hidden behind all those lovely curls.

They only play their own original tracks. I tend to think that’s a bit of a shame when playing to an audience completely new to their sounds. Something familiar played well will always get ears tuned in the right direction immediately, whereas unfamiliar sounds always takes considerably longer to imprint into peoples consciousness. My thoughts are that if the first song is familiar and then another familiar song is thrown in every three or four songs when playing to a new audience it’ll get the crowds attention earlier, and keep their interest long enough for the band to showcase their own sounds. When it comes down to it though, I guess it’s not about achieving fame and fortune,  it’s about a group of young people together having some fun. They’re certainly having a ball. It brings them a lot of pleasure to stay true to their own original material – so I guess why not.

There was quite a crowd there. Getting served for drinks required considerable patience. The meals queue was even worse. Paul queued for the best part of 20 minutes to place a meal order only to be told as he was nearing the front of the queue to come back in half an hour as they’d run of meal buzzers. We decided going without lunch would be easier than returning to queue again later. Fortunately, Alice and Paul G had ordered to much and took pity on us with a basket of chips.

The following photo of our friends Kay and Brian Love with their daughter and three lovely grandchildren took me back a few years. I can remember many, many family photos with Tim and Josh in them when they were a similar age to Mitch with the same finger pose…. Must be a boy thing!

I didn’t manage to pin Alice, Paul G, Tim and Josh down altogether for a family photo – perhaps tomorrow when they come here for dinner. I know both Alice and Tim aren’t fond of posing in front of a camera so fingers crossed they’ll all be feeling up to humouring me…. Watch this space.