Doggn It

Graeme Druce and John Cupit are just two 50-something-year-old men who’ve always loved blues music. With 40 years of experience playing a variety of instruments (they play six instruments each), they decided two years ago to give this music thing a proper go. So Doggn It was formed and luckily it did, because they’ve found they’re actually quite good.

“Graham and I had played four gigs… we weren’t quite ready but I entered us in the Sydney Blues Challenge and we won it!” says John Cupit.

Perhaps the judges saw the duo were taking the blues genre to an interesting place. Defying the traditional blues structures of a three chord, twelve bar turnaround, Doggn It plays, “eight bar blues, ten bar blues, even sixteen bar blues,” says Cupit. It’s just what comes naturally to them.

“After probably having this frustration built up for 40 years, all these songs are just falling out now!” says Cupit. But it’s not just blues they’re passionate about, “we just love writing about Australia,” he says, adding, “we’re blues storytellers.”

From singing about what it’s like to wake up in the bush, to living through the depression on the Hungry Mile, Doggn It are a unique Aussie blues band. (MT)

Apr 13 (and every two weeks after), The Merton Hotel, 38 Victoria Rd, Rozelle, free, (02) 8065 9577, doggnit.com.au

BY MELODY TEH