The Leaping Lizards

Winners of this year's Victorian & National Country Music Awards were announced at the weekend during the Whittlesea Country Music Festival.
Jason Lee took out three awards in the national section, for Male Vocalist of the Year, the Trailblazers Heritage Award and the songwriter category with Just A Memory.
Tania Kernaghan won Female Vocalist of the Year with Droving Cattle With The Boys, the Group title went to the Leaping Lizards for Good Old Days and the Duet category to Kristy Cox & the Davidson Bros with Breaking New Ground.
Courtney Conway won the Hawking Bros Best New Talent award with Girlie Girl while the Smoky Dawson Best Independent Release went to Dianna Corcoran with Thank You For Cheating On Me.
The Merv Lowry Award for Traditional Country was presented to Doug Bruce with Coffey Road, Instrumental of the Year went to Steve Passfield for Badl bounce and the Bluegrass Award was taken home by Kristy Cox with One Step Away.
Kristy Cox also seemed to dominate the Victorian section winning Group or Duet with the Davidson Bros for Breaking New Ground, Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.
Doug Bruce won two awards in the Victorian section, Album of the Year for A Good Place and Male Vocalist of the Year with Honky Tonk Shoes.
Weblink www.whittleseacountrymusicfestival.com.au.
- Country Music Bulletin

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011
The Leaping Lizards honoured at Golden Fiddle Awards
Australiana band The Leaping Lizards was honoured today for more than 25 years of
dedication to the nation's heritage roots music with the Golden Fiddle Lifetime Achievement
Award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
While the band members might have
changed over the years, fiddlers have
always featured on the front line, say
organisers of the Golden Fiddle Awards.
"The Lizards are regarded as a leading
Australian ambassador band, often being
the first Australian music thousands of
overseas business leaders and tourists hear
at cultural events."
Legendary folk rocker John Schumann
(Redgum/Only 19) recently said of the
Lizards: "They have a way of singing old
and well known songs that bring them to
life – effortlessly."
The Leaping Lizards released their first album in 1986, which is today preserved as an historically
significant piece of Queensland's musical heritage. A ground breaking album was released in 1989
when they reached the top of their game, having won both the Battle of the Bush Bands and the
National Bush Band title in the same year. For years after, the band travelled extensively on the
festival circuit and were regulars on TV shows.
Guitar and banjo player and vocalist on that album Ron Dimmick still holds the Lizards together
with co-players Donna Reynolds and fiddler, Hugh Curtis.
The iconic band's newly released CD Shedding My Skin, dominated finalist categories of this year's
Golden Fiddle Awards; Best Band; Best CD and Best Original Composition. The judging panel
agreed unanimously to honour their musical history with the top award of Lifetime Achievement.
http://www.theleapinglizards.com - Country Music Bulletin

ALBUM REVIEW
Capital News Jan 2011
THE LEAPING LIZARDS have been performing together for several
years, leaving quite a mark on the live scene, so it is fantastic to see
them release another album – particually one featuring so much original
music. Shedding My Skin is a mixture of wonderful instrumental pieces
and quirky, appealing vocal tracks, most of them featuring lead singer
DONNA REYNOLDS
The instrumentals are expertly crafted and superbly played by this
three-piece band, which also features RON DIMMICK and LIAM
KILPATRICK. I loved Scutterby Slip and Crawling From The Wreckage,
as well as Doona's Lullabye and the award-nominated Lorelleveous.
Standouts also include Beauty And The Bush, Silver Eyes and Shedding
My Skin is a sheer delight. There's a traditional touch with Queen Of
Argyll and a fabulous job on GRAEME CONNORS and MIKE KERIN'S
Good Old Days. This is a dynamic fresh and hight appealing album that
brings the bush music sound firmly into the twenty-first century.
Susan Jarvis - Capital News Tamworth

Country Pickins-------- Burt Everett July25

Isn’t it great when occasionally you re-establish contact with someone you have lost contact with, especially someone who showed potential in a certain field, and has left you wondering if the potential was ever realized? One such question was answered last week when I was contacted by Donna Reynolds, a lady who showed great promise on the Country Music Festival circuit some years ago. Donna is now with a group with the unusual name of, “Leaping Lizards”, (a name that immediately aroused my curiosity.

“Leaping Lizards” is comprised of four members, Ron Dimmick, Peter Lawson Donna, and, Paul "Rabbit” Robinson, and the album carries the title of, “There To Here – 23 Years”, and I found it a sheer delight. The CD is a mix of Australian folk songs, and Irish traditionals each done in a unique sound. “Leaping Lizards have breathed new life into familiar Irish airs like, “Whiskey In A Jar”, “Belfast Mill”, and, “Wild Rover, and done likewise with Australian Bush songs like, “Ryebuck Shearer”, “Old Palmer”, (Palmer River Song”), “South Australia”, and, “Swag On My Shoulder”. To me, however, the outstanding track on the album was the beautiful instrumental, “Didgee Pete”, (written by group member, Pete Lawson, who also provides the sound of the didgeredoo). Listen to this one and, in your fantasies, you’ll be transported to Kakadu, or perhaps Ullaru! For lovers of Irish, or Aussie folk music, this one is a must, and for others who love foot tapping good time music, the same thing applies
- Bundaberg Guardian

LEAPING LIZARDS Sundown Records



Often overlooked in favour of their better known Traditional Bush ‘cousins’ the LEAPING LIZARDS have been quietly doing their thing for 23 years. Vocalists PETE LAWSON and DONNA REYNOLDS are the voice of the band that also boasts fine fiddle, mandolin, banjo and harp playing by PAUL (RABBIT) ROBINSON and RON DIMMICK. The band doesn’t just play the old songs, they create their own distinctive arrangements. The new single release is the classic South Australia, given the personal touch by Donna. Traditional songs, Tell My Ma, Whiskey In The Jar, Belfast Mill, Lock Tay Boat Song, Swag On My Shoulder and Ryebuck Shearer show the fun and the sadness of our early history. Didge_Pete is an original by Pete showcasing his ability with the unique Australian instrument. King Of The Faeries leaves you gasping at the fiddle talents of Paul. Leaping Lizards should be better known as a rollicking Traditional Bush band.

Sundown Records 0690

Available from www.leapinglizardsbushband.com

DEBORAH MINTER

CAPITAL NEWS TAMWORTH

- Capital News

Comments from John Schumann
Legendary Australian Folk Rocker
Founder of the band Redgum
Writer of the famous song “I Was Only 19”

3rd May 2010

I heard about the Leaping Lizards back in the 1980s when touring through the region with Redgum. I was aware of their long history in Queensland and I’d heard they were good but, frankly, I wasn’t too fussed about trying to catch up with them. While I respected the bush-band genre, bands resplendent in vests and corked hats singing songs about sheep, cows and convicts were not exactly my cup of tea.

However, in January 2010 I got to work with them and I was surprised and impressed. This lot are the real deal: they work hard, they play well, they rehearse hard and they take their craft and their material seriously.

The Lizards have a way of singing old and well known songs that bring them to life - effortlessly. Perhaps for the first time I stopped and listened and realised just how important these songs are to our musical heritage.

But why, after all these years, was it that the Leaping Lizards brought me to this awakening? I think it was because they deliver their songs in unselfconscious Australian accents – unforced, non-colonial. I didn’t have to wade through a tonal tide of puke-making, put-on Australian accents and nasal twang. It was a relief and a pleasure.

On the Anzac weekend in 2010, the Leaping Lizards played with my band, the Vagabond Crew, at Gaythorne RSL and Twin Towns RSL. They played brilliantly and were very much appreciated by our audiences. In fact, they were a hard act to follow! The Vagabond Crew members all remarked what good singers and players the Leaping Lizards are– high praise indeed from my mob!

We would work with the Lizards again in a heartbeat. That’s all that needs to be said.

John Schumann.
- LL