BAND INFO >DIAMOND DAVE AND THE DOODADDIES (AUSTRALIA)

DIAMOND DAVE AND THE DOODADDIES (AUSTRALIA)

Hailing from Perth West Australia the ‘Doodaddies’ are a four piece Chicago style blues band featuring the passionate and brilliant guitar chops of David Brewer and the sensational harmonica playing of ‘Diamond’ Dave Billing. Combine the two Daves with Yugon Chobanoff on drums and the upright bass of Bob Thomson and you have a red hot swinging blues band.

‘Diamond’ Dave Billing masterfully demonstrates a full understanding of the many styles of the harmonica – from the expressive acoustic approach to the driving amplified style. He also plays Chromatic harmonica. Dave has a passion for the harp and often refers to the instrument as the ‘hearts horn’ a term borrowed from the late great bluesman Paul Butterfield.

Dave Billing spent the late 1980s and most of the 90s performing with his band the ‘Mighty Mudcats’ .The Mudcats played the taverns, bars, clubs and hotels in and around Perth. The band also performed at Festivals in Fremantle, Scarborough and Bridgetown where they picked up an award as most outstanding electric blues act.

In 1996 Dave was the support for the great American Blue Harp legend Charlie Musselwhite at the Perth Blues club. The Perth blues club promote Dave’s harp playing and Dave organises a ‘Harp Attack” at the club once or twice a year showcasing the Doodadddies and the many excellent Blues Harp players in town.

Dave and his very good friend Gary “Gus” Collinson run fun and enjoyable Blues Harp Workshops.  In 2007 at the Fairbridge festival in a room full to overflowing with eager Harmonicists, Dave and Gary tutored 200 harp students.

Dave Brewer played with the ‘Elks’ in the late 70s and shifted base from Perth to Sydney touring up and down the East coast.
In 1982 the Elks disbanded and Brewer stayed on in Sydney and formed a lasting partnership with harmonica / vocalist “continental’ Robert Susz and joined his soul /R&B band “the Dynamic Hypnotics’ as well as the ‘Mighty Reapers’.

During the 90s the ‘Mighty Reapers ‘ Released five CDs for Rufus record label and played support for many visiting blues acts including BB King, Albert King ,Buddy Guy , Screaming Jay Hawkins and Stevie Ray Vaughan.   Dave Brewer is an outstanding guitarist!!

Members of the Doodaddies have performed at various festivals in Australia and internationally eg. The North Sea Jazz festival in Holland, Montreal Jazz festival, Bangkok International Jazz festival, various festivals in Germany and the Byron Bay Blues Fest on the East Coast of Australia.

The Doodaddies cover a solid selection of uplifting grooves including swinging shuffles, soul, boogaloo.’Cry in your beer blues and more! Diamond Dave’s Doodadddies perform a number of highly commendable live shows in and around Perth. They have played the Bridgetown, Fairbridge and Araluen’s ‘Blues in the night” festivals and in 2006 played a great opening performance at the Perth Concert Hall for the legendary bluesman Buddy Guy.