bioptext.html

Mal Webb
B.Ed.(music) Melbourne Uni
P.O.Box 1521, St. Kilda, 3182
www.malwebb.com

Bio:

In brief:
Mal Webb: Vocal gymnast, multi-instrumentist and songwriter. Ballads, beatbox and beyond. A jolly jaw dropping journeyman. Eclectic, ebullient and even educational. Mal Webb uses a world of vocal techniques and writing styles and plays guitar, mbira, slide trumpet, chromatic harmonica, a loop recording pedal called Derek and the audience... a lot. A founding member of the Oxo Cubans, Sock and Totally Gourdgeous, he plays sometimes with The Cat Empire and Bomba and did the music for the Lano and Woodley TV show and Wogs Out of Work. Mal played mbira and sang "Eagle Rock" with Ross Wilson on John Safran's Music Jamboree on SBS and did mouthdrums and stuff for Kaya on the X Factor (Channel 10). Ani DiFranco said "You're a freak!" after Mal played support for her. Mal has spent a lot of time mucking about.

In full (or in fool):
Mal Webb, B.Ed.(music) Melbourne Uni
Born in Melbourne in 1966, Mal started learning percussion at the age of 4. This led to singing, piano, moving to Canberra and writing facile pop songs with his brother John for the imaginary band, Spider. At 10, he took up trombone. At 12, and back in Melbourne, he started getting into jazz theory and composition. At 14, he did his first paid gig, playing trombone with a big band at the Hilton Hotel ($80 and a meal: It set quite a precedent!) At 16, he took up bass guitar. From 1984-88, he studied secondary teaching at Melbourne University Institute of Education. At this time, he became very into Ghanaian music with the group Adzohu, as well as being the musical director of the major theatre show, Wogs out of Work. Mal's diverse tastes in music led him to be a member of many groups (6-16 at any one time to the present day). He played the support for David Lee Roth in Melbourne, Australia with Afrodisa (a soucous/hilife band).
1987 saw the start of the Oxo Cubans, a brass, percussion and vocal group that went on to tour much of Australia and release 4 CDs, before taking an extended break in 1996. In the Oxos, Mal became more involved in singing and song writing. In 1994, he toured to the Bogota Theatre Festival (Colombia) with roving circus drumming group, Batacuda (of which he was a founding member). The same year, he took up guitar and began doing solo gigs.
Mal's interest in the vast possibilities of the voice increased and in 1996 he did his first solo a cappella show (for the Boite) and formed the a cappella trio Milo, which became Sock after a change of personnel. It featured 3 men, complex arrangements of swapping parts, vocal drumming and a little comedy. Sock went on to release a CD and tour a little. Also in 1996, Mal began using his (slightly rusty) teaching skills, running workshops in alternative vocal techniques and being a band. His piano composition called Schvink Chass was published in the book, "Piano Miniatures" (Red House) and later recorded by Michael Kieran Harvey. In 1997, Mal got the job writing, playing, singing and recording the music for the ABC TV and Working Title co-production, "The Adventures of Lano and Woodley". The show went for 13 episodes and honed Mal's recording skills. In 1998, he recorded the Sock CD and the award winning CD "Aloukie" by Zulya Kamalova. That year he also began playing trombone and recording with the Overtones, which became Bomba. In 1999, the Sock recording of his song "Roofrack" come runner up in the Canadian Acapella Song Contest (tragically, to a song called "Humpty Dumpty Jumped").
In 1999, Mal recorded his first solo CD, Trainer Wheels. He formed Totally Gourdgeous with Penelope Swales, Carl Pannuzzo and Andrew Clermont, all playing gourd instruments (Mal playing bass, mbira and trumpet). They have recorded 2 CDs and are touring extensively (including Germany, Austria and Slovenia). In 2000, Mal began working with hurdy gurdy player Barb Dwyer. They have toured to France and Germany with their band, Hurly Burly. In 2002, Mal became musical director (and brass teacher!) of theatre company 5 Angry Men for their Melbourne Festival show, The Flag. Mal played mbira and sang "Eagle Rock" with Ross Wilson on John Safran's Music Jamboree on SBS. In the 2003 Australian Science Festival, he performed solo and gave workshops in the physics of "beatbox and beyond" (and he's been invited back). He did mouthdrums and stuff for Kaya on the X Factor (Channel 10). Mal is currently working on his second solo CD, teaching music in a few outback schools around Alice Springs, sitting in with friends like Bomba, Cat Empire, The Bird, Wild Marmalade and Kila whenever possible and touring to Austria, Germany, Ireland and North America. See gigs for more current events.

Mal Webb Solo Blurbs

100 words or less:
Mal Webb: Vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentist and songwriter. Ballads, beatbox and beyond. A jolly jaw dropping journeyman. Eclectic, ebullient and even educational. Mal Webb uses a world of vocal techniques (including pygmy yodelling and Inuit panting) and writing styles. He plays guitar, mbira, slide trumpet, chromatic harmonica, a loop recording pedal called Derek and the audience... a lot. He's a founding member of the Oxo Cubans, Sock and Totally Gourdgeous. Mal has spent a lot of time mucking about.
Like Bobby McFerrin, Aphex Twin and Cole Porter playing scrabble.
www.malwebb.com

75 words or less:
Vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentist and songwriter. Ballads, beatbox and beyond. A jolly jaw dropping journeyman. Eclectic, ebullient and even educational. Mal combines a world of vocal techniques and writing styles with guitar, mbira, slide trumpet, chromatic harmonica, a loop recorder and the audience. He's a founding of the Oxo Cubans, Sock and Totally Gourdgeous. Mal has spent a lot of time mucking about. Like Bobby McFerrin, Aphex Twin and Cole Porter playing scrabble.
www.malwebb.com

40 words or less:
Vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentist and songwriter. Ballads, beatbox and beyond. A jolly jaw dropping journeyman. Eclectic, ebullient and even educational. Mal has spent a lot of time mucking about. Like Bobby McFerrin, Aphex Twin and Cole Porter playing scrabble.
www.malwebb.com

25 words or less:
Mal Webb: Vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentist and songwriter. A jolly jaw dropping journeyman. Ballads, beatbox and beyond. Eclectic, ebullient and even educational.
www.malwebb.com

1 word or less:
La.

Workshop blurb (40words)
Explore every sound possible with a vocal tract and the physics of how it works. Beatbox, throat singing, mic technique, uvular fluttering, looping, pygmy yodelling, distortion and Inuit panting journey the way to being simulteneously the band and lead singer.

Stage requirements for Mal Webb.
I'm easy... 1 vocal mic and 1 DI for guitar (I also play mbira (thumb piano), but I use the guitar's bridge to amplify that). If it's a big venue (and not a hassle) I also have a mic aimed at my foot shaker. I run my vocals through an Akai Headrush pedal (a loop recorder) for which I have all the necessary adapters, so you don't need to worry about it, except that, due to feed back possbilities when I'm doing many layers, I have my foldback at a minimum (which I'm sure is only good news to you). I'll probably use my own vocal mic (an ElectroVoice ND367). Some thoughts on EQ: Vocal: I do a bit of vocal percussion, so definitely no bass rolloff (i.e. gimme dem subs) and a little dip in the low mids (~ 200Hz) might be nice. Guitar: Think warm (I usually EQ the mbira sound first). Thanks, thine a warbling, Mal

Some flattering quotes:

"Terribly clever....I haven't heard lyrics like that since Cole Porter"
-Phillip Adams (ABC radio).

"You're doing your own thing with the guitar...it's great"
-Doug DeVries.

"Cute songs"
-Kaz Cooke.

"That was great. I wish you'd played more, though I can understand why you didn't"
-at a pub gig in Tamworth (Australia's country music capital).

"You have an amazing voice, but we don't like your kind of music here"
-High school student in Ceduna, South Australia.

"Nah Man, you sound like Stevie Wonder"
-Vince Jones (just after I'd sung "Kimba the White Lion").

"I'm just off to buy your CD..."
-Rory McLeod.

"Is he alright? He sounded a bit like a chook"
-Elderly Sydney ABC radio listener.

"You're a freak"
-Ani DiFranco.

"That was fantastic. So when are you going to do something serious?"
-Rick Robertson (Sax player from DIG).

"I used to think I did weird vocal stuff, but, er, I don't"
-Julian from Arctic Boosh.

"Like a cross between Ella Fitzgerald and Bobby McFerrin"
-Monica Trapaga (Play School and stuff)

"Like an acoustic Aphex Twin"
-High praise (in my book) from a Tassie pub.

Highlights, Lowlights and Brushes with Fame
(chronological):

Being musical director of a show I didn't understand.
(Wogs out of Work)

Having a stranger pass me in the street singing one of my songs.

Hearing Tiddas sing one of my songs and get the words wrong.

Hearing Scottish singer Ruby Carter sing one of my songs and not understanding my own lyrics.

Supporting David Lee Roth at Melbourne Park with a soucous/hilife band (Afrodisa).

Being billed below the Harley rides at a uni gig (Oxo Cubans).

Having Simon Jeffes (Penguin Cafe Orchestra) be a fan at me while I was trying to pack up my gear.

Being supported by the Australian Wallabies Rugby team and the Baby Animals at a bubble gum swap card launch (Oxo Cubans).

Touring South America with a drumming band (Batacuda).

Being invited on stage to sing with Salif Keita and his band.

Doing a 6 gig, 2 day tour of New Caledonia as a One Man Band ...ouch!

Meeting Michael Winslow at a radio station in Darwin (he was very grumpy).

Having my piano composition recorded by Michael Kieran Harvey ("Piano Miniatures").

Having my first T.V. soundtrack job aired for the first time in Belgium
(The Adventures of Lano and Woodley).

Doing my First comedy show at the Last Laugh (Sock)

Singing "Mr.Sandman" as "Mr. Stats Man" on The Footy Show.

Doing 25 programmed gigs, plus umpteen sit-ins, at Woodford Folk Festival 1997/98, thus setting a record. (Honky Trash, Sock, solo, Penelope Swales' Band and the fire event)

Having my song, "Roofrack", come runner up to a song called "Humpty Dumpty Jumped" (Canadian Acapella Song Contest).

Doing a tea totalling pub crawl of Dublin with Jimmy Barnes (who doesn't mind a pun!)

Playing "Eagle Rock" on mbira with Ross Wilson for John Safran's Music Jamboree (SBS TV).

Playing with The Cat Empire at Womadelaide (nice).

Teaching Kerri-Anne to beatbox on her morning show (Channel 9).

Doing mouthdrums and stuff for Kaya on the X Factor (Channel 10).

Who knows what next?

Workshops.

"I didn't think it possible: If I'd known I was going to be doing this, I would never have come; and thank God I didn't... and did!" -Wendy, after a Mal workshop at the Tasmanian Acappella Festival.

Baboons and Pigs: Lip to Lung: Bandmouth: Tongue and Groove: Beatbox and Beyond: Your Voice is an Orchestra.

Mal Webb's workshops are a lip to lung journey through every sound you can possibly make with a vocal tract and the physics of how it works. Pygmy yodelling, beatbox/mouthdrums/vocal percussion, harmonics/throat singing, whistling, mic technique, uvular fluttering, advanced clapping, vocal distortion (without hurting!) and Inuit panting are all explored on the way to being a band with your voice and the lead singer too.

Depending on the workshop length, other areas such as singing styles and phrasing, songwriting, effective use of a metronome and music theory can be included.

Mal can do anywhere from an hour to 12 hours (that was full on), but 2-3 hours is ideal for thoroughness without exhaustion! 18-30 participants is ideal, but really any number is workable (I had ~200 participants for an hour at the 2003/2004 Woodford Folk Festival). Any age can be accommodated, although adventurous adults are a speciality.

Mal has done workshops for the Australian Girls Choir, the Victorian College of the Arts, the Melbourne Millennium Chorus, the AcaFellas (male choir), Voiceworks WA and at many festivals around Australia and Europe.

Below are some notes that you might like to print out if you're coming to one of my workshops.

-Ng warm up: gong (bass); sting (treble) Ernie and Bert.
-Harmonic singing (Kermit the frog and slowly closing the lips).
-Singing breathing in (like a gasp or sigh and don't let it catch).
-Pygmy yodelling (find two notes, either side of your break, and slowly bring them together while maintaining the break).
-Basic conducting (give the warning, loaf of bread, tying the knot).
-Learning to think like a rhythm section (the kelpie and the stick).
-Loving your mistakes.
-Using spoken word as an infinite source of melodic ideas.
-"What's your dog's name?" -moving the pulse (groove) under a rhythmic phrase by accenting the different words.
-Making riffs from odd fragments of well known melodies.

-Drums sounds: Whisper with just your lips, over-articulation of consonants and when you add your voice, use the "ng" sound for all the vowels. Just make sure no-one can't understand the sentence! The underlined words are on the one.

-"Bouncing cats".
-"Bouncing kids abound, kissing kittens".
-"Bouncing pizza".
-"Baboons and pigs are beyond petite patterns".
-"Syncopated soccer boot"(my current favourite).
-"Soccer boot, soccer ball" (samba style!)
-"Saint Paul's booze problems".
-"Bounceable passion table".
-"Dancing kids are done kissing kittens" (different kick sound).
-"Don't say guitar, don't suck a dung car" with "kakadu" every 4th time.
-"Don't send a cow, don't suck a dung car" has a nice extra kick.
-"A sickbag sick dog" (congas and shaker).
-"Dancing" (swing bass with hi hat).
-"Don King", "Bull's Jewels", "Don Johnson".
-"Zucker zimt käse" (it's German for "sugar cinnamon cheese").
-"Aunt Sue can't sing cats" (homophonically similar to the above German one).