Way back in 1998, during some Something For Kate downtime, Paul Dempsey pulled together a few friends and fellow musicians to work on a ’side solo project’ which became known as Scared Of Horses.

The subsequent album release, titled An Empty Flight, featured music written and played entirely by Dempsey, and was set to the lyrics and vocals of some pretty innovative musicians (including Heinz Reigler of Not From There; Jamie Hutchings of Bluebottle Kiss; Glenn Richards of Augie March; Stephanie Ashworth of Sandpit at that time, but who later joined Something For Kate). The album sold out it’s initial pressing pretty darn quickly, and it’s been almost impossible to get hold of ever since. Now, 12 years later, it’s available on iTunes… making my copy of the initial pressing much less valuable than it was last month…

Little known fact: Josh Pyke named one of his early bands after the album An Empty Flight.

As I sit in my office here in Sydney I am AGAIN saddened by the fact that another icon Australia music venue is closing its doors.

But this one holds even more sentimental value than most as the Tote, on the corner of Johnston and Wellington Streets in Collingwood, was not only my old local but a venue that gave me some of my first gigs when I started playing music, it was the venue that hosted the very last Best Of The Brat, I went to two very rock’n'roll wedding receptions at, we had one my best mate Marcus’s 21st there so our bands could play and I saw some of the best and formative gigs there, from the Powder Monkeys and The Hellacopters to The White Stripes, Andre Williams and JET.

This venue to me was as iconic as CBGBS and sadly like CBGBS, all amazing things must come to an end.

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Paul Dempsey and band have kicked off the Everything Is True tour in support of the new album. But at a sold out gig at The Corner Hotel, it was an occasion to celebrate the new band as well as a very special 15-year anniversary… here’s more from PD himself:

It’s been a memorable start to the tour and it’s been particularly great to spend the last two nights at the Corner Hotel which is one my favourite venues and somewhere that SFK have also had a lot of memorable shows…

Richard, who books the shows at the Corner, is the same guy who gave SFK ourvery first gig and it was great to be joined onstage by Clint and Steph on Saturday night to mark the occasion of 15 years to the day since that first show… Thank you to everyone that was there to share that little milestone with us… My ears won’t soon forget it..

It’s also been great hanging about with old friends Parallel Lions and new friends Leena and Will and getting to hear them play amazing sets each night, I strongly encourage getting along early to see them… This week myself, Patrick John Bourke, John Patrick Hedigan, Shannon James John Fitzpatrick O’Vanderwert (as well as the mascot and the German) will roll on into NSW and we’re very much looking forward to it…

Thanks again.

Sounds like the audience loved it too. Here are some tweets from the show (we love that realtime commentary):

• Two Facts: Cointreau is shit hot, and Paul Dempsey can pick a support act. – waigo
• Awesome… @leenamusic and I were soundchecking her song ‘Mean Old Clock’ and Paul Dempsey jumps on-stage and sings the high harmony. F-Yeh! – willudall
• Paul Dempsey: Amazing. The Something for Kate appearance: Fucking brilliant! I had a bucket of a time!… Ramona was a waitress. – tulbot
• Something For Kate reunion last night at The Corner. Felt sorry for Paul Dempsey’s ‘new’ band having to play after them. Hard act to follow. – amurfett
  

Paul Dempsey, of Something for Kate, is recording a solo album. In fact, he has recorded it and is now finishing the mixing in LA. He’s posted a few behind-the-scenes over on his site. Take a watch and listen closely.

Paul Dempsey on Vimeo.