Burger Joint Live on Fridays
The NT News live on Fridays returns this dry season, transforming brown’s mart courtyard into the perfect venue to celebrate the end of the week and the start of the weekend, whilst enjoying the sounds of superb local talent.
Joining the line up this May is duo Burger Joint – expat Darwin lads Mark Gray and Gerard Boenkendorf – who can’t wait to get back to the Top End to share their tunes.
You’ve both played music in the NT, but not as a duo. How did you end up joining forces as Burger Joint?
We used to jam at Nirvana jam nights, which is where we really became good mates. We also played in the Natalie Pellegrino Trio, and again in the Moving Targets. We were always mucking around in sound check, which is where we realised we clicked musically. We got together as a duo for the Buskers by the Creek Festival in Currumbin. We got together for a jam, and in five days wrote an album worth of songs – then we just kept going.
Tell us about the style of music that you play together, and how it differs from the other stuff you’ve done in Darwin.
We play music that makes us laugh. When we used to jam we would just go ridiculous, and there were no other band members to tell us to reel it in, so we suddenly had freedom to just play music that is fun, and most of the time the audiences enjoy it as much as us.
Our music differs from other stuff we’ve done as we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel but just have fun with it. Also the fact that we’re using live looping, drums and guitar and creating a big sound (for a duo) based around funky riffs and humorous lyrics helps set what we are doing now apart from what we’ve done before.
Darwin - greatest city in Australia - why did you leave?!
GB: The combination of meeting a beautiful woman and being closer to my ageing family drew me to relocate to the coast. I can swim and surf all year ‘round there.
MG: I am still not sure, I still miss it all the time. I guess I just wanted to see what else was out there and also to be closer to my nieces and nephews.
If you had to describe your own role in Burger Joint as a body part (don’t be rude), what would it be?
MG: I think I am the feet, keeping the groove and moving it along.
GB: Fingers McGinley.
You’re obviously great mates, with some similar philosophies - is it true you both also ride the same motorbike? Have you done some nice rides together?
Gerard had a Triumph Bonneville first, and once I rode his I had to get one too. We love taking big “band meeting” rides which normally involve us riding as far as possible for a schooner. We cross the border (into NSW) most rides - but there are still a few places we haven’t ridden to.
NT News Live on Fridays | EVERY FRI | 5-7PM | BAR 4.30PM | BROWN’S MART COURTYARD | FREE | brownsmart.com.au
Burger Joint | FRI 18 MAY | 5PM AT NT NEWS LIVE ON FRIDAYS | FREE | 8PM AT DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB | $10 | Darwinrailwayclub.org
